In an age when the terms “legend” and “icon” are bestowed carelessly on the undeserving, the world lost a true Hollywood icon in the form of Sir Christopher Lee, who passed away June 7 at the age of 93. Best known for his portrayals of Count Dracula among his record 278 acting credits, he boasted an enviable portfolio of characters, playing Frankenstein, The Mummy, Lucifer, Fu Manchu, a Bond villain, Rasputin, Mephistopheles, and Sherlock Holmes before reaching a younger generation of fans as the dark wizard Saruman in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies and Count Dooku in Star Wars.
While Lee himself would have bristled a bit at being defined as simply a horror legend, that certainly holds true for so many fans mourning his loss. Lee was one of three iconic horror actors of his generation who often worked together and who fans have dubbed the “Unholy Trinity” — Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Vincent Price — with Lee being the last survivor, closing the casket forever on a golden age of horror when film studios such as Hammer and Amicus ruled the genre.
On Facebook forums dedicated to Hammer Films, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Vincent Price, many mourned the passing of the last of the childhood icons who had inspired their lifelong love of the horror.
“While I knew this day would eventually come I was still not prepared for it. Christopher Lee helped define my childhood with his MANY varied performances in Hammer and beyond… RIP Christopher Lee – you are truly a legend now.” (Christopher Gullo)
“I can honestly say that this is one of the very few actors that have passed that I actually wept when I heard. I’ve never met nor knew the man. But I had many happy memories of watching his films from when I was a little to the age I am now. Its almost like a friend has left you.” (Janet Denny)
“Very sad news. I was mesmerised by his portrayal of Dracula as young boy and have been hooked on Hammer (and horror in general) ever since. A truly amazing acting career. RIP Sir Christopher.” (William Wade)
“These gentlemen have left such a void in Hollywood that can never and will never be filled. All we can do is hold on to the memories they have given us and pass them along to our children and grandchildren. Only then will the true magic of movies and Hollywood’s golden age live on because there just isn’t the caliber of talent today that these men had. They will always be remembered and sorely missed.” (Robb And Michelle Webb)
Lee was a horror legend, but he was so much more. He was a true gentleman and Renaissance man, equally adept with a sword or a golf club, and lending a regal gravity to all his roles with his 6′ 5″ towering frame and baritone voice.
Sir Christopher Lee stumbled into acting after a career in the Royal Air Force during World War II, but was never allowed to fly due to visual problems with his optic nerve, according to io9. He officially became an “intelligence officer” for Britain’s special forces, where he was a Nazi hunter, before moving on to an even more elite special forces group named The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. With his extensive background in international affairs, Lee was fluent in a number of languages, including French, German, Italian, and Spanish, and proficient in Swedish, Russian and Greek.
While he may have been a spy in real life, he played the villain to the world’s most famous fictional spy in The Man with the Golden Gun and was a step-cousin to James Bond author Ian Fleming. His bloodlines also connected to Emperor Charlemagne of the Holy Roman Empire, inspiring the title of his first symphonic heavy metal album, Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross. The album was released in 2010 when Lee was 87 years old. At 90, he released his follow up, Charlemagne: The Omens of Death, making him the oldest performer in heavy metal.
Christopher Lee was also known for performing most of his own stunts and was a world champion fencer and an opera singer. He met author J.R.R. Tolkien and the men who assassinated Rasputin. He earned the title “Sir” when he was named a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2009.
Which is to say, Sir Christopher Lee truly was “the most interesting man in the world.”
Christopher Lee reportedly refused to sign photos of himself as Dracula in his later years, but the one thing from his years with Hammer that lasted throughout his lifetime was his friendship and deep love for his partner on screen, Peter Cushing. Not only did the pair appear in multiple films together, but they formed a bond so strong that even after Cushing’s death in 1994, Lee continued referring to his friend and how much he missed him.
He also shared a lifelong friendship with another horror legend, Vincent Price, and spoke lovingly about him throughout his life, referring to him and Cushing in a documentary from 2001 titled The Many Faces of Christopher Lee, as shown in the video clip. He shared some screen time with Price, but the “Unholy Trinity” only appeared together as a trio in one film, The House of the Long Shadows.
There is one cheeky moment of the film that seems to have been an ad lib by Price. When Lee’s character insults Price’s, you can hear Vincent off-camera murmuring, “Bitch,” as Lee walks away. They surely had a good laugh over that one.
And speaking of laughs, there’s a great story that’s circulated for years about the friendship between Lee and Cushing. It’s said the two loved Warner Brothers cartoons and were even kicked out of a movie theater once because of their raucous laughter. In particular, Lee and Cushing loved Yosemite Sam. They enjoyed impersonating the character, and in a poignant twist to the story, it’s said that when Cushing became so ill he was homebound before his death, Lee would call him on the phone and entertain him by doing Yosemite Sam impersonations.
Stop for a moment and imagine these two great icons of horror giggling and laughing like school girls over a cartoon character. And imagine how difficult it must have been for Christopher Lee to maintain his composure knowing his greatest friend in the world was dying as he made him laugh over such a silly thing.
None of us know for sure if there is an afterlife till we pass on and find out firsthand. But if there is, you can rest assured that Vincent, Peter, and Sir Christopher are gathered around the fire drinking a nice brandy or cognac after a delicious gourmet meal cooked by Vincent from one of his many cookbooks. They’ve probably played a few rounds of chess, and by now they’re likely having their own film marathon, laughing about the good times and all the behind-the-scenes jokes on set.
Sir Christopher’s probably grimacing at those shots of Dracula with the bloodshot eyes he hated so much, while Vincent tells him to lighten up, and be glad he was loved by so many for that role. They’re probably reminiscing about all their beautiful costars over the years, and raising a glass to the likes of Caroline Munro, Barbara Shelley, Veronica Carlson, and Ingrid Pitt, as well as their wives who stayed loyal for so many years.
But most important of all, between all those legendary horror films, the intermissions are filled with Warner Brothers cartoons. Yosemite Sam, to be precise, in an endless supply. And no matter how loud and how long they laugh, this is one theater that will never kick them out.
Hollywood loves a good love story, and there are many tales of romantic couples on and off the silver screen. But some of the greatest love stories are platonic, and the love Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing shared for each other is perhaps one of the greatest Hollywood love stories ever.
You were the last of the horror legends and we will miss you, Sir Christopher, but we leave you in good hands — the very best of hands. Please give Peter and Vincent our kindest regards as we raise our glasses to all of you who inspired our great love of horror films, and showed us what it means to be true gentlemen of class and intellect, even as you terrified us during all those late nights in front of our TV sets.
This Halloween, Lionsgate will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the theatrical release of “Saw”, the film that kicked off the most successful horror franchise in history, by bringing it back to theaters nationwide for one week only. The film will open on Friday, October 31st, with select screenings beginning Thursday night, October 30th. The seven “Saw” films grossed $874 million at the box office worldwide and were hailed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the “Most Successful Horror Franchise” of all time.
“The launch of SAW was a signature event in Lionsgate’s history, establishing our first franchise and paving the way for our growth into a global studio,” said Lionsgate President of Acquisitions & Co-Productions Jason Constantine. “We are excited for our fans to revisit the twisted magic that first blew their minds on Halloween 2004.”
“As part of ‘Saw’s’ 10th anniversary, we’re thrilled to give new fans and audiences the opportunity to experience this film on the big screen for the very first time,” added “Saw’s” producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg.
“Saw” was the first collaboration for co-creators James Wan, who directed the film, and Leigh Whannell, who wrote the screenplay. Together, they also created the successful “Insidious” franchise, and Wan has gone on to direct such high-profile films as “The Conjuring” and the upcoming “Fast and Furious 7.”
Directed by Wan from a script penned by Whannell, SAW is a psychological thriller focusing on two men who wake up in a secure lair of a serial killer, with a dead body lying between them. The killer, nicknamed “Jigsaw,” leaves them tape recorded messages with details of how to make it out alive. The only way for one man to make it out alive is to do the unthinkable. The two men desperately try to find a way out, while also trying to figure out who’s behind their kidnapping. The film, which was released over Halloween weekend on October 29, 2004, was produced by Gregg Hoffman, Oren Koules, and Mark Burg.
Syfy officially announced that their camp phenomena “Sharknado” will get a third installment next summer, with “Sharknado 2: The Second One” already in the can and set for a July 30 premiere. Apparently summer is all about sharks again, in a way we haven’t seen since “Jaws.” And definitely in a different way than “Jaws.”
Hey, there’s a place for all approaches to the shark genre.
In the first “Sharknado,” Ian Ziering and Tara Reid fought to save the city of Los Angeles from killer sharks invading the city via tornado transport. In “Sharknado 2,” Ziering and Reid return to fight a new batch of spinning sharks in New York, joined by the likes of Mark McGrath, Kari Wuhrer, Judah Friedlander and Vivica A. Fox.
C’mon Vivica… you were in “Kill Bill,” for chrissakes. Is this really where you want to be? You’ve worked with freakin’ Tarantino for cryin’ out loud.
DOMINION — “Pilot” Episode 101 — Pictured: Tom Wisdom as Michael — (Photo by: Ilze Kitshoff/Syfy)
Syfy has released the first photos of its upcoming series “Dominion,” based on the theatrical film “Legion.”
“Dominion” is an epic supernatural drama set in the year 25 A.E. In this transformed post-apocalyptic future an army of lower angels, assembled by the archangel Gabriel, has waged a war of possession against mankind. The archangel Michael, turning against his own kind, has chosen to side with humanity against Gabriel. Rising out of the ashes of the 25 year-long battle are newly fortified cities which protect the human survivors. In Vega (formerly Las Vegas), the largest of these cities, two houses vie for control and the stage is set for political upheaval and a dangerous power shift. Meanwhile, a rebellious young soldier begins a perilous journey as the war between the human race and the fallen angels hell-bent on their domination escalates.
Dominion stars Christopher Egan (“Kings”), Tom Wisdom (“300”), Roxanne McKee (“Game of Thrones”), Alan Dale (“Lost”), Anthony Stewart Head (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and Luke Allen-Gale (“The Borgias”).
Charlene Amoia (How I Met Your Mother, American Reunion), seems to be making her bid for scream queen status. She’ll star in a new horror film for Zoe and Pebbles Productions in association with Mulberry Street Films, LLC.
Amoia will play Julia, a quirky single mother who has left the big city with her teenage daughter, Charlotte and has taken up residence in the old Miller house. What she is unaware of is that the Miller house is known by the townspeople to have been a place where demonic possession occurred throughout the past. As history repeats itself, Julia must work with the previous owner of the house, Dr. Miller, to save not only Charlotte from this evil case of possession but to ultimately keep the evil entity from latching on to Dr. Miller.
Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance Saturday night to pay tribute to a true legend of the silver screen — Sir Christopher Lee, who received a prestigious British Film Institute Fellowship for his long and distinguished career. The two, who have worked on three films together, had nothing but the kindest words for each other. Depp called the 91-year-old actor “a national treasure” and “a genuine artist,” while the elder statesmen of horror declared depth one of the few younger actors “who is truly a star.”
Lee was visibly struggling with his emotions as he approached the podium to accept his award from Depp, telling him, “I didn’t know you were going to be here. I must try and pull myself together.”
Director Tim Burton is the man who brought this pairing together, with Depp and Lee working together on “Sleepy Hollow,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and “Dark Shadows.” Lee also lent his voice to “Alice in Wonderland.”
While the younger generation knows Lee for his roles in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, all of the classic horror fans know him for his work with Hammer Studios alongside Peter Cushing. Along with Vincent Price, the trio made up a sort of (un)holy trinity for horror fans in that era, although rumors abound that Lee has since distanced himself from his work in “Dracula.”
Of course, it’s only fair to presume that the reason Burton cast him in his movies was his love of all the old Hammer films, which he has said that “Sleepy Hollow” pays homage to. I’d venture a guess that Peter Jackson had those old Hammer films in mind when casting Lee in “Lord of the Rings” movies, as well.
It’s great to see Lee getting his due from the film community, but his somewhat frail appearance in the photo of him and Depp together gives rise to concern that we may be losing the last icon of the golden age of horror all too soon. (And no, 91 years isn’t nearly enough.) It’s a shame that most of the commentary on the photo revolves around Depp’s blonde hair and not the screen legend seated next to him.
Lee is bigger than his role as “Dracula,” or any of his roles. He is the last connection we have to not only the time when Hammer Studios ruled, but our last connection to the legends of that time like Price and especially to Cushing. As long as Lee is still with us, we still have a little piece of the magic that was Cushing and Lee together. But when Lee is gone, it will truly be the end of not only a legendary actor, but the greatest era of horror itself.
