Christopher Lee Tributes!

hammerbluraysetAfter the passing of Christopher Lee earlier this month, there has been a lot of tributes being presented, which I’m grateful to the fact that he is being remembered for his huge contribution to cinema in general, not to mention what he gave us horror fans over the years, that thankfully we will still be able to enjoy for many more years to come.

One of those reasons that we are able to keep the memories alive of these wonderful actors that gave us so many chills over throughout our lives is that even though they have passed on, their movies still remain. And now thanks to Warner Home Video, 3 films that feature the late Christopher Lee will be unleashed in a 4-disc blu-ray set entitled the Hammer Horror Collection. this will feature The Mummy, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, Taste the Blood of Dracula, and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed. Since this is being called Volume 1, we can only hope that there are more to come. Not sure of any extras that might be on these discs, but even if they are just the films alone, I’m sure they will be well worth the price. The set will be released in October, a perfect time too, with a retail price of around $55. Not bad for 4 films if you ask me.

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Rest in Peace – Christopher Lee

christopherlee-ripThe news of the passing of Christopher Lee today is truly an end of an era. He really was the last of the great icons of horror, following the likes of Lugosi, Karloff, Chaney Jr., Cushing, Price, and Carradine. Lee worked very hard to stay away from being pigeon-holed just as a horror actor, and did an amazing job of it too, appearing in close to 300 films and television appearances in a career that spanned almost seven decades. From playing Scaramanga in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun, as Count Dooku in the Star Wars films, or the wizard Saruman in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, not to mention countless other amazing performances he gave us, he was always a joy to watch. With such a screen presence, he brought his characters to life and always made them memorable.

When he played Dracula for Hammer, he was no longer some foreign aristocrat, but a dominating and powerful presence, one that he gave off in all of his roles. He was the one that made the mummy scary again, when he played the tormented Kharis in Hammer’s 1959 remake. So many roles in so many movies, he gave us horror fans hours upon hours of entertainment. He has now joined the rest of those icons of horror in another place. And like those before him, he will never be forgotten.

Rest in Peace, Sir Christopher.

Clayguy Meets Hammer!

clayguy-curseoffrankenstein1Another dealer that I’ve met years ago was Barry Crawford, aka Clayguy! Barry creates some incredible pieces of art….little figures from the movies we love out of clay, really capturing the essence of these demented characters. They almost look like they would be in a Tim Burton animated film. I have picked up a few of his pieces for my son over the years. The great thing about Barry is that he doesn’t just do what might be the obvious choices for his subjects, but does some pretty obscure characters as well. Just by browsing over his table, you’ll see Victor Crowley from Hatchet, Corbis from The Devil’s Rain, Meg Halsey from Re-Animator, and so many more. Granted, most of the horror/cult fans coming by his table recognize them right away. It also helps that Barry is a super nice guy and we’re always happy to see him setting up next to us.

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