Christopher Lee Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Cinematical (Double-O) Seven: Reasons to Love Even the Least of the James Bond Films
Filed under: Cinematical Seven », James Bond »
A love affair with the James Bond series is like a marriage; it's for life, and it's definitely a "richer or poorer, better or worse" proposition. Some days you get Casino Royale (2006) or Goldfinger (1964), where everything is bliss, but then other days you get Grace Jones or a cameo from Madonna or someone named "Christmas Jones." Some days are Connery and some are Lazenby. Some days your director is Guy Hamilton or Martin Campbell, and some days your director is John Glen or Marc Forster. But, like a diamond, the imperfections are what make it all worthwhile. From among the dregs, then, here are a few of my favorite things:
1. The entire supporting cast in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
I confess it's one of the weakest Roger Moore entries, but come on! Motherf---in' Christopher "Dracula/Dooku/Saruman" Lee is the bad guy! And Hervé Villechaize as his diminutive villainous sidekick! And sex-goddess Britt Ekland as the Bond girl! In a bikini! And Swedish model Maud Adams, who would return as "Octopussy"! And Lois Maxwell and Desmond Llewelyn! And Soon-Tek Oh as Lieutenant Hip. The only drawback is that the goldurn redneck sheriff returns (see #2)...
2. The Paul McCartney Theme Song in Live and Let Die (1973)
Some fans like this early Roger Moore entry, but Moore hadn't yet settled into the role yet, and I call it "the one with the redneck sheriff and the idiotic boat chase." But conversely, it has one of the best -- if not the best -- song of the series, with its slow build, peculiar tempo changes and odd lyrics ("in this ever changing world in which we live in.") This was McCartney at his crazy out-there best, and it brings much goodwill to the rest of the film.
Alan Rickman is a Hookah-Smoking Caterpillar?!
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », RumorMonger », Remakes and Sequels »
I keep thinking that the casting for the remake of Alice in Wonderland can't get any better. And then I came across the latest rumor coming from Zdonk: Alan Rickman -- the man who helped make Die Hard what it is, who once played a crotch-less angel, and who keeps a stern eye on Harry Potter -- has signed on to play the Caterpillar.
Take a look at the clip above and tell me you can't hear Rickman's voice speaking those lines! Between Rickman, Crispin Glover as the Knave of Hearts, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Michael Sheen as the Cheshire Cat, and Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, this is gearing up to be one heck of a well-cast feature. But there's more -- along with confirming Rickman, Christopher Lee Web says that Lee also has a role -- currently unspecified.
I'm beyond happy with the news, but weigh in below with your thoughts -- as well as any speculation on what role Lee will play!
[via The Bad and Ugly]
Looks Like Christopher Lee Might Not Return to Middle-Earth
Filed under: Action », Classics », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »
Christopher Lee attended the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival this week, and our friends from RushBlogg, Karsten and Eirik, were on hand to talk to him. Of all the attendees, Meinich was the only one who asked Lee about his involvement in The Hobbit. Lee's answer came as quite a surprise -- first, he's adamant that he won't be appearing in The Hobbit, because as we all know, Saruman isn't in the book. This comes as no surprise -- Lee is a Tolkien purist (thank goodness!) and he won't allow himself to be shoehorned in, even if Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro were interested in doing so. But what about the much discussed second film, which would likely deal with the Council of Wizards? That's a location problem. Lee isn't interested in filming in New Zealand again because it is simply too far away, for too long of a time. You can hear the tiredness in his voice -- and perhaps a bit of regret too.
That doesn't mean Lee isn't interested in being in The Hobbit at all, however! He'll appear in the film as long as he can stay in London, and there's a character he's quite keen to play. Or rather, voice. Someone very large, with a penchant for gold...
Head on over to RushBlogg and watch their video of Lee. It's a fantastic clip, and listening to him talk about Saruman, Return of the King, the Council of Wizards, and much more. It's like story-time. I could listen to him talk about Middle Earth for hours.
[Thanks Karsten!]
Killer B's on DVD: The Skull
Filed under: Horror », Killer B's on DVD »
I'm not certain that this DVD's release was intentionally planned to come so quickly on the heels of the latest Indiana Jones film, but this horror flick from 1965 (just out from Legend Films) does deal with skulls and stars not one, but two future denizens of the Star Wars universe (anyone recognize Grand Moff Tarkin and Count Dooku in the picture above?). I suspect it's more coincidence than anything, but there are enough elements present to make fans of classic horror utter "why, what have we here?" The Skull was directed by Freddie Francis and stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, with a brief appearance by Michael Gough (Alfred from the Tim Burton Batman movies), all of whom were veterans of Britain's Hammer Films, the studio that set the standard for gothic horror from the mid 1950s through the early 70s. This is not a Hammer film, but is in fact a product of Amicus Productions, another British studio that is best known today for its anthology horror films like Tales From the Crypt and The House That Dripped Blood.
Should 'The Hobbit' Include Saruman?
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », RumorMonger », Fandom », Remakes and Sequels »
Once Guillermo del Toro signed on for The Hobbit, all the rest of the buzz began. It sounded great when the filmmaker said he wanted to bring The Lord of the Rings cast back, and when word came that some of them had begun talks. But what about the folks who were in the Rings, but not The Hobbit? Like, say, Christopher Lee's Saruman?Empire talked with the 86-year-old actor recently, and he said: "I'd be interested in seeing how that transition from good to evil occurred and, yes, of course I would return to the role if I was asked." Well, he said a little more than that. See, Lee is a pretty big fan of the books and says that he's read them many times. He discussed the intricacies of the wizards, and how "When it all started, Saruman was the noblest, the finest, the bravest, the most dependable and reliable of them all, he was number one. But somewhere, somehow..."
This all brings up an interesting point: Adding characters to other works can be questionable, especially prequels they aren't mentioned in, but what if the character has a back story/mystery that is perfect for the big screen? Is it okay for filmmakers to explore this territory, or should works be adapted only with the characters between the covers?
Farrell, Vega, and Lee Join 'Triage'
Filed under: Drama », Casting »
Although Anthony Minghella has passed away, his name continues to live on, whether it be through New York, I Love You, or being named the "one true godfather" of a new film on the pike -- Triage. Variety reports that the dark drama, which is coming from the hands of Bosnian filmmaker Danis Tanovic (writer/director of the Oscar-winning No Man's Land), is getting a cast that boasts the likes of Colin Farrell, Paz Vega, and Christopher Lee.Farrell will star as a photojournalist who goes on a dangerous assignment with his colleague/best friend, but returns home without him. I imagine he is tight-lipped about what happens, because his girlfriend, played by Vega, "sets about solving the mystery of the disappearance." Either that, or Farrell comes back without a clue. Unfortunately, there's no word on who Lee will play. Since the man is getting close to 90, however, I think it's safe to say that he won't be the colleague. Still, it'll be nice to see Lee in a more realistic setting.
The film is going to be sold at Cannes by Hanway films, and will shoot on-location in Ireland, and in Spanish studios, from this month through June.
'Wicker Man' Helmer Ropes 'Cowboys for Christ' Cast
Filed under: Horror », Thrillers », Remakes and Sequels »
In 1973 a man named Robin Hardy directed a horror film called The Wicker Man. That film is now (rightly) considered one of the most effective chillers ever made. Aside from a 1986 effort called The Fantasist, Mr. Hardy never directed another movie. That is about to change.According to Bloody-Disgusting.com, the 79-year-old Mr. Hardy is just about to begin production on this third directorial effort. Titled Cowboys for Christ, it's supposed to be a "re-imagining" of the classic Wicker Man (as Monika told us right here), but based on the plot synopsis, it sure doesn't sound like any typical sort of remake: A young Christian and her boyfriend head to Scotland to preach the gospel, only to end up hosted by a "different" sort of congregation. (OK, I guess it does sound a bit like The Wicker Man.)
Production gets underway (yes, in Scotland) next month. Cast members include Christopher Lee (of course), Joan Collins (yep, Joan Collins) and Graham McTavish. Check out BD.com for the official poster, a larger cast list, and bit more info on the flick itself. (Hey, I'm pretty impressed that I was able to make it through this whole post without making a snarky comment about Neil LaBute's ill-fated Wicker Man remake!) (Oops, I just made one.)
Beware of the Heathen Scots!
Filed under: Drama », Thrillers », Casting », Remakes and Sequels »
This was to be a casting bite, but the premise on Variety just killed me, so I wanted to write a little more about it. Believe it or not, Joan Collins is still acting, and she's signed on for a role in an upcoming film called Cowboys for Christ. Why do I love this bit? Well, get a load of this -- it's "the story of a gospel singer and her cowboy friend who set off from Texas to enlighten Scottish heathens about the ways of Christ." I know that's what I always think of when I think of Scotland -- heathen territory! Collins will play "a Scottish-landed gent's wife."This is where things get even more interesting, and a little less strange. It's a reimagining of Robin Hardy's 1973 film, The Wicker Man -- by Robin Hardy. And yes, this is the same film that spawned the 2006 remake by Neil LaBute. Things make a bit more sense with this bit of info, since the original focused on a Scottish island where pagans might be sacrificing a missing girl. I guess after 35 years, he wonders what would happen if Christian cowboys came to visit?!
According to the IMDb summary, this new flick follows "young Christians Beth and Steve, a gospel singer and her boyfriend, [who] leave Texas to preach door-to-door in Scotland. When, after initial abuse, they are welcomed with joy and elation to Tressock, the border fiefdom of Sir Lachlan Morrison, they assume their hosts simply want to hear more about Jesus. How innocent and wrong they are." This is "Cowboys for Christ" -- talk about a misleading title!
An added treat for this flick that shoots this April in Scotland, Christopher Lee (from the original cast) will play Sir Lachlan.
Robert Englund Won't Do 'Elm Street' Remake, But Will Direct 'Vij'
Filed under: Horror », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », New Line »
Forget those rumors you heard last week about Robert Englund possibly reprising his role as Freddy Kruger (a franchise re-launch of A Nightmare on Elm Street was confirmed last week). They may not be true. But also forget what you might have read today about Kruger not returning. According to an interview with Englund by Bad Taste, the actor has not been approached ... yet. (Moviehole had said he would be approached). Of course, he may still be asked to suit up in the striped sweater and razor glove (Englund mentions needing to speak to his agent about it), but the actor doesn't seem to think it a good idea. He says he's too old to play Freddy -- apparently he hasn't been following the geriatric casting trends in Hollywood lately -- and joked that the new film's title would have to be "Freddy vs. Viagra" (har har). He did, however, mention that he'd be down for a cameo.Englund spoke to Bad Taste from Italy, where he's prepping his next directorial effort, The Vij, in which he will also star alongside Christopher Lee and Russian actress Olga Shuvalova. According to Englund, the film is based on a short story by the Russian author Gogol, and will involve, "The Viji [sic], the guardian of the purgatory, who came to Earth." He also stated that it should be in black and white, but it will actually be in color (to appeal to a larger audience) and will be a mix of Kafka, German expressionism, the cinematography of Vittorio Storaro and classic stories like The Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Snow White. According to Variety, the film will be a "dark gothic fantasy" with a plot revolving "around an evil genie who conditions the actions of a young priest, leading him to commit murder and fall in love with an old witch who is actually not what she seems." The evil genie part makes me think of Wishmaster, which also starred Englund and which actually makes The Vij sound better than it probably will be considering Englund also directed 976-EVIL.
Gallery: Greatest Movie Monsters of All Time
Filed under: Classics », Horror », Images »
Happy Halloween from Cinematical! As a special treat, we've put together this gallery of some of the great movie monsters, from Lon Chaney Sr. as the Phantom in the 1925 silent film The Phantom of the Opera, to Lon Chaney Jr. as The Wolfman. We have an array of Dracula's, from Nosferatu (1922 and 1979 versions) to Dracula (Bela Lugosi, Christoper Lee, Frank Langella, and Gary Oldman -- who do you like best?). We have a slew of evil children and evil adults in the mix as well. Tell us who your favorite movie monsters are, and who we missed including in our gallery.
If you missed catching any of our Spooktacular Halloween Coverage, you can catch up with it all right here! And don't forget to let out your own inner monster by entering our fabulous Halloween Costume Contest.
Shelf Life: Fight Club_thumbnail.jpg)
Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
Peter Jackson Says Spielberg's 'Tintin' is Done Filming, but...
Interracial Harmony: 'Ninja Assassin' vs. 'Blind Side'
Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 11/24
_thumbnail.jpg)
