Blu-Ray Review: The Creeping Flesh (1973).

Directed by Freddie Francis
Produced by Michael P. Redbourn
Original Screenplay by Peter Spenceley & Jonathan Rumbold
Director Of Photography: Norman Warwick, BSC
Film Editor: Oswald Hafenrichter
Music by Paul Ferris

Cast: Christopher Lee (Dr. James Hildern), Peter Cushing (Professor Emmanuel Hildern), Lorna Heilbron (Penelope Hildern), Jenny Runacre (Marguerite Hildern), George Benson (Professor Waterlow), Kenneth J. Warren (Charles Lenny), Duncan Lamont (Inspector), Harry Locke (Barman), Hedger Wallace (Dr. Perry), Michael Ripper (Carter), Catherine Finn (Emily), Robert Swann (Young Aristocrat), David Bailie (Young Doctor), Maurice Bush (Karl), Tony Wright (Sailor), Marianne Stone (Assistant), Alexandra Dane (Whore), Larry Taylor (Warder), Martin Carroll (Warder), Dan Meaden (Lunatic), Sue Bond

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My junior year in high school, on the last day before the Christmas break, there were all sorts of activities going on around the school. The one I remember, since it’s what I chose to do, was The Creeping Flesh (1973) running in the auditorium. The girl I was sweet on at the time was not near as excited about it as I was!*

Of course, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are some of the biggest names in horror movies of the 60s and early 70s, thanks largely to their terrific work for Hammer Films. Pairing them had been a cinematic sure thing since 1957’s Curse Of Frankenstein, and Tigon signed them both for The Creeping Flesh. They also put one of the UK’s best horror directors at the helm, former cinematographer Freddie Francis.

In Victorian England, anthropologist Emmanuel Hildern (Peter Cushing) comes home from Papua New Guinea with one hell of a souvenir — the ancient skeleton of a giant humanoid (delivered by Michael Ripper). He learns that while he was away, his wife passed away in a mental institution run by his psychiatrist half-brother (Christopher Lee). Cushing’s daughter (Lorna Heilbron) had been told her mother died long ago.

One evening, Cushing gets a bit of water and begins to clean the skeleton, first washing off its hand. Almost immediately, flesh begins to form on a finger, which Cushing quickly chops off.

Playing his typical obsessed, absent-minded, well-meaning scientist, Cushing wonders if evil is a disease — and if these cells can point to a cure for evil in the world. Soon, a serum is prepared using blood from the regenerated flesh and the tests go drastically wrong.

Of course, we’re all waiting for the skeleton to get wet and go on a rampage. But not so fast, there’s all kinds of other stuff going on. Maybe Cushing’s daughter is inheriting her mother’s madness (she was really a drunk and a harlot). The conniving Lee is chasing after money and notoriety — which he thinks he can have, if he can just get ahold of his brother’s giant skeleton. Naturally, Lee has it stolen — during a rainstorm.

If all this sounds like The Creeping Flesh is uneven, it is. Its plot goes all over the place, making for a very fun ride.

Peter Cushing is terrific in a part that must’ve been a lot of fun to play. Lee has a smaller part (why is he billed first?), but he’s always great as pompous, elitist swine like this.

Peter Cushing and Freddie Francis

Freddie Francis seems to be having a lot of fun stylistically here. POV shots from inside the skeleton’s head are cool — repeating a technique he used in another Cushing-Lee picture, The Skull (1965). He does a great job of keeping the narrative working as it zigs and zags from one weird plot point to the next (with the help of editor Oswald Hafenrichter). Francis’ films are often handicapped by lackluster scripts, and The Creeping Flesh shows what he could do with something better.

Here in the States, The Creeping Flesh is part of a Mill Creek Blu-Ray set called Psycho Circus that also includes Francis’ Torture Garden (1967), an Amicus anthology film with Cushing in it, and Brotherhood Of Satan (1971) with Strother Martin, L.Q. Jones and Ahna Capri. All three pictures are pressed onto a single disc, which seems fine. They were distributed by Columbia back in the day, so they have the typically top-notch transfers that the studio licenses to Mill Creek. I love the 70s-era film grain so perfectly presented here in The Creeping Flesh.

There are no extras, except for a reversible cover. I really like the cover (above) that makes use of each film’s original poster art (also used for the disc’s menu).

The Creeping Flesh is a lot of fun, and in my case it’s slathered with a heavy layer of nostalgia. The disc here is quite nice, and since it gives you another Francis-Cushing picture looking just as good, turns out to be a bargain. It’s certainly recommended for fans of such stuff. 

*My English teacher was in charge of picking the movie. He showed me a short list and asked what he should go with. Completely selfishly, I encouraged him to go with The Creeping Flesh. This is still the closest I’ve come to one of my goals — curating some sort of retrospective or festival!

4K/Blu-Ray News #381: Dr. Terror’s House Of Horrors (1965).

Directed by Freddie Francis
Starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Bernard Lee, Jeremy Kemp, Michael Gough, Donald Sutherland

I’ve been on a bit of a Peter Cushing – Freddie Francis kick of late (watch for some upcoming posts on ’em), so I was really excited to hear about Vineger Syndrome’s upcoming 4K/Blu-Ray release of Cushing in Francis’ Dr. Terror’s House Of Horrors (1965). Packed with extras and transferred from the 35mm (Technicolor and Techniscope) camera negative, the set will include both a Blu-Ray and 4K disc.

It was shot by Alan Hume, who’d go on to do a few things you might’ve heard of — Eye Of The Needle (1981), For Your Eyes Only (1981) and Return Of The Jedi (1983).

Dr. Terror was the first of Amicus’ run of anthology horror pictures. Francis would direct a couple more, Torture Garden (1967) and Tales From The Crypt (1972), while Cushing would appear in almost all of them. This is maybe the best of the bunch, though I’m quite fond of Tales From The Crypt, so it’s easy to recommend this one very, very highly.

Note in the ad up top that it was sent out with Antonio Margheriti’s Horror Castle (1963) or George Pal’s War Of The Worlds (1953). Wow.

Screening: Dune (1984).

Directed by David Lynch
Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Jürgen Prochnow, Sean Young, Virginia Madsen, Kenneth McMillan, Sting, Patrick Stewart, Dean Stockwell, Max von Sydow, Francesca Annis, Brad Dourif, José Ferrer, Linda Hunt, Freddie Jones, Richard Jordan, Everett McGill, Jack Nance, Paul Smith

I had this set up to post automatically a few days ago, but I did something wrong, so I apologize for the short notice.

A David Lynch movie might seem like a bit of a stretch for this blog — too recent (even though its 40 years old), too expensive, too almost mainstream. But when you think about who shot it, well, it fits in pretty well. I went to see Lynch’s previous picture, The Elephant Man (1980), for two reasons: (1) Freddie Francis shot it in (2) black-and-white Panavision. I hadn’t even heard of Lynch or Eraserhead at that point, but I sure as hell knew who Freddie Francis was!

Lynch brought Francis back for Dune (1984), so of course I was going to go — especially when there were 70mm engagements less than an hour away. Freddie Francis in 70! The film was a mess, of course — beware of any movie that provides you with a glossary as you walk in! But I was blown away by Francis’ cinematography, the production design (from the wooden sets to the almost antique-looking spaceships), Albert Whitlock’s matte work and the presence of Freddie Jones (of Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed).

Well, it’s back in theaters February 18 and 19 to mark its 40th anniversary. And while it won’t be in 70mm, I’m looking forward to seeing it on the big screen again — and to seeing how baffled my daughter will be by the whole thing!

Francis’ last film as DP, Lynch’s The Straight Story (1999) is wonderful, and I’ve heard it’s finally getting a much-needed Blu-Ray release. Easily one of my favorite films of the last 30 years. I’m in the middle of a post on another Freddie Francis picture (directing this time), which will be on its way before long. Stay tuned.

The Olive Films, The Non-Westerns Checklist.

A few days ago, over on 50 Westerns From The 50s, I posted a list of the Westerns released on DVD and Blu-Rays by Olive Films. Turns out a number of us are looking to fill some gaps in our collections — before they’re either gone or going for crazy collectors’ prices. And now, here’s a list of some of their other titles. This is by no means everything — just the stuff that falls within the scope of this blog.

Some of these titles have already been re-issued (or are on the way) by other companies. But some may never see the light of day again, given the current state of physical media. From a couple of Republic serials to a handful of Regalscope pictures, there are some real jewels here.

As very special thanks (again) to Laura from Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings, who was a HUGE help with bringing this together. 

Betty Boop, Vols. 1-4
Sabotage (1939)
S.O.S. Tidal Wave (1939)
Lady From Louisiana (1941)
A Man Betrayed (1941)
One Of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942)
Flying Tigers (1942)
Lady For A Night (1942)
Johnny Come Lately (1943)
Strangers In The Night (1944)
Voodoo Man (1944)
Fighting Seabees (1944)

The Return Of The Ape Man (1944)
The Strange Affair Of Uncle Harry (1945)
Flame Of Barbary Coast (1945)
The Vampire’s Ghost (1945)
The Dark Mirror (1946)
The Private Affairs Of Bel Ami (1946)
Appointment With Crime (1946)
Copacabana (1947)
Ruthless (1948)
So This Is New York (1948)
Force Of Evil (1948)
Mr. Peabody And The Mermaid (1948)
Wake Of The Red Witch (1948)
Sands Of Iwo Jima (1949)
The Red Menace (1949)
The Kid From Cleveland (1949)
Love Happy (1949)
The File On Thelma Jordon (1950)
Appointment With Danger (1950)
No Man of Her Own (1950)
The Lawless (1950)
Captain Carey U.S.A. (1950)
Union Station (1950)
Three Secrets (1950)
Dark City (1950)

Flying Disc Man From Mars (1950, serial)
The Invisible Monster (1950)
Cry Danger (1951)
My Favorite Spy (1951)
Flat Top (1952)
Hoodlum Empire (1952)
The Atomic City (1952)
The Quiet Man (1952)
Retreat, Hell! (1952)
City That Never Sleeps (1953)
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal Of The Universe (1953, serial)
The Sun Shines Bright (1953)
Hell’s Half Acre (1954)
Private Hell 36 (1954)
Panther Girl Of The Kongo (1954, serial)
The Shanghai Story (1954)
Cry Vengeance (1954)
Dragonfly Squadron (1954)
Young At Heart (1955)
The Big Combo (1955)
Shack Out On 101 (1955)
The Eternal Sea (1955)
No Man’s Woman (1955)
The Americano (1955)
Strategic Air Command (1955)
The Weapon (1956)
Fire Maidens Of Outer Space (1956)
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)
China Gate (1957)
Plunder Road (1957)
She Devil (1957)

High School Confidential! (1958)
Indiscreet (1958)
Hell’s Five Hours (1958)
The Colossus Of New York (1958)
The Space Children (1958)
It! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958)
The Return Of Dracula (1958)
The Beat Generation (1959)
Operation Petticoat (1959)
Pork Chop Hill (1959)
The Big Operator (1959)
Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
The Monster Of Piedras Blancas (1959)
A Bucket Of Blood (1959)

The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962)
That Touch Of Mink (1962)
Father Goose (1964)
Muscle Beach Party (1964)
Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
How To Stuff A Wild Bikini (1965)
Crack In The World (1965)
Dr. Terror’s House Of Horrors (1965)
The Wild Angels (1966)
The Trip (1967)
Cauldron Of Blood (1967)
The Spirit Is Willing (1967)
Project X (1968)
Little Fauss And Big Halsey (1970)
Badge 373 (1973)

Take a glance at this list. Olive Films put some terrific movies in our hot little hands. It’s a shame they didn’t make it. This proves the point that’s been made over and over on this blog — if we don’t support the companies that put these things out, they won’t be putting them out anymore. Okay, now I’ll climb down from my soapbox and put The Return Of Dracula back on.

Blu-Ray News #367: Two Psycho Rip-Offs From Hammer Films And Freddie Francis.

In the early 60s, Hammer invested heavily in the Psycho ripoff industry. And while those investments didn’t pay off like their Dracula or Frankenstein pictures did, they were pretty solid movies. Scream Factory is bringing a couple of them to Blu-Ray soon (each is a standalone release). Both were written and produced by Jimmy Sangster and directed by Freddie Francis. 

Paranoiac (1963)
Directed by Freddie Francis
Starring Janette Scott, Oliver Reed, Sheila Burrell, Alexander Davion

His older brother dead, his sister declared insane, Oliver Reed is all set to have the family fortune all to himself. Then, the brother turns up again. Or is an imposter? 

Nightmare (1964)
Directed by Freddie Francis
Starring David Knight, Moira Redmond, Jennie Linden

Technically, this is probably more of a riff on Diaboliques (1955) than Psycho (1960). A girl witnesses her mother kill her father. Mom is sent to an asylum, while years later, at a finishing school, the daughter starts having nightmares of stabbings. But are they dreams, or are the bodies really piling up?

In both the UK and the US, Nightmare played theaters with Evil Of Frankenstein (1964), also directed by Francis.

These are cool, stylish pictures with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing who’s real, who’s dead and who’s gonna be dead. They were both in black-and-white Scope, which looks terrific in high definition. If these get the usual treatment Scream Factory lavishes on their Hammer releases, with stellar transfers and lots of nice extras, these will be very nice indeed. Highly recommended.

Merry Christmas.

My junior year in high school, I got to choose the movie that ran in the school auditorium on our last day before the Christmas break. (There was also a band playing in the cafeteria.)

I chose Freddie Francis’s The Creeping Flesh (1973), starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. It was a beautiful 16mm print from Films Incorporated.

Now I don’t want to get callouses from patting myself on the back, but I think I made a wise choice. And ever since, I think of it as a Christmas movie. 

Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Blu-Ray News #308: Hammer Films – The Ultimate Collection (1958-1971).

I’ve been really impressed with Mill Creek’s Hammer releases. They don’t have the extras we get from someone like Scream Factory, but they look good, they’re often in double bills or sets (with us DVD/Blu-Ray collectors, shelf space is always a concern), and the price is certainly right. 

Mill Creek’s newest Hammer project is the 20-picture Hammer Films – The Ultimate Collection. It’s got some great stuff — some are repeats from previous MC releases, some not. It focuses on Hammer films that were distributed by Columbia in the States. Here’s the lineup:

The Revenge Of Frankenstein (1958)
The Snorkel (1958)
The Camp On Blood Island (1958)
Yesterday’s Enemy (1959)
The Two Faces Of Dr. Jekyll (1960)
Never Take Candy From A Stranger (1960)

The Stranglers Of Bombay (1960)
Cash On Demand (1961)
Scream Of Fear (1961)
Stop Me Before I Kill! (1961)

The Terror Of The Tongs (1961)
The Pirates Of Blood River (1962)
These Are The Damned (1962)
The Old Dark House (1963)
The Curse Of The Mummy’s Tomb (1963)
Maniac (1963)
The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964)

The Gorgon (1964)
Die! Die! My Darling (1965)
Creatures The World Forgot (1971)

I can’t wait to get my hands on this thing. These films are essential stuff. A few of these I haven’t seen in quite a while — and never on Blu-Ray. It’s coming in November.

Blu-Ray News #285: The Evil Of Frankenstein (1964).

Directed by Freddie Francis
Starring Peter Cushing, Peter Woodthorpe, Duncan Lamont, Sandor Elès, Katy Wild, David Hutcheson, Kiwi Kingston

Scream Factory’s Hammer series continues with The Evil Of Frankenstein (1964), the only picture in Hammer’s Frankenstein cycle not directed by Terence Fisher. Freddie Francis did this one.

Hammer went a different route with Frankenstein, following the doctor (Peter Cushing) instead of the monster. This let them come up with a different creature for each film. Since The Evil Of Frankenstein was done in collaboration with Universal, they could approach that studio’s “classic” look for the monster. (You know, the Boris Karloff/Glenn Strange sort of thing.) I’ve always found the results a bit, um, odd.

Nevertheless, this is a most welcome addition to the Scream Factory lineup. So far, the extras have not been announced, but the disc has a release date in mid-May. Highly recommended.

Happy Birthday, Freddie Francis.

Freddie Francis
(December 22, 1917 – March 17, 2007)

Freddie Francis was born 101 years ago today. He was one of the greatest cinematographers the movies ever had — a master of B&W ‘Scope (The Innocents, The Elephant Man) — and the director of a pretty good string of horror movies, usually for Hammer or Amicus.

He’s seen here (left) on the set of Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968) with Christopher Lee and Veronica Carlson. They’re actually celebrating Lee’s birthday, but this photo’s close enough for our purposes.

Also, a happy birthday to Colin McGuigan, a friend of this blog and my Western one. His Riding The High Country gives us all something to live up to.

Blu-Ray News #105: The Creeping Flesh (1973).

Directed by Freddie Francis
Starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Lorna Heilbron, Michael Ripper

Mill Creek Entertainment has announced a three-picture Blu-Ray set for April called Psycho Circus. It consists of three features: Torture Garden (1967), The Creeping Flesh (1973) and Brotherhood Of Satan (1971).

For me, The Creeping Flesh is the cream of the crop. It’s a Tigon picture with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, directed by Freddie Francis. What’s not to like? A scientist comes back from Papua New Guinea with some bones. They get wet and flesh forms around them again — with slimy, murderous results.

Torture Garden (1967) is an Amicus anthology film from Freddie Francis again. It stars Jack Palance, Burgess Meredith and Peter Cushing, based on stories by Robert Bloch.  Then there’s Brotherhood Of Satan which I’ve never seen, but am eager to see — it stars Strother Martin and L.Q. Jones, just a couple years after they played Coffer and T.C. in Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch (1969). The recent Mill Creek Hammer Blu-Ray twin bills were terrific, so I’m really looking forward to this set.