A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss (Part 2 of 3) Home Counties Horror

[@gheldmann]

The love and respect I have for Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee is deep-two great actors and even better men.

[@hcu4359]

@@WilliamLyons-ym7ee Cushing's nyctophobia was a problem he suffered as a child/teenager and supposedly managed to conquer as a teenager/young adult by taking long night time walks in scenic country places that he liked in the day time. Later in life, he was an avid bird watcher, which required him to get up rather early in the morning. Probably his nyctophobia was channeled into his horror performances (I think his lifelong struggle with depression and anxiety come out in much of his horror work), but it certainly wasn't caused by the movies. In his heyday, Lee made three or four movies with heavy occult/human sacrifice theming (I'm not talking about the somewhat perfunctory Dracula=demon stuff going on in the Dracula films) and only started getting loud about occultism being a bad thing when the last of these, To the Devil a Daughter, released, so it's possible he had some bad experiences while filming that or heard about people's bad experiences when researching it.

[@randallbesch2424]

@@hcu4359 Lee appeared in an interesting Hitchcock hour as an actor who practiced the occult then things get weird.

[@jimmypopt.v.3037]

There is a wonderful book that just covers all of the films that they were in together.

[@lightofthejul]

Indeed , they both were such classy , stylish , dignified men ! Truly superb actors ! They both had timeless qualities about them ! ❤❤❤❤

[@Wyllies11]

I could listen to Peter Cushing and Vincent Price talk about absolutely anything for hours.

[@mariashelly6392]

IKR?

[@simonhassnilsson7009]

don't know why i chose this thread, i just kinda did, but am i the only one who is surprised Hammer never did a adaptation of Varney the Vampire?, looking at their dracula saga and Karnstein trilogy as well as Circus of Vampires, i think they could have done a pretty bang up job

[@speedracer1945]

Vincent Price doing the Tale of two hearts was magnificent.

[@artbychristine]

I could watch Peter Cushing make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Everything he did with props was mesmerizing.

[@gtrman9706]

I met Peter Cushin and Sir Christopher Lee. Both were very gracious and pleasant men. R.I.P gentlemen.

[@lightbox617]

As a photographer, I occasionally get to work with performers. I find that, the more truly talented they are, the more generous they wire with time and attention.

[@jopestv1063]

@ GTR MAN - that must've been so cool...I'm envious! I was in a pick-up band for Freddy Fender the summer of '85 but that ain't shit compared to meeting IMHumbleO one of the best protagonist/antagonist duos in cinema...ever.

[@jmgmarcus808]

GTR MAN You are a lucky person. Must have been incredible.

[@mikekemp9877]

christopher lee says originally they were thinking of him for darth vader alongside his friend and co star peter cushing.as despite what you see on screen money for the film was tight and george lucas is according to peter serafanowitz very tight with money as he discovered voicing darth maul the idea was dropped as too expensive.plus george didnt want audiences eqauting his films to hammer horror pictures.alex guinness made millions on a percentage deal and a very small upfront payout.lucas thought by doing that he had got a bargain as even he didnt think star wars would do as well as it did.when he cast chris as count dooku he finally got the actor he wanted but not like 1976 where the actors were largely unknowns this time he had to pay me sam jackson liam neeson etc the going price for a star and he wasnt a happy bunny.alex guinnesses book reveals that several times george contacted him trying to give his points back to george and he seriously considered it until his wife said all that will achieve is george getting richer instead of you. sir alec did however appear briefly in the sequels and took no fee feeling he had already earned a kings ransom for the part.

[@3122tan]

@@mikekemp9877 I love the sort of stuff you are contributing here but if i could offer some constructive criticism, it would be to use punctuation. Much, much more. Although it probably makes perfect sense to you as you write it like that, to read without any punctuation as well as not being inside your head, it's very difficult to understand. You need to re read bits over again in order to sort out what is meant. I hope you don't take this as a negative comment because it's not. I think what you said is interesting and I love reading good comments like that.

[@marypagones6073]

Cushing was just a phenomenal actor, regardless of genre, who brought 100% commitment to every role he played. He invested such psychological complexity into all his roles. And was also a wonderful Sherlock Holmes, of course.

[@lw3646]

Yes he researched really good details fir his characters and also showed great physical energy too in his performances.

[@lw3646]

I just love watching Christopher Lee chasing Peter Cushing around a gothic castle.

[@hcu4359]

@@lw3646 and sometimes vice versa

[@Monkofmagnesia]

What I really love about Christopher Lee's Dracula is that he very rarely spoke, and, when he did, he had that great, commanding Christopher Lee voice. Since he hardly spoke, it was his body language that did the acting which shows just how talented Lee was.

[@lw3646]

In the first film I think he has about 7 lines and appears only for a few minutes. There's barely a scene between Lee and Cushing in that film to the last scene.

[@RobbieManic]

The interview excerpt of Peter Cushing about typecasting, where he plays the initial joke about being a monster deep down was so funny and adorable in the sense it shows he's passionate but good-spirited to his work. You can sense that he enjoys his work and does what he does because he likes to entertain others. You can't help but admire those who are passionate about what they do and show it to others.

[@jessfrankel5212]

Christopher Lee was brilliant as Dracula, and was matched by Peter Cushing every step of the way. The Dynamic Duo of horror...and Lee was a badass in real life. RIP to both wonderful actors.

[@ApothecaryGrant]

They were the Lugosi and Karloff of their day . Too bad there is no such thing as a horror star anymore . All a bunch unknowns now .

[@markjones6564]

Mark Gatiss brings back great memories for Me, as a Kid I was petrified of Horror Films but I still watched them. The Horror Genre has changed so much since the old days. Some of the oldies still stand the test of time👍👍👍

[@happyhouston11]

I loved hammer horror when I was young watching with my gran. Also you felt safe when Cushing appeared in a scene as van helsing.

[@harryrobbins6376]

James Houston I get that even now. There’s a comfortability about Cushing’s Van Helsing, a professionalism in the face of absolute danger - a character we can all learn from.

[@jforce4814]

Its true, Cushing was one of the best! He could play the morally bankrupt scientist with too much knowledge or the righteous expert of the undead out to destroy evil. Both obsessed characters, but played with an ever so slight nuance that made you hate them or trust them implicitly. What a great actor!

[@thebeatcreeper]

Best part of my childhood staying up watching the Universal horrors , Hammer and the Sergio Leone trilogy ! : )

[@normanby100]

For audiences accustomed to the slow-moving Lugosi, the sight of Lee charging across the room and over a table must have frightened the shite out of them.

[@lw3646]

Yes two very different ways to play the character. The 1931 version is based off a play and is more about the dialogue and atmosphere. The Lee version is more savage and beast like, with the fangs, more bloody too and more likely to leap out from behind a grave stone or something, also more sexual too. The 1931 is more about the presence and commanding powers, he doesn't need to leap around, he's too powerful and dignified for all that.

[@christheghostwriter]

​@lw3646 based ON a play, not "based off" a play. You've never seen a movie that begins with "based off a true story," have you?

[@normanby100]

@@christheghostwriter Lugosi was very influenced by Valentino who had died the year before his dracula debuted on stage - the slick-haired foreign charmer who promises untold pleasures unimaginable to repressed English ladies. Lee appeared at the same time as sexual predators in British cinema as Joe Lampton, Jimmy Porter etc. He also anticipated a certain suave, physically unstoppable English gentleman on the following decade who also treated sexy women like disposable kleenex.

[@frasierfreak92]

Ironically, as much as the Hammer films are seen as campy now, they’re much closer to the actual novel version of Dracula. Violent, shocking and sexy, rather than romantic and creepy.

[@dylankerry2282]

I love the tribute to Peter Cushing. It was so well-done, so heart-felt and so well-deserved.

[@lw3646]

He's in Moulin Rougue and just great in that too.

[@philipbarbossa]

I remember about 15 years ago, a lokal kiosk here in Norway was having a 10 for 100NOK (about 12 dollars I think) sale on movies. I only found 9 I really wanted, so I picked up a random movie just to complete the offer. It turned out to be Revenge of Frankensten, and the first time I watched it I fell completely in love with Peter Cushing's acting. It's so good to see he's getting the apprectiation he deserves in this documentary.

[@stocktonjoans]

even with the obvious fake floor hiding a crash mat, that professor really faceplants off that balcony, hats off to that stunt performer, way to commit

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

I thought that was a dummy as it honestly looked like if it was real person he must have broken his neck the way he landed

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

That bit of Cushing being interviewed has shattered a view I've held of the man since I was 4 years old. To see Grand Moff Tarkin goofing around, not looking severe, makes me appreciate his performances even more.

[@hcu4359]

He was a perfectionist, and his polite fretting about prop/costume/etc continuity sometimes annoyed crew members, but pretty much every account I've ever seen described him as a rather low-key, undemanding sort of person when he wasn't working.

[@briscoethecollie1510]

To me, this was the Golden Age of spooky films. Love it. Big fan of Gatiss. Brilliant. :-)

[@jethro69tull]

Love watching these 3 Docs. Brilliant stuff Mr Gatiss

[@Larkinchance]

As a small boy, sitting in the front row, eating rasonettes, Christopher Lee's cadaverous Frankenstein monster scared the short pants off of me and I went "running" up the aisle as fast as I could, into the safety of the lobby.

[@doublediamond9226]

I love Vincent Price and Peter Cushing in that behind the scenes footage haha

[@jmgmarcus808]

The best documetary I've ever seen on my own personal favorites absolutely fantastic.

[@lw3646]

I love those gothic Hammer Horror films, despite their flaws they're still wonderful, the early ones anyway, Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula, even The Mummy. Plague of Zombie's isn't bad either, quite entertaining, the Evil of Frankenstein is also one to watch, but it's those English folk horror films that really are scary, the Witchfinder General is a really hard watch the violence is very graphic, humourless and the relation between violence and eventual madness is very clear. There are some fun Americans ones from this period too, The Tingler, House of Haunted Hill are wonderfully camp and fun. Films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Blob, Tarantula, Them! Are also worth seeing playing on a lot of the fears and paranoias of 1950s America.

[@DAP-mi7ck]

These are the best horror documentaries that have ever been made.

[@101325]

If you've got to be stuck indoors because of a Pandemic, then this is just the kind of thing to make it bearable. Wonderful stuff!

[@SmallChurch]

Great 3 part Documentary series from Mark Gatiss. You can just tell how much he loves the films he's highlighting. Hammer was unstoppable.... some great films w/ C. Lee & P. Cushing & not forgetting, the all-time classic, "The Quatermass Experiment".

[@lw3646]

Yep, he loves them, but he's not just a fanboy, he's thought about what makes them so enjoyable and also why some of the sequels maybe didn't work.

[@ApothecaryGrant]

Black Sunday informed my nightmares as a 5 year old who braved watching it in 1974 on the The Spooky Movie Show . I never forgot the scene with the spiked mask and the later reveal of the witch’s mangled , punctured face …. Long after I forgot every other aspect of the movie including its title I still had vivid memories of those scenes

[@pljms]

Sad to hear that the beautiful and talented actress Barbara Shelley has passed away. Her performance in 'Dracula, Prince Of Darkness' was extraordinary and she simply oozed class in everything she did.

[@Blisterdude123]

I was so happy when I watched this first, on TV, that Gatiss gave a nod to Night of the Demon. One of my favourite horror movies of all time.

[@Pixiearmstrong9526]

Great to see Marks passion and knowledge for these classic movies.

[@bernardblack7870]

I wish we could see the entire conversation with Barbara Steele. I could listen to her dramatic discriptions for hours. What an amazing horror diva! "And sex. Sex and death!"

[@glamdolly30]

Agreed - and I think she has even improved with age, she looks wonderful!

[@traceseely1549]

Fun fact: Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing would both go on to play Star Wars villains.

[@lamecasuelas2]

WOW! I love this! It's really nice to see that everybody that he interviewed talks about horror with so much respect and passion.

[@chewygal69]

I absolutely love this documentary! It brings me back to my childhood!!

[@DoveAlexa]

Mr. Mark Gatiss is friggen in love with Peter Cushing in this one.

[@kennethhodges3187]

Peter Cushing was an exceptional actor and Mark was right to do a cameo on him!

[@blackhatfreak]

Who doesn't like Tarkin?

[@jforce4814]

Who couldn't like Cushing..he was the best! I always thought so from the time I was 10 years old and watched these wonderful Hammer films on TV. Imagine my thrill when I saw Star Wars for the first time at the age of 11 and there he is, still acting, and still amazing!

[@jimboAndersenReviews]

Yes. Yes! "Dead of night". -I saw that one, at some time in the late seventies on Danish television, and have been looking for it ever since. To me, that is the exact blend that makes it all worth it; being scared witless, mysteries and some jokes to give you a chance to build up to the next scare. Brilliant. The last part of Dead of night, the one with the ventriloquist. That's the stuff of nightmares. Now I can finally head on to see what I thought I had lost :3

[@simongalbraith7849]

Totally agree got my hands on it couple of years ago, but ealing studios made another horror that's apparently good as well I think it's called half way house,

[@RoadieJeff85]

Whoa, Barbara Steele has *still* got it! Yum... This is a great program, I appreciate the efforts of those who made it, and the uploader.

[@uncleal7635]

She farted on me once! It was warm

[@MindiB]

Bone structure like hers ages sooo well. Wow!

[@Horror-Man]

​@@uncleal7635 😂😂😂😂

[@bentramer682]

Peter Cushing and Vincent Price talking to each other in their makeup has to be the best thing I've seen in years.

[@gailjacquelinemrsgray.2518]

I was born and raised near BRAY Studios. its a wonderful place.

[@solcutta-zt9uw]

This, a special sat' late night treat for myself at 11pm when 35yrs ago at this time I would most probably be blurry eyed and desperately trying to stay awake for some memorable horror TV that all these yrs later is still special to me. This is by far one of my favourite docus.the other the sublime amicus house of horror by Derek pykett but here, Mark gatiss voice lends itself to this video presentation greatly and adds a Polish it doesn't otherwise really need. Incisive, lurid and never dull. All the right movies have been picked, highlighted and shown and whole feels very superior to many other horror guides.. This is essential viewing to anyone with even a passing interest in the British horror genre of the past.. And really who doesn't that include at some level??!! Fantastic. A treat.

[@louismuscovitch2113]

It's in my eyes ...the greatest horror documentary I've ever seen ...with love and joy I watch this every year 😊

[@chrisbanks6659]

In horror films, it is what is NOT seen, that is more often the more threatening, than that which is observed on the screen - said someone a long time ago. Or something similar. And I can't friggin' remember who said it! Great docu. Kudos to Mark Gatiss for sharing.

[@gregvadimsky2781]

It was great to see Vincent Price and Peter Cushing talking together on the set of "Madhouse"!!!!

[@tonyalbergottie1223]

Incredibly respectful and informative as ONLY a true fan can easily convey appropriately, homage! Mark has left just that for our public. Fans who appreciate a bit of reflection as we revisit childhood, psychological trips unforgettable! My own imagination needs a shock or a jolt occasionally. Horror IS the finest cinematic experience that allows that scary safe feature from whatever, wherever our screens or theaters may be. Rollercoaster rides of the psyche! AntonyA.

[@TheCarnivalguy]

Two of the most terrifying films I have ever seen were Night of the Demon(released in the U.S. as Curse of the Demon) and The Haunting. As a boy I was scared out of my wits when I first saw them many years ago. To this day, 50 years later, they still give me great chills. I can think of no better compliment to give a great horror film.

[@ronsena877]

You ended with Goblin's theme for Suspiria! Bravo!

[@alixedent7127]

(Squeals with joy), Finally someone who appreciates/loves 1963's 'The Haunting'. I'd love to see you do a whole show on this. Brilliant. Thanks. It's just one of those movies that is vastly unsung and deserves more love (mutters: and we don't even mention that (cough) other version). Great series so far. Cheers.

[@JaneEasterbrook-bn3ux]

I love too and the Legend Of Hell House. Truly terrifying. Plus don't forget The Devil Rides Out, based on Dennis Wheatley's novel, based on chats he had with Aleister Crowley while they and Ian Fleming worked for British War Intelligence. Later Crowley admitted to Wheatley he'd made up all the satanic rituals on the spot!!

[@christoph404]

I liked the Barbara Steele interview, she seemed like a great person to speak to, so theatrical and expressive in her description, and so entertaining , Mark had a big smile on his face as she spoke, and so did I !!! ...she is a real presence!!!

[@Tonithenightowl]

You don't have to tell me about the Horror of Dracula ... I slept with a rosary around my neck for a month after seeing it lol Ok I was 9 at the time but it scared the bejesus out of me. To me there is only one Dracula and that will always be Christopher Lee. I love Peter Cushing and he seemed like a genuinely nice man and excellent actor. Barbara Steele in Black Sunday... shocking opening scene which set the mood for the whole film. I watched it though my fingers I was so terrified. Black Sabbath hosted by Karloff was another great Italian horror movie. It had 3 stories, set in different eras but the atmosphere for each was sublimely nightmarish. English, American or Italian I loved it all, still do.:o)

[@LawrenceOnlineEnglish]

Such a great documentary, I didn’t know about the Italian productions so big thanks

[@robotb9-606]

Peter Cushing was a great talent. He played Doctor Frankenstein, Professor Van Helsing, Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who, and even Grand Moff Tarkin. And Christopher Lee was the Definitive Count Dracula. Without these Two Actors, Hammer Films as we know them today probably wouldn't have existed.

[@JnEricsonx]

And they both wound up in Star Wars as well.

[@christineduffy3113]

Didn't know Peter Cushing played a Dr Who don't think he did actually

[@paulamiles9559]

I love this look- back! You included so many of my favorite writers. directors and producers. So many of my very favorite movies- from Night of the Demon, The Haunting, Asylum to The Wicker Man. And the music was glorious. I was pleased that you ended this chapter with the theme from Suspiria- making me look forward to the next entry.

[@mikecarr8915]

Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Vincent Price and your lesser known actors and actresses (in those days) made Hammer what it was. The rebirth of Frankenstein and Dracula were just phenomenal. They were shown at the weekend on the BBC in the 70’s I was 7, they’d show the Universal Horror on the Friday then show a Hammer movie night then the same on the Saturday night and it was like that every weekend, of course it loved it and it’s what got me in to horror. You can’t forget what became a mini series of Hammer and it was called Hammer House of Horror and it’s fantastic opening theme tune. It’s what created some of the biggest stars in Britain and also brought in some oldies too. I recently bought the 21 disc set of Hammer movies which cost me £70 and it’s possibly the best set I have to date.

[@featheredmusic]

This is a treasure, thank u for posting this!

[@rawyld]

Here's an interesting fact, Peter Cushing did his own stunt in the finale scene where he was running across the table to open the blinds. No Stunt double on that one, that is Peter Cushing himself.

[@tonyhuzzah3847]

6:37 Holy crap!! I hope that stuntman was paid well for that head landing!!

[@themirrorsofmymind]

*Head went right into the floor!*

[@Rippenstain]

"It’s stuntman Jock Easton who takes that wincing fall off a balcony. Missing the pads set up for the bit, he slams down right onto his neck-a miracle he wasn’t paralyzed."

[@ReBeccaRosebud9]

Great first episode. I’ve always adored Peter Cushing. And Christopher Lee. They don’t make them like that anymore.

[@Disco_Biscuit_X]

Its the second episode

[@lw3646]

The trouble now is they want these to be more production line action movie. The Universal cinematic universe reboot has no understanding of how to do horror. It's all just way too American too.

[@wallysmith9162]

You have to hand it to the Brits. Every time the US gets stale and lazy (in either music or films) the Brits kick us in the ass and show us what we're supposed to be doing. The pendulum swings back and forth between our two countries. It's healthy for both of us.

[@rentaghostokish5628]

I agree..it's a symbiotic cultural relationship. Long may it continue!

[@vermilliongecko]

I'm British, but although I began my love of Horror films with Hammer, I also loved Roger Corman's movies. Both sides of the Atlantic have many horror films to be proud of.

[@HrhFish]

same with music and comedy as well. Especially rock music.David Warner has got the coolest death scene in The Omen. The sheet of glass off the back of the truck.

[@vermilliongecko]

Hrh Fish That scene still freaks me out, even though I'm 42 and have watched The Omen many times. The music for that scene is incredible.

[@doctorstrangesupreme8617]

Wally Smith Thank very much :)

[@leebritnell2405]

Just rewatched this.Although I think Gatiss gets ALL the BBC horror gigs,(rather unfairly in my view),this is superb,and the man's finest work by far.

[@susanschmitt115]

Excellent excellent account. My favorite ghost story is The Uninvited with Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Donald Crisp and a very young Gail Russell.

[@mlfeathers7527]

Susan Schmitt great cast!

[@thomasmichael5940]

British Gothic Horror is the very best of all horror genres, especially from the 50's to the '70's. And Hammer Films is at the top of the rankings! Top notch! I enjoy watching Cushing, Lee and Ripper, whose performances are always timeless.

[@ceceliapassarella8485]

Many thrilling happy scary moments from my youth saw many of these films on television on the Saturday afternoon creature feature show shows on the old ufh antena channels back in the late 70s I loved them. Every week I was transfixed and the vibrant color had not lost it luster even on the small screen. Thank you for this.

[@rentaghostokish5628]

Peter Cushing 4TW! The ultimate charming English gentleman with impeccable manners and plenty of bravery in a tight spot...

[@derekcoe9633]

well said, there aren't many 'celebrities' i would like to meet but Peter Cushing was definitely top of the list, Damon Hill is probably the only oyher one (again, a well mannered and understated modest Englishman).

[@lw3646]

I love the days of Christopher Lee chasing Peter Cushing around a castle.

[@richierugs6544]

Has Mark Gatiss got a Monster Kid Award from the Rondo's? he deserves it!

[@funnymom7]

While browsing KZbin I happened to come across this video and I have to say it really speaks to me. I consider myself a life long fan of horror and when I heard the commentator reflect on his childhood love of the genre I couldn’t help but smile because I could relate to every bit of his story. Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, it wasn’t the least bit unusual for me to save my allowance up for copies of Famous Monsters Magazine and/or the variety of horror comics that were available at that time. In fact I remember many of the films mentioned either in Famous Monsters, seeing them in the theater or the weekend horror movie shown on TV. And the name Val Lewton was mentioned I had an extra chuckle because of the movie, Final Destination. One of the characters, the female teacher that temporarily escaped death was name Val Lewton. I suspect someone might have been a fan.

[@Horror-Man]

Yeah! I rewatched the first FD movie just 2 months ago and noticed the name Val Lewton. It's definitely a reference that went over my head back when I first saw the film back in the early 2000s as a kid.

[@bodegabreath4258]

IMHO, 49% of Hammer’s success is due to Peter Cushing and 49% is due to James Bernard’s incredible wonderful music. The blend of intense and vivid color and images is made even more compelling by these two iconic towers of talent. The final 2% is due to everything else.

[@chrispaws9294]

90% tits and scares, 10% everything else

[@ac9559]

Christopher Lee.

[@johnking5174]

47:30 - This really was a very simple but effective single shot trick here, and for anyone wanting to know, they simply replaced the mirror with a special wooden frame without the mirror, and simply had the actress mimicking the actor's movements. Cheap but brilliantly effective on screen and all in one shot. Ensuring the production team had quick time to replace the mirror.

[@translender]

Loved watching the Christopher Lee Dracula movies growing up. Brings back such great childhood memories.

[@adamtzsch]

Hammer’s “Charlie Boy” is one which has stuck in my mind, for over 30 years.

[@jopestv1063]

The Hammer horror films just looked gorgeous. And Cushing & Lee were classy & superb actors. Thanks so much for putting this series up. BBC4 has got some great stuff. Over here across the pond, not including PBS & TMC, American TV is a rotting gut-pile - including the shit you have to pay premium $ for. Thank God for YT

[@jonhinson5701]

Peter Cushing's avuncular and confident Van Helsing made you believe he could hold his own with the feral Dracula.

[@nancyoleksy]

The Haunting! What a great movie.

[@kylefrank638]

I watched it just about a month ago, having been interested in it for a while, and it did not disappoint.

[@monicacall7532]

I’m a total fan of psychological horror because the mind the mind can come up with things that are so much more terrifying than loads of gore and buckets of blood. As a kid I grew up watching Vincent Price’s films along with Hammer horror films (my parents had no idea that my sister and I so were into such “inappropriate” films). However “The Haunting” scared me more than any of those other films. I couldn’t sleep after the first time I saw it. Even after multiple viewings it still scares me. I introduced my sons to the film and they are huge fans of it and and the psychological horror flick like “Psycho”.

[@sharoncarter4086]

Fabulous Hammer horror! Always an English favouret, such wonderful gothic sets and great actors and actresses. Love them 💜

[@benclasper4465]

The folk horror segment is the bit that I always find really interesting and when she says that they step even further away from the modern world I think that statement is a really good point and very correct and accurate too.

[@lw3646]

Yep, people generally think they know a fair bit about the 19th century where you find Dracula and Frankenstein and so on but the 1600s and 1700s feel like a more distant time.

[@cranberry411]

Great documentary you must have a blast interviewing and reseaching film information. I had a lot fun watching so far. I can wait until 3 of 3 video.

[@leebritnell2405]

Good to see Mark Gatiss dismissing that awful 'Hammer are camp' bollocks that lazy writers have used for at least a decade.Also contains a very touching tribute to Peter Cushing.

[@mathewgreen4099]

Many thanks for posting, this is an excellent look at Hammer, Amicus & the era where they produced their movies.

[@RNFORLAW]

I grew up watching the Hammer films of the late 60's/early 70's with Lee and Cushing. Great stuff !

[@MichaelYoder1961]

I've seen so many Hammer Horror - great stuff - thanks!

[@amazingsaint]

ah Wickerman - my all time favorite!

[@derekcoe9633]

dare i say it a true classic.

[@jeffjacobson59]

@@derekcoe9633 remake a travesty

[@melanphilia]

Not the bees tho, please

[@gezzarandom]

@@jeffjacobson59 A travesty indeed

[@ApothecaryGrant]

The one problem with The Wicker Man is that its an ending with a movie wrapped around it .

[@lhobbs6375]

I think I like the Amicus anthology films a little more than Hammer films nowadays because you can dip in to them & get a thrill rather easily, they've aged better in some ways but anything with Peter Cushing is good . Im not suprised Mark has a crush on him , he was like a wonderful exciting uncle you wish you had .

[@mikekemp9877]

odd how all the biggest box office movies since 1939 have some british content.gone with the wind had three of its four top roles played by brits and many other hit movies have either british actors in significant roles or directing like ridley scott..its a great relationship and long may it continue.

[@imfsresidentotaku9699]

Saying that some things have "aged better" than others is a detracting way of pointing out the age of other things, a factor which should not be considered an imperfection. And it's not like it's hard to get a thrill out of Hammer films.

[@dingfeldersmurfalot4560]

He was so perfectly villainous a villain! He really played his parts to hilt, and could careen from milquetoast to madman so smoothly! I always knew that if Cushing was involved, something great was going to happen.

[@oldskoolfool141]

"the sum of it's dismembered parts" was deliberate but Frankenstein being a "staggering success" I think was accidental lol

[@Zebred2001]

The Haunting (1963) is one of the greatest horror movies ever. Shirley Jackson's book the Haunting of Hill House from which the movie is derived is pretty creepy too.

[@chaseroush6503]

4:39 Good to see Dr. Furter's castle/ship survived the return trip.

[@pulsarstargrave256]

While I can understand the focus on Hammer Films how could Gatiss forget about Vincent Price's British output, especially the two DOCTOR PHIBES movies and THEATER OF BLOOD?

[@Reprodestruxion]

Pulsar Stargrave anmicus that’s why

[@thecircledk8597]

Those are the ones that both Price and Cushing are complaining about and Gatiss also said he was not fond of... and if you watched the first episode of this series he does admit the entire series is VERY self indulgent ...

[@Blisterdude123]

Because Gatiss focused this documentary series on his personal favourites, not the broad audience favourites.

[@lucilovecraft1621]

Yeah they are 👍🏻

[@CorbCorbin]

House of Wax

[@theminx386]

3 Episodes is not enough. This is my fave Era of Horror

[@blackhatfreak]

Fun fact, Vincent Price sold art in the Sears Home Catalogue.

[@ShmuckOnWheels]

Funky fact: I got a roddy as a lad looking at the women's wear section of the Sears Home Catalogue.

[@dannyorozco4]

Thank you once again for this video.

[@brucegame1458]

thank you for this series i loved all these movies and still do and that includes series 1 also love the classic monsters

[@lozzapi]

how the hell did i miss this when it was shown on T.V ...i love mark gatiss's take on horror

[@brukadderli9514]

Oh, how nice to see Vincent Price's work in this part !!! He was truly a genius of his time! Thanks to Mark for this program, where he remembered the bygone era of a truly bloodthirsty but sexy horror genre!)))

[@pagano60]

It's a shame that there wasn't room in this episode to talk about Jack Clayton's "The Innocents," which was made as a reaction to Hammer horror films.

[@RSR423]

Hardly a match for Dracula or Frankenstein, Deborah Kerr and a couple of kids in a country mansion, although it does have some great moments. The Innocents is actually a film based off of the short story Turn of The Screw, and of all people, it was Truman Capote that wrote it up for the screen version. If Gatiss knew that, he would of definitely shown it, as in this series of the history of horror, he continually champions the homosexual actors and directors, just like Mark and his husband.

[@homhable]

@@RSR423 As much as I love these early Hammer movies, "The Innocents" is on a far superior level in almost every way.

[@SoWhosGae]

@@RSR423 Not a match in popularity but The Innocents is def a superior movie in many aspects.

[@sweetpeachbellini8245]

@@RSR423 Which actors are you referring to? Peter Cushing? Christopher Lee? Vincent Price? Dana Andrews? , I'm curious to know.

[@simongalbraith7849]

Watched the innocents recently and it's on par with the Haunting, it's amazing and I'm still puzzled by it. But the colour saturation and interior decor of hammer will always draw me back.

[@DarkAngel459]

More time should have been given to 'The Witchfinder General.' It's one of the scariest horror films I have ever seen because it's based on real life happenings that could still occur to this very day.

[@BBI_Strange_Agent]

Amazing film. Quite possibly Vincent Price's best performance. Too bad the director, Michael Reeves, died so young.

[@LawrenceOnlineEnglish]

You’re not wrong

[@theboomtube2206]

I believe that was released in the US as The Conqueror Worm.

[@BBI_Strange_Agent]

@@theboomtube2206 It was. The distributor was trying to tie it to the Poe films. Fortunately, when it got its home video release, it was with the original title.

[@hebneh]

5:02 - This scene of the reveal of the Frankenstein monster was used as a clip (with a different soundtrack) in the non-horror 1962 film "Lolita". The main characters - Lolita, her mother, and Humbert Humbert - watch and react to it while seated in their 1957 Ford station wagon at a drive in theater.

[@sheilabloom6735]

Great series; thank you.

[@stainedglassgenocide]

… I know someone who spoke to Gatiss about our love of this series; in fact there could have been a further few episodes with Gatiss looking at Japanese horror… would have been glorious but the film rights cost too much so bbc didn’t go ahead. The utter fools.

[@noam65]

And yet, to the younger generations, he'll be immortalized for his performance in Star Wars, which has Cushing playing a very monstrous human.

[@glamdolly30]

In my view the Amicus movies are a genre all their own! For my money, these were some of the best horror movies ever made, and were created one after the other in pretty rapid succession from 1965's 'Dr Terror's House of Horrors' to 1974's 'The Beast Must Die'. Their portmanteau/anthology style, contemporary British set horrors, are classic Amicus, and surely their most memorable productions. Ironic these most British of movies were produced by two Americans, Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg. Subotsky's background was as a writer, so the insight he shared in this doco about the script being the most critical aspect of any movie came from personal experience. I've always felt the writing is what any film relies on for its success, above any other factor. An actor's career can be made or ended by the quality of the scripts he's offered. The portmanteau-style movies featured some very distinguished horror writers like Robert Bloch as he mentioned (who wrote 'Psycho'), and the great R. Chetwynd-Hayes. They also had the most brilliant, mostly British, all star casts. I don't think there's a duff one among them, but if I had to choose my favourite would be 1974's ''From Beyond the Grave' (the legendary Peter Cushing was wonderful playing against type as the working class Yorkshiremen with a very malevolent way of running an antiques shop), closely followed by 1972's 'Tales from the Crypt'.

[@tigerheart3824]

Van Helsing was very much the polar opposite of Baron Frankenstein but Peter Cushing was utterly believable in both roles. Bravo! And Barbara Steele - what a legend!

[@lw3646]

The Curse of Frankenstein is one of my top 20 horror movies. The budget is probably small as most of it is set just inside the masion, there's also not many characters. Peter Cushing though is just excellent, the cinematography is gorgeous and there's a real ghoulish macarbe feel to it.

[@pouringlizards]

50.45 the naming of a genre which seems to be growing and growing at present. Thanks very much, Mark Gatiss!

[@BoomstickAsh]

Awesome! Thanks for posting!