Chef Jim Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 Most recently famous for his role as Saruman in The Lord of the Rings my favorite roles were those of Dracula in the classic Hammer Films.
Azalin Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 Sad news, but he had a long, full life and left behind a massive legacy for us to enjoy for years to come. RIP, Mr. Lee.
Buftex Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 (edited) Most recently famous for his role as Saruman in The Lord of the Rings my favorite roles were those of Dracula in the classic Hammer Films. Yes...to me he is the first face I think of, when it comes to "horror" flicks. The Hammer films are still the best...little bits of our childhood slip away every day... RIP Mr. Lee. Edited June 11, 2015 by Buftex
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 I sound like an old fart, but he came from the days when actors were...well, "actors". Look at his body of work: Stage TV Movies Comedies Drama Horror Shakespeare Song Dance How many current Hollywood people could do that variety of work?
Chef Jim Posted June 11, 2015 Author Posted June 11, 2015 Yes...to me he is the first face I think of, when it comes to "horror" flicks. The Hammer films are still the best...little bits of our childhood slip away every day... RIP Mr. Lee. Yes there is one scene where Peter Cushing drives a stake through a woman's heart. I remember as a young kid watching that for the first time on a one of those local Saturday morning horror shows. The sound of the hammer hitting the stake stayed with me for years. My wife is a big Hammer film fan and a few years ago we bought a box set of their best movies. As they came to that scene I remembered if it was yesterday though it had been 40 years prior. Good stuff.
Jauronimo Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 Filming a scene in Return of the King (seen only in the extended version), when Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif) stabs Saruman in the back on top of the tower, Christopher Lee corrected Peter Jackson on the fact that when a person is stabbed in the back of the chest, they do not scream (as the director wanted), in fact the air is pushed out of their lungs and they “groan” with an exhalation of air, very quietly, as their lungs have been punctured. From Peter Jackson’s DVD commentary: “When I was shooting the stabbing shot with Christopher, as a director would, I was explaining to him what he should do… And he says, ‘Peter, have you ever heard the sound a man makes when he’s stabbed in the back?’ And I said, 'Um, no.’ And he says 'Well, I have, and I know what to do.’” http://wlmager.tumblr.com/post/42350397080/christopher-lee-the-real-james-bond-i-was Interesting guy.
Britbillsfan Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 http://wlmager.tumblr.com/post/42350397080/christopher-lee-the-real-james-bond-i-was Interesting guy. Yep, he was. Article is a bit naff, though, on the background facts. SOE and the SAS were totally different things. And the winter war was in the winter of 39/40 - WW2 had already started by then (and it is why the Finns (a democratic state) ended up fighting alongside the Nazis). WW2 saw more than one actor end up in Special Forces / SOE - David Niven and Anthony Quayle spring to mind.
Dante Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 Most recently famous for his role as Saruman in The Lord of the Rings my favorite roles were those of Dracula in the classic Hammer Films. My favorite movie vampire ever. Horror Of Dracula and Dracula Has Risen From The Grave scared the crap out of me back then.
DC Tom Posted June 11, 2015 Posted June 11, 2015 Yep, he was. Article is a bit naff, though, on the background facts. SOE and the SAS were totally different things. And the winter war was in the winter of 39/40 - WW2 had already started by then (and it is why the Finns (a democratic state) ended up fighting alongside the Nazis). WW2 saw more than one actor end up in Special Forces / SOE - David Niven and Anthony Quayle spring to mind. Part of the shame of his passing is that he took so many stories with him that are now pretty much lost to history. He actually worked with Ian Fleming and the guys Fleming modeled James Bond off of (he says Pierce Brosnan's performance was the most accurate). He was also a heavy metal fan. And starred in a video.
Mark Vader Posted June 14, 2015 Posted June 14, 2015 The last of the great horror icons is gone. Not to mention a talented and underrated actor. What a great voice he had as well. RIP Mr. Lee, and thank you for the memories. I remember seeing an interview with him and he said that Boris Karloff once told him: "If you play the villain, you won't win an Oscar. But everyone in the audience will never forget you." How true.
Azalin Posted June 14, 2015 Posted June 14, 2015 I can't remember where I read it, but in the Hammer Films version of 'The Mummy', there's a scene where the Mummy bursts through a doorway, knocking the door off its hinges. Apparently Christopher Lee dislocated his shoulder busting through the door, but continued filming the scene, carrying off the heroine into a bog. What a badass he was.
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