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Roger Dicken, the Oscar-nominated British special effects artist, sculptor and model maker known for his work on Alien and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, has died. He was 84.

Dicken died Feb. 18 at his home in North Wales, Mick Cooper, a friend of more than five decades, told The Hollywood Reporter.

On his first film, Dicken was a member of the effects team for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); later, he created and operated the dinosaur puppets seen in The Land That Time Forgot (1974).

Dicken sculpted several prehistoric creatures — plus a pair of full-sized pterodactyl feet — for the stop-motion adventure tale When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970), written and directed by Val Guest for Hammer Films. He and American animator Jim Danforth shared the Oscar nomination for visual effects.

For Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979), Dicken constructed and controlled the terrifying chest-bursting creature that kills Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt) in...

Although Hammer Films will always be associated with British horror, the studio did have stiff competition. Amicus specialised in the successful horror anthologies and Us counterparts American International Pictures established a permanent UK base in the mid sixties. Other smaller independents took their own bite from the cherry tree of horror with some success, the best known being Tigon Films.

Tigon has received some belated recognition in recent years. Andy Boot’s book on British horror Fragments of Fear devotes a chapter to the company while John Hamilton’s excellent book Beast in the Cellar covers the varied career of Tigon’s charismatic founder Tony Tenser.

Like Hammer’s Sir James Carreras, Tenser was one of the British Film Industry’s great entrepreneurs. Born in London to poor Lithuanian immigrants and a movie fan since childhood, he was an ambitious man with a natural talent for showmanship. Combining shrewd business...

For the fans of this wonderful man, which I proudly count myself as one; 26 May 2013 marks the centenary of horror legend Peter Cushing. One of the most versatile actors to grace the big screen, Cushing never gave a single bad performance throughout his 50-year career. A dedicated perfectionist, who believed in giving nothing less than his best effort, Cushing’s 100% commitment always lifted a bad film. The movie may fail him but he would never fail his public.

Cushing began his acting career in repertory theatre and with his legendary one-way ticket to Hollywood, made his film debut in 1939. After a couple of productive years in the States, he worked his way back to England following the outbreak of World War 2. Marrying actress Helen Beck, he worked on stage but struggled to find good roles until he became a member of the RSC under Laurence Oliver. As British TV’s first big star,...

David Miller's new book Peter Cushing: A Life in Film is now available from most major retailers. Peter Cushing was brought to fame through his roles as Baron Frankenstein and Doctor Van Helsing in the acclaimed horror movies from Hammer Films Productions.

We recently chatted with the author of the new book to discuss Cushing's memorable presence in cult cinema.

Amanda Dyar: Your new book Peter Cushing: A Life in Film details the career of Peter Cushing. Can you tell us what motivated you to write this particular book?

David Miller: Growing up, Peter Cushing was one of those reassuring faces you’d see on television every so often. I wasn’t old enough to see the Hammer films in the cinema, so there was always something deliciously out-of-reach about them. Then when I started seeing the original Hammers on TV, I became aware of the sheer quality of them,...

The latest batch of Redemption Films titles on Blu-ray and DVD from Kino are a pair of late period Vernon Sewell shockers from the late '60s-early '70s. The Blood Beast Terror (1968, Spine #14) is a period piece creature feature starring Peter Cushing in one of his least enduring roles, while Sewell's swan song, Burke & Hare (1972, Spine #15) is a significantly more enjoyable film about a pair of notorious British graverobbers, a tale recently adapted with Simon Pegg (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead) and Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) in the title roles. The pair make for an interesting evening of film, but one is vastly superior to the other, and it wouldn't be...

Moviefone's New Release Pick of the Week "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" What's It About? A stuffy fisheries expert (Ewan McGregor) is sent on the bizarre mission to bring the sport of fly-fishing to Yemen, all paid for by a sheik. See It Because: This is about as far from your typical rom-com as you can get. A pleasant surprise from beginning to end, the movie is funny, charming and not derivative at all. We also reveled in the comedic performances of Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas. (Also Available on Redbox | Amazon Instant Video) Moviefone's Blu-ray Pick of the Week "Singin' In the Rain" 60th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition What's It About? The beloved Gene Kelly-starring musical concerns a blossoming Hollywood romance between a leading man and a chorus girl, amidst the transition from silent films to "talkie" pictures. See It Because: You've never seen "Singin' in the Rain...

During his fifty years as an actor, Peter Cushing found himself up against many monsters (some of whom he created) of varying creepiness. From his star-making role as Baron Frankenstein, the monster hunter certainly had his hands full...

The Abominable Snowman (1957): Intelligent Val Guest science fiction thriller, with Cushing’s scientist Dr John Rollison leading an expedition to find the Yeti, only to learn there is something more other-worldly about this particular monster.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959): Cushing gives his finest performance as Sherlock Holmes, battling the ferocious (and rather feeble-looking) dog that has cursed the Baskerville family for centuries. Cushing played the Great Detective in a 1968 TV series and turned up years later in The Mask of Death (1984), looking very frail but never losing his spark.

The Mummy (1959): Cushing plays crippled archaeologist John Banning, who ignores native warnings and activates a mummy (Lee again) that wrecks havoc.

British producer Jonathan Sothcott get in touch to let us know that a cast has been nailed down for Dead Cert, the vampire film he previously discussed with us here. Set to roll for five weeks this fall in London and Essex, the movie will be directed by Steven Lawson from a script he wrote with Ben Shillito and Nick Onsloe.

The ensemble is headed by UK horror regular Craig Fairbrass, Doghouse’s Billy Murray, Steven Berkoff, Dog Soldiers and Mutant Chronicles’ Sean Pertwee, Philip Davis, Andy Tiernan, Lisa McAllister, Roland Manookian and Janet Montgomery, the latter of whom will be seen this fall in both The Hills Run Red and Wrong Turn 3: Left For Dead. “Janet is a bona fide scream queen,” Sothcott tells Fango. “Craig Fairbrass and I went with her to the Hills Run Red premiere last week, and she is bloody amazing. She totally steals the film,...