poe426

It came as quite a shock to learn, mere moments ago, that Christopher Lee has gone. (I came THIS close to cashing it all in this week, myself: I was driving along, minding my own business, when a 91 year old woman T-boned me- on the driver's side. My hands are trembling even as I write.) In his autobiography, Christopher Lee wastes little time on his performance(s) as Dracula. It's understandable, I suppose: whenever an actor becomes TOO readily identified with a fictional persona, the thespian tends to resent it- and the character. Instances of this are legion. Still, Christopher Lee was, for many, the quintessential Dracula, and one of only a handful of truly unforgettable actors to make his mark in fright Films. Dracula HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE was one of those Fright Films that my brother and I stayed up late (past Midnight) to see- and it scared us so bad that we literally jumped into each other's arms when someone walked into the room. Christopher Lee may be gone- but forgotten? Not in my lifetime.

While it may have been better suited to Saturday mornings, PLANET OF THE APES had its merits: the performances weren't bad; the sets were out of this world (wink, wink, nudge, nudge); and the makeup was absolutely FANTASTIC. As with most television (Past and Present), the greatest weakness lay in the writing (hence, my assertion that the show would've been better suited to the Saturday morning lineup). The basic concept was viable, but the overall approach gave it that "made-for-the-kiddies" throwaway feel. Just recently, I happened across a Titan book, PLANET OF THE APES: EVOLUTION OF THE LEGEND by Jeff Bond and Joe Fordham, that singlehandedly helped rekindle my obsession with all things Ape: it's a massive, beautifully done look at the series from original conception to the most recent movies, and it reminded me of just how much I love the original movies (which remain, for me, the Pinnacle of Fantasy Filmmaking); there are scores of color shots I've never seen before, many of them full page and begging to be framed. If you're an Apes fan, it's a must-have.