Cool News
Mr Hat and some time with Christopher Lee...
Hey folks, Harry here... Man, meeting Christopher Lee is one of those things that once you've done.... You'll never forget... ever. Presence is something that people often talk about people having, but Lee... He is more like an entity in the room. A being that you can not move your eyes from. And folks, having seen him in ATTACK OF THE CLONES, I can say with absolute confidence that you will be singing his praises even higher than you have before. He is a force of nature in the film. Stunning beyond words. Not only does he have the coolest lightsaber, but have you ever seen a full blown Sith go at it? Well... you will, and you'll shake and cheer and hooop and hollar. Here's Mr Hat with a story about Christopher Lee in Finland...
Greetings, Harry!
It's Mr. Hat writing to you all the way from Finland...
You may not remember me, but I wrote a review of The Fellowship of the
Ring back in early December, when I'd gotten a lucky break and saw an
early screening of Jackson's masterpiece.
I thought I should write you again, since I (and about 150 other people)
were lucky enough to attend a meeting with the one and only, Christopher
Lee. The Finnish Film Archive and some other people had organised a
viewing of six Hammer horrorflicks (or fantasy, rather, as Mr. Lee
pointed out). Earlier during the day there was a meeting with him at the
Archive's movietheatre Orion, where we saw clips of his movies and, more
importantly, heard him speak about his life and movies for nearly two
hours.
I must tell you, his voice is like honey... It didn't really matter
whether he had a microphone or not (there was something wrong with the
first one he got...); once he started talking, you had no choice but to
listen.
The whole session started off with the latest Star Wars trailer, and
afterwards he told us this was the first time he had seen it, or
anything of the film, for that matter. We saw clips from The Mummy, The
Wicker-Man, Ercole al centro della terra (Hercules at the Center of the
Earth), Moulin Rouge (1952), The Battle of the River Plate and many
others. Mr. Lee was amused at seeing himself on the screen, and many
times reflected on the people he had worked with.
At one point, after the clip from The Mummy, Christopher Lee got pretty
emotional. He told us that seeing Peter Cushing on that screen made him
sad, and then shared with us something that I think is worth repeating
(from my own memory without any notes) here:
"I don't want to sound gloomy, but at some point of your lives every one
of you will notice that you have in your life one person, one friend
whom you love and care for very much. That person is so close to you
that you are able to share some things only with him. For example, you
can call that friend, and from the very first maniacal laugh or some
other joke you will know who is at the other end of that line. We used
to do that with him (Peter Cushing) so often. And then when that person
is gone, there will be nothing like that in your life ever again."
Wise words, spoken with complete sincerety...
Mr. Lee told us also that he likes coming to Finland to get away from
all the hubbub of movie-making and the busy world generally. He
commented of the serenity, peace and solitude you can find especially in
northern parts of our country. This was his fourth visit to Finland, and
surprisingly his first happened already in 1940! There was an
interesting and comical story to it: At that time he was at the
Wellington military academy, and they had a Christmas break. Finland was
in the middle of Winter War fighting the Russians, and Christopher Lee
and his friends heard ot this. They decided to come here and help. Yes,
thats right! So, about 30 or 40 of 17 or 18-year old blokes from England
came here and left everybody here perplexed. "Are you tourists? Didn't
you know there's a war going on here!?", they were asked by Finns.
"Well, we thought we'd come to help..." was their reply. "Thank you very
much." was all the Finns could say. Needless to say, they never got
within miles and miles of any Russians.
Oh, one more thing! When asked about his future projects, Mr. Lee told
us he doesn't really like talking about those, since he is
superstitious. He feels that once he tells of a project in the works,
something will go wrong. Still, he revealed that they are going to
remake The Devil Rides Out, and he's already got a producer, but now
they 'only' need to get the money. He told us that he's got two other
great scripts, but nothing more on those. And finally, he told us that
they are going to remake The Wicker-Man in the US with Nicolas Cage in
the lead! How silly is that!?
Well, that's it from me. I hope this is of some use to you, though not
much new in here, I guess. And I didn't make any notes at the meeting,
so all of this is based on what stuck to my head for longer than 24
hours.
All in all, it was truly an enjoyable afternoon with Christopher Lee;
every once in a while somebody interesting makes it all the way up
here...
Take care, and keep up the good work!
Yours,
Mr. Hat
-
+ Expand All
-
Every once in a while you get a chance to meet someone who quite honestly lives either above or simply beyond reproach when it comes to their lives. They are the physical embodyment of class, and no-one ever has a bad thing to say about them.. reguardless of being a fan or not. I think Christopher Lee is just such a man, and I dont think there are many like him left in the world. We should cherish them while we can.
-
...please no remake of the super cool 'the devil rides out' unless it stars alan rickman (as the duc de richelieu), sean bean (as rex van ryn), audrey tautou (as tanith), christian bale (as simon) and rutger hauer (as mocata), and is directed by alejandro amenabar. i believe this is a reasonable request - you should all enjoy the movie that's been screening in my head, after all. i'm tommy five-tone and damn, i love me some hammer horror.
-
Christopher Lee has always had an incredible screen prescence, and it's such a shame that it's only within the past decade that people have really begun to acknowledge that. Peter Jackson knows it. George Lucas knows it. Those franchises (although never doomed to fail anyway) are simply so much better off for having his name attached to them. After the beating he gave McKellen in FOTR, I can't wait to see him giving Christiansen a good twatting in AOTC.
-
and it will also kick FOTR's ass. chris lee will be the coolest character in the movie, and the coolest movie villain since vader. there will be so many kick ass moments in AOTC, i cant believe it. many people judge the movie's quality from the trailers and already say that it will be a huge disappointment, but lucas will prove them all wrong. the coolest moments arent even in the trailers, and i think that was a wise decision from lucasfilm. we dont even see glimpses of the yoda-dooku fight or the fight between mace and jango in the trailers, and the trailers also dont do the epic storyline justice, but thats ok, because there will be collective screams of "holy shit!!" when we will finally see it on the big screen, and i am already curious how the naysayers will react after the triumph that will be AOTC. 19 days until spiderman, 31 until AOTC!!
-
Seeing all the mention of Chris Lee these days brings back memories. I was a fan of his through his "Dracula" films, and back in the seventies, at around the time he made "The Man With The Golden Gun" I was a member of his UK based fan club. Oddly, the fan club was a small organisation, so small in fact that with the membership package you got a hand signed photo of the man himself. That photo has a cherished place on my wall. It'll be strange having people identify with him as Count Dooku rather than Count Dracula, but then, that's a) Progress and b) Me, showing my age !!
-
Remake Wicker Man!! Pleeeease. Chris Lee has to be one of the coolest men on the planet. I hope his career lasts another 20 years.
-
Not to say Talkbackers have this much power, but the last guy mentioned getting Lee in a Tarantino film. Now Harry has been mentioning the casting of 'Kill Bill' and recently discussed Tarantino playing that ancient master guy (unless this has been revealed to be an April Fools, which I hoped it was). Instead of Tarantino acting skills, which judging by the Alias episode haven't improved, how about Lee's skills? Didn't he play Fu Manchu? Though I'm sure there will be all this stuff about PC and white english guys playing asians. I still think it would be great because Lee has one of the greatest prescences on screen.
-
Lee will kick ass in TTT and AOTC. Let's hope that in the course of the next year and a half that PJ has the sense to go back and shoot the actual scouring of the shire, if not for the theatrical version than for the DVD. "Homage" just doesn't cut it. Either it's in or it's out, and PJ lied through his teeth to Harry saying it was in. The end of Raiders of the Lost Ark is an homage to Citizen Kane, but Indy didn't dream that the Ark was being locked up, it was ACTUALLY locked up.
-
Is anyone else really excited about this. Maybe if we all chipped in we'd be able to raise the money. Lee will be about the right age to play the Duc now.
-
Apr 14, 2002 4:29:23 PM CDT
fuck YA! Tarantino, cast Christopher Lee in KILL BILL! And Jaso
by tall_boy
ok, maybe I was kidding about the last one, but hire as many lee's as you can get!
-
Winter War ? What was the Winter War ?
-
Right. Nevermind...
-
Apr 14, 2002 10:24:55 PM CDT
Interesting how his career and fame has suddenly multiplied expo
by mrcere
He is a pretty elderly chap but lucky for us, still going strong. Movie people have known Lee but it is amazing how two big roles, late in life, and suddenly the guy is a film-hero. I guess that is what appearances in two bigger-than-big movie trilogy sets will do for a person. I do love his voice. Very cool.
-
This happened in the winter of 1939 - 1940 during the lull in the West in between the Blitz over Poland and the time when Great Britain and the Germans fought over Norway. Russia had annexed all the Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) and split Poland with the Germans. In the winter they attacked the Finns after they refused to hand over some of their border territories. Outmanned and outgunned but better motivated and equipped to fight in the snow the Finns cut off the big lumbering Russian divisions and chewed them up piecemeal. Later though the sheer weight of numbers finally forced the Finns to capitulate. Interesting WW II episode; Churchill originally planned the Norway expedition in order open a corridor to aid the Finns - if that had happened imagine how WW II might have been like with Stalin and Hitler as allies against the British and French in 1940! The poor showing on part of the Russians convinced Hitler Russia was a rotten fruit ready to fall and convinced him of his decision to fight Stalin next. Stalin, likewise, finally realised that his bloody purges against the Red Army had gone too far stripping the military of their strength and accelerated the rebuilding process of the officer corp and weapons development just in time that they started to make a difference during the war with Germany.
-
It is high time to give Christopher Lee a second shot at hosting "Saturday Night Live"! His first time, back with the original cast in the '70's, was the 4th highest rated show they had. And besides that, it was one of the funniest shows they have ever done! His Death! His Van Helsing! His Henry Higgins! It was a riot! Time to get him to host again. (Past time, actually.)
-
It's about time he broke out of the Dracula mold and people start recognizing him for what he is, a DAMN GOOD ACTOR. One of the greatest from his era if not ours. I have been a fan of his since I saw him in Hammer's the Mummy. His eyes spoke his words for him. But what really made me say he needs to do more movies outside of Dracula films was a speech he gave in a Dracula movie, The Satanic Rites of Dracula, the one he gave to Peter Cushing. His role in Fellowship redeemed my long ago lost faith i his career and I hope that because of this he will receive newer and better roles in the future. Good luck Mr. Lee , I will never doubt you again!
-
Apr 15, 2002 6:29:22 AM CDT
It aint exactly news but Christopher Lee is cool as Hell...
by jackburton
May he continue on for many more years.
-
I agree with Gmaster, he is the best. The man has class. But, I just wish that Vincent Price and Peter Cushing were around too. Sydney, Chris Lee is English but I understand that he is descended from Italian aristocracy, so that's not his real name. This explains why he is so tall and aristocratic-looking, obviously. LOL.
-
Only Christopher Lee and Sir Ian Mckellen could make a scene with breakdancing wizards cool. sk
-
Yes Christopher Lee was in Finland and was also giving autographs in one dvd store.When it was finally my turn (1,5 hr wait) i gave him the official lord of the rings movie book to sign (great saruman picture).Me: "that is a good picture of you,mr.Lee".mr.Lee: (silence).Me: "enjoy your stay here in Helsinki".mr.Lee: looks at me and says "thank you".Man,that voice is chilling! -
Correct me if i'm wrong, but weren't he and Cushing "more than friends"? Not that there's anything wrong with that.
-
TrevorAngelus, thanks for reminding me about those eyes...
That's what Christopher Lee also emphasized: nowadays everybody wants to make it big right there and then, and they don't really put everything of themselves into their work. Like the man said it, you can see it immediately from their eyes, if they don't mean it; they are not sincere and devoted to the part they're playing. -
It's been awhile since I've seen him in a serious role (not like his cameo in Gremlins 2 . . . although he even did pretty good in that), and it's great to see him finally being discovered by a new generation of filmgoers. Just a side note . . . will there be a small role in ATOC or Episode 3 for Grand Moff Tarkin (played by Peter Cushing in SW)? If so, who would play him, and will he have any scenes opposite Lee?
-
There will be an incredible lightsabre duel between Count Dooku and Obi-Wan&Anakin. Anakin and Obi-Wan actually lose this fight and Count Dooku cuts off Anakins arm. I dont think that Mr Lee is gay. Isnt he married?
-
Lee is the last of a great generation of horror/fantasy icons. He has not only re-emerged in film as a presence to be reckoned with, he has "bridged the gap", in a matter of speaking, since he and Brad Dourif both star in the LOTR trilogy. He needs to do a movie with Robert Englund!!!! That would be the coolest!!
I remember growing up to Hammer films in the 70s, and he amazed me in such films as "The Skull" and "The Gorgon".
If there were a Mount Rushmore for Horror Icons, I think it would have Lee, Cushing, Pleasance, Price and Carradine. -
if he had one. That's why it's called a SPOILER, asshole. We're one month away, let people discover films at their own pace. "And tha' chick from tha' Crying Game IS REALLY A DOOD!!!"
-
Well, this is the only LOTR thread presently, so I posted this here. So, my best friend and I enjoy downloading a film or two from time to time (like whatever film you want that's still in the theater - because if you are patient - they are out there). Last week he got LOTR. It's a digital camcorder shot in an empty theater. Very nice. The whites get too brite and damage the image sometimes, but it only lasts a couple seconds. So after converting, boosting the sound, and adding the black widescreen bars (don't ask), it began playing on Friday night....we did not stop it until Sunday evening. Oh, in case anyone is wondering, we have to make them VCD's. But he has a 3 disc VCD player. So that fucker just kept playing and playing and playing. What I learned: LOTR IS a great movie. All the actors did a great job. It is technically stunning (even if the SFX are just a weee bit lacking in a couple places). But what I did not learn, is why everyone thinks that Gandalf and Sarumon look like they are breakdancing. I don't see it. In fact, I think the way PJ pans back from the side to show you the spinning Gandalf is fuckin awesome. So maybe I'm just missing the joke, but I thought it was a great wizard fight. And very original. That's all.
-
Christopher Lee couldn't have filmed Sleepy Hollow after LotR because SH was filmed just when Phantom Menace Mania really set in, and as Ian McKellen notes in the Grey Book at mckellen.com, in a scene at Orthanc Saruman had to be added digitally because Lee was in Australia filming AotC, which was started filming about a year and a half after Phantom Menace was released. Chris Lee is the embodiment of coolness!!! FotR Rules!!!
-
Both Karloff and Christopher Lee played Fu Manchu. Neither Cushing nor Lee are gay: both very happily married. Lee's been rather outspoken in his dislike of porn and smut, but doesn't favor censorship.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 419 total posts 209 posts
- WTF HOLLYWOOD: SOLARBABIES -- 131 total posts 129 posts
- Herc’s Seen Tonight’s Return Of THE WALKING DEAD!! Discuss Also DOWNTON ABBEY, FEAR FACTOR, PAN AM, ONCE, SIMPSONS, DYNAMITE, LUCK, SHAMELESS, BAIT CAR, THE GRAMMYS And More!! Sunday Is Sweeps Day 11!! -- 123 total posts 122 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 124 total posts 58 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 191 total posts 47 posts
- Avid Comic Reader Hercules Does Battle With Tedium During Kevin Smith’s COMIC BOOK MEN! -- 43 total posts 43 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 60 total posts 42 posts
- I am The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day! No, I’m the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day! -- 27 total posts 27 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 506 total posts 26 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 77 total posts 24 posts