Christopher Lee Movies
After several years in secondary film roles, the skeletal, menacing Christopher Lee achieved horror-flick stardom as the Monster in 1958's The Curse of Frankenstein, the second of his 21 Hammer Studios films. Contrary to popular belief, Lee and Peter Cushing did not first appear together in The Curse of Frankenstein. In Laurence Olivier's Hamlet (1948), in which Cushing plays the minor role of Osric, Lee appears as the cadaverous candle-bearer in the "frighted with false fires" scene, one of his first film roles. In 1958, Lee made his inaugural appearance as "the Count" in The Horror of Dracula, with Cushing as Van Helsing. It would remain the favorite of Lee's Dracula films; the actor later noted that he was grateful to be allowed to convey "the sadness of the character. The terrible sentence, the doom of immortality...."Three years after Curse, Lee added another legendary figure to his gallery of characters: Sherlock Holmes, the protagonist of Sherlock Holmes und das Halsband des Todes. With the release eight years later of The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, Lee became the first actor ever to portray both Holmes and Holmes' brother, Mycroft, onscreen. Other Lee roles of note include the title characters in 1959's The Mummy and the Fu Manchu series of the '60s, and the villainous Scaramanga in the 1974 James Bond effort The Man With the Golden Gun. In one brilliant casting coup, the actor was co-starred with fellow movie bogeymen Cushing, Vincent Price, and John Carradine in the otherwise unmemorable House of Long Shadows (1982). Established as a legend in his own right, Lee continued working steadily throughout the '80s and '90s, appearing in films ranging from Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) to Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow (1999).
In 2001, after appearing in nearly 300 film and television productions and being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the international star with the most screen credits to his name, the 79-year-old actor undertook the role of Saruman, chief of all wizards, in director Peter Jackson's eagerly anticipated screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Thought by many to be the millennial predecessor to George Lucas' Star Wars franchise, audiences thrilled to the wondrous battle between Saruman and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) atop the wizard's ominous tower, though Lee didn't play favorites between the franchises when Lucas shot back with the continuing saga of Anakin Skywalker's journey to the dark side in mid-2002. Wielding a lightsaber against one of the most powerful adversaries in the Star Wars canon, Lee proved that even at 80 he still had what it takes to be a compelling and demanding screen presence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Christopher Lee narrates this series installment that evaluates the ancient belief that the positions of the stars effect daily events on Earth. This video combines stunning visuals with original music, dramatic reenactments, and insights from leading practitioners, scholars, and scientists in the field. ~ Karla Baker, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- PG
This British comedy is set within the confines of the snooty Dryden Park boarding school in rural England. The story centers on a lonely 10-year old boy, Magnus, whose parents are staying in Paris and cannot even be bothered to take him to the school themselves; instead, he arrives by cab. Once at the school, Magnus must endure all sorts of humiliations and torments at the hands of the other boys and from the staff. Later when Magnus organizes a secret gourmet club to help counteract the horribly healthy food foisted upon them by the headmaster, he begins making friends. The club members, using recipes from Magnus' father, make all kinds of delicacies. One of them is a homemade alcohol-laced chocolate cake that gets the students rip-roaring drunk. The inebriated chums begin splashing around in the school pool and have great fun until the Latin teacher's lovely daughter joins them, and all hell breaks loose when they are caught. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lee, Robert Hardy, (more)
This British horror-comedy is set in haunted house and features a series of assorted nuts getting butchered by a hellish clown. Lucky Max, a record producer has just won a decrepit old mansion from the enigmatic Callum Chance in a poker game. To celebrate, Max invites his family and hitchhikers to stay there. The bitter Chance gets revenge by conjuring up the "Funny Man," who immediately begins to slaughter the guests in a variety of interesting ways. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim James, Christopher Lee, (more)
- 1994
- PG
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In a major stumbling block toward better international relations, America's most laughable police officers are sent to Russia to fight crime in this comedy. In Moscow, master criminal Konali (Ron Perlman) has marketed a new computer game that has an unusual hidden feature -- it allows him to bring down any security system controlled by a PC on which the game has been played, with a string of major robberies as the result. Russian Police Commandant Rakov (Christopher Lee) is at his wit's end about how to deal with the crisis, so he asks for help from the U.S. law enforcement community. However, Rakov's American allies turn out to be Lassard (George Gaynes), Harris (G.W. Bailey), and the rest of the crew from the Police Academy (among them Michael Winslow, David Graf, and Leslie Easterbrook). Claire Forlani also appears in a small role as a Russian beauty. This was the seventh and last film in the Police Academy series, following the departure of franchise loyalist Bubba Smith. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Gaynes, Michael Winslow, (more)
- 1994
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The studio that made such blood-curdling chillers as The Horror of Dracula and The Curse of Frankenstein receives a lovingly crafted tribute in this retrospective documentary hosted by Hammer superstars Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Through all of the ups and downs, Hammer Studios found success as one of England's most successful independent purveyors of fright flicks. Now viewers can take a look back at what made the studio the legend that it is today through behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Raquel Welch, Val Guest, Caroline Munro, Ingrid Pitt, Ray Harryhausen, and many others. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1993
The very young computer whizzes in this big-big budget Italian movie are beginning to lose their focus on their assignment: to create a computer-generated Eden. In order to inspire them, an innocent gardener (rock-star and comedian Adriano Celentano) is brought in. For a while, this works, as they start taking their models from nature and make some real progress. Unfortunately, a weird phenomenon sends one of the youths hurtling into the computerized world, and it is up to the gardener and a relative to haul him back out. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adriano Celentano, Kate Vernon, (more)
"They're the toughest anti-terrorist strike force in the world. But they've never faced an enemy like this." The "they" mentioned in the ad copy for Death Train are headed by Pierce Brosnan. The enemy is rogue Russian general Christopher Lee, who has stolen two nuclear bombs, intending to hold the world for ransom. The bombs are placed on two trains, which are then engaged in a breakneck race by the general via remote control. Things really get dangerous when one of the trains is hijacked! Alexandra Paul and Patrick Stewart also star in this middling actioner, which manages to stir up suspense only during the climactic detonation sequence. Originally titled Alastair MacLean's Death Train when it premiered over the USA Cable Network on April 14, 1993, the film was retitled Detonator for its theatrical release. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
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Christopher Lee narrates this unique behind-the-scenes look at Errol Flynn, one of Hollywood's all-time greatest sex symbols. Errol Flynn: Portrait of a Swashbuckler features revealing stories from his ex-wives, former lovers, his children, and his close friends. Spanning the career and controversial life of the Hollywood superstar, this in-depth documentary includes clips from such classics as The Adventures of Robin Hood, Captain Blood, and The Charge of the Light Brigade. ~ Scott Albright, All Movie Guide
An uneven but entertaining blend of graphic horror and black comedy from John Landis, very much in the mode of the director's successful An American Werewolf in London. French actress Anne Parillaud -- star of Luc Besson's acclaimed thriller La Femme Nikita -- plays Marie, a lithe and lovely vampire with a conscience who will not take "innocent blood" and maintains a low profile by dining exclusively on criminals and lowlifes. She finds a virtual smorgasbord in Pittsburgh's criminal underworld, arriving in the thick of a bloody mob war sparked by ruthless kingpin Sal Macelli (Robert Loggia). After preying on one of Macelli's hoods (Chazz Palminteri), Marie fumbles her attack on the boss himself and he manages to escape, eventually transforming into a vampire himself. Macelli soon comes to appreciate his new superhuman condition and hatches a diabolical scheme to control the syndicates by turning his underlings into vampires -- including his beleaguered lawyer, Emmanuel Bergman (Don Rickles). Marie, faced with a new and powerful undead enemy, is forced to take matters into her own claws. To this end she enlists the reluctant aid (and eventual affection) of undercover cop Joe Gennaro (Anthony LaPaglia), whose cover has just been leaked to the press, making him a target for Macelli and his growing army of blood drinkers. Landis has crafted a dark and brooding film, pumped up with bouts of extreme gore and gangland violence -- but where American Werewolf's occasional comic touches helped to ground the story and give the "straight" horror scenes more punch, most attempts at humor here seem jarring and out of place. The film's highlights come from numerous horror in-jokes, including cameos from Sam Raimi, Clive Barker, Dario Argento and Linnea Quigley; Rickles' explosive death scene ranks among the weirdest in cinema history. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Parillaud, Robert Loggia, (more)
- 1992
When Caroline (Kim Cattrall) begins to have nightmares and visions of her twin sister Lisa's watery demise, she rushes to London to try to reach her sister before it is too late. As she searches for her sister, Caroline begins to discover that her twin's life is more dangerous and desultory than she had imagined. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- PG
Sho Kosugi stars (as well as produced) this picturesque and exciting swashbuckler, directed by Gordon Hessler. Kosugi plays Mayeda, a 17th-century Japanese samurai whose clan, headed by Lord Ieyasu (Toshiro Mifune), is waging a bloody battle with a rival clan. The rival clan has the advantage of using punk-burning muskets, which work fine unless it rains, rendering the firearms useless. Ieyasu sends Mayeda to Spain to one-up the rival clan by arranging the purchase of flintlock rifles, which are immune to rain. Mayeda is accompanied on his journey by Ieyasu's young heir Yorimune (Kane Kosugi), along with a traitor -- the clan's Catholic spiritual advisory Father Vasco (Norman Lloyd), who has made a deal with the rival clan to kill Mayeda and Yorimune and to make sure that the flintlock rifles never reach their destination. However, the plot fails. In the process, the gold to pay for the rifles falls overboard, and Mayeda arrives in Spain penniless at the court of King Philip (Christopher Lee). King Philip refuses to give Mayeda the rifles, until Mayeda saves his life during an attack of rebels. But even though Mayeda now has the king on his side, he has earned the wrath of his advisor Don Pedro (David Essex) by falling in love with his fiancee Cecilia (Polly Walker). Mayeda and Don Pedro eventually tangle in mortal combat. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sho Kosugi, David Essex, (more)
- 1992
This documentary offers an in-depth look at the history and allure of horror movies. Plenty of clips are included as are fascinating interviews with such contemporary masters as Clive Barker, John Carpenter, Wes Craven and William Friedkin. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1991
In this mystery, an aging Sherlock Holmes allows King Edward to persuade him to bring a precious diamond back from South Africa. Along the way, Holmes meets Teddy Roosevelt and finds himself involved in intrigue and adventure. The story was originally a four-hour TV mini-series and was heavily edited for theatrical release. The story is also known as Sherlock Holmes and the Incident at Victoria Falls. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1991
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In this mystery, Holmes and Watson travel to lovely old Vienna to investigate a murder and find themselves embroiled in a tangled web of terrorism, and romance. Originally the film was a three hour television miniseries. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lee, Patrick Macnee, (more)
- 1991
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Four countries--Great Britain, Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg--were in on the financing of 1991's Sherlock Holmes: Incident at Victoria Falls. At first glance, Christopher Lee seems too old to play Conan Doyle's master detective, but the script allows for this by having the story takes place on the eve of Holmes' retirement. As Dr. Watson, Patrick McNee returns to the "comic relief" mode established in the 1940s by Nigel Bruce, albeit with less empty-headedness than was customary with Bruce. The plot concerns the safe passage of a valuable South African diamond, and the multitude of robberies, recoveries and major and minor intrigues the transpire before the denouement at the titular falls. To establish time and place, King Edward VI (Joss Ackland) and Teddy Roosevelt (Claude Akins) make brief appearances. When originally presented on European television, Incident at Victoria Falls was a four-hour miniseries, with Jenny Seagrove appearing in a sizeable role. For its American syndicated-TV bow in 1992, the film was somewhat clumsily chopped down to two hours, and Seagrove's part was eliminated (though her name still appears in the opening and closing credits). Incident at Victoria Falls is strongest in its elegant ambience and attention to detail; it is least successful in its ham-handed comic interludes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lee, Patrick Macnee, (more)
- 1990
- R
An eccentric prince decides one day to give up all his wealth and position and live his own life. His idea of living his own life, though, is to take up residence in the city's sewers. His dutiful servant, who happens to be a thief, accompanies him. Appeals to his rich uncle to do something about it fall on deaf ears -- the uncle, who prefers the company of his Dalmatians to that of people, is as nutty as he is. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, (more)
Where the original Gremlins was a horror film spiked with comedy, Gremlins 2: The New Batch is essentially a black comedy, with a couple of horrifying touches. As the film starts, the fantastical trinket shop in Chinatown, which sold the Mogwai in the first film, is demolished by a crazed multi-media businessman called Daniel Clamp (John Glover). The heroes from the first movie, Billy (Zach Galligan) and Kate (Phoebe Cates), happen to work for Clamp in his huge high-rise. They find the Mogwai within Clamp's building, but not before he has accidentally spawned legions of mischievous, lizard-like Gremlins. Soon, the Gremlins are wreaking havoc throughout the building. In the original film, their misdeeds were violent, but here they're also goofy and satirical. Director Joe Dante has filled the film with quick verbal and visual jokes, which, for many, makes Gremlins 2: The New Batch a satire and inversion of the typical horror film. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, (more)
- 1990
Since Moliere's plays are national classics of France, an air of reverence surrounds them. However, they are for the most part comedies based on older commedia del'arte storylines and acting conventions (which most closely resemble the broad humor of the American vaudeville or the British music halls). Moliere's big innovation was to give the stock characters from these ancient themes an actual script to follow, rather than leaving them to improvise their own lines. His lines were usually much, much wittier. Otherwise, these tales are every bit as farcical (and sometimes slapstick) as anything from The Three Stooges or, for that matter, the classical farces of Plautus. However, when the actors ham it up in their parts too much, eyebrows are raised. This multinational production of Moliere's classic L'Avare, or The Miser is an excellent case in point. The lead role of Arpagone, the miser, is played exhuberantly by Alberto Sordi, who for years has traded (on and off the stage) on his pinched, miserly appearance and his romantic skittishness - somewhat akin to the shtik perfected by Jack Benny in the U.S. These characteristics also fit the role to a "T." In the story, the miserly widower is trying to arrange things for the maximum safety of his funds and to prevent his children from doing something stupid, like marrying poor people. In the meantime, his well-known wealth has made him the target of sinister matrimonial designs by the murderous sister of a powerful cardinal. He decides to find a suitable bride for himself to stave off this unhappy prospect, and at the same time arrange good marriages for his son and daughter (who have other people in mind). A triple wedding will cost little more than a single one, and will save him lots of money. Needless to say, everything goes wrong (and finally goes right) in this romantic farce. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alberto Sordi, Laura Antonelli, (more)
- 1990
- R
While in Africa, a pregnant American (Jenilee Harrison) is cursed by a village witch doctor (Dumi Shongwe) after interrupting a tribal ceremony. Soon after, she is visited by a sea-demon who terrorizes her friends. The film, which shares little with the others in the series, was originally titled Panga. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1990
A 6 volume series of theatrical trailers for horror and sci-fi films with Volume 4 featuring Hammer Horror classics such as the entire "Frankenstein" series and the 4 "Mummy" movies. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1990
- PG13
In this spoof of spy films, a secret agent (Kim Cattrall) marries a civilian (Robert Hays) who is oblivious to his new wife's career, until the couple takes a honeymoon in Madrid, where danger and espionage await them at every turn. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Hays, Kim Cattrall, (more)
Pierce Brosnan stars as adventurer Phineas Fogg in this adaptation of Jules Verne's classic story, in which to win a wager he must travel around the globe in 80 days or less. However, Fogg has been blamed for the theft of a large amount of money, and a detective (Peter Ustinov) is hot on his trail trying to catch him before he reaches the finish line. The supporting cast includes Eric Idle, Lee Remick, Roddy McDowall, and Christopher Lee. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Eric Idle, (more)
- 1989
- PG
Christopher Lee is the big-name attraction in Murder Story, but the film's actual leading character is played by Bruce Boa. A would-be mystery writer, Boa becomes involved in a genuine murder case. He inveigles his idol, prominent novelist Lee, to help solve the killing. No surprises here, but the rapport between the stars is appealing. Interestingly enough (at least we think so), Murder Story came out the same year that Christopher Lee played Sherlock Holmes in the made-for-television Mask for Murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lee, Bruce Boa, (more)
- 1989
This full-blooded TV adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island was written, produced and directed by Frasier Heston. His father, Charlton Heston plays Long John Silver. Eschewing the cuteness of Wallace Beery and the unadulterated ham of Robert Newton, Heston plays the character as written: a cold, crafty, cunning rogue, by turns charming and deadly, but never to be underestimated. The plot adheres with utter fidelity to the Stevenson novel, beginning with innkeeper's son Jim Hawkins (Christian Bale) finding himself in possession of a treasure map from the doomed Captain Billy Bones (Oliver Reed). In the company of Dr. Livesey (Julian Glover) and Squire Trelawny (Richard Johnson), Jim ships out on the Hispaniola, in search of gold doubloons and pieces of eight. Hand-picking the crew for this mission is the ship's one-legged cook Long John Silver, who fully intends to mutiny, kill the treasure hunters, and claim the gold for himself. Featured in the cast are Clive Woods as Captain Smollett, Christopher Lee as Blind Pew, and Nicholas Amer as addled hermit Ben Gunn. Treasure Island premiered January 22, 1990, over the TNT cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- PG
Richard Lester returned to his double-barreled successes of the 1970s, The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers, with Return of the Musketeers, a film that was inexplicably shelved for several years, making its belated premiere on cable television. Based on Alexandre Dumas's novel Twenty Years Later, the film takes place (appropriately enough) two decades after the death of Milady de Winter. Though Milady may have died, her nefarious schemes have been taken up by her daughter Justine (Kim Cattrall), who maneuvers with the conspiring Cardinal Mazarin (Philippe Noiret) to gain control of the crown through Queen Anne (Geraldine Chaplin). D'Artagnan (Michael York) calls for his old compatriots Porthos (Frank Finlay), Athos (Oliver Reed), and Aramis (Richard Chamberlain) to once again go "one for all and all for one." But complications set in when Athos and Aramis take sides with the crown and Athos' adopted son Raoul (C. Thomas Howell) falls in love in Justine. The film is dedicated to character actor Roy Kinnear who plays Planchet, who died in an equestrian accident during the production. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael York, Oliver Reed, (more)
