Various A Celebration of Peter Cushing — Monsters?-We,re British Y Know!( Book)
This release was originally going to be an extended edition of the classic horror & fantasy film magazine We Belong Dead. But due to the pure abundance of articles brought together by editor Eric Macnaughton, it grew into the 294-page coffee table-sized glossy paperback that it is.
Just like Unsung Horrors, it’s a highly colorful affair, bringing together a host of stills, movie posters, fan photos, and off-set pictures. Added to this you get a host of very talented Cushing related artwork, magazine covers, and even snaps of hand-painted Cushing figurines- relating to the different roles he played. The book's backdrop & layout is also highly colorful- with both backdrops & texts varying through-out the book.
As you’d expect there’s a big coverage of the films Cushing appeared in, and these move from write-up/ critiques of one-off films, to series of films like his iconic portal of Barron Frankenstein in the Hammer films, or the host of horror anthology films he appeared in. But you also get a nicely varied selection of other Cushing related articles- for example we get a lengthy interview with his personal assistant, a piece about his various hobbies, as well as a host of fan memories- either charting meetings with Cushing, getting an autograph of the great man, or general recollections of how fans where first introduced to his work.
As with Unsung Horrors, the book features work of a few writers- so you get a nice selection of different types of writing- from chatty & nostalgic, onto informative & fact-filled, though to heart-felt & impassioned. The tone never becomes too stuffy & highbrow, and really though-out the book remains appealing & interesting, as there is a nice balance of different types of articles, art, and pictures.
The book only appeared a few months back, but unfortunately, it’s all sold out from the publishers- so I’m guessing your best route now is to either check out your local Forbidden Planet, fantasy/ horror bookshop, or eBay. But if you’re a fan of classic horror & Cushing this really is a no-brainer/ must-buy publication. Who knows as it sold out so fast, they may even do another printing of it. For more info on the book, page examples, and other books by the We Belong Dead team head over here.