BREAKOUT THE COMICS: CUSHING AND LEE DO A LITTLE LIGHT READING

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TWELVE OF THE BEST: MONSTER MAG COVERS: FRANKENSTEIN AND DRACULA TWO FEET BY THREE!

In the 70's there was really only one publication in the UK the catered for the needs of horror film fans. Monster Mag. Issued monthly for the price of a bag of chips, every six paneled mag opened out into a large full colour glossy poster. Every young horror film fan had at least one gracing their bedroom wall.Some of the highlights in this series were Peter Cushing as Van Helsing and Christopher Lee as Dracula in his death throws from Dracula AD 1972, twinned with another portrait of Cushing as Gustav Weil from Hammer Films 'Twins of Evil'. In volume two, number two, publisher Dez Skinn treated us to a full colour reproduction of Hammer Films UK quad cinema poster from Dracula (1958) and who could forget the 2ft by 3ft colour poster of Lee as the creature from Hammer Films Curse of Frankenstein (1957) They are all images we pretty familaur with these days, back back then seeing them and in poster form for the first time was quite a thrill. A reissue of the series is well over due.

THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD: PETER CUSHING FACE TO FACE PUBLICITY SHOT (1971)

FACE TO FACE: PETER CUSHING AND FRIEND IN A PUBLICITY STILL FROM AMICUS PRODUCTIONS THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD' (1971)

CAROLINE MUNRO CHRISTOPHER NEAME ON SET : DRACULA AD 1972 WITH JO DOUGLAS PRODUCER (1972)

ONE SET: Christopher Neame Jo Douglas and Caroline Munro on the set of Dracula AD 1972 Hammer Films (1972)

WHITBY TOP OF THE LIST FOR HAMMER PARAGON TOURIST ATTRACTION PLANS

A NEW million-pound attraction could be coming to Whitby in the near future, the Gazette can exclusively reveal. Paragon Entertainment, the company which designed the Jorvik Centre in York, has recently signed a deal to create visitor attractions based upon the legendary film studio, the Hammer House of Horror.

Paragon chief executive and Whitby resident Mark Pyrah said the town is ‘number one’ on his list of preferred locations.He explained: “I strongly believe Whitby is a fantastic site for one of these attractions.“We’re hoping Hammer is going to be a groundbreaking attraction and we won’t look at another site, other than Whitby, in the north east.”

The Whitby attraction would be one of only four in the United Kingdom and could provide a welcome boost to the Whitby tourist industry – Paragon designed the Titanic Belfast experience in Northern Ireland which has received over a million visitors in its first year alone.“We’re hoping Hammer is going to be a groundbreaking attraction,” said Mr Pyrah, whose father Colin Pyrah MBE established the company in the 1980s when they won the commission to design the Jorvik centre.

After a year of discussions, on 17 December Paragon reached the agreement with Exclusive Media, for the rights to exclusively use the ‘Hammer’ brand.The agreement runs for 10 years and provides for further extensions thereafter.

Simon Oakes, CEO and President of Hammer Films and vice-chairman of Exclusive Media commented: “We are excited to be working with Paragon.“They are one of the leading companies in the UK who have a deep understanding of what UK customers want in terms of exciting visitor attractions.“This deal with Paragon gives Hammer another exciting way to give our audiences and fans a chance to get involved with the characters and worlds created in our films and take fans to the next level in terms of visitor attraction and experience.”

Hammer has an illustrious history of successful horror productions, including classics such as The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958). More recently, the return of Hammer to the horror scene was heralded with The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe, which broke UK box office records and received considerable critical acclaim.“We want to create a series of horror visitor attractions,” said Mr Pyrah.“They could be museum-based or attraction-based – by picking things from the films – or it could be a scare attraction, it depends on the local audience.”

The next task for Paragon is to find a suitable location within Whitby and so the company is on the look-out for heritage-style or gothic buildings in a prime location near the harbour or seafront.

Anyone who believes they own or know of a suitable site is urged to get in contact by emailing mark@paragon-creative.co.uk.

HAMMER FILMS TAKE TO THE STAGE: THE TURNING OF THE SCREW : JANUARY 2013

British horror brand Hammer is taking its first steps into the world of live theatre in a new stage adaptation of The Turn of the Screw. Rebecca Lenkiewicz's play, based on the classic ghost tale by Henry James, opens in January at London's Almeida theatre. Hammer Theatre of Horror has a co-production credit for the first time. Hammer boss Simon Oakes said it was a "toe in the water" and the company was keen to explore more theatre projects.

Earlier this year Hammer production The Woman In Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe, became the highest-grossing British horror film of the past 20 years.

As well as films, the brand has also branched out into book publishing with recent titles from Jeanette Winterson and Helen Dunmore. Oakes said the new version of The Turn of the Screw was ideal for Hammer Theatre of Horror's inaugural project.

Simon Oakes CEO, Hammer "It's very much at the creative centre of what we're trying to do in the rebooted Hammer," he told the BBC. "It's really a toe in the water. The Hammer name is there as a co-producer [with Act Productions] - it wasn't a project we developed ourselves. "For us it's about understanding the dynamics. The long-term idea is to create shows that can then become content for our film business as well."The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a governess who arrives at a remote estate to care for a nephew and niece after the death of their parents. Published in 1898, the story has been adapted for film, TV, radio and the stage on numerous occasions. The best-known film version is 1961's The Innocents, starring Deborah Kerr and Michael Redgrave.

The cast for the Almeida production, announced on Friday, includes Gemma Jones as the housekeeper Mrs Grose and Anna Madeley as 'The Governess'. The production will be directed by Lindsay Posner, whose recent credits include Uncle Vanya at the Vaudeville Theatre, Abigail's Party for the Menier Chocolate Factory and Noises Off for the Old Vic.

Hammer was founded in the 1930s, though it was not until the 1950s that its name became synonymous with the horror genre. Its run of monster movies included Dracula and The Curse of Frankenstein, which made stars of such British actors as Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

After lying dormant since the 1980s, the company and its back catalogue were bought in 2007 by a consortium with Simon Oakes as CEO.

The Turn of the Screw runs at the Almeida from 18 January to 16 March 2013.

PETER CUSHING: UPDATED THROUGH OUT THE DAY

THE UK PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY ESTABLISHED IN 1956 AND STILL GOING STRONG ON FACEBOOK AND AT IT'S WEBSITE PETERCUSING.ORG. UPDATED THROUGH OUT THE DAY WITH RARE PHOTOGRAPHS, MEMORABILIA AND FEATURES. IF YOU HAVE A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT PLEASE GO AND SAY HELLO!