FILM
Homage to Freddie Francis |
Written 30 January |
Friday 19 December, 00:00La Cinémathèque Française, 75012 [map]
Freddie Francis, one of Britain's leading cinematographers, photographed many classic British films of the 1950s and early 1960s, including
Room At the Top (1958),
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), Sons and Lovers (1960) - for which he won an Oscar for best black and white cinematography - and the gothic classic The Innocents (1961), which remained his favourite film.
In 1961 he turned to directing and 0ver the next 20 years he directed many films, mostly in the horror genre, for Amicus and Hammer Films. He also directed more than 25 feature films, including several horror cult classics.
These were always stylish and usually very successful; several have now become cult classics, such as Paranoiac (1963), The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), The Skull (1965), Dr Terror's House of Horrors (1965), (Roy castle’s film inspired “Dr terror’s House of Horror” is worth a listen just for the sound effects alone!) Torture Garden (1967), Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968), Tales From the Crypt (1972), The Creeping Flesh and Tales That Witness Madness (both 1973) and Legend of the Werewolf (1975).
The Brain / Ein Toter sucht seiner Mörder
A doctor becomes the victim of his own diabolical experiments when the disembodied brain of a sadistic millionaire takes over the scientist's body and begins a ghastly reign of terror.
They Came from Beyond Space
When extra-terrestrial beings land on Earth and begin taking over people's brains, only one man is capable of saving mankind - Dr. Curt Temple, who is protected by a silver plate in his skull.