10 Best Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing Horror Movies Ranked By IMDb

10 Best Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing Horror Movies, Ranked By IMDb

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are each horror icons in their own right, but their films together are some of their best-remembered movies.

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Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing were, on their own, two of the most popular horror movie actors of the 20th century, but are now best known for their Star Wars roles and Lee’s role in Lord of the Rings. They appeared in dozens of films together and were close personal friends.

Hammer horror films such as The Curse of Frankenstein featured many early pairings of the duo that would showcase their unique onscreen chemistry and establish them as enduring horror icons. Of the many films to benefit from Lee’s and Cushing’s talents, some stand out more than others, with fans indicating their favorites via IMDb user ratings.

10 The Skull (1965) – 6.3

An investigator (Cushing) into the paranormal is offered a chance to buy the skull of the infamous madman, the Marquis de Sade, from a shady dealer. Though his friend (Lee) and the rightful owner of the skull warns him against it, the investigator is seemingly drawn to the mystical object.

This stylish British horror movie was directed by frequent David Lynch collaborator Freddie Francis and based on a story by Robert Bloch (Psycho). In a rare case for their collaborations, Lee and Cushing play close friends in this film instead of rivals, mimicking their real-life friendship. The film itself is a typical Hammer-style (though not a Hammer Productions film) horror blend of classic literary influences and atmospheric suspense with a memorable twist ending.

9 House Of The Long Shadows (1983) – 6.3

With the chance to win $20,000, an American writer is challenged to write a classic novel like Wuthering Heights in just a single day at an abandoned Welsh mansion. However, when he arrives he discovers that the mansion actually has a number of strange, and maybe dangerous, inhabitants.

House of the Long Shadows was a loving send-up to old haunted house movies that featured four icons of horror; in addition to Lee and Cushing, John Carradine and Vincent Price played the strange residents of the dilapidated mansion. This comedy horror wasn’t well-reviewed critically, but audiences liked it for the return of these aging icons to the genre that made them famous.

8 The Gorgon (1964) – 6.4

In the early 20th century, a village is plagued with mysterious deaths during full moons where people were turned to solid stone. With the police unable to solve the crimes, an artist and his girlfriend are killed and two investigators arrive to clear the artist’s name and find the true culprit.

Lee stars as an investigator that discovers suspicious activity from a local doctor played by Cushing. Hammer films regularly remade Universal classic monster films of the 1930s but would attempt to make iconic monsters of their own. They succeeded with the Gorgon, a uniquely swift and graceful villain that was played by a professional ballerina.

7 Horror Express (1972) – 6.5

Traveling to Europe aboard the Trans-Siberian Express, two anthropologists (Cushing and Lee) must stop a prehistoric monster, which was one of their cargo. The creature begins to control the minds of all the passengers and crew, threatening everyone onboard the fast-moving train.

Cushing and Lee as professional rivals teaming up made for some engaging interactions between the actors in this horror movie shot in Spain. This film shares thematic similarities to The Creeping Flesh, which came out a year later with both Cushing and Lee, but the train location made for a more distinct and memorable film.

6 The House That Dripped Blood (1971) – 6.6

An inspector from Scotland Yard investigates four strange incidents at a country house. One stars Peter Cushing as a man who finds a wax statue of a woman from his past. Another stars Christopher Lee as a widower with a young daughter. Her mother was a witch and the strict father fears his daughter is as well.

This anthology features both actors in entirely separate stories so they don’t share any scenes together. There is also a joke poking fun at Lee in “The Cloak” where an old horror star reminisces about the great horror movies and mentions Dracula saying, “The one with Bela Lugosi of course, not this new fellow.” Though it’s still debated whether Lugosi or Lee is the best Dracula.

5 Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965) – 6.7

This anthology film tells five horror stories from the perspective of Dr. Terror (Cushing) and his deck of Tarot cards. In “The Disembodied Hand,” Christopher Lee plays an egotistical art critic with murderous impulses. After an embarrassing public dispute with a painter, he runs him over and severs the painter’s hand.

Cushing and Lee appear in a scene together to set up the story for “Disembodied Hand.” Cushing proves an effective horror anthology host, with just enough creepiness and gentlemanly charm to keep the audience guessing as to what his intentions are in the film. In addition, Lee’s performance as a narcissistic attention seeker is sinister and unsettling.

4 The Mummy (1959) – 6.7

John Banning (Cushing) returns from Egypt with the plundered riches from an ancient tomb hidden long ago, but without his father who met a gruesome end as he made his discovery. However, the mummy (Lee) never died and continues to terrorize Banning’s loved ones.

This Technicolor remake of the early Universal Mummy movies took inspiration from multiple entries in the classic series, including making Lee’s mummy an unconsenting servant controlled by the true villain and having most of the story set outside Egypt due to the plundering archaeologist played by Cushing. Lee’s mummy is considered among the best from either Universal or Hammer.

3 The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1959) – 7.0

Henry Baskerville (Lee) travels to his family estate after living overseas for most of his life, but it appears the ancient family curse of a hell hound might just be true. To discover the reason for the strange occurrences on the estate, the eccentric detective named Sherlock Holmes (Cushing) is hired.

This is another rare case where Cushing or Lee are both good-hearted men and friends in the film. Cushing’s gentlemanly demeanor and slim frame make him a perfect actor for the role of Sherlock Holmes. Indeed, in his storied career, Holmes proved to be one of Cushing’s best roles. As a supporting actor to Cushing, Lee’s natural charm makes Baskerville a sympathetic and likable victim.

2 The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957) – 7.1

While awaiting execution, Baron Victor Frankenstein (Cushing) claims to be a doctor who achieved the impossible by reanimating a dead corpse (Lee). Not surprisingly, the process doesn’t go as planned and the creature goes on a rampage of death and destruction.

This very loose adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel focuses more on the horrific deeds of Dr. Frankenstein than those of his monstrous creation, something most Frankenstein movies shy away from. The grotesque makeup for Lee’s creature and Cushing’s frantic performance nearly make this the best horror movie they made together, and one of Cushing’s best movies in general.

1 Horror Of Dracula (1958) – 7.3

Jonathan Harker arrives at Dracula’s (Lee) castle under the guise of being the new librarian but is actually a vampire hunter. Dracula dispatches Harker and sets out to kill his family in a fit of anger. It’s up to Harker’s mentor, Van Helsing (Cushing) to try to save them from the ancient terror.

In addition to the scarlet-lined cape and fangs, Lee’s Dracula was the first to truly capture the seductive allure of the titular villain. Cushing’s sharp intelligence and gentlemanly demeanor made his Van Helsing more like a detective than the eccentric performances of the character before and after. Both actors’ performances elevated a normally typical Dracula movie into a classic horror feature that many still consider the best film the popular character has ever appeared in.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/christopher-lee-peter-cushing-best-horror-movies-ranked-by-imdb/

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