What do you think?
Rate this book
Christopher Lee: The Loneliness of Evil
When Sir Christopher Lee passed away at the age of 93 in 2015, it was truly the end of an era. He was the last of the great horror stars.
This book is a comprehensive overview of Lee’s work in the horror genre, including movies, books, audio recordings and video games. As well as providing in-depth production histories and critical analysis, new interviews have been conducted with Lee’s co-workers (some of them speaking here for the first time), which shed fresh light upon the man and his work.
Interviewees include actors Melvyn Hayes (The Curse of Frankenstein), Jane Merrow (Night of the Big Heat) and Barbara Ewing (Dracula Has Risen from the Grave); producers Ted Newsom (Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror) and Richard Downes (Ghost Stories for Christmas); screenwriter Robin Squire, who discusses tantalizing, unrealized projects for Lee’s production company, Charlemagne; continuity girl Renée Glynne (Nothing But the Night); and Michael Pakleppa—the director of Lee’s final feature, Angels in Notting Hill, and a close friend to the star for over 30 years.
Few actors spanned the generations with more lasting appeal than Christopher Lee. From his ventures with Hammer—whose swift gradation of flesh and blood into a staid 1950s cinema broke new ground—to his work, in the next century, on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and numerous interactive formats, Lee was constantly abreast of advancements in his industry. Consequently, this book can be read not only as an alternative history of the Horror Film, but also of the myriad developments within cinema itself.
This book is a comprehensive overview of Lee’s work in the horror genre, including movies, books, audio recordings and video games. As well as providing in-depth production histories and critical analysis, new interviews have been conducted with Lee’s co-workers (some of them speaking here for the first time), which shed fresh light upon the man and his work.
Interviewees include actors Melvyn Hayes (The Curse of Frankenstein), Jane Merrow (Night of the Big Heat) and Barbara Ewing (Dracula Has Risen from the Grave); producers Ted Newsom (Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror) and Richard Downes (Ghost Stories for Christmas); screenwriter Robin Squire, who discusses tantalizing, unrealized projects for Lee’s production company, Charlemagne; continuity girl Renée Glynne (Nothing But the Night); and Michael Pakleppa—the director of Lee’s final feature, Angels in Notting Hill, and a close friend to the star for over 30 years.
Few actors spanned the generations with more lasting appeal than Christopher Lee. From his ventures with Hammer—whose swift gradation of flesh and blood into a staid 1950s cinema broke new ground—to his work, in the next century, on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and numerous interactive formats, Lee was constantly abreast of advancements in his industry. Consequently, this book can be read not only as an alternative history of the Horror Film, but also of the myriad developments within cinema itself.
278 pages, Paperback
Published May 31, 2022
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 24, 2026
This biography shows Sir Christopher Lee's professional and private circumstances. The listing of his movies' cast members and crews is interesting.
July 15, 2023
I enjoyed it, because I am a fan of the man, but it is so heavy on tangential detail of the films he was in and the bit-part players who existed in his world that it becomes tedious.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews