House of the Long Shadows: Michael Armstrong: The Screen Plays

House of the Long Shadows was the film that not only united the 'titans of terror', Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and John Carradine (ably supported by the marvellous Sheila Keith) it gave them plenty to work with - after previous attempts to get various combinations of the classic stars together had failed to give them much chance to interact - and provided an affectionate, if sinister, homage to their long careers in the shadows.Screenwriter Michael Armstrong has begun releasing his original, uncut screenplays in paperback, with 'House of the Long Shadows' appearing in a very nice edition, with a foreword by Reece Shearsmith, some interesting introductory pieces by Armstrong about the genesis of the film, his approach to screenwriting, and his original screenplay in full.While, for the main part, this is what's on screen in the finished film, there is a certain rhythm to Armstrong's writing style that makes the script an enjoyable read in itself. And for those who miss those gentlemen of horror, there are some additional scenes and lines of dialogue not in the final film that you can't help 'hearing' in the voices of Lee, Cushing, Price, and Carradine, as well as some additional macabre moments that would have added a few more chills on the screen.A rather nice addition to the library for fans of the film and its much loved, much missed stars.

This is probably one of the closest that a finished film got to Armstrong's original script. It's really fascinating to make the comparison between the movie we all know and love and the words on the page. There are a few subtle differences, but for the most part Pete Walker followed the script to the letter. It's really entertaining too, a script which hearkens back to a golden era of horror filmmaking whilst still being aware of a 1980s audience. I gather that the film was a bit of a flop at the time, which just goes to show that very often contemporary audiences don't know what's good for them.Michael Armstrong has also included his own account of the scripting and shooting of the film, and his dealings with the legendary Cannon Films. They certainly don't make them like Cannon any more.