Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Hallowe'en Countdown Day 19 (repost)

Originally posted on my old vampire blog Alucard's Rose




The actors of Ken Russell's Gothic

I have to admit, this started out as a post on Natasha Richardson, (1963-2009) but I have not seen enough of her films to do it justice.

I however loved her as Mary Shelley in Gothic. Which was infact her first film.

This film has been the major launch pad for most of it's actors, many of them have continued on in the Horror/Thriller/Sci-fi genres. The main cast runs like this:

Natasha Richardson .....Mary Shelley
Gabriel Byrne......Lord Byron
Julian Sands.........Percy Shelley
Timothy Spall......Dr. Polidori
Myriam Cyr.........Claire Clairmont


Myriam Cyr who played the character of Mary Shelley's sister, went on to be in a few other Frankenstein productions, but is more known for her small role in I Shot Andy Warhol as one of the members of Andy's Factory. (Her sister Isabelle Cyr has played a vampire in the two Karmina films as well as on the tv show the Hunger)


Timothy Spall most recently can be seen in the Harry Potter films. His role of the inspector in Immortality the Wisdome of Crocodiles oppisite Jude Law earned him international reviews. But for fans of the Frankenstein story, he can be seen in the opening of The Bride as the Igor character.

Julian Sands is most famous for his two times as Warlock. The actor has played every type of classic horror creature from a witch, to a vampire to a werewolf. (Witch Hunt, Tale of the Vampire, Werewolf Hunter: The Legend of Romasanta) Two of his creepiest characters I feel were his roles in Naked Lunch and the television series Blood Ties.

Gabriel Byrne played first the prist in Stigmata and then the devil in End of Days both released in 1999. Two roles that set him as a horror star.

Natasha Richardson made a few appearences on Tales from the Crypt. The few films I have seen her in were drama/comedy roles. Chelsea Walls, Made in Manhattan, and Evening.