While undoubtedly a genre icon, the life and career of Christopher Lee is much more beyond his icon portrayal of Dracula.
Jon Spira’s engrossing documentary, which is voiced over by Lee sound-alike Peter Serafinowicz, chronicles his life before acting and right up until his death in 2015 at the age of 93.
Talking heads for the doc include Joe Dante, John Landis and Peter Jackson, but the real fascination here comes from his time serving in World War II, his desire to sing, which would lead to the creation of a power metal group the Charlemagne Project.
His touching friendship with Peter Cushing, his nemesis in countless Hammer horrors is chronicled and shows a different time when genre cinema was interpreted different.
Spira doesn’t skirt around controversy either, addressing Lee’s role in the Fu Manchu films, which many would consider a racist text today.
Lee’s niece Harriet Waller provides a family insight, and we hear about the iconic actor’s insecurities, especially when it came to being part of Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Jackson recalls how Lee thought he would be fired on his first day, because he was taking the role very seriously, as a huge fan of Tolkien’s text.
It’s anecdotes like that which make The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee a must-watch for super and even casual fans as it will give you a richer appreciation of his work, and ultimately his life.
The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee screened as part of Frightfest 2024.
Bloody Flicks 