Christopher Lee RIP: 10 Lesser Known Must-See Christopher Lee Films

Christopher Lee was the last one of the greats. We say goodbye with a list of ten essential films of his, that may be not as popular as the ones that made him a legend, but every fan should watch at some point.





10. The Accursed (1958)

The Accursed, released as The Traitor in the UK in 1957 is a mystery thriller directed by Michael McCarthy, creator of Operation Amsterdam, who sadly died at the age of 42 and stayed a cult director for eternity, having made just a handful of films, though his potential was much more promising. It co-stars Christopher Lee and it's a very well done dark mystery flick involving Nazis.


9. Dark Places (1973)

Directed by Don Sharp, Dark Places is a captivating ghost story starring mr Lee, alongside Joan Collins, Jane Birkin, Herbert Lom and Robert Hardy, with twists and turns and much enjoyable flashback scenes that feature Jean Marsh, a film so well made, makes you wonder how at the time it wasn't produced by neither Amicus nor Hammer.


8. I, Monster (1971)

I, Monster is Amicus' brilliant take on the well-known tale of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, only in this one the names have been changed to Dr. Marlowe and Mr. Blake. Lee stars as the movie's main character(s) alongside his friend and longtime co-star, Peter Cushing.

7. Starship Invasions (1977)

A race of evil aliens try to take over the Earth by causing humans to commit suicide after taking control of their minds! Lee stars as the alien villain Captain Rameses in this cheesy but amazing Canadian sci-fi flick, promoted at the time as the next best thing to Star Wars...



6. Theatre Of Death (1967)

Also known as Blood Fiend in the US, Theatre Of Death, directed by Samuel Gallu, has a very similar feel to the italian giallos of that era and stars Lee as the owner of a theatre, who is the major suspect in a series of murders. Expect vampires.


5. The Castle Of Fu Manchu (1969)

Considered the weakest of the 1960s Fu Manchu series of films, the fifth and final Fu Manchu movie with Christopher Lee is directed by Jesus Franco, like the previous one, The Blood Of Fu Manchu, and like all previous four it's a spy thriller, this time filmed in Spain and Istanbul. In this one the evil master possesses a device fueled by opium, with which he plans to freeze the world's oceans...


4. Mio In The Land Of Faraway (1987)

Directed by Vladimir Grammatikov, this fantasy flick features two child actors, one of which happens to be Christian Bale, as miserable kids Bosse and Benke. Bosse with the help of a genie travel to the magical land of Faraway, where his real name is Mio and his real dad is King and he's destined to fight and destroy the evil Knight Kato and free the children he has enslaved. Guess who that evil Knight is...


3. The Creeping Flesh (1973)

The Creeping Flesh, directed by Freddie Francis, is another excellent collaboration between Lee and Cushing, both delivering excellent performances. Again, it's a surprise that this production wasn't picked up by neither on Hammer nor Amicus, but Columbia Pictures and it may be lacking in popularity, but nothing else.


2. Killer Force (1976)

Amazing classic low-budget 70s action flick, with an all-star cast featuring Telly Savalas, Peter Fonda, Hugh O'Brian, O. J. Simpson, Maud Adams and Christopher Lee, Killer Force isn't as appreciated as it maybe should. It is also known as The Diamond Mercenaries and filmed mainly in South Africa, though it's an Irish, Swiss and American co-production with an all-American cast and of course mr. Lee.


1. In Search Of Dracula (1975)

In Search Of Dracula is not one of the Dracula films in the Hammer series, but a documentary by Calvin Floyd, based on the book by Raymond McNally and Radu Florescu. The film is narrated by Christopher Lee, who also stars in recreations of scenes that feature Dracula, the character from Bram Stoker's legendary novel and Vlad Tepes, the Romanian Prince, the historical figure on whom the fictional charcter was based and it mixes historical research and facts with fiction and folklore.

Christopher Lee was one of a kind and he will be surely missed. RIP.

ZR