“The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee” offers fascinating take on ...
By John Freeman on October 21, 2024 •
Coming up on Sky Arts this week is The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee, a new documentary directed by Jon Spira, that combines interviews, animation and puppetry to tell the story of the much-admired actor, whose legacy lives on, long after his passing in 2015.
Produced by Canal Cat Films in association with the BFI, its production was supported through a Kickstarter campaign, which raised over £76,000 to make the documentary happen earlier this year. The film premiered at Frightfest 2024, and recently screened at the BFI Southbank.
Other festival screenings have included Germany’s recent Dokumentale 2024 and it is part of programming at the upcoming Trieste Science+Fiction Festival 2024, in Italy.
Screenings have also been lined up at the Irish Film Institute this Friday, 25th October, as part of IFI Horrorthon 2024; HOME, Manchester next week on Thursday 31st October as part of FilmFear; and Midlands Arts Centre (10th November)
Abacus Media Rights has pre-sold the feature documentary to Sky Arts, SBS Television Australia; to NonStop Entertainment for Scandinavia, Iceland and the Baltics and to Movistar for Spain.
Described by comics writer Daniel McGachey, who supported the project and watched its online premiere as “a fascinating, often touching documentary”, this unique documentary features exclusive interviews, previously unseen archive material and multiple forms of animation to bring one of the world’s leading actors back to life on screen.
Directors Peter Jackson, John Landis and Joe Dante, as well as Lee’s niece, actor Harriet Walter, join his family, friends and professional collaborators in exploring his work and life, which, in addition to his memorable roles as Dracula for Hammer Films, Scaramanga in The Man With the Golden Gun, Count Dooku in Star Wars, and Saruman in Lord of the Rings on film, included TV series such as Space: 1999, Orson Welles: Great Mysteries and Gormenghast.
Lee, voiced by Peter Serafinowicz and realised in puppet form by Arch Model Studio (Isle of Dogs, Frankenweenie), narrates his own 93-year journey, from the rarefied world of Italian aristocracy and Nazi hunter, to his ascent as a film star, and the highs and lows that accompany it.
In an interview for an episode of the Filmumentaries podcast, Jon explained that the use of the puppet was more than just a creative choice; it was a way to honour Lee’s own desire to control how he was perceived. “It would be a really interesting film if you had him telling his story, but then you had the talking heads kind of warmly contradicting him,” he says. This dual narrative allows Jon to present Lee as a multifaceted figure — someone whose reputation as a serious and often intimidating presence on screen belied a more vulnerable side.
Although the Kickstarter campaign is over, you can still pre-order a Blu-ray copy of this unique documentary about the surprising life and eclectic career of one of cinema’s greatest actors.
The film is directed by Jon Spira, produced by Hank Starrs and was edited by Alex Barrett. The title sequence as created by Alley Cat Productions.
• The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee premieres on Sky Arts in the UK ay 9.00pm on Thursday 24th October 2024 – available on Freeview, Channel 36
• Preorder The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee
• The soundtrack of The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee by James Hyatt is available on Spotify
• Filmumentaries 112 – Jon Spira – “The Life and Death’s of Christopher Lee”
“Jon’s reflections on the state of the industry are equally thought-provoking. He notes the challenges facing filmmakers today, from the tightening budgets to the unpredictability of streaming platforms. Yet, even as he navigates these difficulties, Jon remains committed to telling stories that matter — stories that, like Christopher Lee’s, are full of complexity, contradictions, and a touch of magic.”
With thanks to Lew Stringer
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Crowd Funding Projects, downthetubes News, Events, Film, Other Worlds
Tags: Alley Cat Productions, Arch Model Studio, BFI, Canal Cat Films, Christopher Lee, Jon Spira, Peter Serafinowicz, Sky Arts, The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee
