After making sweet gory mayhem together in Hammer Studios' 1957 horror entry The Curse of Frankenstein, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee cemented their onscreen partnership (and real-life friendship) by appearing in 1958's Horror of Dracula. While it was the first of seven onscreen bows in Hammer Dracula entries for Lee, it also proved to be Cushing's initial portrayal of six movies as Doctor Van Helsing and his descendants (plus archival footage in Dracula: Prince of Darkness).
Like Lee, Cushing's visibility was greatly boosted by the monster hit, cementing him as a horror icon before his role as Grand Moff Tarkin in 1977's Star Wars made him a legend in sci-fi circles as well. Lee eventually followed Cushing into the Galaxy Far Far Away in 2002's Attack of the Clones. The onscreen pairing of Cushing and Lee would span five decades, from Laurence Olivier's Hamlet in 1948 through 1983's House of the Long Shadows. Yet, it's the image of them as mortal adversaries in Horror of Dracula that endures so many years later.
Sideshow Collectibles has brought the duo together again in the form of two exquisite Premium Format Statues. Many horror fans would take a stake through the heart to get these on their shelves. After unboxing the Christopher Lee Horror of Dracula piece, we invite you to our detailed unboxing of their righteous Van Helsing statue that gives Peter Cushing his due.
Art Box
This Cushing-centric box looks similar to the Dracula statue, with red foil on the lettering and lots of publicity imagery and art in a collage. It emphasizes how visually close the statue is to its subject… minus the hat.
Packaging
As always, Sideshow knows how to keep items safe and tightly packed. Items are wrapped in parchment paper and/or plastic to prevent damage in handling and preserve the precious contents within.
Base
As stated in the previous unboxing, the base for the Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing statues are identical, providing visual continuity and gothic flavor to both. The filigree at the top of the base makes it a work of art unto itself.
Body
The cut-and-sew work by Esther Skandunas here outshines what she did even on the Dracula piece, with many layers of miniature garments. Besides the coat with the elaborate fur lining, there are also pants, a vest, tie, and a shirt. It's fair to say the clothes are doing the heavy lifting here, since the only polystone showing is the head, hands and shoes.
Head
The head sculpt by Adam Beane is remarkable, showcasing the sharp features that made Cushing a singular onscreen presence. It's instantly recognizable as Cushing and even captures a soulfulness in the subtle wrinkles around the eyes. Beane is a McFarlane Toys vet who has also branched out into editorial sculpture work for different publications, a unique title, to be sure.
Hands
Unlike the Lee figure, Cushing's hands are gloved yet still retain realism in the shape and texturing. Van Helsing's crucifix and staking kit get an extra lift from Bernardo Esquivel's beautiful paint job and help give this statue much of its dynamism. The shiny cross, in particular, is a focal point of both the statue and the box art.
Full Assembly
The quizzical-yet-determined look of Van Helsing in the Hammer pictures is captured perfectly once the piece is fully assembled. As with the Dracula piece, pulling the collar over the head to lock it firmly into its keyhole is a bit of a pain, but not an insurmountable one.
Upper Body Detail
This gives you a better look at the perfectly-scaled fur, which doesn't have the cheap look of a Barbie doll. Notice the variation in the coloring of the fox fur and the way it complements Cushing's features. The paint job on the eyes is also a standout.
Torso Detail
You can see an even closer look at the shiny red buttons on the vest, the fine stitching there, and the tie. The texture of the tweed also has a tactile quality you don't normally find in soft goods collectibles.
Shoe Detail
Van Helsing's shoes are a little less scuffed up than Dracula's, which may fit the meticulous nature of the good Doctor. Unlike his counterpart, his stance also takes up the entire width of the base.
Reverse View
If you have both statues and want to present them in a more adversarial display, placing Van Helsing in reverse would be perfectly acceptable since you still see so much of his profile and even his "tools of the trade." Also love the way the fabric of the coat folds in the back.
Reverse Detail
The line work in the hair piece is more subtle than the Dracula statue, allowing the paint to create more variation and definition. Again, the fur really gives the character the heroic shoulders he needs to combat the forces of darkness.
Profile
No one has a more recognizable portrait than Cushing, and Beane's sculpt is pushing the edge of caricature with the enlarged eyes and ears, yet it still has the realism you want from a statue like this. There were a few Cushing pieces in the Titan Masterpieces collection from several years ago which captured the likeness of the actor quite well, but not with the same flourish as this one by Sideshow.
Side-By-Side Comparison
Standing 21.5" inches tall with a width of 8" inches, Sideshow's Van Helsing Premium Format Figure is a stunner, and with a limited edition of 750 will not be available forever. However you pose them, both this and the Dracula statue will be the centerpiece of any classic horror fan's collection, a towering tribute to two of the genre's great icons.
