Britain’s ‘Stinking’ Films

Once a dark lord, always a dark lord. That seems to be the fate handed to veteran British actor Christopher Lee. The thespian's stint at Hammer House of Horror has dogged his steps ever since - a fact about which the actor feels more than a little bitter. Speaking to The Times, Lee is anxious to show that he can do more than sink his fangs into virgins' necks, 'I haven't played Dracula for nearly 30 years now, and still [journalists] ask me about it as if that's the only role I've ever played.' It seems that the media isn't the only industry that irritates Lee - he also singles out the British government for castigation. 'Britain has been churning out stinking films for years,' said Lee. 'There are enormous sums of money being sprayed around by the lottery but they've got it all wrong. I actually talked to the Chancellor of the Exchequer about it but nothing happened. People don't listen to an experienced person like me.' Lee doesn't seem to help himself by continuing to choose larger than life Gothic parts as evidenced by his next role as the evil wizard Saruman in Lord of the Rings. 'I was lucky enough to meet Tolkein,' Lee says. 'For me he was the greatest author of his time. I was speechless in his presence.'