He was 93 years old, but Christopher Lee’s death still managed to come as something of a shock to me. He was my favourite actor and I’ve always been fascinated by his off-screen persona (as I’ve pointed out on Mondo before). Lee had a presence and instant association with the genre that only a handful of other performers (Chaney, Cushing, Karloff, Legosi, Price) managed to achieve. His booming voice and towering stature made him the perfect horror movie villain, though I always preferred to see him in more heroic roles like in Horror Express (1972), my favourite of his collaborations with Cushing. It took me a while to decide what Lee clip to share today. I decided on a moment from Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966). This is not one of Hammer’s best, but Lee’s performance in the titular role is fantastic. Below Lee demonstrates his ability to make every part of his body possessed by whatever character he is playing.