Son Of Frankenstein

Talk about ending on a high note!

Even as a hardcore Universal Monsters fan this movie is a bit too good. I always think of this as the gold standard of the 40s Universal fare but it actually came out in 1939 taking a kinda sorta reboot to the series, with Wolf Frankenstein inheriting his late father's estate in a town that hates and fears him as he quickly discovers the famed monster of his father's creation who's being used as a tool of revenge. Damn near every single aspect of this production is leaps and bounds better than any of the other movies I've reviewed in this series and I don't even know how. The photography alone is so rich and dense, a lot of the German Expressionist style is showcased here, with every set bathed in dark shadows and unique shapes of light with stellar sets that may seem more on the minimalist side but doesn't detract from the production at all. The cast is honestly fantastic with such a well trained classical actor in Basil Rathbone that can take any bit of material and make it so strong with so much sophistication and class. The relationship between Wolf and the inspector Krogh played by Lionel Atwill might just be the most interesting part of the movie with the inspector at first being greeting and pledging service to aid the Frankenstein family yet slowly gets more suspicious and inquisitive as the movie progresses, and they have a wonderful moment of respect that speaks so much and honestly gave me goosebumps. Bela Lugosi as the "dead" fiend Ygor (yes you read it right) to many this is his crowning role even above the Count, and I do have to admit it shows his range of performances between the two but his Dracula is still my favorite, but he's effectively creepy and does indeed steal several scenes! What's funny is Boris Karloff doesn't show up for quite awhile and only is used sparingly yet even then is a worthy final appearance from him in the series as he would be recast and the monster would be played by several actors in the remaining Frankenstein films. What I greatly appreciate is the actors bounce off each other so well and they're always busy, this is not a two characters sit and talk kind of movie, they drink, play darts, roam the room, it's almost blocked like a stage play. In fact this is one of the longest Universal Monster movies pushing close to 2 hours so it never has to rush, and I dare say this would be an amazing stage play. The theatricality is baked thoroughly in every facet of the film and wouldn't seem out of place in the slightest. Like I'm truly astounded just how well crafted this film is made in every aspect, I mean it was a perfect storm of minds and performers that easily outshines the first two installments which are already incredible films and Bride was superior even to Frankenstein, so what a monumental trilogy. Hell the only other series I can say that have done the same is the Planet Of The Apes prequels, and George Romero's Dead trilogy off the top of my head. Biiiiig 4 glowing stars, 9/10 from me, we couldn't have went out on a better note. This, Black Sabbath, and In A Violent Nature were true standouts this season but we had a pretty damn good October all around I really have to say! It's a joy as always to talk horror and give out recommendations, and while it surely breaks my heart that another Halloween season is on the precipice of ending...we still have one more day don't we? I send out all my festive love and best wishes to the monsters, ghouls, trick & treaters as well as pumpkin eaters, and I hope to see you all very very soon on the other side.

Black Sabbath

Not the band, but potentially the movie that inspired the name of the band.

Okay I gotta admit I was thoroughly impressed and entertained by this movie. I'm pretty sure this is my first Mario Bava film, a well known horror director of the 60s and 70s and I gotta say I dig his style. Presented as an anthology of 3 stories hosted by Boris Karloff himself, amd you know me I'm a sucker for a horror anthology the stories presented are quite good. One concerns a medical practicioner who gets the bright idea to steal from a patient's corpse and has an ending you honestly could see one of two ways, the other involving a woman being harassed and stalked over a telephone before Black Christmas and way before Scream, and finally a good old fashioned period piece involving vampires. A mighty fine selection of both tried and true classic material with more contemporary stuff that has become a classic in their own way in the decades since. The first thing I really gotta talk about is the visuals, holy balls this film looks flippin' amazing! Every last penny is presented on screen with unique use of color which reinforces why I love 60s cinema all by itself, some jawdropping sets that are pretty encompassing and no doubt helped the budget considerably while still showing off excellent production design, and the various styles of costuming really just knocked it out of the park for me and made it so so worthwhile to watch! I'm actually kinda pissed the fuck off people don't talk about this movie, yeah the stories are basic but they surprisingly got me startled and freaked out at times, the whole look of the movie is outstanding, the presentation with Boris is a real treat cause the man had a fantastic sense of humor and they played into that well here, and it was just an investing 90 minute film. Granted from the tidbits of research I did I think I cut myself short cause apparently the movie got a good bit edited down before hitting the States and the italian version is the one to see, this was released by American International Pictures who if you remember from reviews past was the company responsible for Roger Corman's early exploits and his renowned Poe series, so maybe if I can somehow someway find a print sourced in Italy I may enjoy it even more than I already did! I love just the flair of Bava's direction, he knows how to make a shot interesting and his love for zooms just put a smile on my face. This was such a hidden gem for me this month and I honestly don't think it'll be topped this week despite the fact we got one more to go from a certain Mr. Castle. If I had to pick my favorite segment I would go for the second one, The Telephone, I mean what a horrible situation to be in. You're being stalked in your own home by someone you can't see and they love to taunt you over a phone line, and the performance by Michèle Mercier was so damn believable and I really don't think she had to act that much to begin with. Women just have to go through so much shit man and that is a nightmare for countless ladies, so it had me on the edge of my seat and the ending just boggled my mind. This...this was so good! I strongly urge people to check this out if you have a chance, it hit so many buttons for me and I will gladly reward it with a full 4 stars, 8.5/10! It kinda breaks my heart we only got one more week of Halloween goodness to experience but it is a joy as always to be here talking my shit and reveling in the terror and beauty of the most wonderful time of the year.

The Raven

Not a traditional horror film per se, but this has been a favorite of mine and damn it I want to talk about it.

For the longest time this was the only Roger Corman Poe film I saw and I love it so, this ain't no objective film review so hunker down y'all as I spout off some opinions. This is also the loosest adaptation of any work of fiction I have ever seen, how do you make a feature film off of a short poem? The short answer, you don't. The long answer, you center the movie on magic wielding wizards consisting of Vincent Price as Erasmus who aids Peter Lorre as Dr. Bedlo who has been transformed into a raven by Boris Karloff as Dr. Scarabus, but Lorre wants revenge real bad so Vincent accompanies him to Karloff's castle where duels are challenged, dead wives return to life, and humor is peppered throughout. It is a really funny movie to me, that may throw people for a loop when most of the Corman movies of this time period are played straight and serious, but this was an intentional choice of the writers and works nicely. Now you don't get three of the biggest names in horror together in a film and say the acting is bad, Vincent is on a roll in this film from reciting the world famous poem, to the humor, to the magic wielding that would put Doctor Stephen Strange to shame, he's a 20/10. Boris Karloff nearing the end of his career has lost none of his ability, showing a lot of class and charisma while still being a good antagonist, and I'll level with you man the first lines he speaks do nothing but send shivers down my spine in a most eerie way. Peter Lorre while in actuality not as prolific in horror movie history as one might think is a welcome addition, delivering his rapid fire burning insults and wise ass remarks and while he is the lesser of the powers that be in this wizard triumvirate the movie would not be the same without him. For those in the know about Roger Corman's history, to see a very young Jack Nicholson before he got to super stardom is really neat to see even if he doesn't have that big of a role, and you see interviews of him being humbled to the point of tears in thanking Roger giving him a chance to act when no one else would and I have to express a lot of love and gratitude to him as well for getting so many people into movie making. I'm not a book critic by even a microscopic capacity but I recommend you read Corman's book, How I Made A Hundred Movies In Hollywood And Never Lost A Dime. Once again the sets and costuming are most impressive, and the effects while not exactly seamless have a strong charm all of it's own. And now comes the part where I say without a shred of irony or exaggeration, these wizard duels are better than anything Harry Potter ever gave us. No, I'm not kidding. No, I'm not taking it back. Don't @ me bitches! I adore it, there is creativity, humor, and ambition in how they did everything. I'll even push that envelope further and say 4 stars, 10/10! Watch it, buy it, love it. But we got one more to go before the week is out, until next time.

The Man They Could Not Hang

And the one hour hit wonders roll on.

Man I don't know what ticket prices were in 1939 but people must have really got their money's worth. A more unknown yet highly praised Karloff role, the story of this movie is such a great concept it really shocks me such an idea hasn't been reused in cinema. An acclaimed scientist Dr. Savaard has created a method to ressurect the recently dead, but this is no Plan 9 and before he can fully test his experiment on a college volunteer he is arrested and tried for murder. This is something I actually got a lot out of, we know Savaard is on the level by his conviction alone that this would have worked yet the moral and ethical issue is explored a bit and makes you question whether he should be put on trial to begin with. I genuinely don't see him as a villain in this role until later on when he gathers the courtroom members who gave him the death penalty and he has several traps in his home to execute them. With a plot like that the influence can be seen decades after the fact with The Abominable Dr. Phibes, and needless to even say the Saw franchise. Boris Karloff is outstanding in this role, it's such a great part for him with his ever gentlemanly demeanor mixed with deliciously devious determinations to kill the people who wronged him, I think this is such an underrated role of his long career. The rest of the cast do fine work, but it goes without saying they used Karloff to the max in every way. I can see some people not liking the ending considering how abrupt and somewhat contrived it is, but I do still urge people to dig this one up. It's a very well made film, with good sets, mood enhancing lighting, the camera work is very fluid and almost feels handheld at times, it's most definitely a movie that should be considered to be a minor classic and I had a very enjoyable time watching it. The highlights being Saavard's blisteringly dark and direct damning of the members of the court, and when he reveals himself to be alive once more, it showcases nothing but the best from Karloff. 4 stars, 7.5/10, you can catch this film for free on Dailymotion and you won't have much time to lose. Once more unto the breach my friends, once more!

Targets

Sweet Jesus.

I'm speechless guys I really am. Targets is a whole different breed of horror movies, it works so well and sometimes for the most horrible reasons. Essentially the film is about an aging horror icon Byron Orlok played by Boris Karloff, as he comes to terms with where the world is at right now and that his fashion of horror is not appropriate or as potent as it was, as we see with an ideal young man of that time and place in the world commit nothing short of assassinations on innocent normal people. It's a great movie with lots of layers to enjoy, the fact that the character Boris Karloff plays is essentially himself with scenes of his films being played and all, is really meta and is such a good analogy of those shifting times in the genre of horror with a claim that is 150,000% correct by Karloff, and also how this killer is potrayed. He's a very young man, has a wife, is respectful to his elders, has an upbeat and kind demeanor, literally looks like any person you could pass in the streets, and he takes a rifle and starts shooting people. And we never know why. He just does it. And...you know I've reviewed a lot of movies, quite a few with gunfire, and shootouts, and stuff like that, but nothing quite like how this movie does it. It reaches a point where it's not a movie anymore, you're seeing 16mm film of a man murdering people. And you might be saying, oh well there's not blood with every gunshot and the effects aren't that convincing. F*** the effects. This film got an R rating, and it wasn't for the brief glimpses of blood and there's no bad language in it, it got it because of what the film is potraying. No matter what damn movie you are watching, you can tell with the shootout scenes it's still a movie. Heat has one of the best running firefights in film history, the sound design is perfect, the action is well shot, it keeps the tension up, but you still see it as a movie. Any 80s action flick, Rambo First Blood Part 2, Predator, Death Wish 3, you can tell it's just a movie. This pushes that barrier, we see an extended scene of this guy on a fuel tank tower, with 5 different rifles, a bottle of Dr. Pepper and a sandwhich, and we watch him take potshots at motorists on a highway. There is no music, there is no sound effects save for the gunshots and a few engines, you can't hear anyone scream or react because they are so far away, you are with this guy watching him do these horrible things in almost realtime. It kind of stops feeling like a movie and I've never had that happen before. This is a horror story that is scarier than any monster, slasher, or supernatural force. Because it is far too real, this could happen tomorrow. And worse of all, it could happen in your town, where you live. I can't think of a goddamn thing more scary than that. For a Roger Corman film, this is a cut above your standard horror film and I love Roger Corman, I love Boris Karloff, and I love Targets. This is a 4 star movie, an 8/10 without a shadow of a doubt, and this was Boris Karloff's swan song to the genre and what a strong note to go out on. This is an underrated classic in my eyes, and I hope it gets more attention in the future.

The Black Cat (1934)

We've made it. It's finally here! Happy October!

I wanted to get at least one movie from the 1930s in this month and I realized I never talked about The Black Cat which is one of my favorites from the Universal golden age of horror that not many people know about. If I remember correctly this was the first film to bring the two biggest horror stars of the time in one picture, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff and I have to say they bring their all into this movie. The story follows a couple on their honeymoon that meet a doctor by the name of Vitus Werdegast played by Lugosi, who suffer a car crash on the way to Hjalmar Poelzig's house with Poelzig played by Karloff. Very soon when you meet Werdegast you suspect there's something more to this trip and it is soon revealed that Poelzig betrayed him during wartime and now he seeks vengeance. That's the basics but there's more to touch on later. Besides the two titans of terror how's the rest of the cast? Well at first I found the couple to be pretty standard for 1930s cinema but they grew on me a little and you don't wish any ill will toward them, but let's be honest you see this movie because of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff and they play their parts expertly. Lugosi plays the part with sophistication and determination, fuelled by his hatred for the man who ruined his life, he was tortured during a war and says his soul was slowly killed so there's a level of madness to him though he is our protagonist. Karloff is imposing and devilishly evil, and rightly so because it is revealed he is a Satanist and intends to sacrifice the newly wedded wife, but the film builds his character up incredibly well and you want to see him get his comeuppance. This is a wonderfully shot movie with beautiful set design that feels both gothic and surprisingly modern. Poelzig's home is amazing and wouldn't feel out of place even in today's market, but has a dark underbelly that is creepy and morbid. I'm always surprised by the cinematography in this film, you just hardly ever saw such films being made this way, with switching focuses on foreground and background, seeing characters through the use of mirrors, and the use of light and shadows throughout, it might not be much but such experimental effort gets bonus points from me. You saw this type of filmmaking more often in foreign cinema than the Hollywood industry. I have no doubts the movie was banned in certain places in it's time, dealing with torture, revenge, Satanism, necrophilia, and human sacrifice, this was an entirely different beast for that time period. But it has that atmosphere, class acting, and grim subject matter to entertain any horror fan. I will say though they took the title from a story by Edgar Allan Poe, it has nothing to do with it, there is a black cat but it's used as a symbol of undying evil and is the phobia of Werdegast. Me personally, I would treasure such a creature, so deem me a Satanist if you wish but I'm a great admirer of black cats. This is a lesser known gem of the Universal library and you should see it, don't worry about runtime, you can finish it in barely over an hour. Yeah, I'm almost certain it was part of a double bill but it can be viewed on it's own. Definitely recommend it, 4 stars, 7.5/10, this showcases the acting talents of two great stars beyond their most iconic roles so check it out!

Well I think you know what's next, and I'm going to have the biggest smile on my face this Friday.

Mad Monster Party

Yeah, bet you didn't know Rankin & Bass made a Halloween special.

This is a strange one to talk about, it's the first and only Halloween special from Rankin & Bass, it's not even a special cause its over an hour and a half long, and it was made 3 years after Rudolph so the animation style was still working out the kinks. Everyone talks about the Christmas specials every year so I figured it was time to shine some light on their Halloween work. Our story begins with Baron Frankenstein voiced by the man himself Boris Karloff, who has just created the means of total and absolute destruction, no not atomic weaponry but a serum that can dematerialize anything in the world. After which he sends out letters to all the classic monsters to convene at his castle to announce his retirement and his heir, which leads to much scheming and in fighting between the monsters as to who shall truly be his succesor before their attention is drawn to Frankenstein's meek nephew Felix. So it's a fight for survival between the humans and the monsters with whoever wins gets the destructor serum. A decent plot that fully uses the feature length runtime, yet sadly it's not a very good movie, it's very middle of the road and the highest it reaches is cult classic at best but there are good things to talk about. I was happy to see the Universal Monsters roster in this movie yet even more bizarre things surround that, the company didn't have the rights to the actual names of the monsters so Frankenstein is now called Fang, it's not the Wolf Man but just the Werewolf, Gillman is just called Creature, and King Kong himself is simply named IT. Yes, IT. Strangely enough I saw many more references to monster designs both old and new, Baron Frankenstein has a pet that is literally the Blob, and I swear to God Miyazaki stole the designs from his little soot spider creatures from Spirited Away from this movie. It's a curious little movie with some genuinely fascinating animation, because they have the Invisible Man in this movie but I haven't the faintest clue how they animated him, it's just clothes moving, there's no semblance of a stopmotion figure on camera yet the clothes aren't hanging on wires or anything. I was thoroughly impressed with that but the other animation is your standard Rankin & Bass quality which I do like, and the monster designs are done quite well too. There are songs here and there but none of them are even close to being as catchy or memorable as other productions of theirs, but the musical score is very upbeat and downright groovy seeing as how this was the late 60s when it was released. Our main characters are alright, I mean Boris Karloff doesn't exactly send in a bad performance, Felix is kind of a funny and endearing klutz, and this is such a product of the times but the female assistant to the Baron Francesca.....yeeeaaahh. I mean she's a very goal orientated independent woman but my God does everyone including the kitchen sink hit on her, I mean I'm a sucker for redheads like no one's buisness yet even I was like can you reel it back a bit. And there's one scene. Holy jumpin' Jesus on a fracking pogo stick, okay so through the whole damn movie Francesca is being pursued by almost every monster and she honestly can't stand it but is saved from death by Felix later on in the movie, and she kinda breaks and has a good cry but, oh God. I cannot stress to you enough that this is what actually happens. So Felix, our kind and klutzy hero claims the crying woman is hysterical and slaps her, five fingers across the face, not once but twice....and she immediately falls in love with him. Excuse me one moment I need to just think for a minute.

What the f*** 1960s??! Oh yeah, that's a great lesson for the kids, just smack a woman right across the eyes and she'll love you forever! What in the actual french toast is going on around here! I just...I can't. What were they thinking!?

Okay, I gotta wrap this up before I bust out the bottle of hooch and grab a handful of pills. It's an average special that should only be checked out by the very curious, but maybe someone will get a kick out of it more than me.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Oh how I find such joy in this short, though it's mostly found of a certain Grinchy sort.

Everyone knows the tale, of the town of Whoville and the Grinch who hated holiday cheer. But why is this story so beloved? That we must think, unlike that of a certain remake. It is a tale of finding the true meaning of Christmas, and not just the mirth of material possesions, with wonderful animation, color, and cast that makes this film just as memorable as it was in the past. It knows the point it is trying to make, and does not try to distract, because it is done with actual sophistication and tact! With a story of an eternal grump, a kind of story we know too well, who eventually learns to appreciate the holiday and not think of it as hell. Our Narrarator is Boris Karloff who voiced the Grinch too, and looking back it is so much cooler than anyone else could do. His voice is perfect and deliciously vile, with devilish body movements that are equal in guile, with hate and disgust for all things happy and seriously who could ever want anything so sappy? For Christmas is a nightmare and something I don't wish to exist, though at the very least I can deal with it for my family does insist. Although Charlie Brown told the meaning of Christmas better than most, this short film still has heart and something worthy of note. The songs are memorable and detailed in filth, so gross and disturbing it could curdle milk. It's a classic that no one could ever top, but that didn't stop Hollywood from making a flop. If you want a short film with cynicism and love for Christmas, then I couldn't think of a better candidate. Gather around with your family and give it a watch, who knows maybe even your heart will grow a notch.

Rhyming is hard, I must truly say. It makes me wonder how Dr. Seuss made it through the day. There is only one Grinch for me thank you very much, so you can keep your Jim Carrey movie. I often did watch this movie even when it wasn't Christmas, hell I did that with the Rankin-Bass specials too so I'm happy I could talk about it because it does indeed deserve the love and could do more than a big budget flub. But our job is not done, for tomorrow I will be visited by 3 spirits....

The Mummy (1932)

Yeah, this is not only a horror story but also a love story.

Now frankly, I love this movie because of it's love story elements in it. Now there is a bit of confusion to clear up before we continue with the review. This Mummy is not the same you probably think of. You probably think of a Mummy always in it's bandages, strangling people, and is more action orientated than horror. And you are correct that is the Universal Mummy, but not the same one in this movie. There were several Mummy sequels that followed a different Mummy named Karras where this one follows the Imhotep Mummy. Now that we got that out of the way, let's continue. The story follows a group of archeaologists who unearth an ancient Mummy that after being awakened is trying to reunite with his Mummy princess. Boris Karloff plays the Mummy to perfection, and he is such a better actor than what you see in Frankenstein. He has such a hypnotic voice and his appearance is fantastic. He towers over every other actor, speaks slow and low, has a groovy fez, and only kills when necessary. This is a perfect monster, and you will greatly enjoy this film. It's one of the prime examples of a horror classic.

Tomorrow we look at one of the funnest monster movies and most interesting special effects ever to come out of the 1930's.

Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)

I'm really not kidding, this film is so superior to the original.

Every single element of the original Frankenstein has been improved in the sequel. The cast has even more power behind them, mainly Boris Karloff and Ernest Thesiger. The sets show off so much more especially the laboratory at the end. The film gets very cinematic after the laboratory is seen, the musical score is fantastic, and you just get the sense that they really improved everything and made it even more grand. The story picks right up after the original, with Frankenstein surviving the angry mob, and a new mad scientist played by Ernest Thesiger proposing to Dr. Frankenstein to create a mate for the monster. The titular Bride surprisingly is only in the movie for about 5 minutes, but it still leaves a huge impact. But the person who steals the entire movie is Ernest Thesiger playing the devilish, mad scientist Dr. Pretorius who in my opinion is the greatest mad scientist ever put to film. Boris Karloff has a lot more to work with, showing incredible emotion and even dialogue. And that is an important element in this story where the monster meets an old blind man in the woods, and he teaches the monster to speak, and is quite heart wrenching in one scene. You have a heart of stone if you don't get misty eyed or choked up a bit during that scene. So the entire film is a massive step above the original and is well worth viewing. You have got to check this movie out. I adore the Bride Of Frankenstein.

Tune in tomorrow when we look at the movie that is perfect when viewed under a full moon.

Frankenstein (1931)

One of the best horror movies ever starring the most famous monster of all time.

Frankenstein is a fantastic monster movie with lavish sets, a great cast, a spectacular story and a climax that is unforgettable. Even if you haven't seen the movie, you will recognize so many scenes from the film. The movie Frankenstein follows the Mary Shelley novel very well although not perfectly. Colin Clive plays the doctor who dared to be God and create a man. His performance is not the usual mad scientist who dreams of creating a monster, he is just a scientist who wants to push the boundaries of human knowledge and we can sympathize with him and even sort of understand why he is doing this. Dwight Frye is in this movie as yet another odd and memorable character, the doctor's hunchback assistant but his name is not Igor like you would expect, but Fritz. But the real star is Boris Karloff as the monster, and for good reason too. He is just perfect casting for the role and brings gruesome and yet empathetic qualities to the famous monster. What I have noticed about both of these Universal Monster movies is how short it takes the film to show the monster, in Dracula it took about 5 minutes to see Bela Lugosi and in this movie it takes about 15 minutes just to see the monster on the slab. And surprisingly this movie is even shorter than Dracula, just clocking in at an hour and ten minutes. Also what I noticed is, although the labaratory is just what you imagine it to be, it actually isn't that big, incorporating fascinating gizmos and electronics without taking too much space. So I love this monster movie, and to be honest I'm going to go on a little rant here but it is important. People have always called the monster Frankenstein even though that is the name of the doctor, and for almost 100 damn years there has been this confusion as to who Frankenstein really is. Well...Dr. Frankenstein actually calls his creation Frankenstein. So yes, the monster is indeed Frankenstein and the movie is named after him.

So tomorrow we look at the superb sequel that is 1000 times better than the original. Now how many times can you say that about a horror sequel?