The Black Room (1935).

Review #2454: The Black Room (1935).

Cast: 

Boris Karloff (Baron Gregor de Berghmann / Anton de Berghmann), Marian Marsh (Thea Hassel), Robert Allen (Lt. Albert Lussan), Thurston Hall (Col. Paul Hassel), Katherine DeMille (Maska), John Buckler (Buran), Henry Kolker (Baron de Bergman), Colin Tapley (Lt. Paul Hassel), and Torben Meyer (Peter)

Directed by Roy William Neill (#846 - Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, #873 - Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, #925 - Sherlock Holmes in Washington, #936 - Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, #1021 - The Spider Woman, #1040 - The Scarlet Claw, #1056 - The Pearl of Death, #1161 - The House of Fear, #1216 - The Woman in Green, #1262 - Pursuit to Algiers, #1620 - Terror by Night, #1681 - Dressed to Kill)

Review: 

Sure, let's see someone play double for historical horror. This was made by Columbia Pictures with the original intent of being titled "The Black Room Mystery" that had Boris Karloff appear in a one-off from them, doing so in the year where you could see him in Bride of Frankenstein and The Raven but without being billed as just "KARLOFF" or with as much makeup this time around. The evident choice to direct was to go with Roy William Neill, a dependable vet for many movies (some for Columbia, as one does when directing since the 1910s) in one of his last films before moving to London for a five-year visit in 1935; for whatever reason, he is billed as "R. William Neill" in the movie. I assume from the varying levels of information one could find about the movie (i.e. one that had a story from Arthur Strawn, who was credited with writing the film with Henry Myers) that the movie has languished a bit in obscurity, but Karloff kept busy with performances at any rate.

It is a neat little movie, when you get down to it. The 68-minute runtime lends itself to a welcome surprise when you figure that Karloff really is playing three roles: a benevolent nice twin, his evil (and older) twin brother...and the impersonation of the former by the latter. You might wonder what the title is about, and, well, it refers to a room where apparently an older brother will be killed by his young brother in a certain room of the castle (yep, it's a baron who worries about his sons, particularly since he'll die before they get old). Why the room wasn't just sealed up way, way before is anybody's guess (of course it is sealed up early in the movie only to be revealed to be in use again). For a movie that has a good chunk spent in a castle setting to go along with the usual melodrama approach of its time (a bit of haughty stuff and stuff you hear about more than see, some for obvious reason). It is evident Karloff is pretty good in the movie, specifically when playing his dastardly evil twin that shows more malice in what he is shown to do more than if he was simply in an effects-laden role (or in a less subtle movie about someone throwing women in a pit). His impersonation of the good twin (remember he is meant to have a bad arm) is especially fascinating, one that we know has cracks in the foundation but is still amusing to see how long he could actually pull off the act of benevolence. The rest of the actors are fine, with Marsh pulling in a bit of despair to come from being the object of a supposed nice person that can't even write their own fate (spoiler, it is a dog who plays into the climax). At least the climax is a hoot, finding a way around the whole "wait, how does one die by someone's hand?" thing before swiftly ending. In a way, it is like a fairy tale (okay Joe Dante said that [in regard to the sets], but judge for yourself anyway) with a dash of macabre that is worth looking into more than just being for those who like Karloff. In general, you have a solidly fine movie, not a great one by any means beside possibly its set design and ways around having someone play two roles on the same screen, but it is still a neat one to go with for those who like a bit of Gothic melodrama.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

The Raven (1935).

Review #2293: The Raven.

Cast: 

Béla Lugosi (Dr. Richard Vollin), Boris Karloff (Edmond Bateman), Lester Matthews (Dr. Jerry Halden), Irene Ware (Jean Thatcher), Samuel S. Hinds (Judge Thatcher), Spencer Charters (Colonel Bertram Grant), Inez Courtney (Mary Burns), Ian Wolfe (Geoffrey "Pinky" Burns), and Maidel Turner (Harriet Grant) Directed by Lew Landers (#2260 - The Return of the Vampire)

Review: 

You might remember that Universal had done a few horror films based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) and The Black Cat (1934) had each featured Lugosi, and just like the latter, he co-stars with Karloff for a "adaptation" of The Raven. Apparently, several writers were brought in to try and bring treatments for writing, but only David Boehm would be given credit. The movie isn't really an adaptation of the 1845 poem of the same name by Poe because, well, if you read it, you would know all it involves is a man who sees and hears of a raven that goes "Nevermore" among other various rhymes (interestingly, there was a 1915 film that went by the same name as the poem that merely was a biographical film about Poe himself). It merely is a film where a man really seems to like the works of Poe instead, complete with seeing a solo dance set to a recitation of the story and a torture device straight from "The Pit and the Pendulum". This was the third appearance of Karloff and Lugosi together (eight by the end of the 1940s) after the aforementioned Cat film and Gift of Gab, a musical comedy that probably nobody interested would care about unless they like bit parts; the next film with the two was The Invisible Ray (1936). This was the kind of movie that probably unsurprisingly led to people being weird about horror movies, with one British paper wondering what was behind the movie that was "of "horror" for "horror's" sake", accusing it as nonsense for trying to hide under the Poe inspiration while saying it has no indication of "imaginative control" in story or treatment. This was among the first films directed by Landers, who actually was born Louis Friedlander before he elected to go by Landers for directing later on. Nearly thirty years later, Karloff appeared in the next "adaptation" of the Raven story as part of the Corman-Poe cycle for AIP.

It actually is a pretty neat movie when you get down to it, mostly because its obsessive glee is pretty infectious for such a carefully curated runtime of just 61 minutes. Lugosi gets to eye-ball his way through a movie that is more his show than Karloff's show in the best of ways imaginable for cut-rate spooks. Lugosi gets to have some fun moments involving a considerable ego (he says at one point that he is "a law unto myself") and getting to play a game of cat-and-mouse with Karloff, who gets packed in with some makeup because of the nature of the plan drawn up of obsessive love by way of extortion; the theory of ugly folks going around doing crimes because of said ugly is amusing here, suffice to say. It's funny to compare it with say, Supernatural when it comes to saying just how clearly better one is in doing a movie with enjoyment within a limited body-count potential (this one has one, technically) because it actually feels like there is commitment with one's lead stars to go with a story that runs bold-faced into devotion with no hacky limitations. I like how one can have such a delusion of being a god can go hand in hand with basically being a fan of literary works, particularly one that likes scary moving doors to use on people. Sure, the others besides our duo are merely "fine", but you get madcap enjoyment seeing Lugosi, even with an obvious ending involving beasts liking the sight of happy normal folks. As a whole, it isn't a great Universal horror film, but it does fine with those other Poe films they made and has a worthwhile duo to make a neat curiosity anyway.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

The Walking Dead (1936).

Review #2267: The Walking Dead.

Cast: 

Boris Karloff (John Elman), Ricardo Cortez (Nolan), Edmund Gwenn (Dr. Beaumont), Marguerite Churchill (Nancy), Warren Hull (Jimmy), Barton MacLane (Loder), Henry O'Neill (Werner), Joseph King (Judge Shaw), Addison Richards (Prison Warden), and Paul Harvey (Blackstone) Directed by Michael Curtiz (#125 - Casablanca, #416 - Yankee Doodle Dandy, #505 - The Adventures of Robin Hood, #529 - Mildred Pierce, #719 - Mystery of the Wax Museum, #1370 - Life with Father)

Review: 

Sure, of course Warner Bros. thought they could have some fun making a horror film. Sure, you can see the clear inspiration when it comes to having Boris Karloff star as a lumbering man back from the dead, particularly since this came out a year after Universal's Bride of Frankenstein (1935) ...but here it is arranged within the trappings of a gangster film. Of course, the obsession with trying to bring back people from a fate worse than a broken leg wasn't limited to the current day. The "perfusion pump", for example, is shown for a moment during the pivotal resurrection scene. This glass device was designed by Charles Lindbergh and Dr. Alexis Carrel to try and keep organs functioning outside of the body (the process can be explained better in articles such as this); Lindbergh wanted to find ways to help his sister-in-law, who had a bad heart. Labeled as a "mechanical heart" in some circles, Lindberg and Carrel were even featured on magazine covers for their invention (better ways of "organ perfusion" eventually came around in the next couple of years, naturally). In 1935, a film wad made called Life Returns, which featured the exploits of Dr. Robert E. Cornish, a biologist that had an interest in restoring life that tried using a teeterboard/see-saw to try and get the blood flowing of the dead...it technically worked, albeit not perfectly, on dogs (interestingly, the film didn't exactly get a great release). Incidentally, Karloff would star in two subsequent features in the following years dealing with resurrection with The Man They Could Not Hang (1939) and The Man with Nine Lives (1940), which took inspiration from Cornish. Evidently with this film, Karloff was slated with little dialogue to speak before he raised issue with said matter. Five people were given credit for the writing: Ewart Adamson, Peter Milne, Robert Hardy Andrews and Lillie Hayward wrote the screenplay, while Adamson and Joseph Fields wrote the story. The movie was directed by Michael Curtiz, a particularly busy director in the 1930s that had some experience in horror (among others in the 30+ films he did in the decade) with Doctor X (1932) and Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933).

Okay, you're going to love the way the "resurrected" man decides to handle being framed for murder. After he is brought back from being electrocuted, he seems to have developed a certain type of clot in his brain that gives him a strange knowledge of just who had framed him. Oh, but it gets better, he actually gets his revenge, in perhaps the most curious way possible. Of course, the film is pretty fast and loose at getting there with a 66-minute runtime. Karloff proves a quality knowing presence to unnerve the soul when it comes to second sight with select times to speak or just stare. The funny thing about this horror/crime feature is that there isn't really much of a villainous presence or even a ham actor. Gwenn might be the lead scientist presence, but it ends up coming off as just warm curiosity that is fine for someone with as much experience on stage and film as you'd expect from him (one can take a guess what film you would recognize that voice from). Churchill and Hull are serviceable enough when you consider that the rest of the folks don't have much to do besides being casually terrorized after the execution. Okay, so the array of deaths that happen in the film are done not by any one man but are actually a string of accidents that just happen to involve our lead character because of his "sense" of knowing who led to his death. Probably the most amusing is a guy nervous about who just stumbled in to confront him that decides to run only to encounter a train. The movie has plenty of shadows and fog to keep things looking ideal rather than just being a Frankenstein cheapie. In general, the movie is a quietly solid one, not rocking the boat too much in unnerving horror (the resurrection scene might be the most involving for the sheer execution of it, although the last scene is interesting) but generally working well with one's expectations. This is the kind of movie you can sense was made in a few weeks by professionals that came and went to get things done without too much fuss (five writers, but still) that will prove up to code.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

The Black Cat (1934).

Review #2111: The Black Cat (1934).

Cast: 

Boris Karloff (Hjalmar Poelzig), Béla Lugosi (Dr. Vitus Werdegast), David Manners (Peter Alison), Julie Bishop (Joan Alison), Lucille Lund (Karen Poelzig), Egon Brecher (The Majordomo), and Harry Cording (Thamal) Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer (#797 - People on Sunday, #803 - Detour, #943 - The Man from Planet X, #1364 - Bluebeard, #2058 - Strange Illusion)

Review: 

Well, if you can make a movie loosely (loosely) based on the "Murders in the Rue Morgue", why not another? Universal did that in 1932 with Bela Lugosi as the star in a "mad doctor" role, and while the reception was not particularly favorable at the time, here we are anyway. The movie shares the title of an Edgar Allan Poe short story "The Black Cat". Edgar G. Ulmer co-wrote the story with Peter Ruric, which was one of the pen names for pulp writer George Sims (who also used Paul Cain as a name); they were inspired by psychiatry and the eccentricities of occultist Aleister Crowley; Ulmer apparently was quoted later as saying that the Poe story is "not a story you can dramatize". It is probably one of Ruric's better known efforts, since his other film credits include films such as, uh, Mademoiselle Fifi (1944). This was the first and only film Ulmer (who had one noted film with the co-directed People on Sunday to his name) made for a major studio, as he was soon blacklisted from the major studios after it was found that he had an affair with a woman (the script assistant on this film and later his wife) that happened to be married to the nephew of Carl Laemmle, the co-founder and owner Universal Pictures. As such, he would be relegated to a litany of lower-budget studios that saw him direct films that ranged from ethnic dramas to melodramas. It wasn't the first film to use the Poe story in loose inspiration, as evidenced by Unheimliche Geschichten (1919, 1932). By coincidence, Maniac (the exploitation film) was released the same year as this film that used the Poe story for loose inspiration. Seven years after the release of the film, Lugosi would star in a comedy horror remake that turned it into a mystery house feature. The next attempt at covering the Poe story came with Tales of Terror (1962). This was the first film to feature both Boris Karloff and Lugosi (both previously featured in Universal horror films as Frankenstein and Dracula, respectively) together, and they would appear in five further films for Universal (along with two others), such as The Raven (1935), which was an even looser inspiration from the Poe story of the same name.

Somehow, one finds a film (66 minutes) about revenge of genocide, preserved dead people, offscreen skin shedding, odd music cues, and a would-be cult ritual in a very modern looking house. On the middle of the clash is Manners and Bishop (who went by Jacqueline Wells until the 1940s). One only cares about the straight men (the former was in both Dracula and The Mummy) for about the length it takes to write a sentence when it comes to Universal horror films. Evidently, Ulmer felt the best way to deal with Lugosi and his apparent tendency to overact (combined with his accent) was to "cut him down" when it came to focusing to reaction shots with him on screen. Karloff (playing a character named after Hans Poelzig, who worked on The Golem like Ulmer did) on the other hand is let loose to do his impression of evil, which results in a tightwire act that makes for fairly useful struggle, even if the film itself is built on the loosest of motivations. It is an odd film that can't really decide whether to be a revenge film or a weirdo cult film, and the way they shoehorn the film title is especially amusing, as it is revealed that Lugosi's character is deathly afraid of cats and the main mansion (with its distinct architecture and strange choices and history) has a pack of black cats around. It is Lugosi and Karloff who carry the film (because it certainly isn't going to come from the two squares), a calm cat and mouse game waiting to fester that works best depending on which style of acting works best in bluster, since Lugosi seems to act with his eyes just as much as when you let the camera stay on him to contrast with Karloff having that cold stare of devilish intent. There of course can be credit for the weird stuff that is present (on screen or not) for a film released in 1934 while also noting that it is a weirdly constructed film. It has an odd runtime / pace comparison that might as well serve right for an odd film where the villains are more interesting than the heroes (you've got one blatant one and basically a co-conspirator waiting to strike). In general, it's a weird delight that sounds about right for an Ulmer film or for those interested further in the Universal line of wired horror films. 

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Next up: 20 years later, what lies beneath The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)?

Unconquered (1947).

Review #1371: Unconquered.

Cast:
Gary Cooper (Captain Christopher Holden), Paulette Goddard (Abby Hale), Howard Da Silva (Martin Garth), Boris Karloff (Guyasuta, Chief of the Senecas), Cecil Kellaway (Jeremy Love), Ward Bond (John Fraser), Virginia Campbell (Mrs. John Fraser), Katherine DeMille (Hannah), Henry Wilcoxon (Captain Steele), C. Aubrey Smith (Lord Chief Justice), and Victor Varconi (Captain Simeon Ecuyer) Directed and Produced by Cecil B. DeMille (#1245 - The Squaw Man)

Review: 
"Creativity is a drug I cannot live without."

When it comes to innovators and crucial pieces of cinema to link past and present, Cecil B. DeMille serves as a key member of sound and silent cinema for America. He made 70 films from 1914 to 1958 that were known for their epic scale and showmanship. He developed a love of the theater from his playwright father (who suddenly died when Cecil was 11), and he graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (after time with military college) in 1900. He started his career as an actor that same year, and he would later turn to directing and producing plays in the 1910s. He was soon introduced to Broadway producer Jesse L. Lasky by his producer mother Beatrice, and the two would join forces with Samuel Goldwyn alongside Oscar Apfel to form the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company in 1913, with their studio being a barn in Hollywood, one of the first in the region that is now a state landmark (named after Lasky and DeMille). Their landmark first feature was from DeMille and Apfel with The Squaw Man (1914), which was DeMille's debut (he of course would later film two remakes of the material). DeMlle spent his time directing numerous films nonstop, with his style soon being characterized by having extensive research that turned into collaboration with writers to mold a story together in his vision, which also applied to his efforts on visuals along with editing and lighting. He did not tend to give direction much to actors, preferring to work with them in the office with read-throughs as opposed to doing so on set, where he was an authoritarian that commanded attention from his cast and crew, no matter how big they could be. Actors who did not want to take physical risks for the sake of the film could incur his wrath, such as with this film, where Goddard objected to risk herself for a scene with hurling fireballs (which not surprisingly was proven correct when the stuntwoman later got burned for the scene). He didn't speak to her for years and later denied her a role in one of his subsequent films. Although he is known for his spectacle epics, he directed a variety of genres over the course of his career, ranging from Westerns to romances to comedies, with numerous highlights being Cleopatra (1934), The Greatest Show on Earth (1952, his lone Best Picture win), and The Ten Commandments (1956, a remake of his 1923 film that served as his last venture), and he has served as influence and inspiration to directors such as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.

The film was written by Charles Bennett, Fredric M. Frank and Jesse Lasky Jr, with un-credited work by Jeanie Macpherson. DeMille had been inspired by The Judas Tree, Neil Swanson's novel about people who had been sent to 18th century America to be sold as slaves after conviction in England. Despite hiring two experts to research about the topic of colonial slavery, he wanted to romanticize the American colonial conquest more than anything else, which means that the final result is a film that seems to go anywhere it wants with its colonial setting, certainly seeming the part with costumes and its cinematography from Ray Rennahan than with other aspects, a ridiculously watchable curiosity. It certainly does seem a bit bloated at 146 minutes, complete with a $4.3 million budget and a shooting schedule that was just as excessive and a battle sequence that had over 800 extras and plenty of dynamite. Cooper (in his fourth and final collaboration with DeMille) pulls off a subtle performance as usual, one that we care to follow along with no trouble because of how natural he plays the hero. Goddard drives the screen with some passion, rolling just fine in chemistry with Cooper in a rustled role that seems fitted for a dime-store novel, complete with color to really emphasize her bright hair for sequences such as the impromptu auction or the bathing one. Da Silva (known for his stage work alongside his work in film) makes for a conniving adversary that the audience can seethe at whenever sharing the screen with either lead, although the climax certainly proves anticlimactic for both sides. Karloff (who was asked to study the Seneca language for the role) seems reserved here for his brief time on screen. Kellaway and Bond give a moment of levity or two, at least. One may very well call this film kitsch and get away with it because of how silly it can get with characters and situations (particularly when relating to history) so overblown that might make The Outlaw and Duel in the Sun bat an eye. It doesn't mean I despise the film however, since there are aspects in terms of cast and design that do tend to work out well - if you are going to make a film resemble a damsel-in-distress novel with big costumes, one can't go too wrong with something like this, which is too long, too big and too perfect for a few moments to gawk and perhaps have amusement with, for better or worse.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

The Terror (1963).

Review #852: The Terror.

Cast: 

Boris Karloff (Baron von Leppe/Eric), Jack Nicholson (Andre Duvalier), Dick Miller (Stefan), Sandra Knight (Helene/Ilsa), Dorothy Neumann (Katrina the Witch), and Jonathan Haze (Gustaf) Directed by Roger Corman (#368 - The Little Shop of Horrors and #684 - It Conquered the World)

Review: 

It figures that I get to a Roger Corman movie for this month, and it just so happens to have Jack Nicholson in one of his earliest roles, alongside Boris Karloff. The idea for the movie came not because of a really great idea for a movie, but because Corman wanted to take advantage of sets left over from another production of his, The Raven. In fact, Karloff's scenes were done in three days, and he later described Corman as having "the sketchiest outline of a story.", which is amusing. One thing I can say is that there are some good looking sets, and some moderately entertaining effects. The movie is a bit of a mess, suffice to say, but what do you expect? In addition to Corman, there were four other people who directed parts of the movie (Francis Ford Coppola, Monte Hellman, Jack Hill, and Jack Nicholson), with an 81 minute run time as well. The movie runs at such a strange jumbled pace, with a small cast making up the characters and plot twists being revealed here and there, which one should remember was written for the price of $1,600. You might as well make a flow chart for the movie, or set up a bingo card of things that happen (witch being struck by lightning got me bingo)...and what is The Terror anyway? (the answer to this is placed under your floorboard). I especially love the climax where Karloff and Knight "fight" each other right before a flood happens. Karloff does what he does best in a role as strange as it would be for anyone not named Boris Karloff, and he has quite the screen presence. Nicholson can't really give his character much charisma, but he tries his best to make for an adequate performance. Honestly this isn't a terrible movie, just a strangely cobbled one that could be entertaining to watch late at night before going to bed, which is easy considering this is in the public domain. 

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

House of Frankenstein.

Review #847: House of Frankenstein.

Cast
Boris Karloff (Dr. Gustav Niemann), Lon Chaney Jr. (Lawrence "Larry" Talbot/The Wolf Man), John Carradine (Count Dracula), J. Carrol Naish (Daniel), Elena Verdugo (Ilonka), Anne Gwynne (Rita Hussman), Peter Coe (Karl Hussman), Lionel Atwill (Inspector Arnz), George Zucco (Bruno Lampini), Sig Ruman (Bürgermeister Hussman), William Edmunds (Fejos), Charles F. Miller (Tobermann), Philip Van Zandt (Müller), Julius Tannen (Hertz), Hans Herbert (Meier), and Glenn Strange (The Monster) Directed by Erle C. Kenton (#845 - The Ghost of Frankenstein)

Review
Released one year after Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein not only brings in Dracula and a hunchback to the monster mix, but it also has Boris Karloff, now starring in a main role who gets more time on screen than the monster he had originally played less than a decade before. This time around, Glenn Strange (the fourth actor to play him) plays the Monster for a very brief amount of time, which I guess makes sense considering how much we've seen of the character in the past few films, only being in the climax. Karloff and Naish do go well together, having some fine banter along with seeming right for the roles. Chaney is good as ever, just like the effects. If you're looking for a Dracula meet up with Frankenstein's monster, you will be sorely dissappointed, as Dracula is killed off less than an hour into the film. It is funny that he was brought back to life only because Karloff's character removed the stake from his heart. Carradine is fairly decent, but he doesn't really seem to evoke any creepy charisma that Lugosi had in the role. Verdugo is not as interesting to watch, although her calling Naish's character "mean and ugly" (the whole exchange is pretty strange itself) is somewhat enjoyable cheesy. The characters aren't really anything too special, but it is fun at least to see the ways that everything tries to be set in place, even if it comes off as cheesy, though that can work for most. At least it isn't the Wolf Man fighting Frankenstein's monster again, though there really isn't a full on monster mash. At 71 minutes, it works okay enough to pass for at least somebody. I find it to not be as good as the previous film, but it is marginally entertaining.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Son of Frankenstein.

Review #844: Son of Frankenstein.

Cast
Basil Rathbone (Baron Wolf von Frankenstein), Boris Karloff (The Monster), Bela Lugosi (Ygor), Lionel Atwill (Inspector Krogh), Josephine Hutchinson (Elsa von Frankenstein), Donnie Dunagan (Peter von Frankenstein), Emma Dunn (Amelia), Edgar Norton (Thomas Benson), and Perry Ivins (Fritz) Directed by Rowland V. Lee.

Review
After three years (or around 1214 days), I finally got around to seeing the third Frankenstein movie released by Universal. The previous one (#394 - Bride of Frankenstein) was an excellent follow up to the first film, with an excellent climax to boot, though the monster movie craze for Universal had declined by 1936. On August 5, 1938, the Regina-Wilshire Theatre showcased a double feature of Dracula and Frankenstein (with some also reporting that Son of Kong was also shown), which was a success. The successes from other theaters inspired Universal to rush this movie into production by late 1938, though without Colin Clive (who had died in 1937) and James Whale, with the focus now on the son of Dr. Frankenstein. I do wonder about how long this is set after though, since Atwill's character relates about having his arm ripped out of him when he was a young boy, or where Lugosi's Ygor was during any of those events since he didn't seem to be there before...but the movie is entertaining enough even with some quirks like that. Rathbone is excellent as ever, clearly getting into this role with enough believably. Karloff (in the last time playing the Monster for Universal) is fine, even if this time he doesn't have much to say, save for occasional growls. It is strange to see him in a fur vest, too. Lugosi is excellent as Ygor, having a haunting creepiness about him (particularly when revealing his neck wound from being hanged) that works in the movie's advantage. The effects and camera shots are also pretty wonderful to look at as well. On the whole, it's not as good as the other two films, but it is a serviceable monster movie that works well enough at 99 minutes.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Black Sabbath.

Review #792: Black Sabbath.

Cast
Boris Karloff (Gorca, segment "The Wurdalak"), Mark Damon (Vladimire d'Urfe, segment "The Wurdalak"), Michèle Mercier (Rosy, segment "The Telephone"), Susy Andersen (Sdenka, segment "The Wurdalak"), Lidia Alfonsi (Mary, segment "The Telephone"), Jacqueline Pierreux (Helen Chester, segment "The Drop of Water"), Glauco Onorato (Giorgio, segment "The Wurdalak"), Massimo Righi (Pietro, segment "The Wurdalak"), Milly Monti (The Maid, segment "The Drop of Water"), Gustavo De Nardo (Police Inspector, segment "The Drop of Water"), Rika Dialyna (Maria, segment "The Wurdalak"), and Harriet Medin (Neighbor, segment "The Drop of Water") Directed by Mario Bava.

Review
With Year One (of college, anyway) done with, it only makes sense that I try to deliver some content to you loving folks (and hope that you didn't forget about me in the delays). And what better day to bring luck than Friday of all days? Black Sabbath is the American International Pictures cut of "I tre volti della paura", which was an Italian-French production. The original version was in Italian and had the order of stories changed, with "The Drop of Water" being the last one shown instead of "The Wurdalak", along scenes of violence and other various things (especially in "The Telephone") being edited in the AIP cut. Karloff not only stars in one of the segments, but he also acts as the host of the film, introducing the three segments anyone might try to do in a horror film, but Karloff (even in his aging state) manages to make it work with his voice. As for the segments, "The Wurdalak" is probably my favorite, mainly because it feels more complete and has some sense of terror, despite some strange thinking by the characters; Karloff is the highlight, but it does have some good reaction shots. "The Drop of Water" is relatively decent; Pierreux is decent, and her moments of terror are convincing enough. "The Telephone" is not necessary a bad segment, it pales (for me anyway) compared to the other two segments, but it is at least somewhat entertaining. It feels ridiculous at times, and the ending is admittedly a bit cheesy, but it fits the strangeness of this peculiar film. If you're looking for an anthology movie that's a little different, I'd suggest trying it out.

(I tried making a reference to the band Black Sabbath in this review, but I couldn't find a way to reference that they got their name from this film.)
Anyways...10, 9, 8...

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Mummy (1932).

Review #622: The Mummy.

Cast
Boris Karloff (Ardath Bey/Imhotep), Zita Johann (Helen Grosvenor/Princess Ankh-es-en-Amon), David Manners (Frank Whemple), Arthur Byron (Sir Joseph Whemple), Edward Van Sloan (Dr. Muller), and Bramwell Fletcher (Ralph Norton) Directed by Karl Freund.

Review
When it comes to Universal horror movies, most refer to Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, and the there's The Mummy. The Mummy had its own share of sequels (none of which that relate to this movie though), and a remake that spawned its own series, but thankfully I'm not covering that...yet. The Mummy is short, but horror films from this era weren't usually long anyway, so it makes it really accessible to watch. The Mummy has some impressive effects, especially at the beginning when Imhotep is first shown, in his mummified state, wrapped in bandages, designed by famed makeup artist Jack Pierce, who does a really good job in this film. Karloff is given his chance to shine, he's the most interesting actor in the movie, and his back story for his character is actually pretty entertaining. The rest of the characters aren't too bad, they are after all just the heroes who face off against the more interesting, which is common in some of these movies, but at least it doesn't detract too much from this neat and entertaining film.

Overall I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Old Dark House.

Review #465: The Old Dark House.

Cast
Boris Karloff (Morgan), Melvyn Douglas (Roger Penderel), Gloria Stuart (Margaret Waverton), Charles Laughton (William Porterhouse), Lilian Bond (Gladys Perkins), Ernest Thesiger (Horace Femm), Raymond Massey (Philip Waverton), Eva Moore (Rebecca Femm), Elspeth Dudgeon (Roderick Femm), and Brember Wills (Saul Femm) Directed by James Whale (#069 - The Invisible Man, #071 - Frankenstein and #394 - Bride of Frankenstein)

Review
Naturally, this was based off a novel, Benighted by J. B. Priestly, this film being made just after Whale's success with Frankenstein, with Karloff also in this film, as a mute butler, and while this isn't his strongest performance, it is an effective one. The film sets itself quickly, probably due to the short length, or to not delay the inevitable, and while most of the visitors of the house aren't really memorable by any means, save for Charles Laughton, who seems to try and liven the film up. The film has its scares and excellent lighting, which all boils down to the climax involving Douglas and Wills, with Karloff joining in briefly. Elspeth Dudgeon, despite her short screen time, helps contribute to the film and the suspense. The film is tense and while it struggles to overcome its feeble minded characters, it certainly is a breeze to get through and Whale does a fine job, house and all.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Bride of Frankenstein.

Review #394: Bride of Frankenstein.

Cast
Boris Karloff (The Monster), Colin Clive (Henry Frankenstein), Ernest Thesiger (Doctor Pretorius), Valerie Hobson (Elizabeth Lavenza), Elsa Lanchester (The Monster's Bride and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley), Una O'Connor (Minnie), E.E. Clive (Burgomaster), O.P. Heggie (The Hermit), Douglas Walton (Percy Bysshe Shelley), and Lucien Prival (The Butler), Directed by James Whale (#069 - The Invisible Man, #072 - Frankenstein)

Review
This is a film I've wanted to review ever since I reviewed the first film 567 days ago. I wanted to review this because this sounded really intriguing, with Whale directing once again, and Karloff back in the role that made him famous. After watching this, there's doubt about it, this is a good film. Better than the first? Possibly. Karloff is given more to do with the character, The Monster gets to have a new level of depth to him, which adds to the film. Clive does well, even if his role is considerably downsized, which is understandable. Ernest Thesiger does a memorable job as Doctor Pretorius, having a level of morbid charm, especially when he dines in a cemetery, and he's a good villain. There are too many memorable scenes to count, but one that I find to be brilliant is the scene involving Karloff and O.P. Heggie, which both develops Karloff's character and is a well made and entertaining scene, with a bit of irony included, as the only person who doesn't scream at the sight of the Monster is the only who can't physically see him. The Bride pops up about...10 minutes before the film ends, played by Elsa Lanchester, who also plays Mary Shelley in the opening scene, which is a somewhat ludicrous scene. The Bride looks memorable, thanks to the effects by Jack Pierce, but honestly I think more time was spent on making the character than the time the character has on screen, which is a bit odd given the film is called Bride of Frankenstein. The supporting cast is alright, even if Una O'Connor is a bit annoying. Not as much as in The Invisible Man, but just a bit. But nevertheless, the film has good moments combined with brilliant directing, which work really well to make a film that arguably could be up to the level of the first film. Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Frankenstein (1931)

Review #072: Frankenstein.

Cast
Colin Clive (Henry Frankenstein), Mae Clarke (Elizabeth Lavenza), John Boles (Victor Moritz), Boris Karloff (Frankenstein's monster), Edward Van Sloan (Dr. Waldman), Frederick Kerr (Baron Frankenstein), Dwight Frye (Fritz), and Lionel Belmore (Herr Vogel, the Burgomaster) Directed by James Whale (#069 - The Invisible Man)

Review
This film is the first (feature length) adaption of the Mary Shelley book, Frankenstein. It was released in November 1931, the same year as Dracula, so these films are essentially a double feature (separated by months, but still connected nonetheless) Anyway, this film is great. It has good atmosphere, especially the lab and the opening sequence. This film would have many adaptations from many places, from Hammer (Which would make many sequels to it) to Kenneth Branagh's version. The acting is great, especially from Colin Clive. I of course will mention the Monster's design by Jack Pearce. It looks terrifying and menacing, especially with Karloff in the role. A good film that spawned a franchise...

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.