tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89253205699094671002024-03-12T16:55:30.569-07:00The Boris Karloff CollectionBrief Reviews of Karloff films on Steve Miller's DVD ShelvesSteve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-21098740435144819602010-11-23T00:06:00.000-08:002010-11-23T00:09:39.870-08:00Happy Birthday to Boris KarloffOn this day in 1887, the great Boris Karloff was born. To mark his birthday, here's a review of one of his many films that deserve more attention than it gets.<br />
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<b>The Man Who Changed His Mind (aka "Body Switch", "Doctor Maniac", and "The Man Who Lived Again") (1936)</b><br />
Starring: Boris Karloff, Anna Lee, John Loder, Donald Calthorp, and Frank Cellier<br />
Director: Robert Stevenson<br />
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars<br />
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Dr. Laurence (Karloff) devises a method to switch the intangible elements that makes up a being's mind from one body to another, but snaps when he is mocked by the scientific establishment and a rich newspaper publisher (Cellier) pulls his patronage for the doctor's research. He decides to use his method for his own gain, up to and including switching bodies with the son of his former patron (Loder) so he can marry the beautiful and intelligent Dr. Clare Wyatt (Lee).<br />
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"The Man Who Changed His Mind" is perhaps one of the most intense horror films from the 1930s that I've come across. From the first time Boris Karloff's chain-smoking mad scientist crosses paths with Anna Lee's brilliant and independent-minded surgeon, you know things are going to end badly for more than one of the film's characters. But even with that knowledge, you're not going to guess how badly and for whom until the story is all but done unfolding. Even after nearly 75 years, this is a horror film that countless modern-day filmmakers need to study and emulate' their films would be far better for it.<br />
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The film is driven by a tight, expertly paced script that presents just the right mixture of horror and humor to make both aspects as effective as possible, especially given that most of the humor is of a pitch-black variety. The cast is also excellent and everyone is perfect for their parts and talented enough to bring depth to even the thinnest of characters. Dr. Laurence's assistant Clayton could easily have been just an obnoxious and unpleasant jerk, but Donald Calthorp brings enough humanity to the role that the viewer had a little empathy for him. The same is true even of John Loder's character who belongs to that most loathsome of 1930s comic relief characters--the wise-cracking, corner-cutting reporter; the superior script and dialogue makes even that character type bearable, and the viewer will actually fear for him when he becomes a target of Laurence instead of cheering the villain onward to success just to shut him up.<br />
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But the film's coolest--and most chillingly unexpected-- scenes is the one where Dr. Wyatt takes on the mantle of "mad scientist". The lighting, editing, and superior acting talent of Anna Lee all add up to the character going to a dark place that few heroic characters go even in the nihilistic modern horror movies.<br />
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There is a hard coldness on her face and in her eyes that would have made even the mad Dr. Laurence shiver in fear, as she works switches and buttons on the mind-switching contraption. It's a performance that puts to shame even the one that I until now considered Lee's best--her turn as another strong-willed woman in Bedlam (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1933053832" target="blank">review here, at the </a><i><a href="http://boriskarloffcollection.blogspot.com/2009/11/karloff-is-at-his-best-and-most-evil-in.html">Boris Karloff Collection</a></i>). It truly is one of the greatest moments in horror films, and I don't understand why more critics who fancy themselves experts in Great Cinema don't include it on their lists of "Top Fifty Horror Moments." Heck, it might even belong in the Top Ten!<br />
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"The Man Who Changed His Mind" is one of the many under-appreciated films from the early days of the horror genre. It is superior to a number of the more famous movies--<a href="http://universalhorrorarchive.blogspot.com/search/label/Legacy%20Collection" target="blank">including some of the ones from Universal that everyone has seen</a>--and I encourage anyone who hasn't seen it to give it a try.<br />
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</center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-47877410530070755652009-12-14T19:50:00.000-08:002010-04-04T19:59:26.528-07:00Christmas with Karloff (and that theiving Grinch!)With Christmas almost here, there is no better time than now for this review.<br /><br /><strong>How the Grinch Stole Christmas</strong><br />Based on a book by Dr. Seuss<br />Rating: Ten of Ten Stars<br /><br />In "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", a darkhearted, creepy old coot who lives on a mountain high above the happy village of Whoville gets so annoyed with the cheerful Christmas preparations of the villagers that he sneaks into town disguised as Santa Claus and steals all the Christmas trees and presents. However, as the Whovians remain just as full of the Christmas spirit, even the Mean Mr. Grinch starts sucumbing to Christmas joy and fellowship.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SycIiXhIyRI/AAAAAAAAA8I/VxSwsiylnqA/s1600-h/HowGrinchStoleChristmasSoundtrack.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 316px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SycIiXhIyRI/AAAAAAAAA8I/VxSwsiylnqA/s320/HowGrinchStoleChristmasSoundtrack.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415306463457888530" /></a><br />"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is one of Dr. Suess' most famous children's books, and the "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is one of the very best Christmas cartoons ever made... perhaps THE very best. From creative (if somewhat minimalistic) animation and cute characters, to the fabulous narration by Boris Karloff, to the great songs (who reading these words has never caught themselves humming "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch"?), to a well-delivered message about what should be the real source of the Christmas spirit, this half-hour cartoon is every bit the Ten I am rating it.<br /><br />I think "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" should be viewed at least once a year by every family out there, ideally in the week before Christmas when the commercialism is at its worst and we can all do with a reminder about what Christmas SHOULD be about.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionmDmvOuCBqv6YiB24DDRIiwlsTWs20X_C-s81V7itu8TTPjtliUm_YGnziG_t5Voq0Ui9fESu1RSl8CiQbArYcCeKPmZI-gJ8A0xD2AFEtpclwM3qGPEb-RJf2PvwZAfaKwvbfKNTHk/s1600-h/merrychristmas.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 49px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionmDmvOuCBqv6YiB24DDRIiwlsTWs20X_C-s81V7itu8TTPjtliUm_YGnziG_t5Voq0Ui9fESu1RSl8CiQbArYcCeKPmZI-gJ8A0xD2AFEtpclwM3qGPEb-RJf2PvwZAfaKwvbfKNTHk/s320/merrychristmas.gif" border="0" alt="Merry Christmas!"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415309403992896466" /></a><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=E92E2E&fc1=F3EBEB&lc1=E9E9F3&t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B002JUFPUE" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-70604366199012305622009-11-27T11:54:00.000-08:002010-11-23T00:00:23.417-08:00Karloff is at his best (and most evil) in 'Bedlam'<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/St00PTFx9-I/AAAAAAAAAVI/QWIMvSVqHOw/s1600-h/karloffblogathonE200.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 77px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/St00PTFx9-I/AAAAAAAAAVI/QWIMvSVqHOw/s320/karloffblogathonE200.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394525366086924258" /></a>Welcome to the Boris Karloff Blogathon, a week-long celebration that spans over 100 blogs. To experience its full scope, <a href="http://frankensteinia.blogspot.com/" target="blank">click here</a>.<br />
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During the 1940s, producer Val Lewton created a series of hit low-budget horror and suspense films that not only saved the studio from financial ruin (a situation created by a series of big-budget box office disasters, mostly under the guidance of Orson Welles) but introduced a range of horror movie stylistic techniques that remain in the filmmaker bag-o-tricks to this very day.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SxA1qkB2AtI/AAAAAAAAApY/2ywiKCtU_jg/s1600/bedlam-poster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SxA1qkB2AtI/AAAAAAAAApY/2ywiKCtU_jg/s320/bedlam-poster.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408882157814153938" /></a><br />
The final of these films was the 1947 film "Bedlam," which was also his third and final appearance Boris Karloff would make in a Val Lewton picture. The film is some of the very best work either man would ever be involved with.<br />
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<strong>Bedlam (1947)</strong><br />
Starring: Boris Karloff, Anna Lee, Billy House, Richard Fraser, Ian Wolfe and Leyland Hodgson<br />
Director: Mark Robson<br />
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars<br />
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When Nell Bowen (Lee), an actress turned live-in companion and jester for one of London's leading citizens (House) makes it a personal crusade to improve conditions at the Bedlam institution for the insane, she makes a personal enemy of its Apothecary General, Master Sims. She soon discovers that those who Sims feels threatened by end up as inmates at Bedlam, whether they are insane or not.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SxBFuurEaOI/AAAAAAAAAps/2aTa7FR-wBs/s1600/movkarloffbedlam2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SxBFuurEaOI/AAAAAAAAAps/2aTa7FR-wBs/s320/movkarloffbedlam2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408899821576939746" /></a><br />
In "Bedlam," we see Boris Karloff playing the most despicable and evil character he ever portrayed during his career. Master George Sims is a self-centered little man who has achieved some small degree of social standing through toadying and by abusing his position by turning the government-operated asylum and its inmates into a sideshow attraction, complete with admission fees. Although he talks about compassion, it is clear that he has has none, both from his attitude and deeds. Everything within the walls of his asylum are there to boost his fragile ego, and anyone who threatens it from the outside, he brings under his control by having them committed by a board of governors that he has under his sway.<br />
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If played by a lesser actor, Master Sims would probably have been a boring character consisting of pure evil covered by a thin veneer of hypocrisy and oily charm. However, Karloff manages to infuse humanity into this monstrous figure, giving Sims a dimension that makes him just sympathetic enough that viewers can appreciate where he's coming from even while recognizing that he is an absolute villain.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SxBXUcla81I/AAAAAAAAAp4/77uZEc6lQwA/s1600/karloffbedlam5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 245px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SxBXUcla81I/AAAAAAAAAp4/77uZEc6lQwA/s320/karloffbedlam5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408919161254114130" /></a><br />
One of the key moments for Sims' is when he falls into the hands of the inmates and they put him on trial to determine if insanity drove him to commit all the cruel acts he is responsible for. Without ruining the film, I can say that Sims gives a speech that convinces the inmates that he is indeed sane, because his actions were driven by a hunger for recognition from his betters and a sad hope to be accepted as their equal. But, although Sims seems to be soul-searching and understanding that his behavior is misguided and wrong, it quickly becomes apparent that he will fall back into his old ways, because the only way for him to overcome what is ultimately an unsurmountable degree of self-loathing is for Sims to feel himself bathed in what he considers the reflected light from his "betters."<br />
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And it is this reflected light that starts the conflict between Master Sims and Nell Bowen. She not only shows Sims up in front of one of the nobles whose approval he so desperately wants, but she shows herself to be more favored than he when she isn't punished for displaying repeated and open contempt for him. Worse, Bowen doesn't need the approval that Sims devotes his entire life to gaining, so he has no real weapons to weild against her except his ability to force her into his charge and break her spirit and mind.<br />
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It is plain to viewers early on that Nell will ultimately end up at Sims mercy, because she refuses to back down, and as the film unfolds, much of the suspense comes from the fact that there seems to be no way out for Nell and that her strong spirit will get her killed. The confrontations between Sims and Nell, which never rise above verbal sparring, are really the heart of the film... and they are scenes that would not work half as well if it wasn't because the lines are being delivered by two great actors whose performances are bringing dimensions to the characters far beyond what would usually be expected from a low-budget drama.<br />
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These great performances also lift the film to the point where you're not quite sure what's going to happen... and not just because Val Lewton has delivered films with genuinely suprising endings before (is there anyone who can honestly say they saw the ending of "Cat People" or "I Walked With a Zombie" coming before it hit?), but because the characters have a degree of life to them that doesn't let us assume that the script will follow the pat ending where the heroine is rescued and the dastardly villain gets his just rewards. (And, to some degree, Lewton once again delivers a powerful and unexpected ending, perhaps the creepiest of any of his RKO films.)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SxBXxPaI2II/AAAAAAAAAqA/x_d64xt5hWI/s1600/karloffleebedlam.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SxBXxPaI2II/AAAAAAAAAqA/x_d64xt5hWI/s320/karloffleebedlam.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408919655933335682" /></a><br />
Of course, I also need to give some credit to Mark Robson, the film's director. He was an editor at RKO whom Lewton wanted to give a chance to direct, and for whom Lewton passed up the opportunity to work on films with bigger budgets. <br />
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After his early hits, RKO execs wanted to give Lewton more money to work with, but it meant that Robson would not have a chance to direct. Lewton chose to stay with the smaller budgets and the B-pictures, showing personal character and a degree of loyalty to his fellow creators that one wishes more people possessed. <br />
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And Lewton's faith in Robson was obviously well-placed. While most of Lewton's RKO pictures are lean efforts without a second of filler to be found, "Bedlam" is even tighter than the rest. There is not a single scene that doesn't start or end at just the right moment, and there is not a single shot that isn't perfectly timed or lit.<br />
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With the excellent performances from its stars, able assistance from a talented supporting cast, and great direction, camera-work and editing, "Bedlam" is a fine thriller that fans of classic movies should seek out. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SxBYvpqZeqI/AAAAAAAAAqI/lOeQYSE0UFw/s1600/karloffbedlam3.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SxBYvpqZeqI/AAAAAAAAAqI/lOeQYSE0UFw/s320/karloffbedlam3.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408920728132745890" /></a><br />
"Cat People," "I Walked With a Zombie" and "The 7th Victim" may get most of the commentaries when it comes to Lewton films, while "The Mummy," "Frankenstein" and "Targets" get the accolades in the Karloff canon, but "Bedlam" is a film that deserves more attention from fans and reviewers alike.<br />
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And it's on DVD now, part of a five DVD set that contains all nine of the films Lewton produced for RKO, each of them worth seeing and each of them worth the asking price for the set by itself.<br />
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</center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-88943856724143283792009-11-25T01:41:00.000-08:002009-11-25T12:49:02.917-08:00Karloff is driven by mysterious forces when he becomes 'The Walking Dead'<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/St00PTFx9-I/AAAAAAAAAVI/QWIMvSVqHOw/s1600-h/karloffblogathonE200.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 77px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/St00PTFx9-I/AAAAAAAAAVI/QWIMvSVqHOw/s320/karloffblogathonE200.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394525366086924258" /></a>Welcome to the Boris Karloff Blogathon, a week-long celebration that spans over 100 blogs. To experience the full scope of this blogathon, <a href="http://frankensteinia.blogspot.com/" target="blank">click here</a>.<br /><br /><center>***</center><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Swz-qkdvqbI/AAAAAAAAAnw/9KTfsVl6Fmc/s1600/movkarloffwalkingdeadposter2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Swz-qkdvqbI/AAAAAAAAAnw/9KTfsVl6Fmc/s320/movkarloffwalkingdeadposter2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407977259861518770" /></a><br /><br />"The Walking Dead" is an early genre-bending effort from Warner Bros., a film that mixed the gangster/crime drama genre the studio so excelled at with the fright/supernatural thriller genre that Universal and a growing number of small studios have been making tons of cash with. It's an unusual film that sees Boris Karloff playing a "monster" that is even more sympathetic than the ones he played in "The Mummy" and "Frankenstein."<br /><br /><strong>The Walking Dead (1936)</strong><br />Starring: Boris Karloff, Edmund Gwenn, Marguerite Churchill and Ricardo Cortez<br />Director: Michael Curtiz<br />Rating: Eight of Ten Stars<br /><br />Ex-con and all-around sad sack John Ellman (Karloff) is framed for murder by racketeers, he is unjustily executed in the electric chair, dying even as the governor is trying to reach the prison to stay the execution when a witness (Churchill) comes forward with evidence that clears him. The innocent man is given a second chance at life when Dr. Beaumont (Gwenn) brings him back to life with an experimental technique, but death has changed Ellman. Initially, he seems to be mentally disabled, but an encounter with the racketeer-allied attorney who helped frame him (Cortez) reveals that Ellman has changed in ways no mortal will ever be able to comprehend.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Swz99Qk6FUI/AAAAAAAAAno/wixDJWZo_5I/s1600/movkarloffwalkingdead2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Swz99Qk6FUI/AAAAAAAAAno/wixDJWZo_5I/s320/movkarloffwalkingdead2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407976481428739394" /></a><br />"The Walking Dead" mixes mad science, horror, and crime drama with a deftness that I wouldn't have thought possible. It's a far better than the similar cross of genres than Universal would offer in 1940, with Boris Karloff in the role of the scientist meddling with forces beyond mortal ken (<a href="http://boriskarloffcollection.blogspot.com/2009/06/karloff-and-lugosi-are-miscast-in-black.html#links" target="blank">review here</a>), with an intelligent and multi-layered script full of unpredictable twists and turns; excellent pacing and beautiful, moody photography; sympathetic heroes you will be rooting for, and villains that you have no problem hating and won't mind seeing come to bad ends.<br /><br />One of the most important factors making this film such compelling viewing is the excellent performances by its cast.<br /><br />Edmund Gwynn plays a doctor who is more interested in first proving that he can bring the dead back to life and later interested in learning what happens to the soul after death than he is in John Ellman's health or sanity, He portrays the character with such likability that its impossible not to like him despite it all.<br /><br />On the flipside, there is Ricardo Cortez, who plays an absolutely destible mob attorney who through the picture pretends to be looking out for Ellway's interests but who is really trying to see him put to death so he and his fellow criminals remain untouchable by the law. It's a character so slimy that we can't wait to see him get his just rewards, mostly because Cortez plays him with such a cool and detached grace.<br /><br />And then there's Boris Karloff as John Ellway. Just like Karloff brought humanity to Frankenstein's Monster with a few gestures and body language, so does he convey the deep pain and confusion suffered by Ellway once he is restored to life. It's a confusion that's doubly fascinating, because as the film unfolds, it becomes apparent to the viewer that Ellway has returned from the Other Side with a limited sort of omnicience that allows him to know who the conspirators were that framed him for murder, but not why.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QTPfB13DMpo0Y0I2ZHQ8nlPjSKYZBj1n2kITXFkw7EjBgz9r9V82kWvsexLCkwKjvVAK3iYX2SR84KePxvJdX95ffjj7yMmMupGGi7bCWvZ5IgmeOOPEROn2Xsr6UPh74SMTY3GJlDc/s1600/movkarloffwalkingdead.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 197px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QTPfB13DMpo0Y0I2ZHQ8nlPjSKYZBj1n2kITXFkw7EjBgz9r9V82kWvsexLCkwKjvVAK3iYX2SR84KePxvJdX95ffjj7yMmMupGGi7bCWvZ5IgmeOOPEROn2Xsr6UPh74SMTY3GJlDc/s320/movkarloffwalkingdead.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407993652516543010" /></a><br />Without spoiling too much of the movie while discussing the aspect that I found the most interesting about it, I will reveal that Ellway spends the second half of the movie looking for the answer to his fate, but never receiving it, as there are other forces that are swirling around him, forces that are making the "untouchables" pay for their crime. And with each denied attempt at discovering why he was marked for death, his pain grows, and it's a pain that Karloff conveys with absolute perfection.<br /><br />But Ellway's search for answers raises an interesting question about whatever forces govern life, death, and whatever comes after. Whatever they are in this film's world, they seem to have the ability to observe everything that happens with absolute clarity, but have no understanding of <em>why</em> something happens. Ellway recognizes the men who conspired to kill him when he sees them, but their motivation eludes him. Further, whatever the forces are, they also seem not to care about the whys of events... or at least they don't care whether Ellway gets his answers or not.<br /><br />In the end, the film leaves all the characters wondering about life and death and fate (well, the ones who are still alive at the end of the film), and it will also give the audience members a little food for thought. The final scene is a bit maudelin, but it maintains the mysterious air that surrounded Ellway from the moment he was brought back to life and it really couldn't be more perfect.<br /><br />"The Walking Dead" is an overlooked classic that every fan of Boris Karloff should see. He gives a performance that is on par with whatever of his more celebrated roles you care to mention. The film has recently once again become easily accessible to the public as part of the "Karloff & Lugosi Horror Classics" four-movie DVD pack. "The Walking Dead" is the only real classic in the bunch, but the price for the set is worth it for this film alone, so you can view the other included pictures as "bonus features." (None of them are outright bad, but they're not exactly great either.)<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=E5D1D1&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B002DY9KQG" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-87614876775530689372009-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:002009-11-23T08:08:47.303-08:00Karloff is present, barely, in 'The Old Dark House'<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/St00PTFx9-I/AAAAAAAAAVI/QWIMvSVqHOw/s1600-h/karloffblogathonE200.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 77px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/St00PTFx9-I/AAAAAAAAAVI/QWIMvSVqHOw/s320/karloffblogathonE200.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394525366086924258" /></a>Welcome to the Boris Karloff Blogathon, a week-long celebration that spans over 100 blogs. To experience the full scope of this blogathon, <a href="http://frankensteinia.blogspot.com/" target="blank">click here</a>.<br /><br /><center>***</center><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Swos-e7iByI/AAAAAAAAAlg/ZVTRfy2frBo/s1600/olddarkhouse.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 255px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Swos-e7iByI/AAAAAAAAAlg/ZVTRfy2frBo/s320/olddarkhouse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407183754577970978" /></a><br />Many great masterpieces started out as commercial product, made by all involved as part of the everyday grind of making a living, just like a carpenter makes a table. They were also rarely seen as little different than the carpenter making the table. It therefore is not surprising that no matter how good the end product, if it doesn't catch on in the marketplace, it will be tossed aside for items that will bring in more money and pay those ever-voracious creditors.<br /><br />One such product is "The Old Dark House," one of a number of nearly forgotten early horror films from Universal. Like other obscure films, it didn't do well at the box office... in fact, this one bombed so badly both on its initial release and re-release that it left craters. (While it broke box-office records in the UK, the film was a financial disaster in the US. It was also slammed by most American film critics when it was first released, with only the New York City critics seeming to like it.)<br /><br />It's only natural that Universal Pictures and all those involved with the film tossed it aside and instead focused on things that put helped them keep up with the bills. The film was considered so worthless that it was believed to have been destroyed until it was rediscovered and restored in the late 1960s. At that time, Boris Karloff is reported to have seemed bemused when the man who saved the film from oblivion told him of the restoration effort; I imagine Karloff couldn't conceive of why anyone would spend money and time to preserve a failed movie.<br /><br />Truth is, "The Dark Old House" was only a failure in a commercial sense. Anyone with a taste for classic movies who watches it now will recognize it as a film that should be held in equal regard to the other landmark Karloff features like "Frankenstein" and "The Mummy." Like those, it's a true classic that is exciting to watch even today.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SwodgjLDOcI/AAAAAAAAAlM/uvcPNUbIzlw/s1600/movdarkoldhouse.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SwodgjLDOcI/AAAAAAAAAlM/uvcPNUbIzlw/s320/movdarkoldhouse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407166747646310850" /></a><br />It was, ironically, the invoking of Karloff that probably helped doom this movie during both its initial 1932 release and its 1939 re-released in the United States. Universal's marketing material so emphasized the fact that Karloff of "Frankenstein" fame was in it that one is left with the impression that he is not only the star but that this is another monster-driven fright fest.<br /><br />Both of those impressions are false, so it's no surprise that negative word-of-mouth killed the box office even in New York where the papers were praising the film.<br /><br />Truth is, "The Dark Old House" is more of a mystery/comedy film than a horror movie. It's also a far more "British" film than "American" as far as the humor and characters go, so it's no surprise it was better received in the UK.<br /><br />I assume most of you reading this have already seen "The Dark Old House," so you know what a treasure it is--as for me, the DVD was in my "To Watch" pile for about a year, until this Blogaton gave me the perfect opportunity to watch and write about it. Now I wish I'd seen it the very moment it arrived in the post!<br /><br />If you haven't seen "The Old Dark House," you absolutely must check it out. It's available on an excellent DVD from Kino Video. Read on for my review of the film, and then use the Amazon.com link to get yourself a copy; it'll cost you about the same as a movie ticket these days, but it's a film far superior to most of the garbage polluting the cinema now.<br /><br /><br /><strong>The Old Dark House (1932)</strong><br />Starring: Gloria Stuart, Melvyn Douglas, Raymond Massey, Lilian Bond, Charles Laughton, Ernest Thesiger, Eva Moore, Bremer Wills and Boris Karloff<br />Director: James Whale<br />Rating: Nine of Ten Stars<br /><br />A violent storm forces five travelers to take shelter in an isolated house in the Welsh mountains. Before the night is over, love will come to some of the inhabitants of the house while death will come for others.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv-xqPpxHNI/AAAAAAAAAcw/G0DK6HnqFC8/s1600-h/movkarloffolddarkhouse1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv-xqPpxHNI/AAAAAAAAAcw/G0DK6HnqFC8/s320/movkarloffolddarkhouse1.jpg" border="0" alt="Gloria Stuart and Boris Karloff in The Old Dark House" /></a><br />"The Old Dark House" is a quirky horror film from the days when the genre was still taking shape. It features an even mix of romance, dark comedy and melodramatic horror action in a household so riddled with insanity that even the House of Usher looks like the Cleavers by comparison. It's a tone and mixture of elements that has only rarely been achieved, with films like "Drag Me to Hell" and "Dead Alive" coming closest in the past decade.<br /><br />When it was first released, it failed to appeal to the public nor to most critics, due in a large part to a marketing campaign that centered on Boris Karloff, who had just been featured in the mega-hit "Frankenstein." Karloff's role in this film is actually very minor, and he is more red herring than monster. He was also, strangely, more easy to recognize in the monster make-up than he is under the beard and facial scars of Morgan, the alcoholic and mute butler he portrays in this film.<br /><br />The true star of the film is actually Gloria Stuart. Although it is a definite ensemble piece, Stuart appears in all the key scenes and hers is the character that is threatened in turn by each of the menacing figures in the old dark house. She gives an excellent performance throughout the film, It's a shame that this would be the only truly good part she would play in her film career, and the only decent role the casting directors at Universal chose to give her. (Interestingly, Universal executives wanted Stuart for the part of a "female Tarzan," and it was possibly her adamant refusal to even consider it that doomed her chances of ever playing a decent role at the studio again.)<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SwqzMqlxlrI/AAAAAAAAAmU/cw-pxdjlhMw/s1600/movolddarkhouse3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SwqzMqlxlrI/AAAAAAAAAmU/cw-pxdjlhMw/s320/movolddarkhouse3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407331332784232114" /></a><br />Aside from Stuart, the two other standout performers are Melvyn Douglas, whose roguish war veteran character is the heroic and romantic center of the film; and Bremer Wills, whose character arrives late in the picture, but whose chilling performance is nonetheless one of the most memorable things about the film.<br /><br />Also of particular note are Lillian Bond, who is perhaps better here than in any other film she would make; Charles Laughton, who actually sympathetic for once; and Ernest Thesiger, who manages to be funny and scary at the same time.<br /><br />The staging of each shot is also remarkable, as is the attention paid both to the visual composition of each scene, as well as the careful deployment of sound throughout. There is no music score for the film, but the sounds generated by the storm raging outside the house provide far more drama than any orchestra could do.<br /><br />Because the film was a commercial disaster both in 1932 and during its re-release in 1939, Universal Pictures considered it a worthless property. They eventually let all rights revert to estate of the novelist whose work the film had been based on and the negatives were left to rot in storage in New York City. If not for a concerted effort on the part of filmmaker Curtis Harrington--a fan of the film and friend of director James Whale--it might have been lost forever by the late 1960s. Even the best available print shows some damage, despite the restoration efforts.<br /><br />"The Old Dark House" is a film worth seeing again and again for the excellent performances and careful staging; you are guaranteed to notice something new each time you watch it. It's particularly worth watching for Gloria Stuart's performance. Karloff is, as usual, excellent, doing what he can with a part that doesn't give him very much to do.<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=E5D1D1&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B00000ILEU" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center><br /><br />Please come back here Wednesday for a review of "The Walking Dead," one of Karloff's most unusual genre-bending pictures.Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-20691091773116463702009-11-14T23:58:00.000-08:002009-11-15T00:58:37.418-08:00Preview of the Boris Karloff Blogathon...<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv-3O7H9lRI/AAAAAAAAAc4/gjXozufbMdI/s1600-h/G200.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 100px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv-3O7H9lRI/AAAAAAAAAc4/gjXozufbMdI/s320/G200.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404239544885024018" /></a><br /><br />During the week of Thanksgiving, some 100 blogs will participate in the Karloff Blogathon in celebration of the great actor's birthday, November 23. The effort has been organized by Pierre Fournier of the very excellent Frankensteinia blog.<br /><br />My contribution to the effort will be reviews of three Karloff films that sees him playing three very different parts. I've no doubt that there will be much historical knowledge and critical insights to be gained from the hundreds of other posts that will be appearing elsewhere, but here I will do what I do--review movies! Karloff was a foundation stone of the horror movie genre, and he continues to have an impact more than 30 years after his passing, and it will be fascinating to read what all those writers have to say.<br /><br />Here are stills from the three films I will be covering. Check back on 11/23, 11/26 and 11/29 for the reviews. <br /><br /><center>Gloria Stuart is menaced by Karloff in "The Old Dark House"...</center><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv-xdwqctKI/AAAAAAAAAco/COzYlhzmkr0/s1600-h/movkarloffoldhouse2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv-xdwqctKI/AAAAAAAAAco/COzYlhzmkr0/s320/movkarloffoldhouse2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404233202705151138" /></a><br /><br /><center>Marguerite Churchill and Edmund Gwenn try to get Karloff to reveal what he saw on the other side of death's gate in "The Walking Dead"...</center><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv-9UqZwVYI/AAAAAAAAAdE/xtUCOrAXMUo/s1600-h/movkarloffwalkingdead2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 235px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv-9UqZwVYI/AAAAAAAAAdE/xtUCOrAXMUo/s320/movkarloffwalkingdead2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404246240545232258" /></a><br /><br /><center>Anna Lee becomes trapped behind the walls of an insane asylum <br>run by Karloff in "Bedlam"...</center><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv_ADbNjPGI/AAAAAAAAAdU/i-TCl-yeHFs/s1600-h/movkarloffbedlam.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv_ADbNjPGI/AAAAAAAAAdU/i-TCl-yeHFs/s320/movkarloffbedlam.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="Scene from The Walking Dead" /></a><br />For more information, visit Frankensteinia <a href="http://frankensteinia.blogspot.com/">by clicking here</a>.Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-44906501362851117032009-11-06T14:15:00.000-08:002009-11-15T00:41:00.299-08:00Karloff is top-billed bit-player in this disposable comedy<strong>You'll Find Out (aka "Wild Wild Spookhouse") (1940)</strong><br />Starring: Kay Kyser and His Orchestra, Dennis O'Keefe, Peter Lorre, Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, M.A. Bogue, Helen Parrish and Ginny Simms<br />Director: David Butler<br />Rating: Six of Ten Stars<br /><br />Kay Kyser (Kyser) and the wacky musicians and singers that make up his orchestra are booked to play at the 21st birthday party of their manager's heiress girlfriend (Parrish). Swing music, high-jinx, and attempted murder follow as Keyser must team with a renowned debunker of psychics also invited to the party (Lorre) who has also been invited to the event in order to reveal the true nature of a phoney spiritualist (Lugosi), who has been bleeding money from the young lady's gullable guardian.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv--Dj9cyvI/AAAAAAAAAdM/b_BF8OU1DsM/s1600-h/movYoull_Find_Out.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv--Dj9cyvI/AAAAAAAAAdM/b_BF8OU1DsM/s320/movYoull_Find_Out.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404247046269750002" /></a><br />"You'll Find Out" is interesting viewing for two reasons. <br /><br />First of all, it's the only film where Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre appear together. The three actors don't have alot of screen time, but their parts are meaty and they get to show their best sides; even Lugosi has a decent part, something that was becoming increasingly rare for him at this point. (In a meta-critical sense, their appearance is an almost Three Fates and/or The Stages of Man sort of affair--Lorre is on the verge of acheiving super-stardom, Karloff is at the pinnacle of his career, and Lugosi is slipping from twilight and into darkness.) <br /><br />Second, it's an example of the fleeting nature of fame. While Karloff, Lugosi and Lorre have some presence in the minds of virtually every movie fan--even if their names might be a bit vague--how many know who Kay Kyser is? And this despite the fact that Kay Kyser was every bit as big a star as Karloff and Lugosi in his time, the leader of a very popular novelty band that had numerous Billboard-charting hit records, was the centerpiece of their own weekly network radio show, and starred in seven movies, including this one. Some 65 years after retiring from show business during World War II, Kyser and his band are completely forgotten by all. You can watch this movie to see what place Slim Shadey will hold in the public conciousness in sixty years... not to mention what "8 Miles" will look and sound like.<br /><br />As for the film itself, it's more corny than suspenseful, which is fitting given that it was not a vehicle for the three horror actors but for Kyser's orchestra. Some viewers might be dissapointed at this, but I've always enjoyed Bela Lugosi's comedic turns. Lorre also has some very funny scenes with Kyser, sometimes being the straight man, sometimes being the deliverer of the jokes... and doing an equally good job in either role. (You may notice by now that I've not said much about Karloff. That's because there isn't much to say. He plays a dignified, slightly sinister lawyer and he delivers his lines on cue. It's a decent part and it's key to the story, but there's not much else to say other than, "Look... Boris Karloff!" <br /><br />Is "You'll Find Out" a classic? No, "Ghostbreakers" this is not. However, it holds up a little better than many other pieces of disposable cinema made for no purpose other than to cash in on a cross-marketing opportunity of a musician. <br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B002DY9KQG" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-74591168383739454442009-10-19T20:51:00.000-07:002009-11-15T00:42:24.364-08:00Coming Soon:The Karloff Blogathon<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/St00PTFx9-I/AAAAAAAAAVI/QWIMvSVqHOw/s1600-h/karloffblogathonE200.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 77px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/St00PTFx9-I/AAAAAAAAAVI/QWIMvSVqHOw/s320/karloffblogathonE200.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394525366086924258" /></a><br />November 23 is Boris Karloff's birthday, and the blogosphere will celebrate with a weeklong Blogathon organized by Pierre Fournier of <a href="http://frankensteinia.blogspot.com">Frankensteinia</a>. This blog and 40-50 others will be celebrating the life and movies of Boris Karloff with reviews and informative articles of all kinds.<br /><br />If you have a blog that might be able to take part, why don't you sign up to join the parade of posts? <a href="http://frankensteinia.blogspot.com/2009/10/announcing-boris-karloff-blogathon.html">Click here</a> for details abot the Blogathon and how you can be part of it.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/St04QhokJgI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/GEzV3z5JGcA/s1600-h/karloffblogathonA170.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 170px; height: 241px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/St04QhokJgI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/GEzV3z5JGcA/s320/karloffblogathonA170.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394529785217295874" /></a>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-53134242234715608372009-10-19T15:51:00.000-07:002009-10-20T01:10:51.528-07:00Frankenstein returns to monster-making in the far-away future of... 1970!<strong>Frankenstein 1970</strong><br />Starring: Boris Karloff, Don Berry, Rudolph Anders, Jana Lund, Charlotte Austin, Tom Duggan and Norbert Schiller<br />Director: Howard W. Koch<br />Rating: Six of Ten Stars<br /><br />As his family fortune runs out, an aging and disfigured Baron Frankenstein (Karloff)gives a brash TV producer (Berry) permission to shoot a monster movie in and around his castle. However, when he improves upon his forebears old monster-making ways with atomic technology, the television crew and actors become an easy source of body parts.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Stz_ZeGmghI/AAAAAAAAAU8/YzHUMG4BU9w/s1600-h/movkarlofffrankenstein_70f72.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 134px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Stz_ZeGmghI/AAAAAAAAAU8/YzHUMG4BU9w/s320/movkarlofffrankenstein_70f72.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394467266725577234" /></a><br />"Frankenstein 1970" was made to cash in on the revived interest in the classic monsters generated by the beautiful color horror films from Hammer, most notably "Curse of Frankenstein." While it opens with great promise--with a shambling monster chasing a buxom peasant lass into a pond and then drowning her in what is one of the most intense openings to any monster movie of this vintage--it quickly starts showing its extreme low-budget roots, as well as settling into a pace that is just a little too slow for its own good.<br /><br />That's not to say the film doesn't have some great moments, like the scene where lead camera man and the starlet are setting up a shot in the crypts under the castle while the monster lurks in the shadows, the scene when the Baron talks about what happened to an inquisitive commander in the Nazi concentration camp where he was tortured during the war, and the scene where the monster claims its first victim. But the material between these moments is a little drab and run-of-the-mill. Nothing is terribly bad, but, on the same note, nothing is exceptionally good.<br /><br />Among the cast, Karloff is definitely the best, but there isn't anyone here who doesn't do a decent job. Karloff once again manages to take a sneering, leering character and imbue a little touch of humanity into him, with the Baron initially coming across as somewhat sympathetic. (Our sympathy for him quickly evaporates as he reveals himself to be utterly evil and homicidally insane.)<br /><br />Although... as much as we recognize Baron Frankenstein's evil, we can't help but appreciate that he has created a monster that is disposing of some thoroughly annoying film industry stereotypes. We can also appreciate the Baron's frustration when the monster accidentally kills the one non-annoying member of the production crew.<br /><br />A flawed, but still entertaining movie, it's a relatively obscure Karloff outing that makes the "Karloff and Lugosi Horror Classics" four-movie DVD collection worth the asking price almost by itself. It is also a great chance for Karloff and Frankenstein fans to see him play a Frankenstein instead of a Monster of Frankenstein. <br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=DFC3C3&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B002DY9KQG" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-79235340806898421632009-10-12T16:47:00.000-07:002009-11-23T02:46:52.384-08:00Karloff is the blunt instrument of evil ambition in 'Tower of London'Tower of London (1939)<br />Starring: Basil Rathbone, Vincent Price, Ian Hunter, Boris Karloff, Nan Grey, John Sutton and Barbara O'Neil<br />Director: Rowland V. Lee<br />Rating: Eight of Ten Stars<br /><br />The vicious and powerhungry Richard, Duke of Glocester (Rathbone) manipulates, bullies and murders his way to becoming King of England.<br /><br />Most of you reading this are familiar with Shakespear's "Richard the Third." (And if you aren't, at least go rent one of the many movie and/or TV versions available. You're severely lacking in your cultural education). As such, the broad strokes of the story are familiar, but the particulars and the way they are executed in this version are not. Nor is the great fun you'll have watching Basil Rathbone portray a truly dispicable character, and Boris Karloff playing off him as an equally evil but pathetically devoted henchman.<br /><br />Special notice should also be paid to Vincent Price, who plays the simpering drunkard Duke of Clarence. He easily holds his own against Rathbone in the scenes they share, and he displays an approach to the character different than any of his later performances and a style totally absent as he became more closely associated with horror films and thrillers.<br /><br />Although included in Universal's Karloff Collection and touted as a horror film, it is not. It is a well-mounted period drama that features exceptional acting on the part of everyone on screen. The film does adhere to the hyperbolic claim on the set that Karloff is seen in one of his most frightening roles. Mord the Executioner is an exceptionally creepy character and Karloff draws out every ounce of Sinister to be found within him. <br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=D3B5B5&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B000FWHW8Q" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-4688491767595488012009-09-20T19:07:00.000-07:002009-11-27T12:31:55.295-08:00Karloff and Val Lewton are at their best with 'The Body Snatcher'<strong>The Body Snatcher (1945)</strong><br />Starring: Boris Karloff, Henry Daniell, Russell Wade, Bela Lugosi and Edith Atwater<br />Director: Robert Wise<br />Rating: Nine of Ten Stars<br /><br />In this loose adaptation of a Robert Louis Stevenson short story, a young medical student (Russell Wade) becomes drawn into the twisted relationship between a brilliant but coldhearted surgeon (Henry Daniell) and a strange coachman who moonlights as a body snatcher to provide the doctor with research specimens (Boris Karloff). <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Srbl1aOVACI/AAAAAAAAASc/FNWxl3beNSk/s1600-h/movbodysnatcher1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Srbl1aOVACI/AAAAAAAAASc/FNWxl3beNSk/s320/movbodysnatcher1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="Boris Karloff as Coachman Grey in The Body Snatcher" /></a><br />"The Body Snatcher" is a one-stop spot to discover why producer Val Lewton, actor Boris Karloff and director Robert Wise are held in such high regard by horror movie fans and filmmakers. <br /><br />Lewton's touch is all over this film, and there is barely a scene that doesn't feature terror technqiues that filmmakers copy and rely on to this very day. Karloff gives one of the very best performances of his career, oozing gresy charm and quiet menace with every word and gesture. And then there's the very chilling scene where he's just choked a man to death, is sitting over the corpse, and then reaches out to stroke his pet cat. And, finally, Wise mounts a brilliantly structured film where the mystery and tension keeps mounting until the end, and every scene is perfectly paced, framed and lit. Much gets said about film noir, but the use of light and shadow in black and white horror films like this one is far more important that in crime dramas, and Wise here Wise uses the medium to perfection.<br /><br />And, of course, the stars are backed up by an excellent supporting cast (which includes Bela Lugosi in his final horror film for a major studio) and excellently deployed soundtrack music and foley work.<br /><br />This film alone is almost worth the price of the Val Lewton Collection (which features three Karloff movies and all of the groundbreaking horror films Lewton produced for RKO.)<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B000A0GOEQ" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-38751481235842692282009-08-27T18:45:00.000-07:002009-09-01T10:41:10.634-07:00Karloff has small but crucial role in 'The Black Castle'<strong>The Black Castle (1952)</strong><br />Starring: Richard Green, Stephen McNally, Rita Corday, Boris Karloff, Tudor Owen, John Hoyt, Michael Pate, Lon Chaney Jr, and Henry Corden<br />Director: Nathan Juran<br />Rating: Seven of Ten Stars<br /><br />In the early 18th century, an English spy (Green) travels to Austria's Black Forest to determine the fates of two of his best friends and fellow operatives. They were last heard from as guests of an eccentric count (McNally) whom they had opposed in Africa. While trying to ferret out the count's secrets, our hero decides to rescue his innocent young wife from his clutches (Corday). <br /> <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Spc3LSveuTI/AAAAAAAAARc/kKNJImWXJmo/s1600-h/movkarloffblackcastle.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Spc3LSveuTI/AAAAAAAAARc/kKNJImWXJmo/s320/movkarloffblackcastle.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374825347439049010" /></a><br />"The Black Castle" is an excellent and suspense-filled period drama that, although it's being told in flashback and you know that the hero and his love interest won't come to the dire end that they seem destined for, remains unpredictable until the very end. It's a film that builds steadily toward its final twist, a twist that few will see coming but that is nonetheless set up by everything that went before. It doesn't say anything good about modern screenwriters when, in a time where twist endings on suspense and horror films are all the rage, that a B-movie writer can do something far, far better than they come up with on their best days, in a time when they weren't common.<br /><br />Aside from a well-done script, the film is further augmented by excellent sets and excellent cinematography and some fine performances by the entire cast. Of particular note is Stephen McNally, who, although he plays the ultimate Snidley Whiplash-type character who is dwells in the ultimate melodramatic gothic villian's lair--an isolated castle with secret corridors, torture chambers, burial vaults <em>and</em> a pit full of crocodiles, still manages to bring a little depth to the character. He injects just enough charm into this thoroughly evil character that I couldn't help but root for him ever-so-slightly in his effort to outwit the one-dimensional, more-righteous-than-righteous British agent.<br /><br />Also of note are the performances by the two horror cinema great Boris Karloff. His role is small, but, like McNally he manages to bring infuse some depth into a character who might otherwise come across as just a sniveling slimeball. (Lon Chaney Jr is also seen, once again playing one of those menacing simpletons that he seemed to have been relegated to at this stage in his career... he does what he can with a fairly empty part.)<br /><br />"The Black Castle" is a film that should appeal to lovers of classic movies, especially if they like their gothic romances with a side of twisted vengence. Although made in the mid-1950s, the film feels more like something from the 1930s or 1940s.<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=C19F9F&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B000FWHW8Q" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-55773389149290722702009-08-13T08:41:00.000-07:002009-08-13T09:22:27.033-07:00Isle of the Dead is among Karloff's weaker films<strong>Isle of the Dead (1945)</strong><br />Starring: Boris Karloff, Ellen Drew, Marc Cramer, Helene Thimig and Katherine Emery<br />Director: Mark Robson<br />Rating: Four of Ten Stars<br /><br />A diverse group of people quarantine themselves on a small Greek island to prevent a suspected plague from spreading to the army camped nearby on the mainland. As they wait for the disease to run its course, a hardbitten general (Karloff) comes to believe the superstitious ramblings of an old woman (Thimig) that the young maid (Drew) is an undead monster who is preying on their life force.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZ5DbmhDL4nzksiCqy2_hPGNyEXLcRL7gmmGc7TIRnyvsqRKLQj_0eL1MtyeWrz0OLIHwbkJAZrcHBlisM1VOzH-8DRudPhL0LYXHTQ7rbyH7iOcmInv1isWuUpG7Am5k0f_ADv1Alx8/s1600-h/movkarloffisledead.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZ5DbmhDL4nzksiCqy2_hPGNyEXLcRL7gmmGc7TIRnyvsqRKLQj_0eL1MtyeWrz0OLIHwbkJAZrcHBlisM1VOzH-8DRudPhL0LYXHTQ7rbyH7iOcmInv1isWuUpG7Am5k0f_ADv1Alx8/s320/movkarloffisledead.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369476201847441986" /></a><br /><br />"Isle of the Dead" is one of the last in a string of legendary horror films that producer Val Lewton made for RKO. It is also one of the weakest, with an uneven script and a cast with acting styles that conflict; Emery and Thimig are chewing up the scenery in old-fashioned monster-movie style, while Drew gives a subtle performance that belongs in a romance film, while Cramer is just bland. <br /><br />Karloff gives a mostly disappointing performance, seeming as if he is sleepwalking through the picture. The only time he comes alive is when his character makes a failed attempt at self-reflection. He manages to bring a little bit of menace to his role, but that's mostly attributable to the fact that the other actors in the picture have so little presence<br /><br />Worst of all, the film has a terrible script. For most of its running time, the movie simply unspools in a dull fashion. The characters are on a supposedly plague-infested island, yet their behavior feels more like they are on just another vacation. This lack of tension is augmented by one of the worst insta-romances ever put on screen when the Greek maid inexplicably falls in love with the square-jawed and utterly bland American war correspondent (Cramer)over the space of a day they hardly see each other.<br /><br />However, if you stay with the film, things start to get a lot more interesting in the last 20 minutes. From the kindhearted maid being tormented by the old crone through a closed door, to a mad killer stalking (and skewering) the surviving inhabitants of the island, we finally get to experience some of the dread and darkness that should have been present in at least a small degree from the very beginning of the film.<br /><br />"Isle of the Dead" is contained in the Val Lewton Horror Collection along with the eight other films that Lewton produced for RKO and a documentary on his career. Karloff appeared in two other Lewton films, and I'll be writing about them in this space shortly.<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=E1C8C8&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=B000A0GOEQ" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-57838605812284225152009-08-06T08:02:00.000-07:002009-11-15T02:22:59.951-08:00Karloff in two Mr. Wong adventuresWhen small, impoverished studio Monogram landed Boris Karloff to star in a series of B-movies about brilliant Chinese detective Mr. Wong, they not only got a big headliner but they ended up with a string of the best movies they would release. Mostly.<br /><br />I already commmented on the three Karloff films in the "Mr. Wong" series that as I think are the best in the series. <a href="http://boriskarloffcollection.blogspot.com/2009/04/best-of-karloff-as-james-lee-wong.html">Click here</a> to read those reviews. That leaves "Mr. Wong in Chinatown" and "Doomed to Die."<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Mr. Wong in Chinatown (1939)</strong><br />Starring: Boris Karloff, Marjorie Reynolds and Grant Withers<br />Director: William Nigh<br />Rating: Six of Ten Stars<br /><br />The famous private detective James Lee Wong (Karloff) takes it personally when a Chinese princess (Lotus Long in her second appearance as a murder victim in the series) is killed with a poison dart in his own home. He sets out to find her killer, with help from reporter Bobbie Logan (Reynolds), the latest bad-choice-of-dates for Wong's friend, Captain Street of Homicide (Withers). The trail leades to international arms-smugglers, shady bankers, con-artists, mute midgets, and tea-sipping Tong leaders, any of whom may have done in the princess.<br /><br />"Mr. Wong in Chinatown", the third "Mr. Wong" mystery, is a step down from the previous two entries in the series. The plot is not as engaging as the other films, Street's new love interest/Wong's co-detective is more annoying than charming or funny, and Street himself seems to have devolved from a by-the-book detective who simply lacks Wong's ability to see clues in a different light into a typical, incompetent comedy relief detective. That's too bad, because it makes the friendship between Wong and Street seem phony--why would someone as smart as Wong want to spend time with someone as dumb as Street appears to be in this film?<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv_WQO7FpbI/AAAAAAAAAdo/MDk9RVWKcqw/s1600-h/movkarloffwongchinatown.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 207px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sv_WQO7FpbI/AAAAAAAAAdo/MDk9RVWKcqw/s320/movkarloffwongchinatown.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404273652240065970" /></a><br />There's also problems with the performances of every lead in the film. The unflappable Wong is almost too calm and detached throughout, and Karloff almost seems to be sleepwalking at times. Reynolds is gorgeous as always, but her character of Bobbie Logan is too shrill in most scenes. Withers does an okay job as Street, but the character is poorly written in this installment, and he really has very little to do.<br /><br />An unengaging plot, badly handled characters, and subpar performances from the film's leads add up to making this a weak entry in the "Mr. Wong" series. Things start to pick up in the final 15 minutes or so of the movie, and these manage to keep it on the high side of average... but only barely. It still remains a dissapointment when compared to the first two movies and the "Phantom of Chinatown" prequel.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Doomed to Die (aka "The Mystery of Wentworth Castle") (1940)</strong><br />Starring: Boris Karloff, Marjorie Reynolds, Grant Withers, William Stelling, and Catherine Craig<br />Director: William Nigh<br />Rating: Four of Five Stars<br /><br />When shipping magnate Cyrus Wentworth is murdered, Captain Street (Withers) immediately arrests the only possible suspect: The disgruntled fiance of his daughter (Stelling), the only person in the room with him when he died. Street's girlfriend, reporter Bobbie Logan (Reynolds), is convinced the case is not as simple as Street believes, and she hires San Francisco's leading private detective James Lee Wong (Karloff) to clear the young man and Cyrus's daughter (Craig) of any suspicion, and to find the true killer. Complications soon emerge, as evidence of connections between Wentworth, Tong criminal activity, and the mass-murder of 400 passengers onboard one of Wentworth's ships are revealed... and Mr. Wong himself comes under fire from gangsters and killers.<br /><br />"Doomed to Die" is the weakest of the Mr. Wong features. It's sloppily written, featuring a badly structured story that's moves slowly through muddled twists and turns to a fairly predictable conclusion. Street is written like an utter moron, and Wong solves the case more through luck than intelligent investigation. (He also seems to have developed a mysterious ability to show up anywhere and everywhere the plot requires him to be, even if there's no particular reason for him to be there other than plot dictates.) <br /><br />An effect of the bad script is that Withers is mostly wasted here. His character is relegated to the role of buffoon. Karloff turns in another decent portrayal of Mr. Wong, but the bad script gives rise to many unintentional comedic moments, all relating to his uncanny ability to appear at windows and on fire escapes.<br /><br />One upside is that the Bobbie Logan character is a little less annoying in this installment than she was in her first appearance (in "Mr. Wong in Chinatown"), and Reynolds' performance is thus a real bright spot in the film... although her good looks certainly help to enliven all the Wong features she appears in! The supporting cast is also decent enough.<br /><br />Out of all the "Mr. Wong" features, this is one that interested viewers might safely take a pass on. <br /><br /><center><br /><OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" id="Player_6d7da914-bf11-422f-9f98-5fd6f507e2c3" WIDTH="400px" HEIGHT="150px"> <PARAM NAME="movie" VALUE="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fstevemillesdo-20%2F8010%2F6d7da914-bf11-422f-9f98-5fd6f507e2c3&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><PARAM NAME="quality" VALUE="high"><PARAM NAME="bgcolor" VALUE="#FFFFFF"><PARAM NAME="allowscriptaccess" VALUE="always"><embed src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fstevemillesdo-20%2F8010%2F6d7da914-bf11-422f-9f98-5fd6f507e2c3&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_6d7da914-bf11-422f-9f98-5fd6f507e2c3" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_6d7da914-bf11-422f-9f98-5fd6f507e2c3" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="150px" width="400px"></embed></OBJECT> <NOSCRIPT><A HREF="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fstevemillesdo-20%2F8010%2F6d7da914-bf11-422f-9f98-5fd6f507e2c3&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-55012582502059815122009-06-29T18:29:00.000-07:002009-11-23T02:43:28.589-08:00'The Ghoul' is an obscure Karloff classic<strong>The Ghoul (1933)</strong><br />Starring: Boris Karloff, Dorothy Hyson, Anthony Bushell, Ernest Thesiger, Cedric Hardwicke, Kathleen Harrison, Harold Hugh and Ralph Richardson<br />Director: T. Hayes Hunter<br />Rating: Seven of Ten Stars<br /><br />An eccentric Egyptologist, Professor Morlent (Karloff), insists that he is buried with the ancient artifact he spent his fortune on acquiring, in an Egyptian-style tomb on his estate so that Anubis may come and bring him to eternity in the afterlife. He vows to return from the grave and kill anyone who doesn't follow his wishes or who steals from him tomb. Naturally, his manservant (Thesiger) keeps the priceless artifact. Naturally, Morlent emerges from his tomb to punish the thief, and anyone else he happens across, on the very night his young cousins (Bushell and Hyson) are meeting in the main house with a solicitor (Hardwicke) about their inheritance.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sklr6ploFqI/AAAAAAAAAOA/EUSPvopTEts/s1600-h/movghoul3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sklr6ploFqI/AAAAAAAAAOA/EUSPvopTEts/s320/movghoul3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352928287446800034" /></a><br />"The Ghoul" is a rarely seen early horror talkie that features a fast-moving, finely tuned script, an appealing and talented cast, a number of truly unnerving scenes, but also manages to deliver comic relief that will still be funny to modern audiences.<br /><br />While Boris Karloff receives top billing--and gives an excellent performance as a fanatic neo-worshipper of the Egyptian pantheon returned from the grave and now rushing about strangling people in best mummy fashion--the real stars of the film are actually Dorothy Hyson and Anthony Bushell. They protray a pair of distant relatives who start the film disliking each other due to an old family feude but who eventually bury the hatchet. Hyson is very attractive and a good actress and Bushell manages to transform a character who is an unsympathetic jerk at the beginning of the film into a likable hero figure by the end.<br /><br />Another remarkable performance is given by the film's comic relief, which are made up of a Lucy Arnez/Carol Burnett-type character played by Kathleen Harrison, and a mysterious Egyptian played by Harold Hugh. The Egyptian is actually the films main heavy (aside from the monstrous Dr. Morlent), but he becomes drawn into the comic relief when he becomes th object of fantasy of a woman whose read too many romance novels and seen too many silent movies about the dashing beduine princes of Arabia and their white stallions, abducted maidens, and vast harems. <br /><br />Often in these old movies, the comic aspects have not stood the passage of time, but that is not the case here. The genre being lampooned may have fallen out of favor, but the basic situation remains funny and the bubble-headed woman who lives vicariously through trashy romance novels remains a constant through the ages. The action is funny, the characters are funny, and the jokes are hilarious.<br /><br />The only midly annoying thing about the film is the Scooby-Doo like ending where everything with an apparent supernatural cause is explained away either by some weird circumstance or by someone wearing a cleaver disguise and using elaborate tricks. However, the ending is very dramatic--with the climax reaching its thrilling heights with our young heroic couple on the verge of being burned alive and the comic relief character about to shot by the villains--and so action-packed that you will hardly notice the "oh, there was never any spooky Egyptian gods and curses going on here" line when it's delivered.<br /><br />"The Ghoul" is a great film from the formative days of the horror genre. It's both an example of the "dark old house" mystery movies that gave way to it, as well as a clear evolutionary step toward what we think of as horror movies today. It's definately worth seeing by anyone who enjoys films from that time. Even better, the DVD release was made from such a prestine print that you'll be watching the film looking almost like it did when audiences sat shivering in their seats in 1933. <br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00009PY38&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=DFC3C3&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-89843844681003761272009-06-25T09:21:00.000-07:002009-06-25T10:07:12.908-07:00Karloff and Lorre carry this mild comedy<strong>The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942)</strong><br />Starring: Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Jeff Donnell, Larry Parks and Max Rosenbloom<br />Director: Lew Landers<br />Rating: Five of Ten Stars<br /><br />With true never-say-die spirit, Dr. Billings (Karloff) continues to work on creating super-soldiers that will help win the war against the Axis. However, the never-say-die spirit doesn't extend to his test subjects who are stacking up like cordwood in the basement. But will the new influx of visitors to his home--that is being converted to a bed-and-breakfast by an adventurous divorcee (Donnell)--bring more test subjects or the revelation of his failures?<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SkOrmhRdsdI/AAAAAAAAANU/mRXc1c2KCRU/s1600-h/movboogiemangetyou.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SkOrmhRdsdI/AAAAAAAAANU/mRXc1c2KCRU/s320/movboogiemangetyou.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351309460501279186" /></a><br />"The Boogie Man Will Get You" is a dark comedy with screwball overtones. The script is so-so, and it unfolds along predictable lines until a series of amusing twists at the end. However, the comic antics of Boris Karloff--as a senile mad doctor--and Peter Lorre--as a corrupt small town mayor/doctor/animal control officer/sheriff/whathaveyou--are entertaining enough to carry viewers through.<br /><br />If you've only seen Karloff do drama or horror, this film is well worth checking out. In it, he shows himself more than capable of doing comedy... and he and Lorre make a great comedic duo. The film isn't the best, but Karloff excels, with he and Lorre making a fabulous comedic duo.<br /><br />The film is one of four included in the Boris Karloff entry for Columbia's "Icons of Horror" DVD multipack series. As such, it serves as harmless filler, supplementing the three far better films in the set.<br /><br /><Center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000HEVZ7G&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=E1C8C8&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-41503971699637257452009-06-13T09:50:00.001-07:002009-06-13T09:59:14.784-07:00Karloff's final appearance in the Frankenstein series is as the mad scientist<strong>House of Frankenstein (1944)</strong><br />Starring: Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr, J. Carroll Naish, and John Carradine<br />Director: Erle C. Kenton<br />Rating: Six of Ten Stars<br /><br />After escaping from prison, mad scientist Gustav Niemann (Karloff) sets out to gain revenge on those who helped imprison him, and to find the notes of the legendary Dr. Frankenstein so he can perfect his research. Along the way, he accidentially awakens Dracula (Carradine) and recruits him to his cause, as well as uncovers the frozen bodies of Frankenstein's Monster and Larry Talbot, the unfortunate wolfman (Chaney) and and revives them. Cue the torch-wielding peasant mob. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SjPZVBYF4DI/AAAAAAAAAMc/Kl6ul3Yhjhs/s1600-h/movhousefrankenstein.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SjPZVBYF4DI/AAAAAAAAAMc/Kl6ul3Yhjhs/s320/movhousefrankenstein.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346856137788874802" /></a><br />"House of Frankenstein" is one of three movies released in the 1940s that featured the latest addition to Universal's monster pantheon, the Wolf Man, teaming up with/battling the studio's two monster greats, Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster. As such, it is a sequel not only to "Ghost of Frankenstein," but also to "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man." <br /><br />So, if you're confused about how the Monster from the fiery pit at the end of "Ghost of Frankenstein" to the ice floe here, you didn't skip a movie--events transpired that aren't found in this set. (I'll have more to say about the editorial choices made by Universal in compling the packages that make up the Legacy Collection when I post about "The Wolf Man: The Legacy Collection," but the bottom line is that I think "House of Frankenstein" should not have been included in this set as it's more of a Wolf Man movie than part of the Frankenstein's Monster series.)<br /><br />"House of Frankenstein" unfolds in a very episodic way, with the part of the film involving Dracula feeling very disconnected from what comes before and what comes after. The main storyline sees Karloff's mad doctor questing for revenge while preparing to prove himself a better master of brain-transplanting techniques than Frankenstein, and the growing threat to his cause by his repeated snubbing of his murderous assistant (Naish). The whole bit with Dracula could easily be left out, and the film may have been stronger for it.<br /><br />This is a very silly movie that is basically a parade of gothic horror cliches--I thought maybe I was having some sort of hallucinatory flashback to my days writing for the "Ravenloft" line--but it moves at a quick pace, and it features a great collection of actors, has a nifty musical score, and features great sets once the story moves to the ruins of Castle Frankenstein.<br /><br />"House of Dracula" is one of the lesser Universal Monster movies--it's not rock-bottom like the mummy films with Lon Chaney, but it's almost there. The film is, to a large degree, elevated by the top-notch performers and it's almost too good for what they give it. (But it is interesting in a breaking-the-third-wall sort of way to see the actor who started the series as Frankentein's Monster come back to it in the role of a mad scientist.)<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00005LC4K&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=DBC3C3&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-25483379602588132832009-06-12T07:56:00.000-07:002009-06-12T08:17:02.537-07:00Karloff plays dual role in 'The Black Room'<strong>The Black Room (1935)</strong><br />Starring: Boris Karloff, Thurston Hall, Marian Marsh, and Robert Allen<br />Director: Roy William Neill<br />Rating: Eight of Ten Stars<br /><br />The much-hated, psychopathic Baron Gregor de Bergmann (Karloff) summons his respected, kindhearted twin brother Anton (also Karloff) back to their ancenstral lands following Anton's ten-year absence. Gregor announces that he intends to step down and elevate Anton to the position of Baron, thus restoring faith in the noble family... and hopefully avoiding a prophecy that stated Anton would someday murder Gregor. However, the evil twin has ulterior motives, including designs on the innocent noble-woman Thea (Marsh).<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SjJvF07YCFI/AAAAAAAAALM/Z9V8U39J2dM/s1600-h/movkarloffblackroom1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 248px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/SjJvF07YCFI/AAAAAAAAALM/Z9V8U39J2dM/s320/movkarloffblackroom1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346457853539911762" /></a><br />A period melodrama that has some fairly shocking twists and turns for a film made in 1935, "The Black Room" is a stylish, well-acted and well-filmed movie with impressive sets and costumes. Karloff in particular shines in the dual role of twin brothers--one good and one evil--and his performance is particularly impressive when one takes to impersonating the other, and he switches back and forth between the two characters. <br /><br />If you enjoy the Roger Corman-produced/directed Poe adapations from the 1960s, you'll love "The Black Room." Although rarely mentioned, it's definately one of the best films Boris Karloff appeared in, and it features one of his best performances, so it's a Must See for Karloff fans.<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000HEVZ7G&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=E5CACA&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-70324555217500781452009-06-09T20:06:00.000-07:002009-06-25T10:13:12.428-07:00Karloff gives a strong performance in 'The Raven'<strong>The Raven (1934)</strong><br />Starring: Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, and Irene Ware<br />Director: Lew Landers<br />Rating: Seven of Ten Stars<br /><br />After saving young dancer Jean Thatcher (Ware) from certain death through a miraculous feat of neurosurgery, the mentally unstable Dr. Vollin (Lugosi) becomes obsessed with her. When her powerful father makes it clear that Vollin is to stay away from her, Vollin forces a wanted murderer (Karloff) into assisting him in eliminating Jean, her fiance, and her father in hideous death-traps modeled after gruesome scenes from the writing of Edgar Allan Poe.<br /><br />"The Raven" isn't really an adaptation of the Poe work by that name, but is instead the tale of a thoroughly evil and utterly insane man so rich and so obssessed that he's built a house full of secret doors, secret basements, and entire rooms that serve as elevators... all so he can reinact scenes from Poe's writings.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Si8yrfHZqnI/AAAAAAAAAGo/MgNXGURyn7U/s1600-h/movkarloffraven.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Si8yrfHZqnI/AAAAAAAAAGo/MgNXGURyn7U/s320/movkarloffraven.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345547005380373106" /></a><br />There is plenty of potential in this B-movie, but tepid direction and mostly uninspired lighting and set design leave most of it unrealized. Lugosi is completely over the top in this film, taking center stage as the perfect image of a raving madman. He is ably supported by co-star Karloff who plays the role of the tortured, remorse-filled murderer trapped into serving Vollin with the promise of a new life in the exact opposite direction of Lugosi--remaining subdued as he slinks through each scene he's in. Ware is very attractive in the scenes she's in, but that's about all she is. In fact, the only actors in the film who aren't just so much set decoration are Lugosi and Karloff.<br /><br />The "torture room" is nifty, and the climax where Dr. Vollin has houseguests trapped in a Poe-world of his making is excellent. All in all, an entertaining film, but it would have been much better with a more inspired supporting cast and more creativity on the technical side of the camera.<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0009X770E&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=DFD1D1&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-57181267134037689142009-06-09T19:26:00.000-07:002009-06-25T10:11:33.238-07:00Karloff and Lugosi are miscast in 'Black Friday'<strong>Black Friday (1940)</strong><br />Starring: Boris Karloff, Stanley Ridges, Bela Lugosi and Anne Gwynne<br />Director: Arthur Lubin<br />Rating: Five of Ten Stars<br /><br />When brilliant brain surgeon Dr. Sovac (Karloff) is the attending physician for dying mad-dog gangster Red Cannon and his best friend Professor Kingsley (Ridges), a man who is already dead from brain damage due to Cannon's actions, Sovac decides to conduct an extreme eperiment: He transplants part of Cannon's brain in the hopes of saving Kingsley... as well as proving his theory that a person's personality and memories is preserved in the brain cells. To Sovac's initial delight, his surgery is a success and his theory is proven true, but when he causes Cannon's personality to become the dominant one, the gangster-in-the-professor's body starts taking gruesome revenge on those who killed him, including rival gangster Marney (Lugosi). <br /><br />"Black Friday" is an interesting horror flick that crosses Frankensteinian mad science with the hardboiled gangster genre. It has its interesting points, but it is a bit overburdened by too many plot complications, and it has an ending that comes too suddenly and too easily. Another run at the script to streamline the plot and expand the ending a bit would have improved this film immensely.<br /><br />The acting is excellent all around, with Stanley Ridges doing a great job in the dual role of Cannon and Kingsley. (Never mind where the brill cream comes from when he turns into the gangster... it's a great bit of acting, contrasting the mild-mannered professor with the homicidal gangster.) <br /><br />The oddest thing about the movie is the casting choicies. It seems like Karloff would have been perfect in the dual-role of Kingsley/Cannon, and that Lugosi would have been great as Sovac--heck, some of the exchanges between characters seem to imply that Sovac hailed from some strange and foreign land--but instead we have Karloff as Sovac, Lugosi in a minor role as a gangster, and Ridges as the ambulatory mad science project. As mentioned above, Ridges does a great job, but I can't help but wonder how much better the film wold have been if Karloff had been in that role, and Lugosi as the doctor. <br /><br />(I read an online rumor that Karloff didn't feel he could play an American gangster, so he refused to take the Kingsley/Cannon part... but given that he played a similar part in "The Black Cat" that's an explanation that doesn't make much sense. In fact, if Lugosi had played Sovac and Karloff Kingsley/Cannon, they would have been in similar roles as the ones they played in "The Black Cat", a film where they both gave great performances. Perhaps a concern was that Lugosi couldn't bring enough of a sympathetic air to the part of Sovac? If anyone knows the true story, let me know!)<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0009X770E&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=DFD1D1&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-76099387083673217062009-06-09T17:29:00.000-07:002009-06-09T17:40:36.653-07:00Karloff refuses to hang around in this one.<strong>The Man They Could Not Hang (1939)</strong><br />Starring; Boris Karloff, Lorna Gray, Byron Foulger, Ann Doran, Robert Wilcox, and Joe De Stefani<br />Director: Nick Grinde<br />Rating: Six of Ten Stars<br /><br />Surgeon and brilliant research scientist Henryk Savaard (Karloff) invents a device that will revolutionize blood-transfusions and organ transplants, a device that is so effecient it can allow surgeons to perform impossible operations and literally be used to fully restore a dead person to life. However, when his final experiment is disrupted by the police and his volunteer dies, Savaard is tried, convicted, and hanged for murder. His loyal assistant Lang (Foulger), a brilliant surgeon in his own right, repairs Savaard's broken neck and uses the fantastic medical device to restore Savaard to life. Lang intends for Savaard to prove to the world that his device works and that if he had been allowed to continue his work, the volunteer wouldn't have died, but Savaard is more interested in taking his revenge against the jury, law enforcement officers, and medical people who scoffed at his work and condemned him to die. <br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Si8Aba4PJQI/AAAAAAAAAEs/P7b0fCTbERM/s1600-h/movcouldnothang.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Si8Aba4PJQI/AAAAAAAAAEs/P7b0fCTbERM/s320/movcouldnothang.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345491753783731458" /></a><br />"The Man They Could Not Hang" is a neat little B-movie that starts out as a sci-fi thriller and takes a hard left about halfway through and turns into a "what if Agatha Christie were to write a story about a mad scientist taking revenge on those who wronged him" about halfway through. <br /><br />The film is its best after Savaard has lured all those who wronged him to his house, trapped them, and is killing them off, one by one. The murders are particularly clever and sadistic, and this is one of those rare films where a "diabolical genius" actually comes across as a the genius he's supposed to be. (In fact, Jigsaw from the "Saw" series of horror films is a sort of great-grandchild of Dr. Savaard; they both put who they consider well-deserving victims in death traps and taunt them.)<br /><br />The actors In "The Man They Could Not Hang" all give great performances, and Karloff is particularly noteworthy. The transformation he brings to Savaard shows how great an actor he was, as within the space of a very brief movie and limited dialogue and screen-time, he presents a character who changes from a driven, optimistic visionary with a desire to make the world a better place, into a bitter, twisted man who is deaf and blind to everything but his hatred and desire for revenge against those who humilated and scorned him. The way Karloff slips back and forth between Savaard's two personalities at the end of the movie when he is confronted by his daughter (Gray) is a fantastic performance.<br /><br />The only strike against this film is that the last quarter seems a bit rushed. It would have been well-served by an additional ten minutes of running time, with a bit more time spent with Savaard's trapped victims, or maybe even a little more interaction between his daughter and her reporter boyfriend (Wilcox). The ultimate end to the film is perfect, though... I just wish the journey there had been a little bit longer.<br /><br />I recommend this film for Karloff fans... and for those who like the "Saw" movies not for their gore, but for their villian. I think Dr. Savaard is a character you'll enjoy.<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000HEVZ7G&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=E5CACA&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-82611233208629839872009-05-22T10:10:00.000-07:002009-05-22T10:35:48.188-07:00Karloff violates laws of nature in "Before I Hang"<strong>Before I Hang (1940)</strong><br />Starring: Boris Karloff, Evelyn Keyes, Edward Van Sloan, Bruce Bennett, and Don Beddoe<br />Director: Nick Grinde<br />Rating: Seven of Ten Stars<br /><br /><br />John Garth (Karloff), a research scientist who devoted his career to cure the disease of aging, developes a successful anti-aging serum that has one teeny-tiny side-effect: It turns him into a mad killer whenever he sees blood.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/ShbhAF57a6I/AAAAAAAAADo/s-ifWQN2Ua4/s1600-h/movbeforeihang1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 235px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/ShbhAF57a6I/AAAAAAAAADo/s-ifWQN2Ua4/s320/movbeforeihang1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338701799995698082" /></a><br /><br />This is a decent little horror flick with sci-fi overtones and elements that resonate even louder today than they did when it was released in 1940. With its themes of mercy-killings of suffering old people, the death penelty, stem cell research, and anti-aging drugs (I can see Dr. Garth working in one of those "anti-aging clinics" we have a small chain of here in the Northwest), the fillm has something to say on a number of topics that remain the subject of heated discussion in the halls of both scientific and political power.<br /><br />With good acting--Boris Karloff once again does a great job at transforming one character he is playing into another one, with just his facial expression and body language to help him--and the supporting cast are all excellent in their parts.<br /><br />This is an interesting flick that might well be a real classic, due to its timeless subject matter. It's one of four Karloff films included in "Icons of Horror: Boris Karloff."<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000HEVZ7G&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=DBDBDB&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-87422959030408144142009-05-18T18:45:00.000-07:002009-11-22T22:24:34.583-08:00Karloff has a secret behind "The Strange Door"<strong>The Strange Door (1951)</strong><br />Starring: Charles Laughton, Richard Stapley, Sally Forrest, William Cottrell, Boris Karloff and Michael Pate<br />Director: Joseph Pevney<br />Rating: Six of Ten Stars<br /><br />An evil, demented nobleman (Laughton) sets about forcing the basest rogue he can find (Stapley) to marry his innocent young niece (Forrest) as the culmination of a 20-year revenge plot against his brother. But he has misjudged the true character of the intended brides groom, and the young man soon teams up with one of the servants (Karloff) to secure the girl's safety and freedom.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/ShIPwtOgcmI/AAAAAAAAADg/h2V_NOFhnNw/s1600-h/movstrangedoor.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/ShIPwtOgcmI/AAAAAAAAADg/h2V_NOFhnNw/s320/movstrangedoor.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337345837836038754" /></a><br /><br />This Univesal Studios production has the tone and feel of the gothic horror flicks that Hammer Films would start doing so well throughout the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s. It compares favorably to Hammer's lesser efforts, but it is pales in comparison to Hammer's greatest gothic chillers, or even movies starring Charles Laughton in similar roles (such as the 1930s Hitchcock film "Jamacia Inn").<br /><br />Speaking of Laughton, he is the most outstanding member of a cast that gives performances that bring to mind an excellently mounted stage performance. Usually, when I say that the actors in a film come across like they are performing in a theater, I mean it negatively; not so here. For the most part, the performances are of a style that the world "melodrama" was created to describe and they they bring this story and its characters to a sort of life that more restrained performances would have failed to do. Only Richard Stapley is a bit much, with delivery that clearly signals he is the Hero of the piece but that is so extreme that he comes across like a Dudley Doright charicature rather than a character--it's too much of a good thing.<br /><br />But this is Laughton's movie in every sense. He steals every scene he is in, and he even manages to infuse a tiny bit of sympathetic humanity into a truly monstrous character. (We start out feeling that there's somethinng wrong and creepy about Sire Alain de Maletroit, and we come to be repulsed by him, yet Laughton still manages to shade his performance just enough to mae the audience feel a twinge of hope that he may yet redeem himself before it's too late for everyone. It's an excellent performance.<br /><br />Boris Karloff makes his usual solid contribution to the film, but he doesn't have much to do except to serve as a dark comic relief and the guy who may or may not save the day in the end. (Although, frankly, given the nature of the story, there's never any real doubt as to how it's going to turn out.)<br /><br />"The Strange Door" is one of five obscure movies that Karloff made for Universal during the 30s, 40s, and '50s that are included in "The Boris Karloff Collection." While none of the films will ever be ranked among the great cinematic works of all time, they're decent enough and well worth a look by lovers of old-time movies. <br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000FWHW8Q&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-42789311877284075342009-05-11T14:38:00.000-07:002009-05-11T14:47:15.969-07:00Karloff is hilarious as a quirky supporting character in "Lured"<strong>Lured (aka "Personal Column") (1947)</strong><br />Starring: Lucille Ball, Charles Coburn, George Sanders, George Zucco, Cedrick Hardwicke, and Boris Karloff<br />Director: Douglas Sirk<br />Rating: Seven of Ten Stars<br /><br />Scotland Yard's Inspector Temple (Coburn) hires sharp-eyed, sharp-witted, and sharp-tongued down-and-out American actress Sandra Carpenter (Ball) to serve as a lure for a serial killer who has been prowling through London's shadows, murdering young women he contacts through personal ads. With her Scotland Yard "guardian angel" Barrett (Zucco) watching over her, she undertakes the dangerous task of drawing out the insane killer.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sgicq1EQ2tI/AAAAAAAAADY/DIyKStNHz8M/s1600-h/movlured.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sgicq1EQ2tI/AAAAAAAAADY/DIyKStNHz8M/s320/movlured.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334686018233752274" /></a><br /><br />"Lured" is a well-done, light-touch police procedural thriller (with touches of romance and melodrama along the way) that features an all-star cast of 1940s B-movie actors (and a respected stage actor thrown in for good measure), all of whom deliver great performances. <br /><br />The dialogue is snappy, the tense moments geniuinely tense, the funny moments genuinely funny, and the many red herrings tasty. Boris Karloff's character serves as the oddest and funniest fish of them all--and it's not a spoiler to say that he isn't the serial killer. Yes, it's the sort of part he often plays, but not here, and it will be obvious to viewers almost immediately. <br /><br />I think this is a film that will be enjoyed by anyone who likes classic mystery movies. I also think that fans of Lucille Ball will enjoy seeing her in her pre-screwball comedy days. (Speaking of comedy, George Zucco's scenes with Ball are always amusing, as Sandra repeatedly inadvertantly helps Barrett solve the crossword puzzles he's constantly working on with stray comments.) <br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stevemillesdo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=6305848769&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=D9C1C1&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925320569909467100.post-58894157588190609652009-05-04T08:55:00.000-07:002009-05-22T10:44:49.620-07:00Don't bother visiting "Isle of the Snake People"<strong>The Isle of the Snake People (aka "The Snake People" and "Island of the Dead") (1968)</strong><br />Starring: Ralph Bertrand, Charles East, Boris Karloff, Julissa, Santanon and Tongolele<br />Directors: Juan Ibenez and Jack Hill<br />Rating: Three of Ten Stars<br /><br />When a new police captain (Bertrand) arives on a small Carribean island, he vows to clean up police corruption and to break up the local voodoo cult. The cult, which is on the verge of ushering in a new age where their dark gods will rule supreme, go on the warpath against him. Can one honest cop defeat a cult specializing in zombie sluts and led by a crazed, tophat-wearing dwarf (Santanon), a voodoo priestess--or maybe just an exotic dancer in a really cool outfit who got lost on her way to a gig--(Tongolele) and a mysterious masked man (who can't <em>possibly</em> be the wealthy, eccentric plantation owner Van Molder (Karloff))?<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sf8QW1YuJkI/AAAAAAAAADQ/IrFj1EtJtb4/s1600-h/movsnakepeople1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331998468303889986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FB9waRXJB0/Sf8QW1YuJkI/AAAAAAAAADQ/IrFj1EtJtb4/s320/movsnakepeople1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />"The Isle of the Snake People" is to Karloff films that "Bride of the Monster" is to Lugosi movies. Both films were made at the very end of long careers, and both films saw that those careers ended on very low notes.<br /><br />This movie is boring to the point where you must have a book to read, or someone to make out with, while watching if you are to have any hope of getting through it. There are some scenes that could have been disturbing if they didn't go on forever--like the opening vooodoo ritual with that creepy dwarf--but the only truly creepy scenes are limited to those featuring flesh-eating zombie women. Mostly, the film just trudges along, from badly filmed scene to a badly acted one, and onward into infinity. (Actually, if one took a hatchet to this film, cut it down to maybe 40 minutes in length and retitled it "Night of the Flesh-Eating Zombie Sluts", it might end up as entertaining. It might even end up coherent.)<br /><br />Boris Karloff is the only good thing about this film. The scantily clad belly-dancing voodoo priestess might have been a plus as well... if she'd had a bag over her head. She's got one of those "I've been in the sex industry entierly too long" hard faces and it sort of ruins the fantasty aspect. But Karloff, like Lugosi in "Bride of the Monster" gives his part his all, and watching him--even if he seems old and tired--is as much fun as always. (His interplay with his puritanical neice (Julissa) who has come to the island to save the natives from the evils of alcohol shows he had magic up to the very end.<br /><br />If you're a Karloff fan, pretend "Targets" was his last film and that "Isle of the Snake People" doesn't exist. You won't be missing anything... except a freaky dwarf and a belly-dancer that should have been wearing the mask instead of the cult leader.<br /><br />If you're a completist who feels you must see and/or own every Karloff movie, I can't recommend that you get any of the stand-alone versions of this film. If you must have it, pick up one of the DVD multi-packs it's included in to get value for your money. (There's a particularly good one that includes "Night of the Living Dead" and two other films.)</p><center><br /><object id="Player_157e53b7-2be2-43b5-a229-1e6121f3adeb" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" height="150" width="400" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"><param name="_cx" value="10583"><param name="_cy" value="3969"><param name="FlashVars" value=""><param name="Movie" value="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fstevemillesdo-20%2F8010%2F157e53b7-2be2-43b5-a229-1e6121f3adeb&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><param name="Src" value="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fstevemillesdo-20%2F8010%2F157e53b7-2be2-43b5-a229-1e6121f3adeb&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><param name="WMode" value="Window"><param name="Play" value="-1"><param name="Loop" value="-1"><param name="Quality" value="High"><param name="SAlign" value=""><param name="Menu" value="-1"><param name="Base" value=""><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="Scale" value="ShowAll"><param name="DeviceFont" value="0"><param name="EmbedMovie" value="0"><param name="BGColor" value="FFFFFF"><param name="SWRemote" value=""><param name="MovieData" value=""><param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="1"><param name="Profile" value="0"><param name="ProfileAddress" value=""><param name="ProfilePort" value="0"><param name="AllowNetworking" value="all"><param name="AllowFullScreen" value="false"><br /> <embed src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fstevemillesdo-20%2F8010%2F157e53b7-2be2-43b5-a229-1e6121f3adeb&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_157e53b7-2be2-43b5-a229-1e6121f3adeb" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_157e53b7-2be2-43b5-a229-1e6121f3adeb" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="150px" width="400px"></embed></object><noscript></noscript><br /></center>Steve Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.com0