Editorial Review

One of the spookiest ghost stories ever put to film,

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Reviews (91)

Great Old Fashioned Ghost Story
You can't beat the coast of Cornwall for a great ghost story setting. It's storyline is engaging and it moves pretty quickly. Excellent cast and genuinley creepy without cheap scares AND it's filmed in glorious black and white which yet adds another dimension to this great mystery/ghost story! A wonderful movie to curl up with on a rainy Saturday afternoon! I would rank this right up there with the original version of "The Haunting" and "The Innocents". My big question is since Amazon rates the VHS version as #268 on it's sales list when will they let the owners know that we want it in on DVD or let us let the owners know that we want it!! That's it for today. I gotta go!

It's not that scary.
Actually this 1944 movie is a rather touching human story on many levels.It is about a girl coming to terms with her tragic family past.It boosts some very good acting and a fine cast led by Ray Milland, with a strong screenplay, set designs, and fine direction by Lewis Allen who always maintains a sense of fear with drama and some light comedy here and there.

Still No DVD
One of the best ghost stories ever put on film.What a
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Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Horror    3. Movie   

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Reviews (6)

Ghosts, Soldiers, and Little Girls
In England, there is a castle that belonged to the Canterville family, a family known for their cowardice. During the 1600s, one such member Sir Simon of Canterville (Charles Laughton) fled from a duel to defend his brother's honor. His father was so ashamed with his son, that he walled him up to die in the castle. Since then, he was cursed to roam about a night until a member of the family performed a brave act in his honor.
Frank Y.WWII Era Movie Fan
A great film, and a great slice of the spirit of WWII!
Delightful ghost story based on a classic tale
Based on a short story by non other than the legendary Oscar Wilde this version of the "The Canterville Ghost" makes really delightful viewing boasting top notch production values, a superb cast in fine form,and a terrific look that gives the film an appealing and enjoyable appearance.Read more

Subjects:  1. Comedy    2. Comedy Video    3. Drama    4. Feature Film-comedy    5. Movie   

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Reviews (36)

An Exceptional Film Adaptation of the Classic Novel
This 1945 film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic novella is more that likely the best adaptation one will ever see. This may seem to be a big statement, but Albert Lewin's direction along with Harry Stradling Sr.'s Oscar winning Cinematography for 1946, appears almost flawless when comparing the classic novel with the film.
"5" for the movie, "1" for no DVD
This is one the best films of all time.
The Lost Meaning of Evil and Terror.
With the exception of the fact that Sybil Vane is reduced from a stage actress to a club singer, this movie actually holds to the book quite well. In an age where horror movies revolve around the absurd overuse of blood and effects, and evil is portrayed as someone who just carries the label and dresses in black, this movie carries the true meaning of evil and terror. (Notably lost in modern times!) As in the book, we meet Lord Henry (played most convincingly by George Sanders). While he does have some redeeming points, he basically represents the devil. He is more of an observer, and he considers the common behavior of people beneath him. And as comically vicious as he gets, like the devil he never really tells outright falsehoods. One perfect example is when he expresses that women represent morality over mind and men represent mind over morals. Well, we then meet the young Dorian who is having his portrait painted. Lord Henry plays the devil and tells Dorian youth is only temporary and even if unintentionally tempts and leads Dorian into making a pact with evil. (He'll remain young while the picture ages.) Dorian then falls in love with Sybil Vane. And they plan to marry. But Lord Henry again plays the devil and gives Dorian advice that SOUNDS good, but will lead to Sybil's death when carried through. (Like the devil, Lord Henry can tempt, but NOT FORCE Dorian to do anything!) After Sybil's death, Lord Henry shows a redeeming moment when he is concerned over Dorian. But the harm is done. Dorian is now on his way to degeneration. It is not the pact itself that leads to Dorian's degeneration, but his vanity that leads him to a cold indifference to the needs of others. (While this behavior was comical in Lord Henry, it appears quite disturbing in Dorian.) Without blood or effects, this movie is really scarey as we gradually see Dorian degenerate into evil. Despite what action movies tell us, the true meaning of evil is when we become a prisoner of our own vanity and we desire to satisfy ourselves no matter what the cost to others. Dorian makes this clear when he says: "I enjoy scandals about others, but scandals about me do not interest me. I find them boring." In a moment of disturbing terror, Dorian murders the uncle of the Gladys (whom he now loves). And in his arguably most evil moment, he becomes the tempter. While he asks for Alan Campbell's help in disposing of the body, he tempts but again doesn't force. (And this will lead to Campbell's suicide. The tempted has become the tempter!) But Sybil's brother is still out there and he wants revenge for the death of his sister. We heard of Adrian Singleton earlier when Basil expressed his fear over the degeneration of Dorian's friends, and we see him as a disturbing eccentric who interestingly carries reason. Jim's death is creepily ambiguous. Did Dorian set up the hunting party in hopes that Jim would walk into a bullet, or did Jim's desire for revenge lead to his downfall? We don't know, but we DO know that for this evil to have fallen on Jim, Jim had to consent at least in part to it when he persued the evils of revenge. (Something the utterly stupid 'Time to Kill' couldn't figure out.) Moving on, Dorian has defeated all his enemies, but he just can't live with himself anymore. (An ending above and beyond action movies that have a hero kill his enemies, fall in love, and live happily ever after!) Well, Dorian breaks his pact with evil and pays a HIGH price. Not only is this movie a phenomenal remake of the book itself, but it also reminds us of the REAL meaning of evil and terror. And as a bonus, it shows the shortcomings of modern movies that just don't get it. If you liked the book, you'll love the movie! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Horror    3. Movie    4. Mystery / Suspense   

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Reviews (7)

Peter Lorre is indeed one of a kind!!
A superb and atmospheric early horror film with fine acting, super effects, tight script and haunting soundtrack. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the fantastic horror score by the great Max Steiner.Lorre is in top form and the severed hand effects(in most cases)easily stand up against 1991's Addams Family 'Thing' effects.
Kind of silly, but entertaining
If not for Peter Lorre, this movie might be too silly to sit through.But Lorre turns in a grand performance, along with G. Carroll Nash as the detective. Give Peter Lorre A Hand!!
This is a well-titled, but bizarre horror film from Warner Bros, a studio not known for producing horror films.Victor Francen stars as a renowned pianist living in one of those dark creepy movie mansions/castles.One hand is useless, so he uses his other hand to play.He relies heavily on his nurse, Andrea King, shuns his secretary, Peter Lorre, and sometimes seeks the company of Robert Alda who helped adapt the music for one-handed playing.When Francen dies (violently) and leaves his estate to his nurse, this sets off a series of strange events as everyone is terrorized by his disembodied hand!!Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror    2. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (67)

The Definitive Werewolf Classic!
I can't praise this movie highly enough, it is not only the best of the universal monsters series and one of the greatest werewolf films ever made certainly the definitive treatment, but also one of my all time favourite movies. Lon Chaney turns in an outstanding credible performance worthy of his father the legendary man of a thousand faces, actually the entire cast is outstanding, Claude Rains, Maria Ouspenskaya and Bela Lugosi.
The Mother of All Werewolf Movies!
Okay, so Universal Studios' 1941 classic, "The Wolf Man," wasn't the first werewolf film ever made. It is still, by far, the most widely known and loved. I mean, what werewolf is more iconic than the one Lon Chaney Jr. made famous?
"The Way You Walked Was Thorny Through No Fault Of Your Own"
"Even a man who is pure at heart and says his prayers at night can become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the moon is full and bright." Curt Siodmak penned that poem over 60 years ago as the centerpiece for a film that was to feature Boris Karloff. The film was to be called "Destiny" and provide Karloff with a less lumbering creature than his Frankenstein's monster. The project was put on hold and would eventually re-emerge as "The Wolf Man", this time starring the son of the man of a thousand faces, Lon Chaney, Jr. Chaney would later in life claim this as his favorite role because unlike the Monster or the Mummy it was "completely my own".
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Subjects:  1. Horror    2. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

"It's alive! Alive!" shouts Colin Clive's triumphant Dr. Frankenstein as electricity buzzes over the hulking body of a revived corpse. "In the name of God now I know what it's like to be God!" For years unheard, this line has been restored, along with the legendary scene of the childlike monster tossing a little girl into a lake, in James Whale's Read more

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Reviews (166)

Frankenstein Is Alive!
Caveat: This is the TCM 75th anniversary edition of one film -- Frankenstein. This is NOT the legacy box set!That said -- this is a spectacular presentation of James Whale's Frankenstein remastered, fully restored and with a stereo soundtrack. And yes -- the scene where the monster drowns the little girl is back. Also back is the line where Dr. Frankenstein proclaims, "Now I know what it feels like to be God." Karloff is stunning. Colin Clive is edgy and frighteningly intense. The accompanying documentaries and trailers are fascinating, particularly the almost 2-hour feature on disc two, "Universal Horror", a retrospective of the horror films released by Universal Studios. A must for any DVD library as this is one of the greatest horror films of all time.

The 2nd Universal Horror Masterpiece
After Bela Lugosi became a movie star playing Dracula, he was offered the role of the Frankenstein monster, but turned it down & so a other horror movie star emerged, Boris Karloff as the manufactured mistunderstood monster, truly one of the greatest horror films of all time, Karloff brings terrifying perfection to the role. A great non dialogue performance. A masterpiece of how science can be misused. If you like classic universal horror see Mary Shelley's shocking novel story in the motion picture.

"Well, we've warned you!"
All movies are dated.Some are more dated than others, of course.A film's dated quality can be its strength as well as its weakness.Much film criticism has surrounded the primitive techniques used in 1931's "Dracula" and "Frankenstein".Lack of musical score, obvious use of studio sets, theatrical acting, pedestrian use of the camera, etc.Yet I would argue that these qualities are what make these films unique and give them a dream-like, nightmarish quality, which the later, slicker and more polished sequels lacked.The sound of the Frankenstein monster's footsteps coming down the hall before his entrance, the thumping of the dirt being thrown atop the coffin in the opening sequence, all would be lost had they been interpolated in a musical score.The same goes for "Dracula"'s scattering rats, bats and night creatures among the clacking bones in the coffins.Granted, the later "Bride of Frankenstein" brilliantly used music and a far more sophisticated film technique to unfold its story, yet it was a completely different piece of art.It was much more operatic and complex and full of irony and satire as well as horror.Whereas "Bride" gave us thrills, "Frankenstein" gave us chills.
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Subjects:  1. Horror    2. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Claude Rains practically owns his film debut in Read more

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Reviews (45)

There's breathing in my barn!
Claude Rains.The man.The myth.The legend.You cannot talk about this film, whether in conversation or in any review, without placing this actor on the tip of your tongue.He is the epitome of the madness that surrounded the power-hungry Invisible Man.In this day of modern cinematic wonder, most full-fledged actors would want their faces to be in front of the camera, showcasing the entire film.Directors would want this fledgling star to promote their film, get kiddies interested in spending their money, and for financiers to see the profits of their contributions.Let's face it, if Brad Pitt is in a movie, typically most audience members are actually going to "see" Brad Pitt.Thankfully, we have directors like James Whale and his interpretation of H.G.Wells' classic The Invisible Man.Whale took a powerful story, expanded it, breathed life into it, and followed up with quite possibly one of the most sinister villains in movie horror history since Hannibal Lector.He is crude, he is heartless, and he wants nothing more than world domination ... he is Claude Rains ... and yet, until the end of the film, we never see the white's of his eyes.
"There's A Souvenir For You"
Haven't we all fantasized about what it would be like to be invisible? Most of the common perks come to mind: spying, getting into movies and amusement parks free, even the baser peeping tom inclinations come to mind. James Whale would pair his Frankenstein masterpieces with this equally trend-setting film. The film is only loosely based on the popular H.G. Wells novel and is played more for chills. Claude Rains does such a wonderful role when you consider that for most of the film he is denied a physical presence on the screen.
Masterly vintage science fiction movie
I would argue that nowhere in the history of the movies has there been an odder movie debut than that of the great Claude Rains in The Invisible Man .He is seen only briefly in the final scene and the vast majority of his " appearance " in this effective adaptation of Wells is a voice only one .
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Subjects:  1. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    2. Movie    3. Science Fiction   

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Reviews (21)

Black humor abounds!
Based on Poe's classic, this is a most amusing film about two warring Sorcerers, Dr. Scarabus {Karloff} and Dr. Erasmuc Craven (Vincent Price) who eventually meet up and duel it out one stormy night using their various imaginative Magical talents to out-notch eachother.
"I'm always fascinated by your utter lack of scruples."
Roger Corman directed many films based on works by Edgar Allan Poe. These films include: "Masque of the Red Death", "The Haunted Palace", "Tales of Terror", "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Conqueror Worm", "The Tomb of Ligeia", & "The Fall of the House of Usher." "The Raven" is based on a poem from Poe. As the film begins, sorcerer, Erasmus Craven (Vincent Price) is amusing himself with magic when he receives a strange visitor--a pesky raven. The raven, it turns out, is fellow magician, Dr. Bedlo (Peter Lorre). Bedlo has been stripped of his magical tools and turned into a raven by the evil Dr Scarabus (Boris Karloff). Craven turns Bedlo back into his human form and then learns that his wife--Lenore--who has supposedly been dead for two years--is alive and well and living with Dr Scarabus. Great Horror Classic Fun!
One of my favorite actors is Vincent Price.This film not only shows off his acting talents but his sense of humor as well.Peter Lorre is a great pain-in-the-side and the dialogue between the two fellows is funny!"Do you prefer dried bats blood or evaporated?"Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror    2. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Certain to remain one of the greatest haunted-house movies ever made, Robert Wise's Read more

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Reviews (337)

"I belong here."
Nell Lance is not well. She has spent most of her adult life caring for her invalid mother and she is having difficulty coping now that mother has passed on. She sees her big opportunity to live a little when she is invited to the Hill House for a brief stay. This is her time to socialize, to break out of her cocoon and to prove to everyone else that she belongs in their group. Seems she has somehow gotten the wrong idea. The well known Dr. Markway (Richard Johnson) sees the recently vacated Hill House as an opportunity to prove the existence of ghosts, ghouls and/or goblins. He has invited Theo (the beautiful Claire Bloom) for her psychic ability and the skeptical Luke (Russ Tamblyn) for use of his inherited house. Nell was asked to come because of her propensity for communicating with the dead, a claim she vehemently denies. What the group finds at Hill House is worth investigating for viewers. Julie Harris is terrific as the disturbed Nell and the others turn in good performances as well. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a scary movie, but Robert Wise's direction makes this a fairly gripping movie. I am slightly surprised by its G rating, given the intense moments and a couple of swear words. This really should be PG. You can't really go wrong if you are looking for a good haunted house movie.
The Implications are Better than Any Visual Frightfest.
This old 1963 scarefest works for those of you (myself included) who are not into the screaming gorefest of so many others' preference and prefer a more sophisticated way to get a chill or two sliding up your spine.
This Film Stands Alone inThe Horror Genre
I first saw this film when it was released in 1963 at the theater. I remember one specific scene in which everyone in the house yelled.
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Subjects:  1. Horror    2. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Vincent Price brings a theatrical flourish to the role of Roderick Usher, a brooding nobleman haunted by the dry rot of madness in his family tree. This being Poe, there's a history of family madness and melancholia, a premature burial, and a sense of doom hanging over this gloomy, crumbling mansion. Roger Corman sold stingy AIP pictures on the concept by claiming "The house is the monster," or so goes the oft-told story. True or not, Corman (with the help of his brilliant art director Daniel Haller and legendary cinematographer Floyd Crosby) creates an exaggerated sense of isolation and claustrophobia with the sunless forest and funereal fog that holds the house and its inhabitants prisoner in a land of the dead. It doesn't quite look real (some of the effects are downright phony, notably the apocalyptic climax), and none of the costars can hold a candle to Price's elegant, haunted performance (often speaking in no more than a stage whisper), but it's a triumph of expressionism on a budget. Shot in rich, vivid color and CinemaScope, from a literate script by genre master Richard Matheson, this is stylish gothic horror in a melancholy key. It was such a success that Corman reunited his core group of collaborators for the follow-up Read more

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Reviews (38)

A rather boring movie/adaptation despite Vincent Price's brilliance.
I simply thought that "The Fall of the House of Usher" was rather boring and I found myself dozing off.I thought that "The Pit and the Pendulum" was a much better flick and a much more interesting adaptation.In fact, I was quite disappointed with this adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's brilliant short story "Fall of the House of Usher".While the movie provides a grim atmosphere in accordance with the Poe's story, the movie drags and never really picks up enough steam to keep one's interest...however, I found the actual story written by Poe to be quite interesting and very entertaining...perhaps that is my problem with the movie as it is not nearly as good as the story itself.This movie "The Fall of the House of Usher" could have been much better.Notwithstanding the poor adaptation of Poe's classic story of despair, Vincent Price, as always, was terrific in his role...still, this is not enough to make this a good adaptation.I recommend watching the clearly superior "The Pit and the Pendulum" instead of this flick.

Home Improvement...
Roderick Usher (Vincent Price) has a serious medical condition. He is stricken with a severe heightening of the senses which turns the slightest touch, sound, sight, taste, or smell into sheer agony. Roderick also believes that both he and his sister Madeline (Myrna Fahey) are doomed to impending insanity and death (it's a family curse). So, the Usher house is not a happy place! Enter Mark Damon as Madeline's fiance, bent on getting her out of this dreary atmosphere and you've got big trouble. Roderick insists on her staying put, to the point of burying her alive! Can her betrothed save her from this hideous fate? Well, not if old Rod can help it! Meanwhile, the very house itself is crumbling around them. THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER is a solid Roger Corman / Poe movie with lots of ghastly charm. One of Vincent's best performances...

Corman, Poe, Price and the American Drive In
After all the years that have passed since the Corman/Price "Poe" series first ran, it is hard to explain just how breathtaking these films were, especially in the heartland. When they were new, those of us in the large patch in the middle of America, and were raised on drive-in movies, saturday kiddie shows, and afternoon TV "matinees" were frankly surprised by how good these films really were. The Corman/Pricemovies provided a welcome switch from summer films with plots built around sex-crazed cheerleaders, pulchritudinous stewardesses, over-heated summer school teachers, and hormonally-crazed student nurses. This is an interesting observation in the face of the reality that Corman was also notorious for making movies about those self-same nymphomaniacal cheerleaders, stewardesses, summer school teachers, etc, etc, etc,
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Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Drama    3. Horror    4. Movie   

Editorial Review

Hammer Studios was on a roll by 1964, adapting and updating classic movie monsters with a gory gothic slant, but the fantasy-tinged thriller Read more

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Reviews (15)

Distinquished gothic thriller.
Those who tiresomely belabor the inadequacy of the snakes on the Gorgon's head at the film's conclusion entirely miss the point. It is not surprising in our cretinous era that some would lament the unavailability of computer generated special effects in 1964. That they persist in doing so, however, only serves to illustrate how very far these modernists are in both sensibility and aesthetic principles from the 19th century Gothic tradition that this film so faithfully seeks to reproduce. The point isn't the snakes but the psychological force behind the baleful facial expression!
Masterful Work From Hammer
"The Gorgon," to my mind, is one of the greatest Hammer films ever -- in fact, I'd say it's a great film of any kind, and through it, I can appreciate what makes Hammer horror films so enduringly popular.
The House of Horror does it again
Hammer's 1964 The Gorgon is crying out for a DVD widescreen release on both sides of the Atlantic. This underrated film is a mesmerizing fantasy that brings together ancient mythology and Hammer's best gothic style under the expert direction of stalwart Terence Fisher.
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Subjects:  1. Horror    2. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    3. Movie   

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Reviews (23)

Not Funny
When I watch MST3K, I'm always struck by how much I would rather be watching ANY of the movies it ridicules, than watching it ridicule them. There's nothing I find more pathetic than people (generally those incapable of creating any significant works of their own) sneering at the creations of others... often simply because those creations are perhaps not of the first rank in some technical way. Green Slime, despite the jeers of the jaded, is really a decent movie on its own terms, that displays a courage that rises far above its obviously limited budget, and which deserves a far more respectful reception. Sure, this is "merely" space opera... but space opera gleefully reduced to the archetypal essentials: the square-jawed hero, the beautiful (but capable) heroine, the melodramatic conflict between former buddies... and, of course, the hideous (and, yes, rubbery) green monster to stir it all up. Turn off your superior, hyper-critical faculties for a few minutes, and you'll find nothing here that isn't given great reverence in productions like Star Trek (especially TOS). Yes, the production values are on the "cheesy" side... but the film overcomes that trivial limitation by its sheer gusto. (Wonderfully exemplified by the effervescent title song.) This is a movie that isn't afraid to do what it does, and it's enormously enjoyable because of that. Don't be fooled into missing the fun by those who simply don't get it, and would rather scoff at something they don't understand. I give it a well-earned 3 stars: a fine effort in a genre that clearly won't appeal to everyone.

"the green slime" is just what the doctor ordered for cheesey sci-fi fun
this is the story of a comit about to strike the earth. to save mankind the space force sends wax figure robert horton(star of t.v,'s wagon train, and looking just like a wax figure ,not one hair out of place and a face that looks like it would crack if he smiled to much) into space to gamma 3 space station to command a group to blow up the comit. of corse the station is commanded by old best friend now enemy richard jeckel. after they blow up the comit and get back to gamma 3 the monster of the title comes into play.
green slime your time away
this movie isn't as bad as somepeople would have you belive!! Sure the effects are bad,sure the acting is "uggg", and sure the leading man looks like a wax figure, but if you let it this movie is a blast to watch. The theme song is priceless and worth the price alone. turn off your mind and let it "slime" you!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror    2. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    3. Movie    4. Science Fiction