Reviews (1)

Boris Karloff as the secret leader of a zombie/snake cult
The natives on Coaibi Island are being terrorized by an evil snake cult. While some are scarified to the poisonous snake of Kalaea (Tongolele) the Reptile Woman, others are turned into zombies by the mysterious Damballah. Police Captain Labiche (Rafael Bertrand) investigates the cult and questions wealthy landowner Karl Van Molder (Boris Karloff), whose niece Anabella (Julissa) is kidnapped by the cult. You will never guess who the mysterious Damballah ends up being...

"La Muerte Viviente," known variously as "The Snake People," "Cult of the Dead" and "Isle of the Living Dead," is one of the four films Boris Karloff made more Mexican producer Luis Vergara. Because of his emphysema, all of Karloff's scenes for the four films were shot in Hollywood during a five-week period in 1968 before the crews returned to Mexico to complete the films. This film, directed by Jack Hill and Juan Ibanez, was finally released in 1971. Despite our affection for Karloff, this is a bad movie and watching it will simply make you feel sad. Go check out one of Karloff's lesser known horror films from the 1930s, like "The Tower of London" instead of this turkey. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Karloff has to contend with the plague and maybe a vampire
Boris Karloff ends up on the "Isle of the Dead" in this 1945 film directed by Mark Robson. The tale is set during the Balkan War of 1912, as General Nikolas Pherides (Karloff) visits a tiny Greek island to visit the grave of his wife, accompanied by Olvier Davis (Marc Cramer), an American reporter. Finding the coffin looted, they spend the night at the house of Albrecht (Jason Robards, Sr.), an antique collector. Then they discover the island is infested with plague and people start dying off. Kyra (Helene Thimig), an old crone, says this is all the fault of beautiful young Thea (Ellen Drew), claiming the girl is a vampire. This film is suitable atmospheric although it does get a bit slow at times and the sudden switch to a vampire supposedly being responsible for the deaths instead of the plague seems a bit much to me. However, the conclusion involves a woman (Katherine Embry) being buried alive in a cataleptic trance, which creates some nice moments. Certainly "Isle of the Dead" has better production values than most horror movies made at this time but it is a step shy of being a first-rate chiller.

Karloff has to contend with the plague and maybe a vampire
The chief attraction of this film is that it is Boris Karloff who ends up on the "Isle of the Dead" in this 1945 film directed by Mark Robson. The tale is set during the Balkan War of 1912, as General Nikolas Pherides (Karloff) visits a tiny Greek island to visit the grave of his wife, accompanied by Oliver Davis (Marc Cramer), an American reporter. After finding the coffin looted, they spend the night at the house of Albrecht (Jason Robards, Sr.), an antique collector. Then they discover the island is infested with plague and people start dying off. Kyra (Helene Thimig), an old crone, says this is all the fault of beautiful young Thea (Ellen Drew), claiming the girl is a vampire. This film is suitable atmospheric although it does get a bit slow at times and the sudden switch to a vampire supposedly being responsible for the deaths instead of the plague seems a bit much to me. However, the conclusion involves a woman (Katherine Embry) being buried alive in a cataleptic trance, which creates some nice moments. Certainly "Isle of the Dead" has better production values than most horror movies made at this time but it is a step shy of being a first-rate chiller.

Vampires, Suspense...and Karloff!
I bought a copy of this movie when our local video store decided to clear out some of its old VHS horror section. I bought it mostly because it said the name "Boris Karloff" on the front. Well, me and a group of my friends decided to watch it one night in the wee hours of the morning. The movie was great. I was not let down. Karloff delivers an impressive performance as a Greek general who gets stranded on an island. Believing the people on the island (himself included) to be possibly infected with the plague, he quarantines the group of people he finds living there to the island. But is this all a result of the plague...or is it a vampire?? You'll have to watch it and find out. Great film.

Dark, Moody, Atmospheric... and Ellen Drew too!
Another Val Lewton masterpiece of horror through suggestion, shadow, and surrealism. Karloff is at his best as a grizzardly Greek general whose mind is caught between the rationalism of modern secular thinking and the oppressive superstitions of his native culture. Do Vorvolika (vampires) really exist on the dark, dreary Island off the Greek coast? Even worse, is delicately beautiful Ellen Drew one such creature? See for yourself in this well-made tale of psychological terror. Karloff is splendid in his role as the well-intentioned general whose only wish is to protect the party stranded on a dreary island overcome by a terrible plague. But is it really the plague, or is it the spell of vampires? Great support from Alan Napier, Skelton Knaggs, and Jason Robards, Sr. Of course, Ellen Drew, one of Hollywood's truly beautiful and ladylike actresses of the late 1930s and early 1940s is effective as well as gorgeous in the role of the young Greek servant whom one rather superstitious and jealous old hag believes is a "vorvolika." Is she? And how will Karloff deal with the situation? Purchase this film. Like "The Body Snatcher" and "The Cat People," the directing is magnificent. Lewton's genius at utilizing shadows and suggestions creates more terror than a million slasher films with gallons of blood splashing across the screen. A great horror film with fine performances both in front of, and behind, the camera.

Excellent Movie, but a very bad tape, ending cut out!!
The movie is very good and the build up to then end is excellent but I will never know the actual ending. My version (which I bought through Amazon) is made by "Video Entertainment Corp" is very poor quality and the worst part is that the tape ends (runs out of tape) before the end of the movie. I was very disappointed with my purchase. Just as a side note, I also bought the "Cat People" with the same purchase and while the tape has the complete movie..... the quality of the tape is horrible. It is also made by Video Entertainment Corp and it is as if someone taped this off the TV using extended play mode on their VCR..... very poor condition. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

another great Wong movie
Mr Wong was always a fave of mine. Karloff played him and so did Keye Luke. It's so nice to see this movie in print and at a good price! Thanks Alpha!

Mr. Wong saves the Eye of the Daughter of the Moon
"The Mystery of Mr. Wong" is the second in the series featuring Boris Karloff as the Chinese detective. This time around gem collector Brandon Edwards (Morgan Wallace) has acquired the "Eye of the Daughter of the Moon," the largest star sapphire in the world. Unfortunately, the gem has been stolen from China. While exhibiting the gem during a party at his home, Edwards tells Mr. Wong he is worried and the next thing we know Edwards is shot during a game of charades. The gem disappears, taken by Drina (Lotus Long) the maid, who intends to return it to its sacred resting place in China. But then Drina is murdered as well. This 1939 film, directed by William Nigh and based on the stories of Hugh Wiley, is a pretty good murder mystery until a key clue pretty much gives it all away. Nice to see Karloff playing the good guy for once, even if once again he is buried under a lot of makeup. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The Best Mr. Wong
This is a terrific DVD for the atmosphere, the clever Mr. Wong and the great transfer. This is a B picture, to be sure, shot on a budget, but its great fun as Mr. Wong solves his case. The transfer is very good considering there is no restoration. The sound is very good as well. I love this series and Boris is the man to play the character. This is probably the best of the Mr. Wong series with Boris.

I enjoyed this
This Mr Wong film really drew me in. I found it most entertaining. Mr Wong is something of an obscure movie detective, but it's great that he is once again available to entertain viewers. All six Mr Wong movies are now on DVD!

a true treasure for Mr Wong fans
You wont find a more complete set of DVDs if you are a fan of Mr Wong. All six Wong films are here: Mr Wong Detective, Mystery of Mr Wong, Mr Wong In Chinatown, The Fatal Hour, Doomed To Die, and Phantom of Chinatown. Phantom of Chinatown is one of the most interesting in the series and stars Keye Luke as an earlier and younger Mr Wong. These movies have captivated me since I was just a wee lad and I was thrilled to discover this DVD set. It is the most complete one available and a true must for Mr Wong fans.

Good Prints, But a Forgettable Series
When Monogram recruited Boris Karloff for its "Mr. Wong" series in 1938, the studio apparently believed that the horror icon's presence would be strong enough to carry its low-budget product. They were sadly mistaken and the series folded in 1940 after six films, with Karloff appearing in only five of them. (Interestingly, Keye Luke played a younger version of the Chinese detective in the final installment.) Time has not been kind to the "Mr. Wong" series. These mysteries are deadly dull and have virtually nothing to offer except the sincerity of Karloff's performances. On the plus side, these are the best prints you are likely to find. Still, Karloff's association with Monogram was less distinguished than Bela Lugosi's run during the early 1940s. Even Bela's "Mysterious Mr. Wong" (no relation) is more entertaining than the dreary exploits of James Lee Wong.

A Fairly Good Detective Film
In MR. WONG, DETECTIVE James Lee Wong is hired by the owner of a chemical manufacturing firm who is accused of stealing a secret formula. The owner and two of his associates are promptly murdered leaving Mr. Wong with three homicides to solve.

William Nigh is the director of this movie which is the first of six entries in the series. Boris Karloff has the starring role of Mr. Wong. The rather small supporting cast includes Grant Withers, Maxine Jennings, Evelyn Brent, Frank Bruno, Lucien Prival and Lee Tong Foo. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Old-Fashioned Adventure Romance
UNCONQUERED is old-fashined romantic adventure at its best. Yes, it is absurd at times, the plot bordering on the cartoon-like, but it is also ripe old fun. Hair-breadth escapes, a genuine romance, and a surprisingly close reading of history during the French-and-Indian war in 1763. Gary Cooper, Paulette Goddard, Cecil B. DeMille, gorgeous technicolor, how can you go wrong?

Great Romantic Adventure in Early America
"Unconquered" brings DeMille and Paulette Goddard together again after two other big budget pictures (Reap The Wild Wind and North West Mounted Police). She and Gary Cooper carry the star quality of this picture with style and color. Fine acting against a wonderful technicolor background of Colonial America. Goddard's gorgeous red hair matches Cooper's towering stauture. They work well together and create some very amusing and touching scenes. Then add Demille's suspenseful canoe over the rapids and Indian uprising and you have good movie stuff.

"Colonial Warfare In America"
An excellent film!This takes place at Fort Pitt(when Pittsburgh was a frontier town)in 1763 during Pontiac's War(a by-product of The French & Indian War).With a budget of 5 million dollars,DeMille puts a very good story together that is based on Neil Swanson's book "The Judas Tree".It is also the first time that I've seen the subject of indentured servitude addressed on film.The viewer also gets to see an appearance of the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment(BlackWatch)and how they saved Fort Pitt.I would have liked to have seen more action,but the fighting scenes are adequate enough.

PAULETTE AND GARY
Abby Hale (Paulette Goddard), a pretty English convict girl, is ordered deported as a potential slave to the American Colonies. Captain Holden (Gary Cooper) saves her from being auctioned off into slavery, and when she's captured by Indians and subjected to a slow and tortuous death, Holden appears in a flash of gunpowder smoke convincing the Indians that he's a god, so they relinquish Abby to him................THE UNCONQUERED was DeMille's 5 million dollar Technicolored celebration of Cooper's virility and Goddard's femininity and the American Frontier Spirit. Spectacularly stirring and full of fine action scenes, DeMille again screen-vitalised a chapter out of American history. One may say that he supplied both a boistrous and sensational delineation of the frontiersman's era with the full complement of DeMille devices, even to the famed bath sequence, a dip into the serial thrillers when the hero and heroine shoot the rapids to the the edge of a waterfall, and the staging of the battle of Fort Pitt that far outdoes any conflict that was ever dreamt up for a World's Fair carnival!

I Had to Cry Uncle....
and shut this movie off, even though I probably was THIS close to the end, because I just couldn't stand it anymore! Totally bad.

Paulette Goddard is having a hard time as an indentured servant in a frontiersy New World, even with Gary Cooper around. But how can this be in any way exciting when the villain is....Howard Da Silva??? Oh, c'mon, who was he, the understudy to the real star cast?

Some things are best left alone, and "Unconquered" is one of them. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Horror Classic that has withstood the Sands of Time!
Karl Freund makes an impressive directorial debut after years of cinemaphotography for the German Silents (and DRACULA) with Boris Karloff starring as the undead Mummy Im-Ho-Tep, later rejuvenated posing as an Egyptian Prince Ardath Bey, once again proving his remarkable versatility as an actor in this creepy original 1932 classic THE MUMMY. The film is a wonderful mixture of horror and romance. Zita Johann is excellent in a dual role as young Helen Grosvenor whom Karloff mistakes for his long lost love. David Manners and Edward Van Sloan (from DRACULA) are a joy to see again as the heroes. Also memorable are Arthur Byron as the Museum Owner ever fearful of the curse awaiting those who disturbed the Mummy's resting place, as is Bramwell Fletcher as the student who breaks up in insane laughter after accidentally reviving Karloff "He went for a little walk. You should have seen his face!" DVD contains a fascinating documentary appropriately entitled "Mummy Dearest" hosted by Rudy Behlmer, and the film commentary by Paul M. Jensen is also guaranteed not to disappoint. If it's creepy terror you're in the mood for, simply turn off the lights, stay close to your loved one, and enjoy - THE MUMMY! PS: Don't miss the trailer!

The Original Universal Horror Film, Still Packs a Punch
My favorite film of all time is the 1999 version of "The Mummy," and sinse long before that came out, I've known of Boris Karloff's 1932 creature feature. But, I always figured it was another one of those bandage wrapped, slow moving - and frankly very stupid "mummy" movies. So I stayed away. Then, I saw the new version on the first day of release (May 7th) and rushed out of the theater knowing I must see the old version. Instead of renting it, I just bought it - and it was superb! The basic story elements are the same in both versions, but instead of the lavish desert settings, huge sets and breathtaking visual effects of the Stephen Sommers version, director Karl Fruend's 30's film relies on mood and atmousphere to chill you to the bone - which it does very well. Boris Karloff plays Imhotep, whom in his native Egypt (3,700 years ago) was buried alive for trying to raise his love Anck-Su-Namun (Zita Johann) from the dead. Flash forward to 1932 were a british team of archeologists dig up his remains and accidentaly revive him. Cleaning himself up, Imhotep prowls around modern Cairo under the alias Ardath Bey, trying to find the reincarnated soul of his past lover. He does so in Helen Grovesenor (also Johann), but his plans might be in trouble as Helen's gurdian Muller (Edward Van Sloan) and her boyfriend Frank Whemple (David Manners, both from Universal's earlier horror film "Dracula") will stop at nothing to save her. As for power, Boris Karloff is a far cry from Arnold Vosloo's running, fighting Imhotep in the '99 version - but is pretty good with some supernatural Darth Vader like telepethy. This is surley one of the most romantic horror films, as one in some way or another feels sorry for Imhotep, as he looks longingly into the eyes of his mummified girlfriend, but the film does manage to generate a few good scares, because Imhotep is no softey, when you look in HIS eyes you'll see death and destruction. And so while the 1999 "Mummy" is my favorite film, the 1932 version proves that in Hollywood's golden age, filmmaker's really knew what they were doing.

the ONLY mummy movie
and we only see the tradititonal 'mummy' image for about 2 minutes.
freund knew that image was a dull one (how like hollywood accountants to home in on the most boring part of a movie and run it to death). this movie is psycholgical, brooding and perverse.
the sexual undertones permeate throughout the film and all here are in top form. a fine example of classic hollywood horror at it's near best.

First and foremost!
Vintage it may be, with performances that at best are highly competent, at worst downright creaky. But make allowances for the fact that it's over 70 years old, and you'll have simply the best horror film EVER. What could prove more horrifying than when Imhotep's mummy, propped in its coffin, catches the light which glints off its eye, slowly opening after 3,500 years in the grave? Or Imhotep's first appearance, as Ardath Bey, to the archaeologists, filling the doorway with subtle malevolence? Or his final moments when, struck down by ancient goddess and protector of women, Isis, he collapses rattlingly into a pile of bones? Boris Karloff is riveting in every frame as the mummy redivivus and actress Zita Johann is radiant as the tormented reincarnation of Princess Ankh-es-en-amon, putting modern day actresses to shame with her blend of exotic beauty, sensuality and dignity. It's the granddaddy of all 'mummy' genre pictures, and quite simply the best!

Totally overated
I like those classic old horror movies, like Frankenstien, the wolfman, the invisble man,etc.But this movie( like Dracula 1931)
was absolutley boring. It had a good first scene in the start of the movie, when Karloff's mummy first comes to life, but after that he becomes a regular man and than the movie becomes a romance melodarma, not a horror movie. Their is no real suspense.
I realize that compared to horror movies today, some the older movies might seem tame, but movies like frankenstien , the wofman and their seguels haves their moments, but this one does not even about a mummy as we know it. Any body expecting to see a traditional monster will be disapointed. If I want to see a drama I will watch citizen cane.
Finally, I like Karloff, he did some great horror B movies, this was not one of them. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

MASTER & COMMANDER Of The Silent Era.
Having recently seen and thoroughly enjoyed MASTER & COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD with Russell Crowe and its incredible depiction of life aboard an early 19th century frigate, I felt compelled to trot out this silent classic from my VHS collection (it's not available on DVD) and revisit this 1926 view of shipboard life. I hadn't seen the film in quite some time and was surprised to note that several scenes in OLD IRONSIDES are quite similar to scenes in MASTER & COMMANDER. Surely director Peter Weir must have screened this film before making his. The battle sequences are very similar with sand being spread on deck to absorb blood, the crew hitting the deck to avoid a volley, young boys dying during the fighting, and fierce close up hand to hand combat. Both movies are set during the same time period but the storylines are very different with the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) versus the Barbary Pirates being the setting here and in the classic Hollywood tradition there is a woman involved. Charles Farrell who was a big romantic lead in the 20's especially when paired with Janet Gaynor, shows here why he was so popular. He is vulnerable but heroic, reserved but not stoic and he possesses an effortless charm that makes him appealing. Although playing the standard damsel in distress role, Esther Ralston makes an engaging heroine who is not a total wimp when the going gets tough. Character actors Wallace Beery and George Bancroft have a field day as feuding sailors while George Godfrey is featured in a more significant role than black actors of the time were usually given. Add to that some brief nudity and a discreetly sexy performance from Ralston (she was once known as The American Venus) and you have a real winner on your hands. The film is well directed by James Cruze (THE COVERED WAGON, THE GREAT GABBO) who is all but forgotten today due to most of his films being lost. Hopefully Paramount will soon release this on DVD along with the others in their silent film series of a few years ago including WINGS. Until then this VHS version which features a beautiful print and a digitally recorded organ score by Gaylord Carter at an excellent price is certainly worth having.

A rousing silent movie about the U.S.S. Constitution
Oliver Wendell Holmes' famous 1830 poem "Old Ironsides" ("Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!") ends up being a silent screen navy adventure story in this 1926 film from director James Cruze. The story is now a historical romance, with the history being the war between the young United States and the Barbary pirates of Northern Africa (the shores of Tripoli you have heard sung about), and the romance being between the Boy (Charles Farrell) and young Esther (the beautiful Esther Ralston from Chaplin's "The Kid"). The film begins with Congress authorizing the lauching of the U.S.S. Constitution (the ship that would be immortalized as "Old Ironsides") and the U.S.S. Philadelphia. The Boy goes off to see on a ship named for young Esther and the young girl might be the only thing he loves more than the sea. On a trip across the Atlantic the Boy learns to be a true seaman, and he is called the Commodore after he trespasses on the poop deck to talk to Esther.

The middle part of the film has the Esther (the ship) being captured by pirates and brought to Tripoli, where the crew is enslaved and Esther (the Girl) being designated for the pleasures of the Sultan. Meanwhile, the U.S.S. Constitution arrives on the scene intent on destroying the Philadelphia, an American ship captured by the pirates that is being turned into a raider. Once that mission is accomplished, Lt. Stephen Decatur (Johnnie Walker), picks up the Commodore, the Bos'n (Wallace Beery), the Gunner (George Bancroft, and the Cook (George Godfrey), who have escaped from the pirates. Learning about the situation, Decatur attacks the pirates and provides the ship with a thrilling climax of hand-to-hand combat. Right before this there is neat little scene where Decatur has to punish the Gunner, who has AWOL because he was shanghaied to serving on the Esther. The punishment is 200 lashes, but the Gunner receives only two because Decatur counts them counts them as one hundred and two hundred.

"Old Ironsides" is close to be a really great action film. The first third where the Commodore learns to be a good seaman has several nice scenes, and the supporting cast of old tars is above average (Beery and Godfrey have fun stealing all of their scenes). However, the melodramatic middle third with the Esther's crew enslaved is average at best although the two principles are nice to look at. However, the film ends strongly with the climatic battle where "Old Ironsides" earns her name, even if historically that did not happen until the War of 1812. Boris Karloff has a bit part as a pirate and Olympic hero Duke Kahanamoku plays a Pirate Captain, while Gary Cooper is in this film somewhere as well if you want to spend time trying to spot him. This silent film is well worth seeing.

swashbuckling action
This classic from the silent movie era is great fun and an historically accurate romance/adventure about the battles against the Barbary pirates. There is plenty of action in what must have been one of the first films to depict a sea battle. And yet the scenes are very realistic in what it probably was like. The only literary license they took was when the cannonball bounced off the side which resulted in the USS CONSTITUTION being dubbed "Old Ironsides". That actually happened in a later war.

A Good Naval Yarn
Old Ironsides is a fine film dealing with the American Navy's fight against Barbary Coast pirates at the end of the 18th century. Its depiction of life on board ship, during this period, seems accurate, including details such as spreading sand on the deck during battle so that sailors wouldn't slip on the blood and gore. Moreover it uses a number of full-size sailing ships during these battles and these ships look completely authentic. The performances in the film are at times a little broad. This is especially the case with Wallace Beery and George Bancroft as hard fighting sailors. But these two are always fun to watch and a bit of over the top acting can be forgiven in an adventure film. Charles Farrell and Esther Ralston play the romantic leads. Ralston looks lovely but is somewhat passive and insipid. Her role is almost entirely decorative. Farrell is rather better but finds himself constantly overshadowed by Beery and Bancroft. The video box mentions Boris Karloff as being in the cast, implying that he has a major role. This is not so. He can just about be glimpsed as an Arab extra. Gary Cooper is also supposed to be among the extras, but I didn't notice him at all.

The print used on the Paramount video is very good, clear and sharp with hardly any apparent damage. The film is accompanied by a fine Gaylord Carter organ score. Old Ironsides is great fun with lots of stunning action. Those who enjoy sea battles between old sailing ships will not be disappointed. ... Read more

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Basil Rathbone comes to Transylvania to inherit his father's estate in this second sequel to Frankenstein. The townspeople are suspicious, but young Frankenstein has no interest in reviving his father's work--until he discovers the monster hidden away in the castle, inert but very much intact and watched over by Ygor (Bela Lugosi), a sinister, snaggle-toothed peasant with broken neck. Convinced to revive the creature and vindicate his father's name, he toils away in the lab not realizing that Ygor plans to use the monster to revenge himself on the jury that sentenced him to hang. Boris Karloff makes his final appearance as the Monster, now little more than a mute, lumbering robot under the hypnotic control of Ygor. Rathbone is a dignified, suave scientist and a marvelous match to Lugosi's mad Ygor, a richly malevolent performance that dominates the film. Lionel Atwill makes a marvelous addition to the Frankenstein gallery as the wooden-armed constable, a legacy of the monster's rampage 25 years before (Mel Brooks's loving lampoon Young Frankenstein, a veritable remake of this film, features the constable and his lumber limb in a major role). Universal abandoned horror films in 1936, but the success of this sequel single-handedly revived the genre. Though lacking the gothic splendor and macabre humor of James Whale's originals, Rowland V. Lee's handsome production remains an intelligent, well-made classic of the genre and Universal's last great horror film. Lugosi returns as Ygor in Ghost of Frankenstein. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A few volts below par
'Son of Frankenstein' is, in my opinion, the least successful of all the Frankenstein films in this series. It obviously had a great deal of money spent on it, judging by the austere and quite massive sets. It boasted a fine cast, too, including Karloff, Atwill, Rathbone and Lugosi's first involvement in the series as the classic henchman, Ygor. And, admittedly, it has a lot of atmosphere what with crashing rainstorms, gothic architecture and restless villagers. But it lacks something. The weird black humour of former director James Whale, possibly, and the dry, eccentric characters he used to create (Minnie the housekeeper or Dr. Praetorious from 'Bride...' for example). Possibly, the inclusion of the brattish 'Grandson' of Frankenstein, who adds nothing but an element of irritation to the picture. Somehow, it seems to drag in a way that none of the other films did, and the monster itself is treated with little respect: he has become a silent murderer in this film, with no sympathy or humanity, much as he would do in future stories, but at least they would have the novelty value of a different actor playing the part. Here, even Karloff's heart doesn't seem to be in it, and by no means a negligable film, this is definately not one of the best.

A feast for horror actors
SON OF FRANKENSTEIN doesn't quite approach the quality of BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, but it has style and histrionics to spare. Director Rowland V. Lee lacks James Whale's flair for macabre humor, but does a great job with pace and atmosphere. The cast is top notch, too.Karloff makes his final starring appearance as the Monster. While his performance is excellent, the Monster isn't nearly as sympathetic a character as he was in FRANKENSTEIN and BRIDE. Bela Lugosi was never better as the mad Ygor, proving beyond a doubt that he was capable of more than just endless variations of Dracula. Lionel Atwill also gives one of his best performances as the wooden armed police chief.

Enter the stereotypical Frankenstein monster
Son of Frankenstein has its charms, but it is less than a worthy successor to the first two Frankenstein films. What I see here is the beginning of the stereotypical monster; whatever humanity the unfortunate creature had left after Bride of Frankenstein (and even the great James Whale never gave him one tenth of the humanity his true creator, Mary Shelley, did), there's little to be found of it here. Sure, he has a couple of somewhat emotional scenes, but all such emotions are turned into hatred and manifested in a desire to kill and destroy.

I feel a touch of sadness when I watch Son of Frankenstein. Any film featuring both of the classic horror masters Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff should be brilliant, but here you have Lugosi playing a role I consider far beneath him, while Karloff ends up taking part in the one thing he wanted so passionately to avoid - namely, the conversion of the creature into nothing but an inhuman monster. This film does have a saving grace, however, in the form of Lionel Atwill, who steals the show time and again as Inspector Krogh. Basil Rathbone starts out quite swimmingly as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein, but this actually works against him in the long run because the mania that overtakes him in the second half of the film just doesn't ring true to me, especially when the man's sudden desire to justify his father's work takes precedence over the safety of his own wife and child. Then there is Lugosi's character Ygor, whose only accomplishment in life is having survived the gallows - and don't even get him started talking about his broken neck.

Let's get our ducks in a row here. Some twenty-five years have passed since the events chronicled in Bride of Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein himself apparently died just a few years later, but not before seeing a son of the house of Frankenstein brought into the world. That child, Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (Rathbone), has now returned to the family castle, with wife and little boy in tow. As you might expect, the villagers do not welcome the return of any Frankenstein and immediately start getting the rakes and farm implements sharpened in preparation for their inevitable storming of the castle. The old castle isn't exactly empty when young Dr. Frankenstein arrives, for Ygor (Lugosi) has made a place for himself there. The son of Frankenstein can hardly wait to see his father's old laboratory (suddenly, we are expected to believe that the big creation experiments all took place in a little round hut in the castle's backyard rather than in some dark, isolated, forbidding castle). Ygor shows him around the place (after attempting to kill him, of course), and lo and behold whom should we find in an underground crypt but the monster (Karloff) himself. He's not quite himself these days, but young Frankenstein immediately sets to work reviving the monster in an attempt to vindicate the family name. Unfortunately for Frankenstein, however, Ygor commands the monster to do his own bidding, although how this all came about is never really made clear. When a number of individuals are found murdered in the village, suspicion naturally falls on the house of Frankenstein. Enter Inspector Krogh (Atwill) and his ridiculous yet entertaining artificial arm; without this fascinating character, Son of Frankenstein would be a wholly forgettable movie.

With no lines and few chances to express any real emotion other than murderous fury, Karloff's monster is a shadow of its former self. Even the makeup job appears second-rate and less than imposing. Lugosi goes through the motions quite well as the deformed Ygor, but he brings no real passion to a role I am sure he could not have enjoyed playing. I found Ygor's character to be much more of a hindrance than a help to the effectiveness of the film (and I say this as a devoted fan of Bela Lugosi). Frankly, I'm really unsure what so many others see in this movie; it really didn't impress me in any way whatsoever. All it did was turn Frankenstein into a big dumb monster that would be forced to stumble and bumble its way through one film after another for decades to come. It's impossible to feel much sympathy for him in this context, and I eventually found myself hoping they would just kill the monster already and get the film over and done with.

No wonder why Karloff didn't want to do anymore.
This is the film that Boris Karloff retired his role as the Universal Frankenstein monster. As a sequal to the legendary Frankenstein (1931) and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Son of Frankenstein has much to live up to, and fails at all. The plot which is Ygor (Bela Lugosi) playing a flute, which is somehow controlling the monster (as if he were a snake in a basket) is lame. It takes nearly an hour before we even see the monster. The monster was a character in the first two Frankenstein films. Now he is basically a walking zombie and an accessory instead of a character. This film, is in no way, up to par with the first two Frankenstein films, it was forever, live in the shadows of Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein. The only reason I even gave this movie one star is because it had Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi in it. This film was just uninspired. James Whale directed the first two films and gave them something. I was literally bored out of my mind watching this film. Just stick with the first two.

3rd Time As Monster For Karloff
This movie is the last of the Karloff monster trilogy. While the movie is good, with plenty of atmosphere, the real star is Bela Lugosi and his portrayal of the monster's friend Igor. For once, Lugosi got to create a character besides Dracula that showed how good of an actor he was.

With Basil Rathbone, Lionel Atwill, Karloff and Lugosi, this film is a classic. Recommended! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A sane woman is put into Boris Karloff's Bedlam asylum
In the case of this 1946 film the term "Bedlam" refers to the infamous 18th century London aslyum for the insane. Set in 1791, the story tells of the time when the English upperclass would actually go to Bedlam for an entertaining evening of watching the imprisoned lunatics. The film was actually inspired by the infamous engraving of Bedlam that William Hogarth did for "The Rake's Progress." However, one of the visitors, young Nell Bowen (Anna Lee), an actress, is offended by the way the inmates are treated. When she tries to do something about it both her patron, Lord Moritmer (Billy House), and George Sims (Boris Karloff), the master of the asylum, stop her by having Nell committed to Bedlam.

"Bedlam" does not receive as much notice of some of the other films of producer Val Lewton, such as "Cat People" and "The Body Snatchers," but this is still a solid little film. Where it differs from the others is that it is not really a horror film per se, but more of a period peice about a horrific time and place. Of course, when you have Karloff playing the bad guy, in one of his above average performances, it is hard to remember that this around he is just a human monster. Lewton co-wrote the script under the pen name Carlos Keith and it ended up being this last at RKO. Director Mark Robson ("The Ghost Ship" and "Isle of the Dead"), the other co-writer, does a masterful job of creating sympathy for the inmates, most of whom are given great little bits as some point during the film. The ending can be dismissed as melodramatic, but there were really not a lot of better options for ending this one.

Ultimately, the setting for "Bedlam" is better than the actual story. It is rather impressive that with the rather pedestrian plot this production did such a great job of capturing the lunatic asylum, in terms of both the set and the various poor souls trapped therein. Such things surely go beyond the status of mere window dressing. Final Note: Watch for Jason Robards, Sr., as Oliver Todd; I think this is the first time that I got to see the father of Jason Robards, Jr. in a film (although at this point he is just listed in the credits as Jason Robards). ... Read more

Description

Experience Mario Bava's horror classic "Black Sabbath" (original Italian title: "Three Faces of Fear")--as it's never been seen in America before! A beautiful woman is terrorized by calls from an ex-lover who has escaped prison for the pleasure of killing her... A family becomes a feeding ground when their father returns home wounded after ridding the countryside of a hideous vampire... A nurse is haunted by reproaches from the Beyond after stealing a ring from the finger of a dead medium! Join Boris Karloff as he hosts (and stars in) this trilogy of terror tales--presented in its original aspect ratio and in Italian with English subtitles, with every shock intact! ... Read more

Reviews (48)

ONE OF BAVA'S BEST....
A not to be missed trilogy of horror tales hosted by Boris Karloff and done by Mario Bava. As atmospheric and colorful as you could ask for with the traditional Euro flavor that gives it that off-beat intensity not often found in American films. The stories are diverse: 1.)"The Telephone"--the sexiest with a woman being terrorized by phone calls from a supposedly "dead" lover; 2.)"The Wurdelak"--the most disturbing with a Russian mountain family plagued by an unusual and unforgiving heritage of vampirism starring Karloff himself; and 3.) "The Drop of Water"--the scariest with a turn-of-the-century nurse stealing a ring from an old woman's corpse who happens to be a witch. This is the widescreen European version and is excellently transferred to DVD. The women are beautiful and the thrills are plentiful. A must for any serious horror afficianado.

The Scariest Day of the Week!
One of the best Italian horror films ever made, director Mario Bava's 1963 movie BLACK SABBATH (Italian title: I TRE VOLTI DELLA PAURA) is actually a delicious trilogy of stories, each different in timbre and texture, but each a masterful atmospheric study in unmitigated fear.

In the first short, entitled "The Telephone," a contemporary (circa 1960s) woman is taunted by a series of bizarre and alarming phone calls. But things get really interesting when she learns who it is that's been calling. (Warning: Some viewers may be put off by the lesbian subtext of this story.)

"The Wurdalak," the second entry, is an eerie variation on the vampire legend that is based on the Aleksei Tolstoy novella THE FAMILY OF THE VOURDALAK (SEM'YA VURDALAKA). The action takes place in what appears to be medieval Europe, and the celebrated Boris Karloff (alas, with his dialogue dubbed in Italian) turns in an excellent performance as Gorca, the patriarch of a peasant family. When Gorca returns from assisting in the pursuit and destruction of a Wurdalak--a vampire of sorts that is compelled to feast only upon its own loved ones--his family suspects that he's not quite the man he used to be....

Purportedly an adaptation of story by Chekhov, "A Drop of Water" is the last entry of the trilogy, and it is unquestionably the creepiest. Set in a Victorian manor house, it involves a private nurse who steals a ring from her recently deceased charge and is subsequently haunted by the vengeful corpse. Or is she?

The acting is good, the sets are sufficiently eerie, the stories are well written and creepy, and the women are pretty. But first and foremost, BLACK SABBATH is a superior horror film due to Bava's great vision and direction. He knows what it takes to scare people, and it is his use of stark yet simple imagery, unusual juxtaposition of sounds, and sometimes tenebrous lighting that generates genuine goose bumps and psychological jitters. (Your skin will crawl every time you remember the image of that corpse with the empty, unblinking stare from "A Drop of Water.")

Extant copies of the film are in one of two forms. One presents the film as originally intended (and released in Europe) by the filmmakers. The dialogue is completely dubbed in Italian (with English subtitles available), the stories have not been edited by anyone other than the director and his crew, and the three stories as a whole are vignetted by a Boris Karloff preface and epilogue. However, the other version presents the film after it was vitiated by its U.S. distributor, American International Pictures. In that one, the stories have been edited (one to the point of being unintelligible) and their relative order rearranged, and inappropriately witty intros (featuring Karloff) have been tacked on to each. Also, an English soundtrack has been added, one that was not created with any input from Bava or the original scriptwriters.

Until recently, the AIP re-dubbed re-cut was the only version of the film readily available to American audiences. Though not a totally un-watchable film in AIP's butchered format, it is simply not the masterpiece that Bava's original is. With that in mind, it is recommended that, if at all possible, viewers avoid the AIP version altogether and watch only the original Italian version. And please note, then, that this review refers to that original release--with English subtitles--which IS the version now being offered on the Image Entertainment DVD.

And speaking of the DVD, it is a bit short on true bonus features, and it is possible to see some signs of wear on the print that was used. Still, this widescreen digital transfer looks good overall, with rich and vivid colors and crisp focus. Most importantly, it is fantastic opportunity for American horror fans to finally see--and own!--this excellent scary film in the form in which its creators intended.

Chills aplenty
Italian director Mario Bava (1914-1980) is one of the giants of the horror film genre. Bava's big break into the field came with his 1960 black and white classic "Black Sunday" starring Barbara Steele. This was only the beginning, as Bava churned out a series of gruesome shockers over the next seventeen years; his films always promised great style mixed with scenes of murder and mayhem. Perhaps Mario's biggest contribution to the horror genre was his 1972 picture "Twitch of the Death Nerve," also known as "Bay of Blood." It doesn't take too long to realize "Friday the 13th" shamelessly cribbed from this slasher bloodbath. At least two of the murders in the film appear almost unchanged in the first installment of the Jason Voorhees franchise. That's right-- Mario Bava gave birth to the modern slasher film. But he also dabbled in non-horror films with projects like "Four Times That Night" and the immensely entertaining peplum classic "Hercules in the Haunted World" starring Reg Park as the muscle bound hero. After watching many of his films, I have to express further admiration for this amazing director; he could make an entertaining motion picture no matter what the subject.

"I trevolti della paura," known on these shores as "Black Sabbath," is a great contribution to horror cinema. In 1963, Bava filmed three short stories and packaged them under one title with Boris Karloff introducing each segment. The first tale, "The Telephone," is a claustrophobic tale of horror that takes place in the apartment of Rosy (Michele Mercier). Strange and horrifying phone calls begin streaming into the apartment at the same time Rosy's ex-husband Frank leaves prison. Alarmed that her hubby will try to hurt her, she dials up her pal Mary (Lidia Alfonsi), asking her friend to come over and comfort her. There's an interesting subtext to Mary and Rosy's phone call that the American version apparently cut out of the picture before releasing it that this Image Entertainment DVD restores. Watch to see what it is. Anyway, Mary arrives and, when Rosy falls asleep, writes something down on a piece of paper for her friend to read later. When Rosy wakes up, she learns a few painful truths about both her friend and her ex-husband.

The second story, "The Wurdulak," stars Boris Karloff as Gorca, the patriarch of a well to do Russian family in the eighteenth century. Wurdulaks, what we would call vampires, plague the countryside. Gorca sets out to slay one of them, a fellow named Alibeq, but leaves strict instructions to his family to destroy him, Gorca, if he returns any later than the stroke of midnight five days hence. Gorca reasons that he will be a vampire himself if he has not returned by that time, and his family agrees. Predictably, Gorca returns late and acts very, VERY weird. The family knows something is wrong but agonizes about doing what they know they must do. Their hesitancy has unfortunate results for several members of the family. This story is the best one on the disc; check out the scene where Karloff thunders around on a horse. Very creepy!

The final tale of woe, called "The Drop of Water," finds Nurse Helen Corey (Jacqueline Pierreux) receiving a weird phone call late at night. It seems an old medium died and her servant is too scared to move the body. Corey agrees to help the superstitious assistant but makes the mistake of stealing a valuable ring off the corpse. What follows is classic chills and thrills as a fly follows Corey around wherever she goes, continually alighting on the ring on her finger. The nurse tries to hide in her house where the sound of dripping water drives her to the point of insanity. Again, no reason to spoil the film for you, but wait until you see what happens to Nurse Corey as the tale winds to a close. Note to self: never steal anything from a deceased psychic.

All I can say here is that Mario Bava has done it again. While I still think "Black Sunday" is a better film, "Black Sabbath" nicely delivers the shocks. Getting Karloff to do double duty as the narrator and the star of one of the segments was a nice touch, too. Including this great actor in the project gives "Black Sabbath" a sort of homage feel, a nod to the earlier horror movies of the 1930s and 1940s. It's no mistake that Karloff's segment is the best one of the three. The weakest is "The Telephone," although even this tale works quite well in the suspense department. In "The Wurdulak," you know what's going to happen, but not so in "The Telephone." Plus, Michele Mercier is extremely easy on the eyes. I couldn't help but think of the seminal "Black Christmas" and "When a Stranger Calls" after watching "The Telephone." I wonder if Bob Clark and Fred Walton took Bava's creation as the inspiration for their own, later films. As for "The Drop of Water," well, it's a scary film that doubtless inspired its own imitators years later.

Horror fans would be remiss to pass up this delightful collection. They're not gory in any way, just as "Black Sunday" wasn't gory, but they are nicely done pieces well worth watching. A big thanks goes out to Image Entertainment for releasing the film in its original format. I am slowly working my way through all of Mario Bava's film, and "Black Sabbath" was a huge step towards completing my journey. After watching the movie, check out the production notes assembled by Bava historian Tim Lucas, the trailer, and the Bava biography. If you like horror, you will definitely want to give this one a few hours of your time.

Are You Serious?
With out a doubt, the best horror film ever made. Bava's Black Sabbath, is without question the most complete horror experience ever filmed. With atmosphere like I've never seen, this trilogy starts off with a classic giallo, and progresses to sheer terror by the last installment. Words alone cannot describe "The Drop of Water", a dark, eerie, and ultimately terrifying experince. If the face of death does not make you cringe, nothing will ever affect you! Do yourself a favor and buy this film(the Italian version), shut the lights off and let the terror begin.

classic horror; though tame by today's standard.
This trilogy of terror stars and is narrated by the late Boris Karloff. It would be tame by today's standards; some younger people might say "lame", but this was pre-"Jason" (Friday the 13th), pre-"Freddy" (Nightmare On Elm Street) and relied more on "suspense" than gore. Interesting for those who like "suspense". ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I finally found it
I'm somewhat biased when it comes to this review. Channel 11 out of NY used to show this movie every Christmas around midnight as I was growing up. Haven't seen it in 20 years. Would love to get it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Karloff in a Non-Horror Role
Anyone who reads any of my reviews knows that I'm a rabid Boris Karloff fan. He could read the telephone book and I'd love it. However, as much as I enjoy his many and varied horror roles, it's nice once in awhile to see him do something non-horror related, and to be surrounded by a cast that isn't made up of "the usual suspects" (such as Ernest Thesinger or Edward Van Sloan). (Don't get me wrong - I LOVE these guys, but newer, different actors bring out new and different sides of Mr. Karloff.)

One such film is "The Criminal Code", starring Walter Huston as a DA who convicts a young kid for an accidental murder, giving him 10 years in prison. Six years later, Huston is made warden of the very prison in which "the kid" is incarcerated - along with many other prisoners whom Huston "sent up". One of the kid's cellmates is Karloff, who sports an appropriately menacing expression and a severe prison buzz-cut.

The kid falls in love with the warden's daughter (and she falls in love with him) and, when an attempted escape results in a respected prisoner's murder, the other inmates are out for the blood of the "squealer", a lame, snivling coward who's being protected in the warden's office. Karloff, however, gets to him and the kid finds out he did it, but, true to the other "criminal code", doesn't squeal on his cellmate and friend. All ends well though (except, perhaps, for Karloff).

This is an extremely enjoyable movie. Huston's frequent growls of, "Yeah?" out of the corner of his mouth get to be downright funny (especially since nobody talks that way anymore) and the gentleman playing the sadistic prison guard with whom Karloff says he "has an appointment" (the guy ratted on Karloff years ago, resulting in Karloff being re-incarcerated for having a beer once he got out of prison the first time) is in turns viscious and hateful, especially when he starts harrassing the kid, who really is a decent guy who just got a bad break.

Huston is a terrific actor, too, and I believe he is the father of John Huston and grandfather of Angelica. I'd never seen him act in anything before and was greatly impressed.

A really enjoyable film, with Karloff being a heavy without being horrifying and actually getting to act. A great surrounding cast, too. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Boris Karloff tries to find a serum to cure old age
In this 1940 horror film directed by Nick Grinde for Columbia, Boris Karloff plays Dr. John Garth, who is searching for a serum to combat old age. Unable to cure one of his suffering patients, the doctor commits a mercy killing. Sentenced to death by hanging, Garth is allowed to continue his experiments in prison. Using the blood of a condemned murderer, Garth creates a new serum, injects himself, and is turned into a younger man. When his sentence is changed to life imprisonment Garth is suddenly driven to strangle the prison doctor (Edward Van Sloan). Since the prison authorities believe the murder was done by another convict, Garth ends up being released. However, although he tries to continue his scientific work, the contaminated blood he used drives him to kill once again. This variation on the Jekyll & Hyde theme drags a bit early on and is redeemed somewhat by the climax when Karloff goes off the deep end. Once again he plays a character who starts off trying to do good but who, invariably it seems, ends up killing people right and left. Not a particularly bad film, "Before I Hang" is just not a particularly good one, but it does have a great title.

Some clever ideas mired in a rather slow, downbeat film.
This film is more timely than some of its contemporaries because it involves a debate on euthanasia. It also makes the film largely unpleasant.

Karloff defends himself for putting a friend to death, and loses his case. He is sentenced to death. He tries out his new youth serum on himself, figuring he has nothing to lose. Then his sentence is commuted to life, and he is doomed to a much longer time behind bars than he had planned. This is one of the interesting ideas.

Then some other contrived stuff happens and Karloff seeks typical horror/noir revenge, as he did in most of the movies he made for Cloumbia in the 40's. It seems the criminal's blood he used in the serum turns him into a killer sometimes. This is another interesting idea. But although there is some decent atmosphere, the film in general bogs itself down.

The Man They Could Not Hang is better, and is quite similar in plot setup, with a few instances of surprisingly strong dialogue and an air of cheeky menace and genuine tragedy, rather than a feel of squalid inevitability.

P.S. Nobody says 'serum' like our man Boris. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ham on Wry
Charles Laughton always gave acting his all; whether in high-budget epic or programmer, slumming or rising to the occasion, he remains extremely watchable. THE STRANGE DOOR is third-rate Universal melodramatic claptrap, not really horror, but it's worth a look to watch the portly Brit devour the scenery (and, in one scene unhappily reminiscent of his glory days as Henry VIII, a roast joint). Karloff isn't given much to do, except look menacing and lumber around unconvincingly in a couple of action scenes, and Sally Forrest shows why she didn't do many period films. Laughton, slaughtering French and co-stars alike with an air of wry self-amusement, is the whole show here. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Boris Karloff does Jekyll and Hyde with a twist
Boris Karloff plays two different characters in this minor 1958 horror film directed by Robert Day. In 1860 a sailor named Styles was executed for being the Haymarket Strangler, who killed five women in a series of brutal murders. Twenty years later philanthropist and novelist James Rankin (Karloff) suspects they hung the wrong man...This is really a minor effort from Karloff, who was still a few years away from being rediscovered in Roger Corman's horror comedies at this point in his long career. The most interesting part of this film is how this English film tries to be racy with all the prostitutes running around as Tenant's potential targets. "The Haunted Strangler" is one for Karloff fans who feel a need to watch everything he ever did. Not a bad film, just not a good one either.

Karloff Masterpiece!
This is one of the best horror movies that Boris Karloff made and he really shows his acting talent.

CAN-CAN
For can-can enthusiasts, this film contains two EXCEPTIONAL can-can numbers in full costume (including traditional suspender stockings and frilled underwear)....

Why the bad rap?
I dont see why this movie gets such poor reviews. Boris does a great facial contortion with paralisis when possesed by a dead murderer. Great victorian costumes help set the stage for a pretty good mystery. I guess most of todays audience expect special effects to replace acting. No twisting heads or spewed pea soup here. While its not as good as Frankenstein, The Mummy or the afore mentioned Corridors of Blood, its still a pretty good Karloff movie.

Boris Karloff does Jekyl and Hyde with a Columbo twist
Boris Karloff gets to play a pair of characters in this minor 1958 horror film directed by Robert Day. In 1860 a sailor named Styles was executed for being the Haymarket Strangler, who killed five women in a series of brutal murders. Twenty years later philanthropist and novelist James Rankin (Karloff) suspects they hung the wrong man. When Rankin discovers the missing murder weapon, a scalpel, in Styles' coffin, he has a fit and murders a music hall singer. Rankin blacks out and the next day does not remember anything. That is when his wife, Barbara (Elizabeth Allan), tells Rankin that his real name is Tenant, and that HE is the Haymarket Strangler. Twenty years earlier she helped him escape from an insane asylum when he developed amnesia. But now that he has his scalpel again, his murderous tendencies return. This is really a minor effort from Karloff, who was still a few years away from being rediscovered in Roger Corman's horror comedies. The most interesting part of "The Haunted Strangler" is how this English film tries to be racy with all the prostitutes running around as Tenant's potential targets. This is one for Karloff fans who feel a need to watch everything he ever did. Not a bad film, just not a good one either. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Boris Karloff and an Egyptian gem that grants immortality
A valuable gem known as "The Eternal Light" is stolen from a Egyptian tomb and ends up in the possession of Professor Morlant (Boris Karloff). The Professor is dying, but believes the powers of the ancient Egyptian gods will give him immortality through the gem. Before he dies, Morlant tells his servant, Laing (Ernest Thesiger) to bind the gem in his hand when he is dead. He also warns Laing that if the jewel is stolen, he will rise from the dead and seek revenge. Of course, Laing steals the gem after Morlant's death and as the professor's heirs and others arrive at the estate to search for the jewel, the Professor rises from his tomb.

"The Ghoul" was really the first major horror film produced in England and obviously tries to follow-up on his previous success in Universal's "The Mummy." A rather simple tale that moves too slow for the most part, the film does show that even when his makeup is relatively simple, there is something about the way Karloff stares and the way he walks that is more suggestive of the dead than the living. Directed in 1933 by T. Hayes Hunter, the film features future Knights of the Empire Cedric Hardwicke and Ralph Richardson. Based on the novel and play by Dr. Frank King and Leonard J. Hines, "The Ghoul" was actually remade as a comedy in 1962 called "No Place Like Homicide!" with Philip O'Flynn of the Carry On gang in the Karloff role.

Boris is great, but ...
... this British horror film shot in March/April of 1933 and released in October of that same year isn't quite up to snuff. Karloff plays Egyptologist Professor Morlant, who believes that, if at the first full moon following his death, his soul brings a jewel called The Eternal Light to the god Anubis, he will be rewarded with eternal life. When Morlant dies, the jewel is bandaged to his left hand and his body is entombed with the statute of Anubis.

But his servant (played by Ernest Thesiger, later of "Bride of Frankenstein") steals the jewel and, when Morlant awakes (the shot of his arm reaching straight up into the air from the sarcophagus is most striking) and finds the jewel missing, he breaks out of his grave, murdering a few people (I think - the way the strangulation scenes are shot, Karloff's efforts seem weak, and after awhile the victims get back up again) until he finds his jewel.

Karloff isn't allowed many lines or chances to redeem this minor picture. His character dies quickly in the beginning (though his death scene is impressive, with the actor's pantomime skills and broken speech well suggestive of a dying man, not to mention a great-looking make-up job), so you never get to know him. Once he comes back to life, he utters not a word, just staggers around chasing after his jewel.

There is a running attempt at humor in the form of a female friend of the heroine, who is fascinated by an Arab who also wants to lay his hands on The Eternal Light. He orders her around and she loves it, but the scenes and the humor stick out like a sore thumb and lack the amusing touch of director James Whale ("The Ghoul" was directed by T. Hayes Hunter, whom several in the cast apparently disliked).

As Paul Jensen notes in his book, "Boris Karloff and His Films", "The Ghoul" merely becomes "a variation on the familiar reading-of-the-will eccentric household, non-supernatural melodrama" and not a very memorable one at that. One does, however, get to see a VERY young Sir Ralph Richardson - he plays the local vicar, Nigel Hartley, who has his own interest in the jewel.

Only for die-hard Karloff fans - like myself.

Enjoyable British chiller
"The ghoul" is a pleasant horror movie without being a masterpiece. This British chiller tells the story of a professor of Egyptology (Boris Karloff) who is in possession of a mysterious jewel called "the eternal light". When the professor dies, the jewel is stolen by his servant (Ernest Thesiger). The professor will step out from his grave for revenge. The atmosphere of this film is most of the time enjoyable, but unfortunately it becomes too talky sometimes. Karloff is very impressive as a walking dead. The first minutes just before he dies are particulary thrilling. Foggy London adds to the general impression of mystery. And of course there is Ernest Thesiger who gives a great performance. Two years later he will be the excentric and diabolical Dr. Pretorius in "Brides of Frankenstein"! The direction of T.Hayes Hunter is perhaps too academic and we're missing the touch of Universal studios. It would have been a nice subject for film directors like Tod Browning or James Whale.
The quality of this DVD is very good - don't forget the film was made in 1933. I can only recommand this rarely seen horror movie from Great Britain.

Not the Czech print
Despite what previous reviewers have said, this DVD of The Ghoul is NOT from the print that turned up in Eastern Europe in the late '60's. The person put in charge of making the DVD was told to see what he could do with it. He made a few cursory calls just to cover the bases, including a call to the British Film Institute. Turns out that they were sitting on a copy that had not been screened in decades. It is overuse of a copy of a film that gives it the "beat" look; it we could take a first generation copy print of Frankenstein today, it could in theory look this good without a total overall. The print was so good that a typical transfer looked like it was made yesterday.

The Ghoul dates from a time when the studios had not yet wholeheartedly committed to making supernatural horror. They felt that audiences needed a final logical explanation to buy into it. The Universal films of the 30's turned that tide around, but this movie was still not fully into that realm. So if you go in expecting a super shock, you will be disappointed. However, if you like atmosphere and good acting, and want to see an amazing transfer of a 30's movie that looks like it was filmed yesterday, look no further. The plusses outweigh the minuses in this case.

Dead on Arrival
I've tried watching this movie over the years and found it boring,cold and so confusing that I could never understand what was happening. With this new DVD, I decided to give it another chance. Verdict: it's just as boring, cold and confusing as before. Technically, it looks great. Wonderful shadows and lighting. But this film moves soooooo slow. And poor Boris Karloff. He does what he can in the role of the glaring, stumbling old ghoul but he acts embarassed by the whole stunt. Great Britian simply didn't have the know-how in the early thirties to make a great horror flick like those being turned out by Universal. Don't waste your time on this one. Watch the l932 "The Mummy" instead to see how a real classic looks. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

BORIS KARLOFF? LON CHANEY? TOGETHER AGAIN?
This is a true horror film, one in which I have at the top row of my horror movie shelf. Boris Karloff and Lon C haney are back in another great horror film. Packed with sword fights, murder, jealousey and obsession. Also with a great climax in which the two lovers are trying to escape from THE BLACK CASTLE. Starring Richard Greene,Boris Karloff, Stephen McNalley, Lon Chaney and the beautiful Paula Corday. A true must have horror movie.

An atmospheric leopard hunt on a Black Forest estate
I knew sooner or later I would find a horror film where Boris Karloff did not turn out to be the bad guy! Set in the 18th-century, "The Black Castle" tells of Sir Ronald Burton (Richard Greene), who believes two of his friends have been murdered by the one-eyed Count von Bruno (Stephen McNally) on his Black Forest estate. Burton arrives at the castle to investigate and discovers the Count's unhappy wife, Elga (Paula Corday) and his physician, Dr. Meissen (Karloff), are essentially prisoners. The Count and his giant, mute henchman Gargon (Lon Chaney, Jr.), recognize Burton as the person who had them captured and tortured by natives for ivory poaching in Africa. They decide to kill Burton during a leopard hunt.

That leopard hunt is the showpiece of this 1952 film directed by Nathan Juran, although the story continues for a while afterwards. Greene shows why his reputation as a dashing hero of B-movies is well deserved while Karloff shows that you should never count his character out just because he gets killed. As I indicated above, I like the fact that Karloff gets to play against type, just to confuse everybody. "The Black Castle" is not a great horror film, but it is a solid effort and the leopard hunt is extremely atmospheric. Well worth a look for fans of Karloff.