Reviews (3)

An often immitated story line.
Boris is a quack prestidigitator whose premonitions suddenly begin to come true. One of the first of these kinds of stories possibly, but often immitated since. Reminicent of a One Step Beyond story. Worth a look though.

Karloff in excellent form!
Not too long ago, the classic early-sixties horror/suspense/crime series "Thriller" ended a highly-edited run on The Sci-Fi Channel, where it was tucked into the wee hours of the morning. To its credit, Sci-Fi showed all of the series' episodes, horror and non-horror, and in their original order, which made this episode all the more significant, as it was the first truly supernatural installment in the series, and an excellent one. The story is conventional but very cleverly done and wonderfully atmospheric, paving the way for such great entries as Robert Bloch's "The Hungry Glass" and Robert Arthur's "Pigeons from Hell." Karloff, who had a tendency to ham up such roles, is excellent here as the magician/seer who suddenly finds himself cursed with terrible powers. The ending, while unsurprising, is memorably tragic. One of the best!

Good Episode of a Sublime, Though Sadly Forgotten, TV Show
True fans of Horror who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s love this show. Even Stephen King, in his book DANSE MACABRE (p. 216 of the oversized paperback), calls this "the best horror series ever put on TV."

The show's host, Boris Karloff, obviously no stranger to the horror genre, stars in this particular episode, "The Prediction." It is a story about a second-rate magician (Karloff) whose "stage" predictions about the future suddenly start to come true. But when the old prognosticator warns that a secretly planned elopement will result in death, his assistant and her fiance think it's all a smoke-and-mirrors attempt to end their relationship. Though the ending to this story is a bit predictable (excuse the pun), the strong performance by Karloff makes it definitely worth watching. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Adult Thriller episode~
This episode is not as much fun or nearly as creepy as other Thrillers,but the acting is superb.This was more of an adult presentation~~no thunder & lightening & old,dark mansions in this one!Worth owning,tho'!

One of the better "Thriller" episodes.
"The Terror in Teakwood" is a typical horror installment of "Thriller" in every regard. The horrific and supernatural elements are presented in a matter-of-fact, Jacques-Tourneur fashion, with the primary emphasis placed on telling a good story. Such an approach renders the frightening moments all the more frightening. Whatever happened to this approach?

The story is an imaginative variation on "The Hands of Orlac," with a dangerously obsessed pianist stealing the hands of his dead rival from the graveyard. The pianist is played by none other than Guy Rolfe of William Castle's 1961 "Mr. Sardonicus." Not the scariest "Thriller" episode, by any means, but scary enough.

Creepy Episode of a Sublime, Though Sadly Forgotten, TV Show
True fans of Horror who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s love this show. Even Stephen King, in his book DANSE MACABRE (p. 216 of the oversized paperback), calls this "the best horror series ever put on TV." The show's host, Boris Karloff, was obviously no stranger to the genre, and he even starred in several notable episodes.

This episode, "The Terror in Teakwood," tells the story of a pianist and composer who is obsessed with proving to the public that he can best his late rival. He is eventually able to perform his rival's most difficult pieces, but only when wearing the severed hands of the deceased rival like a pair of gloves. Of course, such gruesome acts ultimately lead to the jealous pianist's demise....

This is a particularly eerie and morbid episode, so fans of the genre should definitly find here those chills they seek. Also worth noting is that the episode was directed by Paul Henreid, who is well known to fans of classic cinema as the actor who played Victor Laszlo in 1942's CASABLANCA. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great TV, lots of fun.
I recently ordered three of these tapes from Amazon.com and I'm not disappointed. This one has great atmosphere, Boris steals the show of course. Dick York is great too. Nice shock ending. The subject matter was very uncommon for early 60s television, a rare living dead story. Ooops, don't want to give away the ending! Classic TV horror, one of the best. Pleasant screams!

The first horror story I ever saw; it scarred me for life
I cannot believe I found this, because "The Incredible Doktor Markesan" was the first horror story I can remember seeing. More to the point, I remember the ending, which freaked me out so much that I could not stand to watch "Bewitched" because all I could think of is what happened to Dick York and Carolyn Kearney at the end of this story. This was an episode of "Thriller," the suspense anthology that aired on NBC from 1960-1962 and was hosted by Boris Karloff, who also plays the title character in this 1962 story directed by Robert Florey ("Murders in the Rue Morgue").

My memory of the end of this show was so intense that all I remembered about the rest of the episode was that the young married couple were told not to go exploring in the house and they did not listen (my parents could not have possibly known their five year old was watching "Thriller"; watching Karloff would have meant nothing to me). It turns out the good Doktor has invented a serum that wakes the dead by turning them into zombies. When his nephew and his bride come to live with Markesan, their curiosity gets the better of them with horrible results.

I do not claim to be objective about this story because it literally scarred me for life. Watching the ending again, for the second time ever, totally creeped me out and it has been forty years. Eventually I got up enough nerve to actually watch the parts of "The Wizard of Oz" with the wicked witch, but I have needed the intervening decades to screw up enough courage to watch "The Incredible Doktor Markesan" again. This is probably the only episode of "Thriller" I ever watched, which makes perfect sense to me. I just cannot believe I found this (shiver).

Classic Episode From A Classic TV Show.
I was overjoyed when Universal issued this along with 5 other episodes of THRILLER a few years ago as this was one of my favorite shows from the early days of TV. It lasted only 2 years on NBC but not before many fine segments were aired featuring a number of well known actors, writers and directors. I had taped several episodes when a local station ran them late night many years ago. It's always a pleasant surprise when something is as good as you remember it. Unfortunately the copies I taped were not in the best of shape so it was especially disappointing when Universal chose not to release any more in the series. Many fine stories were not included such as THE HUNGRY GLASS with William Shatner, PIGEONS FROM HELL based on a story by Robert E. Howard of CONAN fame, and LA STREGA a tale of witchcraft with a young Ursula Andress. The ones that were chosen seem to be based on contemporary recognition factors of the stories and performers which is understandable but unfortunate. Perhaps someday TV LAND or one of the cable channels will make the series available. It's too good to waste. Of the ones released this episode is, in my opinion, the best of the lot and one of the best from the entire series. It is based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft disciple August Derleth and directed by veteran Robert Florey (MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE, THE BEAST WITH 5 FINGERS). Boris Karloff is unforgettable as the title character while Dick York is fun to see outside of BEWITCHED. It's the details such as camera angles, lighting and acting that add up in this old-fashioned approach to horror and while the story may be predictable the results are highly effective. For those of you who want to be chilled as opposed to grossed out then check this out along with the other 5 in the series. Perhaps someone could persuade Stephen King (who loved this show as a kid) to use his considerable clout to persuade Universal to release more episodes. I'm sure they would listen to him.

The best TV Horror circa 1960
I first saw this in the early 70s when a local station was thoughtfully running the series every night of the week right at bedtime. This episode is on my short list of the best of the best of this series. (Others that spring to mind: Guillotine; Kill My Love; The Remarkable Mrs. Hawk; Masquerade)

The other reviewers here mention the predictability of the ending, and for certain, the producers do all they can to annihilate the surprise factor. They show the last few seconds of this particular episode in a 2 minute teaser that precedes the feature on this video, just throwing away the one hour buildup that is to follow for the sake of a glitzy montage. (Idiots!) Beware!! --Fast forward without looking, if you can, to the beginning proper of the tape.

I think the ending is predictable the way the ending of a trailblazing movie like, say, Psycho is now. It doesn't take a prophet to see the past with 20-20 vision. In it's day, however, the convention that a protagonist must make it to the closing credits of a popular entertainment was only beginning to be challenged by movies like Psycho, and on TV, by The Twilight Zone, and Thriller. Just those two. I recall clearly my dismay, indeed my horror, the first time I saw this episode, with no hint of what was to come. So maybe the failure here is the failure of the other writers to adequately "work with" the episode, as they would have to the original Nosferatu, Frankenstein or Metropolis.

I give it a very solid 5 stars.

Superb crawler of flesh!
Others may give this episode a "so~so" review,but I liken it to being trapped in a nightmare while wanting to run for help!The atmosphere is dank & musty,the acting is sharp,Karloff is simply magnificent & the black & white photography only enhances the story.DON'T MISS THIS ONE! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

SCARIEST MOVIE EVER
I saw this movie once in my life....in 1965. I had nightmares about it for twenty years. Absolutely the most spine-tingling movie of all time. Not bloody type of scary, DEMON kind of scary.

A Thriller worth seeing
When I fisrt rented this video, I thought it would be hum-drum and boring. But I found it to be suspenseful, interesting, entertaining and definitely worth seeing. It's about a young man(William Shatner) who goes to visit his aunt who just recently married a man much younger than herself, he comes to warn her of an 'evil' painting that brings certain death to all who posses it. But the painting does not strike without warning, before the unlucky party is to die, the scythe in the painting bears blood, and its meaning is certain death. The ending was the best. Just when you think you've figured the plot, a surprise twist occurs. Starring William Shatner and hosted by the great Boris Karloff, and written by Robert Bloch, the author of Psycho, this is a thriller worth dying for.

Surprisingly better than average- even thrilling
When I fisrt rented this video, I thought it would be hum-drum and boring. But I found it to be suspenseful, interesting, entertaining and definitely worth seeing. It's about a young man(William Shatner) who goes to visit his aunt who just recently married a man much younger than herself, he comes to warn her of an 'evil' painting that brings certain death to all who posses it. But the painting does not strike without warning, before the unlucky party is to die, the scythe in the painting bears blood, and its meaning is certain death. The ending was the best. Just when you think you've figured the plot, a surprise twist occurs. Starring William Shatner and hosted by the great Boris Karloff, and written by Robert Bloch, the author of Psycho, this is a thriller worth dying for.

Good Episode of a Sublime, Though Sadly Forgotten, TV Show
True fans of Horror who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s love this show. Even Stephen King, in his book DANSE MACABRE (p. 216 of the oversized paperback), calls this "the best horror series ever put on TV." The show's host, Boris Karloff, was obviously no stranger to the genre, and he even starred in several notable episodes.

This particular episode, "The Grim Reaper," is a pretty good one. The story centers a wealthy writer of horror fiction and her visiting nephew. The nephew's plan is to "bump off" his old aunt, using the legend of a cursed painting of the Grim Reaper--a painting the aunt has recently purchased--as his cover. But, of course, there is more to the "legend" behind the painting than the nephew realizes....

As with all the good and great episodes of THRILLER, this one does chill the bones. Also notable are a pre-STAR TREK performance by William Shatner, as the nephew, and a pre-GILLIGAN'S ISLAND performance by Natalie Schafer as the wealthy aunt. Definitely one of the THRILLER episodes that fans of the genre, especially fans of classic horror, won't want to miss.

best move to with the grim reaper so far
a cursed painting of the grim reaper comes to life ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Incredible Animals
I was lucky enough to see this with my whole family when it was first released. I bought the VHS copy since the DVD is not available yet. I will give Disney a little credit though, they are finally starting to release some of their classic movies on DVD. I miss the days of Disney movies drawing the whole family to the theater for wholesome entertainment. It is rare that they do that in this age of dysfunctional families and kids with attitude to others. Somewhere along the line they got the idea that kids think this makes them look cool. Well the first time they get out on their own and they mouth off like that to the wrong person they find out how uncool that can be.

This movie is so far above the remake it makes you wonder how Disney's staff keep their jobs. If you want a movie you can let the whole family watch and enjoy together be sure to get this one. The scenery, acting, and the animals themselves are great. When I was a kid we got a Siamese and named him Tao because of this movie. The quality of this VHS is good. I look forward to the DVD release for better picture and sound and hopefully some extras. If you have seen the remake I'm sure you will be presently surprised when you see this version. The remake tried to hard to be funny and it just isn't.

One of the more boring Disney films I've ever seen.
I am a big Disney film fan, animated or live-action. But this film, 1963's "The Incredible Journey" just didn't cut it. During most of the film, there is almost no dialogue except for a boring narration of the story by Rex Allen. I liked the remake, 1993's "Homeward Bound", much better because it had human actors doing the voices of the animals. They gave the story a lot more spark, spice, action, and adventure, as well as a lot of humor. I believe that an adventure story with animals needs a lot of action and humor, especially in the case of "The Incredible Journey". Unfortunately, this 1963 Disney adventure has virtually no action or humor or even adventure; it's pretty much an extended version of Walt Disney's True-Life nature documentaries he made during the 1950's.

Ten Thousand Times Better Than The Remake
This earlier version of the movie is straightforward storytelling, without any rediculous attitude. (I'm wagering that 90% of the reason the new Disney Movie, "Treasure Planet" failed is because of the absolutely hideous haircut the lead character wears.) Even my six year old loved this video. The nature scenery is spectacular. I hate the fact that the inferior updated version of this movie can be found on DVD but this classic version is only on video. Some of the people currently making the decisions at Disney ought to be replaced.

Great movie!
Very warm, fun, and entertaining. My 3 yr. old son and I watched this for the first time on Disney Channel. My son was thrilled with the movie and I decided to buy it to add to our video collection. Simple and very nice movie for the whole family!

Strongly recommended
A beautiful classical Disney's film. Ideal for all ages. A nice story for children and for adults who like me din't lose contat with the child we once were. The scenery is oustanding. The colours and the landscape are a gift for the eyes. The story deals with emotions and the close relantionship between animal and between animals and humans. The scenes among the animals touched my heart deeply. A must for bull terriers lovers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Nice twist on Poe.
This is the E. A. Poe story with a twist. I liked it alot, had me guessing what would happen next. Clever pop-open coffin setup. The specter's face was very effective. Well done twist to a classic Poe story.

Good Episode of a Sublime, Though Sadly Forgotten, TV Show
True fans of Horror who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s love this show. Even Stephen King, in his book DANSE MACABRE (p. 216 of the oversized paperback), calls this "the best horror series ever put on TV." The show's host, Boris Karloff, is obviously no stranger to the horror genre, and he co-stars in this particular episode, "The Premature Burial."

With only a vague resemblance to the Poe story of the same name, this story concerns a man who suffers from catalepsy and consequently becomes obsessed with ensuring that he is never buried alive during a seizure. But unbenknownst to him, his cuckolding young wife has other plans. Karloff appears as a medical doctor who is good friends with the cataleptic gentleman and who eventually uncovers the truth about the wife's sinister doings. All in all, it's an entertaining little horror story with an interesting and suspenseful climax. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Imagine your pets traveling 200 miles over mountainous terrain just to see you. What would they eat? What if a bear attacked? What if they ran into a porcupine? This Disney classic answers these questions and more with style and fun, in a story the whole family will enjoy. It tells the tale of two dogs and a cat that head for home on a 200-mile journey through the Canadian Rockies, when they are separated from the family friend who's taking care of them. With a lot of teamwork, ingenuity, and a few human friends along the way, they make it home safe and sound. Unlike the '90s remakes, the animals don't "speak" in voice-overs--and that's a vast improvement. The narrator explains the animals' thoughts, and for their feelings, we need only look at their facial expressions. This trio can act. Watch for the scene where the Siamese cat gets into a spitting match with a lynx on a tree branch, or where he and the retriever scare off a bear that's attacking the older dog. Children under five may be a little frightened by some of the larger wild animals, but there's no violence (though one of the dogs is seen briefly carrying a dead rabbit). Children of all ages will gain respect for animals as independent, loyal, and sensitive beings; and you'll see your pet with new eyes. --Elisabeth Keating ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Incredible Animals
I was lucky enough to see this with my whole family when it was first released. I bought the VHS copy since the DVD is not available yet. I will give Disney a little credit though, they are finally starting to release some of their classic movies on DVD. I miss the days of Disney movies drawing the whole family to the theater for wholesome entertainment. It is rare that they do that in this age of dysfunctional families and kids with attitude to others. Somewhere along the line they got the idea that kids think this makes them look cool. Well the first time they get out on their own and they mouth off like that to the wrong person they find out how uncool that can be.

This movie is so far above the remake it makes you wonder how Disney's staff keep their jobs. If you want a movie you can let the whole family watch and enjoy together be sure to get this one. The scenery, acting, and the animals themselves are great. When I was a kid we got a Siamese and named him Tao because of this movie. The quality of this VHS is good. I look forward to the DVD release for better picture and sound and hopefully some extras. If you have seen the remake I'm sure you will be presently surprised when you see this version. The remake tried to hard to be funny and it just isn't.

One of the more boring Disney films I've ever seen.
I am a big Disney film fan, animated or live-action. But this film, 1963's "The Incredible Journey" just didn't cut it. During most of the film, there is almost no dialogue except for a boring narration of the story by Rex Allen. I liked the remake, 1993's "Homeward Bound", much better because it had human actors doing the voices of the animals. They gave the story a lot more spark, spice, action, and adventure, as well as a lot of humor. I believe that an adventure story with animals needs a lot of action and humor, especially in the case of "The Incredible Journey". Unfortunately, this 1963 Disney adventure has virtually no action or humor or even adventure; it's pretty much an extended version of Walt Disney's True-Life nature documentaries he made during the 1950's.

Ten Thousand Times Better Than The Remake
This earlier version of the movie is straightforward storytelling, without any rediculous attitude. (I'm wagering that 90% of the reason the new Disney Movie, "Treasure Planet" failed is because of the absolutely hideous haircut the lead character wears.) Even my six year old loved this video. The nature scenery is spectacular. I hate the fact that the inferior updated version of this movie can be found on DVD but this classic version is only on video. Some of the people currently making the decisions at Disney ought to be replaced.

Great movie!
Very warm, fun, and entertaining. My 3 yr. old son and I watched this for the first time on Disney Channel. My son was thrilled with the movie and I decided to buy it to add to our video collection. Simple and very nice movie for the whole family!

Strongly recommended
A beautiful classical Disney's film. Ideal for all ages. A nice story for children and for adults who like me din't lose contat with the child we once were. The scenery is oustanding. The colours and the landscape are a gift for the eyes. The story deals with emotions and the close relantionship between animal and between animals and humans. The scenes among the animals touched my heart deeply. A must for bull terriers lovers. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Horrifyingly Amusing "Thriller" Episode!
This 1961 installment of the Boris Karloff-hosted hour-long TV anthology series, "Thriller", is one of the best of the lot. Starring Elizabeth Montgomery and Tom Poston (along with a creepy John Carradine), "Masquerade" is delightfully "tongue-in-cheek" from start to finish. With a great, great twist ending too!

Liz and Tom are stranded in a severe rain storm, and stop by the nearest residence for shelter. Too bad -- for them that is. Because this "residence" is occupied by some rather odd inhabitants (Carradine and family).

This plot has a very familiar ring. It's the same storyline that exists in the feature film "The Old Dark House", the outstanding 1932 horror classic. But in "Masquerade", the "horror" is heavily tinged with humor (mostly humor in fact -- but still a little scary around the edges at times). A nice blend of scary images and humor make this episode quite fun to see.

The very first thing you'll notice as this episode begins is something that is distinctly familiar to nearly all horror movie fans -- that being the house that was used as the location for this "Thriller" program. It's none other than Norman Bates' homestead from the film "Psycho" (which was released just 16 months prior to the airing of this TV episode)! It *does* seem rather strange (IMO) for this by-now highly-recognizable "Psycho" house to be shown in a TV episode.

With lightning illuminating the house and thunder crashing during the heavy rainstorm, the producers of this "Thriller" episode did an excellent job of photographing this famous old house, and creating an eerie setting at the beginning of the program. The famous dwelling looks even spookier in this "Thriller" episode (if that's possible) than it did in Mr. Hitchcock's movie.

"Masquerade" first aired on network TV on October 30, 1961 -- the 43rd episode of the "Thriller" series, which ran for just two seasons (67 total episodes).

This VHS video comes via "MCA/Universal Home Video" and runs approx. 50 minutes in Full-Frame (1.33:1) format. The audio is Hi-Fi Mono. The video opens with a short "Trailer" ad for the six MCA/Universal VHS videos in this "Thriller" series. Each video contains one (approx. 50-minute) episode from the short-lived 1960s Boris Karloff series. They're all pretty darn good too. Getting them all wouldn't be that bad of an idea. A much better idea than spending a stormy night in the "Psycho" house, at any rate. LOL! :)

Vampire comedy thriller
Film legend Boris Karloff hosts this horror television series. In this episode he invites us to update our image of vampires.

Stars Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched) and Tom Poston (Bob Newhart Show) as a couple of young smart and cynical honeymooners who take refuge in a forbidding old house (the Psycho set) which is occupied by a strange family. The story keeps you guessing whether the honeymoon couple or the somewhat mocking hosts including John Carradine (Hillbillies in a Haunted House) are the ones who've made a grave mistake.

If you can suspend disbelief this is a nerve-racking nail-biting story, if you can't it's just nerve-racking.

Excellent creepfest with laughs & bats,too!
I very much enjoyed this lighthearted "THILLER" episode & I must admit~~I didn't see the twist ending coming!Great performances by all!Highly Recommended!!!

can't touch this
Now to really view a horror sitcomof the 1960's and enjoy the thrillof it...What a shame these are not duplicated anymore. Horror todayis loaded with blood, violence,sex and same thing same thing. With Thriller the old fashionthrill is there. REMEMBER THEFIRST ROLLER-COASTER RIDE. Thissame experience will be felt withthis video of yesterdays gone by.

Great Episode of a Sublime, Though Sadly Forgotten, TV Show
True fans of Horror who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s love this show. Even Stephen King, in his book DANSE MACABRE (p. 216 of the oversized paperback), calls this "the best horror series ever put on TV." The show's host, Boris Karloff, was obviously no stranger to the genre, and he even starred in several notable episodes.

This particular episode, "Masquerade," is one of the tamer episodes horror-wise, but it still sets the creepy mood that was the trademark of the series. Also notable are pre-fame performances by Tom Poston and Elizabeth Montgomery, as well as a nice little turn by John Carradine. Unlike the majority of THRILLER episodes, it does contain humor and has a humorous twist ending that, by today's standards, probably seems a bit cliche. Nontheless, it is a very entertaining episode and well worth a watch. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Kino's 2-disc DVD version
Relative newcomer Marlene Dietrich's electrifying performance in the 1930 sound film THE BLUE ANGEL overshadows the perhaps even greater performance by Emil Jannings as a sexually-repressed professor. Her screen presence also more than overcomes Josef von Sternberg's rather static direction that was typical of early sound films, elevating this romantic melodrama into its classic status.

Kino's region-free DVD contains both the German and the English versions of the film, each on a separate disc. Both versions look very clean for a 71-year-old film, although just a tad less sharp than I would have liked. The English version looks a bit cleaner still. The supplements include a side-by-side comparison of the two versions (with the German version shown on the left), and the English version indeed looks better. The German version is supported by optional, white-on-black-bar English subtitles. The black bars, of course, cover up part of the picture. I would suggest Kino use white, black-bordered lettering for subtitles in the future instead.

The German version runs 102 minutes, and has a few scenes that are not shown in the English version due to censorship (such as the moment when Lola rotates her body to reveal her bare back side to her nightclub audience). The English version runs 100 minutes. Although it was supposedly made for English audiences, only Dietrich's role is all English-speaking, while the other actors speak a combination of both languages -- English for important dialogs, German for less important ones.

The included audio commentary on the German disc is a mild disappointment. Although historian Werner Sedendorf's analytical comments are excellent, he just does not speak often enough. Long stretches of silence are frequent. Kino should have thought of filling the vacancies with additional comments (either by Sedendorf or someone else), especially when a lot of relevant topics are not adequately covered, such as the legendary collaborations between Dietrich and von Sternberg, the details about the censorship practiced on the English version, the period of German Expressionism that inspired directors like von Sternberg, etc.

The DVD does include a generous amount of extra material. There is a wonderful biography section that includes photos and credits of about 30 cast and crew members. There are about 150 photos, some of which are then-and-now comparisons of some of the props and costumes in the movie. There are text screens of the film's production history. The best extras, unquestionnably, are the 4 film clips of Dietrich's screen test and concert performances. There is a memorable clip of the 1930 screen test of Dietrich singing "You are the Cream in my Coffee." There are 2 clips of televised concerts from the 60s and 70s showing Dietrich performing two of the songs in the movie (English renditions of "Falling in Love Again" and "Lola Lola"). There is another TV footage of her singing "You are the Cream in my Coffee" after reminiscing about her 1930 screen test.

The "Stepping Stone" for Marlene Dietrich's World Conquest
Joseph von Sternberg 'packaged' his muse, Marlene Dietrich to become a world star with "The Blue Angel". The disturbing story of a revue entertainer (Dietrich) and the middle aged professor(Emil Jannings)who falls madly in love with, and later is destroyed by her, based on the novel "Professor Unrat". Many unforgettable songs by Friedrich Hollander are featured, most noteworthy of course "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss auf Liebe eingestellt" ("Falling in Love Again") and "Ich bin die feche Lola" ("They Call Me Naughty Lola"). -- There is a dub-version available, but I recommend the original German with subtitles. Many effects are lost with the former. I can highly recommend this film, a must for fans of either the stars or the director!*****

Falling Too Hard
This memorable, iconic film stars Marlene Dietrich as the showgirl Lola Lola, Emil Jannings as the Professor, and is directed by Josef von Sternberg. Stodgy, upright Herr Professor enters the cabaret after following some of his pupils, whom he's discovered with postcards of the singer Lola. He is shocked by the degradation of the place, but then catches sight of Lola and finds himself fascinated. In spite of himself, he returns again and again to the nightclub, driven by his feelings for Lola, a mixture of blatant lust and intense curiousity. Through a series of dressing room encounters, the Professor becomes acquainted with Lola, who views him as an amusing distraction, a relic with his gentlemanly ways and old-fashioned manners. The Professor proves useful in his way, serving as a foil between her and unwanted advances from customers and unwelcomed suitors. With the best of intentions the Professor offers Lola his hand in marriage, offering her his protection, and his good name. This is meaningless at the cabaret, no one plays by his rules. The befuddled Professor tries to fit in, but cannot, and in the process loses himself entirely. He can't change himself, just as he can't change Lola ~ to change Lola would be to destroy her, just as the Professor, through the change he endures, destroys himself. There is a sort of backhanded morality here: Lola cannot help for what she is, she is a product of what she has seen in her life, what she has been forced to do in order to survive, just as the Professor can't help for what he is, the product of his own background, mores, and values. He might have survived had he realised that what a person portrays on stage is not necessarily what that person truly must be, once the curtain is wrung down. The film arrives to its inevitable tragic end, climaxing with a scene of devastating humiliation. Many underlying psycho-sexual themes run through this film, the most obvious being repression vs freedom, and at what cost 'liberation' is achieved. To view the film in the context of the era in which it was made ~ a time portending many social and moralistic upheavals ~ makes for some interesting discussion. Marlene Dietrich, in her role, is in turns cold and unbending, charming and vexing, wise and vulnerable, and always, always absolutely luminously beautiful. Jannings is heartbreaking as the Professor. A must-see for anyone interested in cinema.

One of Kino's best packages. A must for Marlene Fans!!!!!!!!
I like most the DVDs that Kino makes but I must say that this is their most impressive package. A two disk set, the features are marvelous, including both versions of the film (which look great)! Marlene Dietrich musical performances, scene comparison, informative commentary, and a not to be missed screen test with Marlene. The film alone is great, but the DVD package makes it outstanding. Its about a professor, Emil Jennings, who is perfectly cast, and his downfall after meeting a nightclub dancer named Lola Lola, played with great charisma by Marlene Dietrich. A must, don't hesitate to but the Kino 2-disk set if your a Dietrich fan!

A classic of world cinema
A German cinema classic from the late Weimar-era, and the film debut of super-sexy Marlene Dietrich, who is stunning in her role as a flirtatious, heartless cabaret singer whose carnal wiles bring an infatuated school teacher to ruin. But then, what is *really* responsible for his downfall? Dietrich as the temptress, his own repressed sexuality and concurrent fetishization of her beauty, or the close-mindedness of the society around them? As with much of the art of this era (in Germany and without), this film depicts the clash of the old world and the new -- the modern, open, crass, liberating and chaotic world of the individual against the older, stable, stifling, communal and "moral" world of the village and church. At any rate, the transformation of actor Emil Jannings from a fusty old humbug into a degraded shell of a man is a dramatic triumph, and the direction, by Josef von Sternberg, is flawless -- filled with darkness, closeness and brooding claustrophia. The new DVD version features both the German and English-language versions (the English version isn't dubbed, it was actually *acted* in English by the same German actors, and has a few interesting differences of moral tone...) and also includes, as an added bonus Marlene Dietrich's first screen test, which is hilarious, and a must-see for her fans. ... Read more