Archive for Frankenstein

Quick Cuts Presents: Movie Ideas for HALLOWEEN NIGHT!

Posted in 1950s Horror, 1980s Horror, 2012, 70s Horror, Classic Films, Evil Kids!, Frankenstein Movies, Quick Cuts, Satan with tags , , , , , , on October 30, 2012 by knifefighter

QUICK CUTS:  Halloween Movies
With Michael Arruda, L. L. Soares, Sheri Sebastian-Gabriel, Paul McMahon, and Mark Onspaugh

MICHAEL ARRUDA:   Tonight on QUICK CUTS, we ask our panel of Cinema Knife Fighters,

What are you watching this Halloween night? 

Specifically, if you could line up a triple feature this Halloween, which movies would you be watching?

 *****

SHERI SEBASTIAN-GABRIEL:

This Halloween, I would highly recommend a trio from Hammer Films. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the over-the-top camp of Hammer productions.

I would start out my Halloween triple feature with a viewing of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1962). Herbert Lom, who played the Phantom in this exceptional version of the Gaston Leroux novel, died earlier this year. This makes the film even more poignant to me. Andrew Lloyd Webber this is not. Lom’s phantom is genuinely frightening, a menacing killer. The film gives us an added bonus with Michael Gough, who went on to play Alfred Pennyworth in Tim Burton’s BATMAN (1989), playing a truly nasty fellow.

PARANOIAC (1963) would be the meat in my Hammer sandwich. This film is a solid example of British psychological horror. Call it Hitchcock Light. Oliver Reed portrays a drunken, bitter aristocrat with ease. It’s the role he was born to play. If you’re looking for a gripping break from creature features, this one will satisfy.

I would round it all out with THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957). I’m a huge fan of Peter Cushing. I do love his heroic roles, but it’s nice to see him play a villain. In this case, he portrays Baron Victor Frankenstein, a cold, obsessed scientist who will stop at nothing to bring a creature comprised of the best parts from corpses back to life. The plan goes horribly wrong when the brain he intended to use is damaged, and the monster escapes. Christopher Lee plays a chilling, disturbing monster, a true original even for those who have seen Universal’s FRANKENSTEIN (1931).

Christopher Lee as The Monster in THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957).

*****

PAUL MCMAHON:

 My Halloween triple-feature is a feast of monster movies from the “S” column.

First is SLUGS (1988) based on the Shaun Hutson novel.

I’m following that up with 2006′s SLITHER, directed by James Gunn.

Closing things out will be the creepily unusual SPLINTER (2008) directed by Toby Wilkins.

*****

MARK ONSPAUGH:

I’d like to cheat a little bit and offer two classics as an appetizer—THE WASP WOMAN (1959)  by Roger Corman and William Castle’s THE TINGLER (1959) — if had to choose just one, I’d  keep THE TINGLER because you’ve got to have Vincent Price on Halloween.

I LOVE all the Universal monsters, but they’re more like old friends at this point and I want to feel uneasy—So next up would either be Cronenberg’s THE BROOD (1979) or (if that weren’t available) THE CHILDREN, that 1980 oddity where kids exposed to a toxic cloud get black nails and a lethal touch—and people cut their hands off! Dang!

Finally, BURNT OFFERINGS (1976), because it still creeps me out.

Happy Halloween, ev’rybody!

*****

L.L. SOARES:

Well, first off, I’d choose Roman Polanski’s ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968). Why? Because it just got a special release from The Criterion Collection on DVD and Blu-Ray. No matter what you think of Polanski, ROSEMARY is a movie all horror fans should see at least once, because it’s an amazingly well-made flick, with a great cast, very strong atmosphere, and even some scares. In it, an innocent woman (Mia Farrow) learns she may be carrying the child of the devil. You won’t soon forget this one. Check out the brand new edition(s) with tons of the usual Criterion extras.

Keeping with the theme of horrific children, I’d continue with Larry Cohen’s mutant baby classic, IT’S ALIVE (1974). This time a woman gives birth to a man-eating monstrosity. I remember the TV commercial for this one being even scarier than the movie (back in the 70s, they knew how to make movie trailers that scared the hell out of you). You can even get this one on a “Triple-feature DVD” with its sequels IT LIVES AGAIN (1978) and IT’S ALIVE III: ISLAND OF THE ALIVE (1987). And if you get that DVD set, then you’d already have a Halloween triple feature in one box.

And you can top the night off with the Spanish classic, WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? (1976) where a couple find themselves on an island full of homicidal children. Can they bring themselves to fight back? This one will send shivers through your spine.

And, of course, any of these are interchangeable with William Friedkin’s mega-classic THE EXORCIST (1973), with Linda Blair as the ultimate child possessed by the devil, or David Cronenberg’s monster-kid masterpiece, THE BROOD (1979).

*****

 MICHAEL ARRUDA:

This year I’m in the mood for some 80s horror.  So, my triple feature would kick off with HELLRAISER (1987), written and directed by Clive Barker.

Pinhead and his Cenobite pals from HELLRAISER (1987).

Next up, David Croneberg’s THE FLY (1986), one of those rare instances where the remake is better than the original.  Featuring Jeff Goldblum’s finest performance.

And to finish things off, I’d go with CREEPSHOW (1982), directed by George Romero, written by Stephen King, and with Leslie Nielson in the cast, good for some laughs as well as some chills.

Happy Halloween, Everyone, from all of us here at Cinema Knife Fight!

© Copyright 2012 by Michael Arruda, L.L. Soares, Sheri Sebastian-Gabriel, Paul McMahon and Mark Onspaugh

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HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (2012)

Posted in 2012, Adam Sandler Movies, Animated Films, Family Films, Fun Stuff!, Sheri White Reviews with tags , , , , , , , on October 2, 2012 by knifefighter

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (2012)
Movie Review by Sheri White

My kids are old and wizened now at the ripe ages of 23, 17, and 14, which means I haven’t seen a kids’ movie in the theater in a long time. So I was surprised when the two youngest wanted to go with me to see this movie after I told them I was reviewing it for CKF. I didn’t even have to entice them with promises of candy and popcorn.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite Saturday morning cartoons was THE GROOVIE GOOLIES (1970 – 1971) —the characters were cool, hip versions of the classic movie monsters, like Dracula and Frankenstein.  I loved that show so much. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA reminded me a lot of that awesome show.

Dracula is now a single dad with a precious little girl. He promised his wife before she died that he would always take care of Mavis and protect her. He has a hotel built that is a sanctuary not only for Mavis, but for all monsters. No human can get in.

That all changes on Mavis’s 118th birthday. Her dad has promised her for years that she could leave the hotel and check out a human village on that birthday. And, true to his word, he lets her go. But she quickly realizes the outside world isn’t safe and returns home.

Happy once again, Dracula continues to plan her birthday party. It’s like Bobby Boris Pickett’s song “The Monster Mash” come to life. All the monsters are there to celebrate, and it’s a scream.  Until a young hiker accidentally crashes the good time.

Adults will see where this is headed once Mavis and Johnny run into each other and their eyes meet. What follows is a lot of slapstick comedy as Dracula frantically tries to keep them apart, as well as keeping Johnny’s human status a secret.

Mavis (Selena Gomez) and Johnny (Andy Samberg) meet cute in HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA.

In the end, the movie is about letting your kids go, no matter how much you want them to stay.

My jaded teenage girls loved the movie. I enjoyed it very much myself. There is nothing inappropriate for any age —well, there is a cold swimming pool joke that I know my kids got because they watch SEINFELD —and it shouldn’t be frightening to young children, I’d say five ages and up.  There are a few times when Dracula makes a scary red angry face, and that might freak out littler kids.

Aside from Dracula’s red “angry face,” there’s not much to scare kids in HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA.

Parents will relate to Dracula not wanting to let Mavis leave the hotel, especially since he’s afraid all humans are dangerous – they did kill his wife, after all. There are enough sight gags and sly humor to keep adults interested and amused. Lots of action and color will keep kids riveted.

I don’t say this often about kids’ movies, but I would see this again. There is a lot going on that you can miss the first time around. When my kids were little, they watched SHREK on DVD almost every day, and I didn’t mind. This is one that I wouldn’t mind as well.  I’d even watch it by myself, like I do SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS —what can I say, kids’ stuff can be cooler than adult programming sometimes.

The voice acting is wonderful —I’m not a huge fan of Adam Sandler, but his Dracula was great. You’ll recognize several other voices in the movie, such as Kevin James (as Frankenstein), Steve Buscemi (as the Werewolf) and Selena Gomez (as Mavis). There’s a fun jam session at the end.

Don’t worry about staying around for the credits – nothing happens once the movie is over.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA – fun for all ages, even know-it-all teenagers. I give it four knives.

© Copyright 2012 by Sheri White

Sheri White gives HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA ~FOUR knives (out of five).

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CKF Monstrous Question: MONSTER MOVIE MUSICALS! (Part 1 of 3)

Posted in 2012, Michael Arruda Reviews, Monsters, Monstrous Question, Musicals, Nick Cato Reviews with tags , , , , , , on August 17, 2012 by knifefighter

CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT
MONSTROUS QUESTION:  Monster Movie Musicals
With Michael Arruda, Nick Cato, Paul McMahon, and Mark Onspaugh
PART 1 OF 3

Figaro! Figaro!

MICHAEL ARRUDA:   Welcome everyone to this month’s MONSTROUS QUESTION column.  This month’s question comes courtesy of Mark Onspaugh.

Take it away, Mark.

MARK: Thanks, Michael.  I just saw that Paul Williams is clean and sober and back to making music (I had thought he was dead) —anyway, you may remember he was behind the music of Brian de Palma’s great riff on PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974).

I thought it might be fun for people to pick horror or sci-fi movies to be turned into musicals, maybe name a song or two and (if they want) performers and/or composer/lyricist.

MICHAEL ARRUDA:  So, there you have it.  Today’s Monstrous Question:  Which horror or sci-fi movie would you like turned into a musical?

NICK CATO:  Perhaps to alleviate some tension and add even more controversy, the forthcoming THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 3: FINAL SEQUENCE should add some musical numbers, including updated versions of ‘STUCK ON YOU’ from the now defunct Seattle punk band The Briefs, ‘RIP IT OUT’ by Ace Frehley, and the conga-line classic ‘HOT HOT HOT’ by Buster Poindexter.

Singing in the shower with the HUMAN CENTIPEDE!

*****

MICHAEL ARRUDA:  I’m going with three classics.

First, John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN (1978).  It would feature the following songs:

-“My Sister Just Bopped Her Boyfriend For the Last Time”

-“The Boogeyman Boogie.”

-“Stroke Me Laurie Strode”

-“Is There A Man Behind that Mask?”

-“Let’s Do What We’re Not Supposed To Do (The Babysitters’ Ballad)”

More singing in the shower – this time with NORMAN BATES!

Alfred Hitchcok’s PSYCHO (1960),and believe it or not, the musical version would be darker than the movie!  Here are some of the songs:

-Who’s That Lurking Outside My Shower Curtain?

-A Boy’s Best Friend Is His Mother (a love song)

-Am I a Man or a Mother?

-I’ll Carry You to Any Fruit Cellar

-Blood, Mother, Blood!

-Gotta Clean This Shower: The Body Wrap Rap

“I’m so nervous about signing for the first time!”

And last but not least, the original FRANKENSTEIN (1931).

Featuring such show stoppers as Henry Frankenstein’s:

-It’s Alive!

-Now I Know What It Feels Like to be God!

-Put That Torch Away Fritz Before the Monster Grabs You

Fritz solos such as:

-Don’t Blame Me for Grabbing the Wrong Brain I Can’t Read!

&

-No One Ever Told Me Abnormal Was Bad

Songs by the Monster, including:

-Little Girl, Why Are You Crying?

-Why Is Everybody Always Screaming At Me?

-Invite Me to the Wedding – I’d Like to Kill the Bride

And other soon to be classics like:

-My Little Maria’s Dead, and Someone’s Gonna Pay!

-Waltzing to the Windmill

And the mega-dance number,

-Don’t Do It Fritz, Don’t Drop that Jar!

Join us next time for more answers to the Monstrous Question, and you won’t want to miss it, as Paul McMahon writes an entire treatment to a musical based on THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU!

—END PART 1

Answers © Copyright 2012 by Michael Arruda and Nick Cato

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Monstrous Question: BEST HORROR MOVIE MAKE-UP (Part 4 of 4)

Posted in 2012, Frankenstein Movies, Horror Movie Makeup, LL Soares Reviews, Monsters, Monstrous Question, Planet of the Apes, Roger Corman with tags , , , , , , on April 20, 2012 by knifefighter

CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT:  MONSTROUS QUESTION
Question by Michael Arruda
Featuring Michael Arruda,Dan Keohane, Mark Onspaugh and L.L. Soares
Part 4 of 4

Today’s MONSTROUS QUESTION:  What are your picks for the most memorable make-up jobs in a horror/monster movie?

##

L.L. SOARES responds:

It’s funny what kind of things leave their imprint on you when you’re growing up. It’s not that you can’t tell the difference between quality work and dreck when you’re young, but you are much more accepting of the bad stuff, because you can at least see the imagination that went behind it.

Growing up, Jack Pierce was one of my heroes. As an avid fan of old horror movies, especially the Universal classics, it was hard not to appreciate the fine work of the master. This was the man who single-handedly stamped the image of the FRANKENSTEIN Monster on our brains (in Mary Shelley’s book, he is quite different, but the 1931 film is where we get our visual for him). Pierce also did the make-up for DRACULA (1931), turning Bela Lugosi into the ultimate creature of the night,  THE MUMMY  – both Boris Karloff’s Imhotep (1932) and Kharis, played by Tom Tyler in THE MUMMY’S HAND (1940) and the great Lon Chaney, Jr. in the rest of the Kharis film series from 1942 – 1944.

Jack Pierce's FRANKENSTEIN Monster is the gold standard for horror movie makeup.

Pierce was also a pioneer in the makeup of classic werewolves, having given us Henry Hull’s memorable beast in the WEREWOLF OF LONDON (1935), as well as the iconic Larry Talbot’s alter ego in THE WOLF MAN (1941). He worked right up until his final years in the1960s.

The Westmore name was even more synonymous with make-up in Hollywood’s golden days, especially brothers  Bud and Wally Westmore. Usually, if there was some golden-age horror make-up that wasn’t by Pierce, chances are it was by one of the Westmores. But they didn’t just do horror movies. In fact, the Westmore name can be found in the credits of literally hundreds of movies of the 30s, 40s and 50s. Bud did the monster makeup for ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948), while Wally Westmore cut his teeth doing the makeup for movies like the Frederic March version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931) and the  breath-taking classic,  ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932).

The strange creatures from THE MOLE PEOPLE, created by Bud Westmore.

There are lots of iconic images throughout the history of horror that are not as well known, but which are just as fresh in my mind after so many years of movie watching. Fascinating make-up creations like THE MOLE PEOPLE (1956) with makeup by Bud Westmore; the Morlocks in George Pal’s THE TIME MACHINE  from 1960 (makeup by William Tuttle ), the creatures from the Hammer films, especially THE REPTILE (1966), whose image (created by the great Roy Ashton) still stands out for me. In the science fiction cult classic THIS ISLAND EARTH, we were introduced to the Metaluna Mutant (created again by Bud Westmore), a throwaway character who was a sight to behold – I was always disappointed that he was never used again in other movies.

The creepy Morlocks from the original version of THE TIME MACHINE (1960).

Hammer great Roy Ashton's still scary makeup for THE REPTILE.

You might have seen the Metaluna Mutant on MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 when they laughed at the movie THIS ISLAND EARTH. But he's still cool as hell.

In the 60s and 70s, I (along with Michael Arruda and Mark Onspaugh) was captivated by the PLANET OF THE APES movies and their (at the time) cutting edge make-up effects, the work of the great John Chambers.

Their heirs have names like Dick Smith, Rick Baker and Tom Savini. All masters of their craft, who have impressed us with their creations over the years.

As for bad makeup, there is no shortage of that in the movies. Standouts include the wonderfully awful movie ZAAT from 1971 (also known as THE BLOOD WATERS OF DR. Z) – creature by Lee James O’Donnell; ZONTAR THE THING FROM VENUS by the legendarily horrible director Larry Buchanan; and just about anything Roger Corman did in 1950s, especially the laughably terrible monster from CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA (1961), designed by Beach Dickerson.

Run for your life! It's the monster known as ZAAT!

If this doesn't terrify you, nothing will. The monster from CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA!

© Copyright 2012 by L.L. Soares
“Monstrous Question” created by Michael Arruda

—END Part 4—

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Monstrous Question: BEST MAD SCIENTIST MOVIE? (5 of 6)

Posted in 1930s Horror, 2011, Frankenstein Movies, Mad Doctors!, Mark Onspaugh Columns, Monstrous Question with tags , , , on August 12, 2011 by knifefighter

MONSTROUS QUESTION
(Part 5 of 6)
Created by Michael Arruda

This month’s MONSTROUS QUESTION comes to us courtesy of our good friend Pete Dudar.

PETE:  Okay, so what’s the best ‘mad scientist’ movie? Is it FRANKENSTEIN? RE-ANIMATOR? THE FLY? We fans want to know.

****

Our panel answers:

MARK ONSPAUGH:

The “mad scientist” club is full of over-achievers, from Dr. Jekyll and Dr. Moreau to Herbert West and Dr. Heiter (HUMAN CENTIPEDE (2009). But to me, the best mad scientist movie is a tie between FRANKENSTEIN (1931) and BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935).

This is not just a kneejerk answer. Think about it: this was not the first Frankenstein movie (Edison Studios released a 16-minute silent short in 1910), but it is still the classic, defining film of Shelley’s novel. James Whale gives us powerful images and manages, with the brilliant performance of Boris Karloff, to portray a monster who is rejected and angry at his “father”.

The monster is not just a collection of parts crudely stitched together and shocked into life with lightning, he is a feeling creature wanting love and acceptance. Whale shows this beautifully as the monster reaches toward the sunlight before the skylight is closed and he is once again in darkness.

Jack Pierce’s amazing makeup created not only a version of the monster very different from the book, but an icon that everyone knows today – flat head, bolts in the neck – it’s the Monster (or, as we called him back in the day, Frankenstein).


The theme of the need for love and belonging are further explored in BRIDE, a rare sequel every bit as wonderful as its predecessor. And how awful and terrible is that scream when Elsa Lanchester first sees her intended mate? How poignant, how sad when the monster concludes “We belong dead.  “?

Add to this dizzying mix of talent the performances of Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein, Dwight Frye (DRACULA 1931) as Fritz and Mae Clark as Elizabeth, the special effects of John Fulton PLUS the amazing lab set featuring electrical effects ($10,000 of the $262,007 budget) by Graves, Strickfaden and Lindsay, and you have a masterpiece (two, actually), and I don’t use that word lightly.

—END—

© Copyright 2011 by Mark Onspaugh

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Monstrous Question: BEST MAD SCIENTIST MOVIE? (4 of 6)

Posted in 1950s Horror, 2011, Frankenstein Movies, Hammer Films, Mad Doctors!, Michael Arruda Reviews, Monstrous Question with tags , , , , on August 6, 2011 by knifefighter

MONSTROUS QUESTION
(Part 4 of 6)
Created by Michael Arruda

This month’s MONSTROUS QUESTION comes to us courtesy of our good friend Pete Dudar.

PETE:  Okay, so what’s the best ‘mad scientist’ movie? Is it FRANKENSTEIN? RE-ANIMATOR? THE FLY? We fans want to know.

****

Our panel answers:

MICHAEL ARRUDA:

 

Best mad scientist movie?  Well, for me it’s a no brainer:  THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957) starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, Hammer Films’ first horror hit.  It remains my favorite Frankenstein film, and also ranks as one of my all-time favorite horror movies, period!

The main reason I like this one is Cushing’s performance as Baron Victor Frankenstein, and while he can be categorized as a mad scientist, I’ve always felt that one of the strengths of his performance is that Cushing convinces his audience that Victor Frankenstein isn’t mad at all!  He’s just a determined, driven scientist.  So when he says lines like “What am I doing?  I’m harming no one!  Just robbing a few graves!  What doctor or scientist doesn’t do this?  How else are we to learn the complexities of the human body?”  We believe him.  Hands down, best mad scientist:  Peter Cushing as Victor Frankenstein in THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957).

And while his performance in THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN is my favorite, you can’t go wrong with any of his other 6 movie performances as Baron Frankenstein.

Of course, there are plenty of other notable movie mad scientists. Here are a few I like a lot:

-I’m a huge fan of Frankenstein movies, so I’d certainly place Colin Clive high on this list, for his performances as Henry Frankenstein in both FRANKENSTEIN (1931) and BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935).  He’s always been overshadowed by Karloff’s tremendous performance as the Monster in these films, but he’s quite good:  “If I could learn just one of these things, what eternity is like, for example, I wouldn’t care if people did call me crazy!”  And when the monster first comes to life, and after he’s shouted his famous “It’s alive!” lines, he adds in a line cut from the final print for decades and only recently restored, “Now I know what it feels like to be God!”  Madness at its best.

-Fredric March in DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931)

-Boris Karloff as Dr. Neimann in HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944)

-Lionel Atwill as Dr. Bohmer in THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942)

-Boris Karloff as Dr. Janos Rukh in THE INVISIBLE RAY (1936)

—END—

© Copyright 2011 by Michael Arruda

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Monstrous Question: BEST MAD SCIENTIST MOVIE? (2 of 6)

Posted in 1930s Horror, 2011, LL Soares Reviews, Mad Doctors!, Monstrous Question with tags , , , , , , on July 30, 2011 by knifefighter

MONSTROUS QUESTION
(Part 2 of 6)
Monstrous Question created by Michael Arruda

This month’s MONSTROUS QUESTION comes to us courtesy of our good friend Pete Dudar.

PETE:  Okay, so what’s the best ‘mad scientist’ movie? Is it FRANKENSTEIN? RE-ANIMATOR? THE FLY? We fans want to know.

****

Our panel answers:

L.  L. SOARES:

Well, it’s pretty obvious that Dr. Frankenstein is the archetype that everyone looks to for inspiration, daring to play God and bring the dead to life. But he’s often overshadowed by his monster (unless it’s a Hammer film starring Peter Cushing as Victor Frankenstein).

Mad scientists are a lot like Pringles. It’s hard to pick just one.

One of my favorites is Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) from the RE-ANIMATOR movies. He’s easily the coolest mad scientist of all time, and he’s pretty obsessed with his mission to reanimate the dead using giant syringes of glowing green fluid. A case could also be made for Coffin Joe (Joe Mojica Marins) being a kind of scientist. In his films, such as 1964’s AT MIDNIGHT I WILL TAKE YOUR SOUL, he is trying to find the perfect mate, and subjects candidates to horrible “tests” to prove their worthiness. In this way, he’s kind of a do-it-yourself geneticist.

But the absolute BEST? Not a matter of preference, but the Definitive Mad Doctor movie? For me, it’s a three-way tie. And they have a common link – they were all derived from classic novels!

FRANKENSTEIN (1931) – the granddaddy of them all – Colin Clive as Dr. Henry Frankenstein creates a body stitched together from various parts of corpses and then brings it to life as the nameless monster (Boris Karloff). As atmospheric and filled with dread as it ever was. One of the monumental classics of the genre. Based on the novel “Frankenstein, or a Modern Prometheus” by Mary Shelley (of course!)

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931) When Dr. Henry Jekyll creates a potion that unlocks the darker elements of his psyche, he becomes violent madman Edward Hyde. Probably my all-time favorite mad scientist film, starring the great Fredric March in the dual role. Based on the novel “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson.

ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932) Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton) performs horrible experiments on his private island, trying to transform animals into humans, using painful surgery. Perhaps the most sadistic of all the fictional mad scientists, Moreau yields mixed results for all his bloody experimentation, and his creations eventually turn against him and kill him for his “crimes against nature.  ” Based on the classic novel “The Island of Dr. Moreau” by H.  G. Wells.

Honorable Mentions go to:

- Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) who seeks to re-animate the dead in RE-ANIMATOR (1985), as well as BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR (1990) and BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR (2003) – the first one is by far the best, but the sequels are fun, too. And,

- Dr. Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) who devises ingenuous ways to kill his enemies based on the nine Biblical Plagues in THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES (1971)  and more themed murders, this time in Egypt, in DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN (1972)

—END—

© Copyright 2011 by LL Soares

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THE MONSTROUS QUESTION! Answer 1 (of 3)

Posted in 2011, Hammer Films, Horror, Lost Films, Universal Horror Films with tags , , , , , , , on March 2, 2011 by knifefighter

THE MONSTROUS QUESTION
(Questions by Michael Arruda)

Watching THE HILLS RUN RED a couple of weeks back, a horror movie about a lost horror film, it got me to thinking about the real thing.

There are lots of stories out there of lost scenes.  For example, growing up, I’d read about the scene cut from the Boris Karloff FRANKENSTEIN (1931) where the monster drowns the little girl.  This scene had been cut when the movie was shown on television, and although I’d seen stills from this scene, the actual scene didn’t seem to exist anymore, until it was discovered and restored on video in 1987.

There are so many more scenes like this out there that still have not turned up.

So, here’s this month’s MONSTROUS QUESTION:  If you could discover lost footage from any movie, old or new, and this could include an entire movie, what would it be?

*****

From MICHAEL ARRUDA:

I have read about many instances of lost scenes, but being a lifelong fan of Hammer Films, I’m going to go with a Hammer Film as my top choice, and it’s probably their most famous movie, HORROR OF DRACULA (1958).

The rumor has existed for years that Hammer released different versions of their movies for different markets.  For example, the tamest version was released in Britain, a more violent version went to the United States, and the most explicit version was shipped off to Japan.

For example, one of the bloodier scenes in HORROR OF DRACULA, where Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) drives a stake through Lucy’s (Carol Marsh) heart, was not shown in Britain until a recently restored version was made available in 2007, but the scene has been shown intact on U.S. video/DVD prints for longer than that.  The scene was often cut on U.S. television, though.  I would say that when I used to catch this movie on TV back in the 1970s, usually late at night, about 90% of the time this particular scene would be cut.  The uncut scene shows the stake going into Lucy’s chest, as blood bubbles out onto her gown.

Now, rumor has it that in the version released in Japan, Lucy actually tries to climb out of her coffin, but Van Helsing clobbers her across the head with the hammer.  I actually find this hard to believe, as it seems rather violent for 1958, even for Hammer, and I’ve never seen a still from this scene anywhere or read anywhere that it still exists.  But if it does, it’s one I definitely want to discover.

There are two other scenes in HORROR OF DRACULA still missing.  The first is of Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) decomposing after he has been staked by Van Helsing.  In the print that exists now, the camera fades as Van Helsing approaches the crypt.   The staking scene doesn’t even happen on camera.  Stills of this scene do exist and show Harker in the crypt in an early stage of decomposition.

Now, the biggest missing scene from HORROR OF DRACULA is from its famous ending.  You know the scene, where Van Helsing runs across a table in castle Dracula and leaps through the air ripping down the curtains, unleashing the sunlight which ultimately destroys Dracula (Christopher Lee.)

There were scenes in the original HORROR OF DRACULA that have not been seen here.

This scene is pretty graphic as is, as we see Dracula disintegrate into dust before our very eyes, but it’s a quick scene, with each stage of decomposition interrupted by cutaways to reaction shots of Cushing’s Van Helsing.

But this scene was longer when originally filmed.  Evidently, for a particularly gruesome special effect, Lee’s face was painted over with a red blood-like make-up,  and then covered again with a flesh tone make-up, so when he scratched at his face, his fingers would rip through the “skin,” making deep bloody gouges in his face.

I’ve seen stills from this scene as well, and they’re pretty cool looking.   In the special feature on the DRACULA-PRINCE OF DARKNESS DVD from 2004, where Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Francis Matthews, and Suzan Farmer provide voice-over commentary to DRACULA- PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966) (this commentary was recorded in the late 1990s) Lee talks about the ending to HORROR OF DRACULA.

Since DRACULA-PRINCE OF DARKNESS is the sequel to HORROR OF DRACULA, the film begins with the ending of HORROR OF DRACULA before the opening credits, and during this sequence, in his voice-over commentary, Christopher Lee points out that the sequence he’s watching, where Dracula disintegrates, is much shorter than the one they originally filmed.  So, the longer death sequence was definitely shot.

If I had to pick one lost sequence to discover, this one would be it.

Some other lost sequences I would love to discover:

—from KING KONG (1933) the famous “spiders in the pit” scene after Kong has thrown the men off the giant log into the ravine below.

—-from THE WOLF MAN (1941) the scene where Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) wrestles a bear, and any other scene that was filmed for its original shooting title, DESTINY.  Originally, the wolf man stuff was all going to be in Larry Talbot’s mind, and the bear wrestling scene I’m talking about supposedly had Talbot seeing himself as a werewolf fighting the bear, while onlookers saw only the man.  There are still several scenes in the final print where you can get a feel for the original intentions of the storytellers.

—from THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935), the deleted footage where Karl (Dwight Frye) murders his uncle and then blames the crime on the Monster (Boris Karloff), a scene that explains why the Monster is so intent on killing Karl in the film’s climax.  Without this scene, the Monster’s actions make little sense.

I could go on, but it’s time to give someone else a turn.

—-END—

2 Comments »

VAN HELSING!

Posted in 2004, Cinema Knife Fights, Garbage with tags , , , , , , , on February 24, 2010 by knifefighter

(Note: It sure is weird looking back on these old columns. This is the first real stinker we reviewed. I still can’t believe Michael says in this one that he thought the The Wolf Man in VAN HELSING looked better than the werewolves in AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON or THE HOWLING! ~LLS)

CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT # 2: VAN HELSING (2004)
by Michael Arruda and L.L. Soares

L.L. SOARES: Welcome to the second installment of CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT. Our film today is VAN HELSING.

The wise old vampire hunter played previously by Edward Van Sloan in 1931′s DRACULA, and Peter Cushing in countless Hammer films…

MICHAEL ARRUDA:  Five.

LS:  Huh?

MA:  Peter Cushing played Van Helsing or a descendant thereof in five Hammer Films.

LS:  Hammer Film geek!

MA:  I prefer the term historian.

LLS:  Where did I put that machete—?  Anyway, Van Helsing now has the gadgets of James Bond, the demeanor of Clint Eastwood, and the face of…well, Wolverine! While on his way to get rid of Dracula he crosses paths with hot gypsy monster-slayer Kate Beckinsdale (who appears to be doing a candy-ass job of it, since monsters are all over the place), and the two of them go off to conquer evil.

Throw into the mix a grating Dracula who’s a cross between a bad Bela Lugosi imitator and a pompous ass, a Wolf Man who is little more than Dracula’s dog, and a Frankenstein’s monster who’s a wimp who spends most of the movie hiding from Dracula, and you’ve got the latest rip-off of classic monsters by Stephen Sommers, the guy who previously took the 1932 horror classic, THE MUMMY, and turned it into an Indiana Jones knockoff.

You can tell by the way that he keeps going back to the well that Sommers loves the old Universal classics, but at the same time he doesn’t have the talent to do the characters justice. On the level of a popcorn movie, VAN HELSING works. There’s plenty of action, and things blow up right on cue, but instead of emulating the best films of the past, James Whales’ FRANKENSTEIN or Todd Browning’s DRACULA (both from 1931), it’s like Sommers preferred to use ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN as his template.

The thing that made the original movies work was their humanity. Frankenstein’s monster was tragic and misunderstood. Larry Talbot was eternally tormented. But what you have in VAN HELSING are monsters without the emotional baggage – one-dimensional creations that have more in common with Looney Tunes cartoons than 1930s horror films.

Hugh Jackman is fine in the title role, and Beckinsdale turns in a serviceable performance, too. They both look nice and pretty for the cameras. But despite all its tongue-in-cheek humor and cranked up action, the main problem with VAN HELSING, is that nobody in this movie has a soul.

MJA:  I didn’t like VAN HELSING either, although I wouldn’t go so far as to knock Stephen Sommers’ talent.  I for one liked his MUMMY remake.  The script was witty, and I liked his interpretation of the mummy, Im-Ho-Tep.  I thought it was refreshing. Now, the sequel, THE MUMMY RETURNS (2001), that wasn’t so refreshing.  Neither is VAN HELSING.

It plays not like a homage but like a giant video game.  If you want to see a true homage to 1930s Universal horror, watch YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974).  Mel Brooks got it right.

VAN HELSING is one action sequence after another, which gets boring real quick.  It’s overkill.  The scene where Van Helsing uses his “machine gun crossbow” — he’s fires off, what?  Like 1,000 rounds of wooden stakes at the flying vampire creatures in a spectacular action sequence, and I’m sitting there asking myself, how many stakes does it take to do in a vampire?  One.  Just shoot one.  The guy’s got enough ammo to take on Middle Earth, and worst of all?  He MISSES!  He doesn’t even knock off one of the damned things!

LLS: I actually liked Dracula’s brides (the flying vampires) a lot more than Drac himself. They also seemed more dangerous than their “master.” The high-tech crossbow was a bit much, though. Maybe Van Helsing should go to the firing range once in awhile and LEARN HOW TO SHOOT! But on the whole, I didn’t think the movie was boring – despite a 2 and a half hour running time, it seemed to move along briskly enough. My problem is that it was all sizzle and no stake.

MJA (smiling):   Good line.  I like it.

LLS:  Thanks.  Speaking of stakes, I was wishing someone would stake Dracula in the first half hour.

MJA:  Yes, Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) was very disappointing, the worst part of the movie for me.  Richard Roxburgh is the same actor who played the sniveling villain in the Nicole Kidman musical MOULIN ROUGE (2002) and he was brilliant in that.  As Dracula he’s — let’s put it this way. He’s probably the most boring version of Dracula I have ever seen.  The Count on SESAME STREET is more dramatic.

LLS: MOULIN ROUGUE??  Now that’s a horror movie!

MJA: The Wolf Man was pretty scary though.  I thought all the werewolf scenes were the best ones in the movie.   He was certainly scarier looking than the creatures seen in AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981) or THE HOWLING (1981).

LLS: The werewolf looked okay for a CGI effect. The only good thing to come out of this is that Universal just re-released a bunch of the old movies on DVD (in three box sets) to re-familiarize people with Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula and The Wolf Man.

Instead of spending the cash for tickets to see VAN HELSING, you’d be better off buying the real deal.

MJA:  And if you do see VAN HELSING, don’t expect much of a horror movie.  I mean, it’s not scary.  Were you scared?

LLS: Scared? You’re screwing with me, right?

MJA: No, I’m serious.  ‘Cause if you found it scary, maybe you shouldn’t be carrying that machete!

LLS: You know, it’s going to be really hard for you to review the next movie if you don’t have any eyes…

MJA: Ah, save it for a JEEPERS CREEPERS review!

-THE END-

(Originally published in Hellnotes on May 20, 2004)

© Copyright 2004 by Michael Arruda and L.L. Soares

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