I decided this year to watch Hammer Horror films (as well as a few other classic horror films) all the way up to Halloween either while I work or when I'm relaxing.
Yesterday I started by watching my personal favorite The Curse of Frankenstein before I went to bed. That film and The Horror of Dracula are my favorites. For one they have both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in them. I like Curse in particular because of Christopher Lee's makeup as the creature. Much like most of the early Hammer films is they're very atmospheric and the sets design is very good.
Sure, they're still a bit of the tatty sets with the very silly special effects. But movies weren't supposed to be realistic back then. They were suppose to be an escape from reality.
The real thing I felt The Curse of Frankenstein fell flat on was the fact they did not take advantage of having an actor like Christopher Lee with such a rich and resonate voice. In Mary Shelley's original story the Creature spoke. It would have been really great to have Christopher Lee speaking some of the lines from the original text rather than just playing another mute monster.
Otherwise, I absolutely love the fact that Peter Cushing plays the part of Baron Frankenstein in this remoreless clinical way. Not seeing what he's doing as an abomination against nature and showing no pity whatsoever for his actions.
Today I popped in Curse of the Werewolf and Phantom of the Opera while I was working. I wasn't too taken by Curse of the Werewolf. Oliver Reed was excellent as the tortured Leon and the makeup they used for his werewolf transformation was really well done. But I felt they took too much time telling the back story and not enough time with the action.
I found Phantom of the Opera much more engaging to watch. I was delighted to see Herbert Lom as the Phantom. Which kind of sounds strange for me to say since he is most famous for playing Chief Inspector Dreyfuss in the original Pink Panther series AND there was a catburgler character in a couple films of the series known as the Phantom.
Like all Hammer films, there are some inperfections. But what I do like is they don't try to do a direct remake of the Lon Chaney film. And I liked both the makeup and the set design for the film. And Michael Gough is quite good in it too.
It's kind of strange to see Batman's butler acting rather nasty and lusting after young opera singers.
Tonight I wrapped up the day with watching The Revenge of Frankenstein. The sequel (of many) to The Curse of Frankenstein. I enjoyed it although I didn't particularly care for the ending when I first saw it. But I don't mind it as much now. It was still at the peak of the Hammer Frankenstein series and still everything that made the early Hammer horror enjoyable.
I'm probaby going to continue to keep watching Hammer films I haven't seen yet mixed in with a few I have. I also plan on throwing in a couple of Vincent Price films into the mix like The Witchfinder General which I've wanted to see for a while now as well possibly watching the Werner Herzog Nosferatu and Christopher Lee's non Hammer Dracula film again too.
This is all going to lead up to Halloween night which I plan on watching Lugosi as Dracula for the first time. I know, GASP!! But I've never seen the original and I've been meaning to for some time now. And what better day than All Hallows Eve to make it my first time with an all time classic.
3 comments:
The scene in CURSE when Cushing hurls the other scientist off the balcony was shocking! It turns out the checkerboard floor was actually rubber, but the stuntman missed his mark and was almost killed!
HORROR is great, but DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE tops it with Lee's bright red eyes--scariest Dracula ever.
Lugosi's Dracula is very slow moving compared to any of the Hammer versions, but it's still solid. I'd recommend watching it AND either Mark of the Vampire, Return of the Vampire or Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein to get another shot of Lugosi as the vampire count.
Yeah, that was a scene I really enjoyed too. Cushing's expression after he killed the old scientist added to the scene too.
I think I had seen Dracula Has Risen From The Grave. I'm not sure if I'm mixing it up with Taste the Blood of Dracula. Nonetheless, I'll have to watch it again.
I'm looking forward to watching Lugosi for the first time. And I'll have to check out those films as well.
I'm also interested in seeing Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman. Just to see Lugosi in the role he originally turned down.
Are you kidding me? You've never seen Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman? Best first ten minutes of ANY Universal horror film.
Great when you were a kid, the movie is light fun but not a classic.
Keep in mind when you watch it that originally Lugosi's Monster was supposed to be blind and have the ability to speak, as he did at the end of Ghost Of Frankenstein-- which came right before this one.
They had transplanted Ygor's (as played by Lugosi) brain into the monster's head.
Unfortunately, the execs were horrified when they saw the original cut and had all of Lugosi's dialogue and references to his being blind removed from the film.
Making Lugosi look ridiculous in the role.
Post a Comment