This is one of the most powerful movies I've ever seen. It is an early talkie, so the camera is static and the copy I have is grainy, but the performances transcend all that and make you forget the problems. Colin Clive is perfect as the brusque, alcoholic (but ultimately sympathetic) Captain Stanhope. His intensity is mesmerizing. It's sad that he didn't get a chance to make more films before he died. David Manners, who I never cared much for in his romantic lead roles, does a surprisingly good job as Raleigh. Ian Mclaren also does a good job as the older, gentle Osborne. This is one movie that is just begging for release on video. It needs to be discovered by modern viewers. I give this movie 10/10 simply because of the power of the performances.
Reviews
32 Reviews
The Canterville Ghost
(1986 TV Movie)
Gielgud is Delightful!
13 November 2000
Sir John Gielgud is completely and utterly charming and delightful in "The Canterville Ghost". The rest of the acting is fair to average, but I would recommend this to anyone just because of Gielgud. He plays his role in a wonderful tongue-in-cheek way. We watched this in my eight- grade class when we were studying the plot curve, and all of my friends and classmates, not just a movie freak like me, adored Gielgud as the ghost. The only other movie besides this I have seen Gielgud in is "The Secret Agent", but he didn't do such a good job in that one. Still, I assume this film is a good example of what the rest of his work must be like, indeed, reading reviews of his other films, he has not gotten a bad review. I think I might check out "Arthur" soon. But I'm rambling now, and the point is that "The Canterville Ghost" was a charming movie.
8/10
8/10
The Scarlet Car
(1917)
Interesting performance by Chaney
12 November 2000
Warning: Spoilers
(Contains Spoilers)
Even though we only see him for the beginning part and most of the end of the movie, Lon Chaney, as Paul Revere Forbes, completely steals the picture.
His character works at a bank, and is a descendant of Paul Revere. One night he notices some money is missing, and confronts the bank's owners. They hit him over the head, and believing him dead, dump the body. Then, towards the end of the movie, his daughter finds him living in a cabin, almost completely insane, and waiting for the time when he can get back at the Peabodys. Years of hero- worship for Paul Revere has snapped him back to the Revolutionary War, and so his daughter's boyfriend pretends to be Paul Revere to get the ledger page from Forbes. It works, and the Peabodys are arrested. It ends happily with Chaney's mind beginning to clear.
This movie was made early in Lon Chaney's career, and he gives a fascinating performance. The Chaney magic starts to shine through when Forbes is insane. Other than Chaney, though, this picture isn't anything out of the ordinary. I recommend it to serious Chaney or silent film fans.
7/10 (all due to Lon Chaney)
Even though we only see him for the beginning part and most of the end of the movie, Lon Chaney, as Paul Revere Forbes, completely steals the picture.
His character works at a bank, and is a descendant of Paul Revere. One night he notices some money is missing, and confronts the bank's owners. They hit him over the head, and believing him dead, dump the body. Then, towards the end of the movie, his daughter finds him living in a cabin, almost completely insane, and waiting for the time when he can get back at the Peabodys. Years of hero- worship for Paul Revere has snapped him back to the Revolutionary War, and so his daughter's boyfriend pretends to be Paul Revere to get the ledger page from Forbes. It works, and the Peabodys are arrested. It ends happily with Chaney's mind beginning to clear.
This movie was made early in Lon Chaney's career, and he gives a fascinating performance. The Chaney magic starts to shine through when Forbes is insane. Other than Chaney, though, this picture isn't anything out of the ordinary. I recommend it to serious Chaney or silent film fans.
7/10 (all due to Lon Chaney)
The Penalty
(1920)
This is a great movie!
10 March 2000
I bought this because of Lon Chaney, and I must say I expected no less of him! His performance is great and vicious. One might wonder whether the intensity of his performance may be due to the pain caused by having his legs strapped back. 10/10
Strangers on a Train
(1951)
This is a very suspenseful classic.
2 January 2000
I love this movie! Robert Walker, Farley Granger, and Patricia Hitchcock acted really well in this one. I love how the camera cuts back and forth between the Guy's tennis match and Bruno trying to get to the carnival. One of the best thrillers of all time!!!!!
The Raven
(1963)
A very funny movie.
1 January 2000
This movie is great. Everyone gives a great performance. Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Vincent Price give wonderful tongue-in-cheek performances as Dr. Scarabus, Dr. Bedlo, and Dr. Craven. This movie is really interesting. It doesn't owe Poe any apologies. 9/10
Funny
1 January 2000
Very funny, and the mystery is kept until the end. Some moments are truly hilarious. I love the part when Swami Talpur (Boris Karloff) tries to get Freddie (Costello) to commit suicide while under hypnosis. ("You're going to commit suicide if it's the last thing you do!") Uneven at times, but all in all very funny.
Their funniest film.
1 January 2000
This is undoubtedly Abbott and Costello's funniest movie. The plot is well-formed and everyone's acting is great.
I like how none of the monsters lose their integrity. Dracula is still charming and evil, and Larry Talbot/The Wolf Man is still pitiable and tortured. Glenn Strange as the Monster is pretty good, but not as good as it would have been if Boris Karloff was still the Monster. I love the part when Dracula (Bela Lugosi, in his second and final performance as the vampire) and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney, Jr., in his final performance as the Larry Talbot werewolf) fight, since Dracula throws things like chairs and vases!
The music sounds like the score from Psycho at some parts; I wonder if Bernard Herrman copied it?
This is Abbott and Costello's best movie, and any audience should enjoy it.9/10
I like how none of the monsters lose their integrity. Dracula is still charming and evil, and Larry Talbot/The Wolf Man is still pitiable and tortured. Glenn Strange as the Monster is pretty good, but not as good as it would have been if Boris Karloff was still the Monster. I love the part when Dracula (Bela Lugosi, in his second and final performance as the vampire) and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney, Jr., in his final performance as the Larry Talbot werewolf) fight, since Dracula throws things like chairs and vases!
The music sounds like the score from Psycho at some parts; I wonder if Bernard Herrman copied it?
This is Abbott and Costello's best movie, and any audience should enjoy it.9/10
Notorious
(1946)
This is one of Hitchcock's best.
1 January 2000
Warning: Spoilers
This is just, wow. Every part of this movie is suspenseful, and the performances are great, especially from Claude Rains, Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, and Leopoldine Konstantin. The conversation between Alexander Sebastian (Rains) and his mother (Konstantin) at the racetrack is one of the funniest scene I have ever seen in a Hitchcock film.
During the part when Alex sees Devlin (Grant) and Alicia, Alex's wife (Bergman) kissing is so sad. I can literally feel his heart breaking, that's how expressive Rains was just with his face and eyes. He is the most sympathetic Nazi I've seen in a movie from this time period.
This is a powerful movie about Nazis and spies, just the thing you would expect from Hitchcock. This is a masterpiece, not only of the genre, but of all time.
During the part when Alex sees Devlin (Grant) and Alicia, Alex's wife (Bergman) kissing is so sad. I can literally feel his heart breaking, that's how expressive Rains was just with his face and eyes. He is the most sympathetic Nazi I've seen in a movie from this time period.
This is a powerful movie about Nazis and spies, just the thing you would expect from Hitchcock. This is a masterpiece, not only of the genre, but of all time.
House of Frankenstein
(1944)
So Many Monsters!
1 January 2000
I like this movies a lot. Lon Chaney and J. Carroll Naish give great, sympathetic performances as Larry Talbot and Daniel, respectively. It was great to finally see Boris Karloff as the mad scientist trying to bring the Monster to life, instead of vice-versa. Elena Verdugo does a good job as the gypsy girl, as do George Zucco and Lionel Atwill in smaller roles. The only real problem I have with this movie is the silly little Dracula subplot at the beginning. It serves to real purpose, I think the screenwriters must have been scratching their heads trying to find a way to fit in Dracula and this is the best they could come up with. Overall, however, this is an enjoyable movie.
Phantom of the Opera
(1943)
So what if it doesn't follow the book?
1 January 2000
So what if it doesn't follow the book? It is very entertaining and well-made. There is too much singing, and that kind of hurts the story. Although he doesn't get much screen time, Claude Rains (as the title character) gives a strong sympathetic performance. Unfortunately, his Phantom make-up is about as scary as the Phantom's in Joel Schumacher's version. This movie may not hold up to the version with Lon Chaney, but it is still very good. The very last scene is really pretty stupid; it's there simply for comic relief. (The end of the scene right before it would have been a good and powerful place to end the movie.) Other than the excessive singing and that last scene, this movie is very well done.
Son of Frankenstein
(1939)
Memorable
1 January 2000
A strong cast (including Boris Karloff in his last screen appearance as the Monster) makes the second sequel to Frankenstein memorable. This time Henry Frankenstein's son, Wolf (Basil Rathbone) revives the dormant monster with the help of Ygor (Bela Lugosi, in his most underrated performance). This is an impressive, intelligent production that scores highly in all departments. 9/10
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
(1939)
This movie makes you think.
1 January 2000
This movie really makes you think, about political corruption and all. Every detail is perfect; I can find nothing wrong with it. Jimmy Stewart was wonderfully naive and idealistic. Claude Rains appeared only a little guilty, since that Jim Taylor was the real mastermind behind their little plot. (I won't mention what it is.) This movie is a major commentary on politics and Washington. This movie is really great in every aspect. The first time I saw it I couldn't stop for anything. People should make movies like this nowadays; instead of all those movies set in high school. (I mean really, how many more movies do we need about teens falling in love?) They just don't make them like this anymore. It's movies like these that keep me away from movie theatres and in my home watching the classic movie channel. 10/10
The Black Cat
(1934)
This is highly entertaining
1 January 2000
Lugosi and Karloff are perfect together. There are three movies that these two have important roles, but this is the only one where their roles are of equal importance. (In The Invisible Ray Karloff dominates; in The Raven it is Lugosi.)
The script seems to be storyboarded to take advantage of their accents. One time, when the rather ingenuous romantic lead, David Manners (UH!), dismisses a morbid theory as "superstitious baloney" to which Lugosi- breaking up an ordinary line into an orchestration of musical syllables- replies, "Superstitious, perhaps. Baloney, perhaps not." - each of the five words underlined by a little shift in facial expression.
In the same sequence, Karloff, explaining the fear that has caused Lugosi to throw a knife at (and kill) a cat, delivers a beautifully spoken monologue about the "extreme form" of the phobia, ended it by saying that Lugosi suffers from "...an all-consuming horror---of cats." His perfect diction adds to the effectiveness of the lines; the word "horror" is emphasized, given a menacing intonation, while a pause, and a lift of the eyes upwards in a mock-religious expression, a slight hissing in the final sound, gives the ordinary phrase "of cats" a genuinely frightening connotation.
This is one of the best horror movies of the early thirties. Karloff is evil, yet magnetic, and Lugosi's hero is sympathetic and well-intentioned, but also callous and overtaken by some far less admirable traits. 10/10
The script seems to be storyboarded to take advantage of their accents. One time, when the rather ingenuous romantic lead, David Manners (UH!), dismisses a morbid theory as "superstitious baloney" to which Lugosi- breaking up an ordinary line into an orchestration of musical syllables- replies, "Superstitious, perhaps. Baloney, perhaps not." - each of the five words underlined by a little shift in facial expression.
In the same sequence, Karloff, explaining the fear that has caused Lugosi to throw a knife at (and kill) a cat, delivers a beautifully spoken monologue about the "extreme form" of the phobia, ended it by saying that Lugosi suffers from "...an all-consuming horror---of cats." His perfect diction adds to the effectiveness of the lines; the word "horror" is emphasized, given a menacing intonation, while a pause, and a lift of the eyes upwards in a mock-religious expression, a slight hissing in the final sound, gives the ordinary phrase "of cats" a genuinely frightening connotation.
This is one of the best horror movies of the early thirties. Karloff is evil, yet magnetic, and Lugosi's hero is sympathetic and well-intentioned, but also callous and overtaken by some far less admirable traits. 10/10
The Ghoul
(1933)
Very Strange, but Very Good
1 January 2000
This movie is an entertaining tale of Prof. Morlant (Boris Karloff), an eccentric Egyptologist who is fixated on the powers of the ancient Egyptian gods. On his deathbed he tells his servant (Ernest Thesinger) to bind the sacred jewel called "The Eternal Light" to his hand. He warns that if the jewel is taken, he will return from the grave seeking revenge....
Boris Karloff's presence and a superb cast move this moody, atmospheric classic along at a great pace. This movie has some great dialogue and an interesting plot. It is very rare, but I was lucky enough to find it on video. If you are a fan of the genre, and you happen to find it, I encourage you to rent it, buy it, whatever.
Boris Karloff's presence and a superb cast move this moody, atmospheric classic along at a great pace. This movie has some great dialogue and an interesting plot. It is very rare, but I was lucky enough to find it on video. If you are a fan of the genre, and you happen to find it, I encourage you to rent it, buy it, whatever.
Murders in the Rue Morgue
(1932)
Really good thriller
1 January 2000
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is a really good thriller. The plot is interesting, and the acting is very good. It may not be exactly taken from Poe, but still it is good.
Bela Lugosi is very creepy and just downright weird as Dr. Mirakle. The story is about mad scientist (is there any other kind?) Lugosi kidnapping young women to try and fuse their blood with that of gorilla's blood to make the perfect mate for his pet gorilla.
The plot is kind of strange, but the cast is good, and it keeps you interested until the end. Unfortunately, the gorilla suit is as bad as gorilla suits are in movies this old.
Bela Lugosi is very creepy and just downright weird as Dr. Mirakle. The story is about mad scientist (is there any other kind?) Lugosi kidnapping young women to try and fuse their blood with that of gorilla's blood to make the perfect mate for his pet gorilla.
The plot is kind of strange, but the cast is good, and it keeps you interested until the end. Unfortunately, the gorilla suit is as bad as gorilla suits are in movies this old.
House on Haunted Hill
(1959)
Scary and Funny
31 December 1999
It's amazing how scary this movie still is. It's actually very funny, too. Vincent Price is at his best, as is Elisha Cook, Jr. Elisha really deserves more screen time. There are twists and turns and just when you think you know what's going on, BAM!, they hit you with something that alters how you perceive this movie. The woman that plays Nora looks a little like Natalie Wood.
The Paradine Case
(1947)
Actually, Pretty Good
31 December 1999
I liked this one, even though most people don't. It's a fascinating tale, and it seems very much Hitchcockian. Sure, it seems to drag at times, but the plot, directing, and the acting is good. Louis Jourdan is probably the best actor in this whole production. And to think this is his first English-speaking film. Gregory Peck is pretty good, also. I liked at the beginning when the cops arrested Alida Valli, and the audience isn't really sure why that is. Andre Latour's (Jourdan) little breakdown (I use breakdown for want of a better word) in the courtroom is terrific. I really love this movie, and I don't care how boring other people say it is. I would recommend this movie to anyone who thinks they can appreciate it.
Spellbound
(1945)
Weird, but Good
31 December 1999
This movie has great acting, a great musical score, and the famous great dream sequence done by Salvador Dali. This film is enjoyable for anyone. I love the way Ingrid Bergman chipped away the clues from Gregory Peck one by one. This is one of Hitchcock's finest films. Bergman and Peck should have been teamed together more; they had great chemistry. 9/10
Pretty Good
31 December 1999
Actually surprisingly good, considering that this movie and the previous Frankenstein Monster film (The Ghost of Frankenstein) don't really tie together. (Up until this movie they had done a pretty good job of doing that.) I love the village of Vasaria. All the villagers (who were probably supposed to have lived there their entire lives) have assorted accents. ALso because the background villagers dress in a Tyrolean style while the main characters dress in modern clothes. Lon Chaney's performance as the Wolf Man is actually better than it was in the first film because Larry Talbot has become more tortured as a result of his werewolf-ism.The actress that plays Frankenstein's daughter isn't that good at all. Overall, this is an entertaining entry in the Frankenstein series.
Rebel Without a Cause
(1955)
A True Masterpiece
29 December 1999
No scene in this movie is unnecessary. All the actors are perfect, especially Sal Mineo. I mean, while you can't help remembering that James Dean is James Dean and that Natalie Wood is Natalie Wood, you actually believe that Mineo is Plato. This film has stood the test of time very well, and it is just as powerful as it was 44 years ago. This movie has an unbelievable unemotional impact. I cry at the end every time, I mean I literally have tears streaming down my face. The only problem is that, although there are no unnecessary scenes, some drag on to long. However, this is a minor problem, and "Rebel Without a Cause" is definitely one of the best films of all time.
Rope
(1948)
Fascinating
29 December 1999
Very nice film. I love how Hitchcock manipulates you to loathe one of the killers, but feel sympathy towards the other one. Farley Granger and John Dall are great in their roles, but James Stewart seems slightly uncomfortable in his first role that isn't quite...wholesome.
The Ghost of Frankenstein
(1942)
Fun
29 December 1999
Pretty good film; after this one the movies with the Frankenstein Monster don't really tie in together. Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi (as the Monster and Ygor, respectively) are particularly good. At the very beginning, look for Dwight Frye (Lugosi's "Renfield" in Dracula) in a small part as a mob-inciting villager.
The Wolf Man
(1941)
Even a man who is pure in heart...
29 December 1999
Even a man who is pure in heart
And says his prayers by night
May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
And the autumn moon is bright.
If you haven't heard this piece of poetry before, you'll never forget it after seeing The Wolf Man for two reasons: it's spooky and just about everybody in the movie recites it at one time or another.Set in a fog-bound studio-built Wales, The Wolf Man tells the doom-laden tale of Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.), who returns to the estate of his father (Claude Rains). (Yes, Chaney's American, but the movie explains this, awkwardly.) Bitten by a werewolf, Talbot suffers the classic fate of all victims of lycanthropy. This is a classy horror outing, with strong atmosphere and a thoughtful script by Curt Siodmak-- well, except for the stiff romantic bits between Chaney and Evelyn Ankers. It's also got Bela Lugosi, briefly, and Maria Ouspenskaya, the prune-like Russian actress who foretells doom like nobody's business.
And says his prayers by night
May become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
And the autumn moon is bright.
If you haven't heard this piece of poetry before, you'll never forget it after seeing The Wolf Man for two reasons: it's spooky and just about everybody in the movie recites it at one time or another.Set in a fog-bound studio-built Wales, The Wolf Man tells the doom-laden tale of Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.), who returns to the estate of his father (Claude Rains). (Yes, Chaney's American, but the movie explains this, awkwardly.) Bitten by a werewolf, Talbot suffers the classic fate of all victims of lycanthropy. This is a classy horror outing, with strong atmosphere and a thoughtful script by Curt Siodmak-- well, except for the stiff romantic bits between Chaney and Evelyn Ankers. It's also got Bela Lugosi, briefly, and Maria Ouspenskaya, the prune-like Russian actress who foretells doom like nobody's business.
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