Asylum Of Evil!

A horror blog...

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The Mummy

Released: (1959)

Director: Terence Fisher

Writers: Jimmy Sangster

Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee

“Seems I’ve spent the better part of my life amongst the dead” - John Banning

In the year 1895 archaeologist David Banning opens the long lost tomb of Ananka, high priestess of the god of Karnak. After reciting the sacred scroll of life, the Mummy is released from its chamber, terrifying Stephen into a catatonic state. Two years later an Egyptian arrives in England transporting what he calls 'Egyptian Artifacts'. These 'Artifacts' turn out to be the Mummy, ready to embark on a rampage of revenge against the family of those who desecrated the tomb of Ananka.

In 1959 Terrence Fisher directed this remake of The Mummy (1932) for Hammer Studios. Previous directorial duties included The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and The Horror of Dracula (1958), both of which had been international hits, making him the ideal choice for the project. Once again the film would reunite two of Hammer's biggest stars: Peter Cushing played the part of the archaeologist Peter Banning, and Christopher Lee wrapped himself in bandages to become the Mummy.

The film features solid performances from the cast, an incredible score from Franz Reizenstein, and a thoroughly engrossing storyline that plays out like a detective story. The flashbacks to ancient Egypt work particularly well, showing Ananka's burial ritual and the origins of the Mummy.

Personally, I found the film to be far more entertaining than the original. In fact 'entertaining' is the key word here. Dispute claims that THE FEAR WILL LEAVE YOU FROZEN, that it is FILMED IN TERRIFYING TECHNICOLOUR, and that it is UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN, it is not particularly scary at all and more of a fun monster movie for all ages - this poses a question: was this scary back in the day, and has it lost ability to horrify due to the desensitization of the current generation?

Still, horror can be more about entertainment...right?

Rating: **** 4/5

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The Innocents

Released: (1961)

Director: Jack Clayton

Writers: Henry James, John Mortimer, William Archibald, Truman Capote

Starring: Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde, Martin Stephens, Pamela Franklin

“Oh willow I die, oh willow I die...” - Flora

In 1961 Director Jack Clayton crafted this superb psychological horror/thriller.  The story was based on the novel 'Turn of the screw' by Henry James, and the title of the film, 'The Innocents', was taken from the stage screenplay by William Archibald.

Deborah Kerr plays the part of Miss Giddens, a Governess appointed carer of two adopted children, Flora (Pamela Franklin) and Miles (Martin Stephens), at a wealthy bachelor's country estate.  At first the children seem kind and polite, but soon they start displaying a rather peculiar grown-up attitude and whispering secrets to each other.  Concerned, the Governess monitors the children closely and starts to hear strange voices behind closed doors.  Then, when visions of strange apparitions appear around the house and grounds, she decides take matters into her own hands.

During the late 1950's, Hammer Studios hit their stride and started released a string of hits: The Curse of Frankenstein, The Blood of Dracula, The Revenge of Frankenstein, and The Mummy.  These films were tailor made for the mass market: dynamic, in colour and with a fair amount of blood. The Innocents, on the other hand, was intentionally crafted to stand out among these films: Subtle, Black and White, and with an altogether more classic quality.  This was a risky move, even more so with its ambiguous ending that left the conclusion open to viewer interpretation, but the film was a hit and made 1.2 million dollars at the box office.  

Further praise came from French director François Truffaut claimed it was the best British film since Hitchcock left Britain, and Martin Scorsese placed it in his top horror films of all time.

A classic of the Horror genre.

Rating: **** 4/5

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House of Wax

Released: (1953)

Director: Andre De Toth

Writers: Crane Wilbur, Charles Balden

Starring: Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Charles Bronson, Carolyn Jones, Phillis Kirk

“Jarrod is dead. I’m a reincarnation” - Henry Jarrod

Vincent Price plays the part of Henry Jarod, the head sculptor at a fading House of Wax museum. In an evil act of desperation his business partner, Matthew Burke, sets fire to the waxworks for an insurance claim, burning Jarod in the proces and leaving him for dead.

Years later a new House of Wax opens in the town, but this time things are different: The waxworks are of exceptional quality - some may say lifelike.

Personally, I found this film to be a letdown. I was half expecting the waxworks to come to life and play a part in Jarod's revenge, but they didn't, making them nothing more than static scare props which are not particularly frightening at all. It is worth pointing out, as the poster suggests, that the film was released in 3D. Maybe the film was more of an experiment in style over substance.  

Interestingly enough, director Andre De Toth was apparently blind in one eye, so he never got to see the 3D transfer as is was meant to be seen.

Rating: ** 2/5

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The Horror of Dracula

Released: (1958)

Director: Terrence Fisher

Writers: Jimmy Sangster, Bram Stoker

Starring:Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee

“Sleep well, Mr. Harker” - Count Dracula

The Horror of Dracula was Hammer Studio’s first adaptation of Bram Stokers classic novel - some might say it’s best. Directed by Terrence Fisher, the film cast two of Hammer’s most enduring stars; Christopher Lee dons the cape of the evil Count Dracula and Peter Cushing steps into the boots of the fearless and heroic Doctor Van Helsing.

The story begins with Jonathan Harker visiting Count Dracula’s castle, posing as a librarian, to work in the vast and ancient archives.  However, once at the castle, it is revealed that Jonathan plans to locate Dracula’s sarcophagus and kill him with a steak to the heart.  Of course, it is not long before it all goes wrong.  Jonathan is outsmarted by the Count, bitten on the neck, and transformed into a creature of the night. Eventually Dr Van Helsing arrives, intent on locating Jonathan and putting an end to the horror of Dracula.

Compared to the 1931 version of Dracula starring Bela Lugosi, it becomes clear how much the presentation of the horror film had progressed since the days of the earliest black and white talkies.  Here we have an incredible score by James Bernard, the blood is presented in glorious technicolor, and the style of filming more energetic and fluid, as opposed to the rather static nature of the original.  

As the poster says, “fang-tastic”.

Rating: **** 4/5

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Released: (1956)

Director: Don Siegel

Writers: Daniel Mainwaring, Jack Finney

Starring: Kevin McCarthey, Dana Wynter

“They're like huge seed pods!” - Becky Driscoll

Invasion of the body snatchers was released in 1956.  By this time the golden age of horror was well and truly over and evil, no longer confined to the mist shrouded graveyards and abandoned castles of classic Gothic literature, was now sitting right on your doorstep.

The story follows Dr Miles Bennel who, upon returning to his quiet Middle American hometown, finds himself in what seems to be an epidemic of mass paranoia where people believe that those around them, people they have known for years, are somehow 'different' and emotionally detached.  And so begins the invasion; Paranoia becomes reality and the suburban town is slowly taken over by those who are 'different', leaving the normal folk to fight for their lives...or be converted.

Although denied by the film's creators, there seems to be a subtext that could be interpreted as an allegory for anti-communism and the American fear of internal subversion, but it is more likely that it simply taps into deep human fears of isolation and alienation.   

Since it's release it has been remade a number of times as Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978, Body Snatchers 1998, and more recently The Invasion 2007. 

Rating: **** 4/5

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Les Diaboliques

Released: (1955)

Director: H.G. Clouzot

Writers: Pierre Boileau, Thomas Narcejac

Starring: Simone Signoret, Vera Clouzot, Paul Meurisse

“Don’t you believe in hell?” - Christina Delassalle

Les Diaboliques is a French film production from 1955, directed by H. G. Clouzot, and starring Simone Signoret, Yera Clouzot, and Paul Merisse.  It has often been referred to as the greatest film Alfred Hitchcock never made, and quite rightly so, for this is an incredible thriller with clear supernatural undertones.

Christina, the owner of a provincial boarding school for boys, has suffered years of mental and physical abuse from Michael, her husband and headmaster at the school.  In a moment of desperation the frail and weak Christina teams up with Nicole, the emotionally scarred ex-mistress of the headmaster, and together they conspire to drown him and dump the body into the school swimming pool.  To justify the murder Nicole reminds Christina "It's either him...or you".  And so they put their plan into action.  However, not long after the murder has been committed the body mysteriously vanishes without a trace, resulting in what seems to be string of unexplainable supernatural occurrences.

This is one of those films that unfolds at a perfect pace; each chapter in the story reveals just enough to both heighten the sense of mystery and keep the audience under its spell.  Without giving too much away I would say that this has one of the greatest final acts for this particular age of horror, the twist hits you not once, but three times in quick succession. 

Essential viewing for anyone who likes a murder mystery.

 Rating: ***** 5/5

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The Uninvited

Released: (1944)

Director: Lewis Allen

Writers: Dodie Smith, Frank Partos

Starring: Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Donald Crisp, Gail Russell

“Mists gather here… and sea fog… and eerie stories…” - Roderick Fitzgerald

The Uninvited is a 1944 horror film directed by Lewis Allen. It is widely regarded as one of the first attempts by Hollywood to create a haunted house film that depicts supernatural phenomena as a very real, authentic experience.  

While taking a relaxing walk along the Cornish coastline, Rick (a composer) and his sister Pamela stumble upon an abandoned house and immediately fall in love with it.  They purchase the house at a reduced price from Commander Beech, a man who seems happy to get rid of it, as if selling the place will sever him from memories of the distant past he would rather forget. Rick then starts a romantic relationship with the Commanders daughter, Merideth, who is drawn back into the house from her childhood, triggering off a ghostly presence with unfinished business.

Many of the horror films of the time saw evil represented in a humanoid form such as Dracula, Frankenstein, or the Invisible Man, but here the house becomes the main focus of attention. At night it is a place of dark shadows that hide grim secrets from the past, a place where the dim light from a candlestick might put you face to face with a spirit from the afterworld. Much of this eerie sense was achieved by cinematographer Charles Lang who received an Academy Award nomination.

By today’s standards The Uninvited is not particularly scary, but the mystery at the center of the story keeps you watching as it unfolds. Highly recommended.

Rating: *** 3/5 

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Bride of Frankenstein

Released: (1935)

Director: James Whale

Writers: Mary Shelley, William Harlbut, John Balderston

Starring: Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Ernst Thesiger

“To a new world of gods and monsters!” - Dr Pretorius

After the phenomenal success of Frankenstein in 1931, Universal Pictures set out to make a direct sequel based on a side story from Mary Shelley’s classic novel. It was called The Bride of Frankenstein and saw the monster, presumed dead at the hands of a bloodthirsty mob, rise from the ashes of a burnt out windmill to continue his reign of terror. At the same time, Henry Frankenstein is approached by Dr Pretorius, a crazy scientist who believes the monster can be tamed if they create a mate for him.

Fortunately for Universal, much of the original creative force returned: James Whale, although reluctant at first, agreed to direct; Colin Clive reprised his role as Dr Henry Frankenstein; and the great Boris Karloff once again transformed himself into the iconic monster that launched his career into superstardom.

The Bride of Frankenstein was released to popular and critical acclaim, and is widely regarded as a sequel that surpasses the original in terms of thrills, scares, and morbid excitement. It is a fantastic film, and serves as a textbook example of how to take an existing winning formula and expand the universe in which it is set to great effect.

It was was the last Frankenstein film James Whale would direct.

Rating: ***** 5/5

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The Invisible Man

Released: (1933)

Director: James Whale

Writers: H. G. Welles, R. C. Sherriff

Starring: Claude Rains, Gloria Steuart

“How can I handcuff a bloomin’ shirt?” - Constable Jaffers

In 1933 Universal Pictures released The Invisible Man, a horror film based on the classic 1897 novella by H.G. Wells.  It was directed by James Whale and starred Claude Rains as the invisible man after Boris Karloff pulled out over financial contractual agreements.

The story evolves around a mysterious stranger, covered with bandages and wearing dark glasses, who temporarily rents a room above a pub in order to complete a secret experiment.  After a number of hostile encounters the townsfolk realise that underneath the scary bandages is something far more sinister.

Ground breaking in it’s day, it used a mixture of both wire work and the matte process to create the illusion of invisibility. One could say the effects created for the films were as incredible as the experiment shown within the story - it seemed to achieve the impossible.

From 1933 to 1944 Universal Pictures would release five more invisible man films, and in 1958 The invisible man made the transition from the big screen to the small screen - further TV shows were broadcast in 1970 and 2000.

Rating: ** 2/5

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Cat People

Released: (1942)

Director: Jacques Tourneur

Writers: DeWitt Bodeen

Starring: Simone Simon, Tom Conway

“I like the dark. It's friendly." - Irena Dubrovna

In 1942 RKO pictures hired first time producer Val Lewton to create a series of horror films on a restricted budget of just $150,000 dollars.  The first film was Cat People, directed by Jacques Tourneur, and starring Simone Simon and Tom Conway.

The film is about a Serbian woman living in New York who meets, falls in love with, and marries a man called Oliver, an engineer by trade.  Haunted by tales from her past, she believes that she is a descendant of people who, when stimulated by an act of passion, turn into a killer cat.  Is she telling the truth, or is she just crazy?

Considering the budget restrictions, the film is very well made.  The acting, cinematography and editing give the film a professional touch.  Credit to this has to go to Val Lewtons production team and their resourceful approach to film making.  In one scene they even reused the staircase built for Orson Welle's production of The Magnificent Ambersons (more about that later).  Elsewhere we see the development of new techniques to shock and horrify the audience; techniques that would have seemed revolutionary back in the day.  

In what is considered to be the films most memorable scene, Alice, Oliver's new love interest, walks through a lonely tunnel lit by lamplight.  Sensing that something is chasing her she quickens up the pace.  Then, just when the tension reaches boiling point, and the audience expects a killer cat to pounce, a bus abruptly pulls up with a loud screech.  Within a split second the tension is dissipated.  And so the Lewton bus technique was born.

One year earlier, before the release of Cat people, Orson Welle's adaptation of The Magnificent Ambersons had bombed at the box office; it had a budget of $1.1 million and recorded a loss of  $620,000. In contrast, Cat People cost $134,000, and made over $4 million within two years.

Rating: *** 3/5

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Nosferatu

Released: (1922)

Director: F. W. Marnau

Writers: Bram Stoker, Henrik Galeen

Starring: Max Shreck (Count Orlock)

“Is this your wife? What a lovely throat." - Count Orlock

In 1922, F. W. Marnau filmed an unofficial version of Bram Stokers Dracula.  Unable to secure the rights to the novel, it was decided that certain names and details be changed to avoid a copyright lawsuit: Dracula became Count Orlock, and Vampire became Nosferatu.

However, this was not enough to stop Bram Stoker’s heirs from suing the production company, Prana Films.  This resulted in a court ruling demanding that all existing copies be destroyed; it was also the last film Prana Films would ever make. 

Fortunately one copy survived, allowing it to be resurrected from the dead - It is from  this source that all other copies in existence originated.  

Compared to Tod Browning’s ‘official’ version of Dracula released almost a Decade later, Nosferatu is revealed to be a different beast altogether, for this was a film made in the silent era where the over exaggeration of style and performance stood in as a substitute to the spoken word.  In this era there were no claps of thunder following a flash of lightning, no werewolves howling at the moon, and no blood curdling screams of terror.   It was a time where all emotional response had to be generated by the visuals.

To this day the film remains an essential, not to mention compelling piece cinema.  It has endured the ages, inspired countless future adaptations of Dracula, and gone on to  become a classic of the horror genre.  

Rating: **** 4/5

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Freaks

Released: (1932)

Director: Tod Browning

Writers: Clarence Aaron Robbins

Starring: Olga Baclanova (Cleopatra), Harry Earles (Hans)

“We accept you, one of us! Gobble Gobble!" - Freaks

After the phenomenal success of Dracula in 1931, director Tod Browning was given the creative freedom to make anything he wanted. He chose to make a film called Freaks.  

The story, set within the confines of a travelling circus, is about a trapeze artist called Cleopatra who schemes a plot with her lover to seduce and marry a midget called Hans, leader of the circus freaks, to get at the vast fortune he stands to inherit.

What makes this film stand out from the rest is that it used real life circus performers with deformities.  What you see on the screen is real; this is not prosthetic make-up or effects.  A pre-code film*,  this was seen as highly controversial and exploitative. You could argue that for most of the duration of the film the freaks are portrayed as decent people, and normal people revealed to be the real monsters, but one cannot deny that the ending makes monsters of them all, regardless of their motives.

After a disastrous test performance the film was cut from 90 to 64 minutes. Among the scenes cut were the freaks attacking Cleopatra under a tree, and the castration of Hercules. Despite these cuts, and the inclusion of a more upbeat, alternative ending, the film was still a box office bomb.  After Freaks, Tod Browning found it difficult to secure work and only made four more films in his lifetime. 

*a film made before the Motion Picture Production Code defined a set of Industry moral censorship guidelines

Rating: *** 3/5

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The Mummy

Released: (1932)

Director: Karl Freund

Writers: Nina Wilcox Putnam, Richard Schayer, John Balderston

Starring: Boris Karloff (Imhotep), Zita Johann (Helen Grosvenor)

“Save me from that mummy! It’s dead!" - Helen Grosvenor

In 1932, producer Carl Laemelle Jr hired John Balderton, who had written screenplays for both Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931), to write an Egyptian themed horror film. The result was 1932’s The Mummy.

Inspired by the real life descovery of King Tutenkhamuns tomb in 1922, the story evolves around an ancient Egyptian high priest called Imhotep who, after being caught trying to ressurect his forbidden love, the princess Ankh-es-en-amon, is accused of sacrilege and mummified alive.

3700 years later, in the year 1921, an archeological expedition rediscovers the Mummy who is brought back to life when a foolish young worker on the dig recites the scroll of Thoth, a sacred parchment imbued with the power of bringing the dead back to life.

Determined to finish what he started, Imhotep seeks out the modern day reincarnation of princess Ankh-es-en-amon, in an attempt to be reunited with his lost love.

Karl Freund, a cinematographer by trade, was offered the chance to direct the film two days before shooting started. He had worked as a cinematographer on Metrololis (1922), Dracula (1931), and Frankenstein (1931); he also had an uncredited director role on Dracula (1931), making him the operfect choice to helm the film.

Riding on the success of Frankenstein a year earlier, Boris Karloff signed on to play the Mummy, a role that would require over eight hours a day to apply the makeup. His love interest, Helen Grosvenor/Ankh-es-en-amon, was played by Zita Johan who claimed that she believed in reincarnation - although this claim could have been made up just to snare the role.

Although a commercial success, The Mummy would not go on to gain the critical respect of earlier Universal classics, presumably because the lead villain was not as iconic as Dracula or Frankenstein.

Rating: *** 3/5

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Frankenstein

Released: (1931)

Director: James Whale

Writers: John Balderston, Mary Shelley

Starring: Colin Clive (Frankenstein), Boris Karloff (The Monster)

"It’s alive! It’s alive!" - Dr Frankenstein

In 1931 James Whale directed what is considered to be the definitive big screen adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic 1818 novel, Frankenstein.

The film starred Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein, a mad, twisted scientist who, delirious at the thought of playing god, creates an experiment with one aim: to bring the dead back to life.  The result was the creation of the Monster, played by Boris Karloff.  

Karloff, having spent most of his acting career playing small bit parts, welcomed the chance to play the monster. Unlike Bela Lugosi (Dracula 1931), who spent most of his career trying to avoid being typecast as a villain, Karloff embraced the opportunities that came his way and went on to act in a string of memorable roles such as The Mummy (1932), The Old Dark House (1932), and The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935).

Upon viewing, the production of Frankenstein is quite dynamic compared to other films of the time, creating an on-screen energy that would captivate audiences. The tracking camera shots as the blood thirsty mob hunts for the monster in the woods is very beautifully done and highlights the sense of urgency in capturing the beast.

The film was also daring in its depiction of death. In one of its most memorable and shocking scenes, the monster, unaware of his own power, throws a young girl into a lake, resulting in her death. At the time this was considered to be taboo…one of the absolute worst things you could possibly show. Even though a lot was suggested, it didn’t stop the censors stepping in and request that the scene receive major cuts.

It would not be until 1985 that an uncensored version would be released.

Rating: **** 4/5

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Dracula

Released: (1931)

Director: Tod Browning

Writers: Bram Stoker, John Balderston, Hamilton Deane

Starring: Bela Lugosi (Dracula), Helen Chandler (Mina)

"I am Dracula.  I bid you welcome." - Count Dracula

In 1931, Tod Browning directed what was to be the first official* on screen version of Bram Stokers classic 1897 novel, Dracula. Not only that, it was be the first horror ‘talkie’ - that is, to be filmed with sound.

Rather than start with a fresh adaptation of the novel, the studio decided to base the screenplay on a popular stage production by Hamilton Deane and John Balderston. This was a wise move as it had already proved popular with audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, was perfectly suited for a ‘talkie’, and would allow the film to piggy back on the momentum it had gained.

The title role was set to be played by Lon Chaney who, having played the lead in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom Of The Opera (1925), had established himself as one of the first superstars of the horror genre. However, it was not to be. After Chaney’s death in 1930, the reigns were handed over to Hungarian-born, Bela Lugosi, who already had a wealth of experience playing Dracula in the stage production the film was to be based on.

The result was the creation of one of horrors first true archetypal villains. Lugosi’s delivery of speech, his movement and menacing presence would be forever etched into our minds and passed down from one generation to the next. To this day, it is difficult not to impersonate Dracula without adopting the physical traits established by Lugosi - even if you have never seen the original film.

Although widely considered to be the definitive version of the tale, modern viewing reveals it to be somewhat lacking. Maybe it was because Cinematographer Karl Freund used the special effects budget in the first two reels, leaving the rest of the film heavy with dialogue and less focused on spectacle and atmosphere; or maybe the production techniques of the silent era had yet to be adapted for the use of sound, leaving an unsatisfying sense of empty space in the film.

Interestingly enough, in 1987 composer Philip Glass added a soundtrack, with an aim to “evoke the feeling of the world of the 19th century”. The added score creates a layer of consistency throughout the film and, in my opinion, improves the overall viewing experience.

Dracula was a hit for Universal Pictures. In fact, it was so successful that that its stars would forever live in its shadows. In an attempt to avoid being typecast, Lugosi moved away from horror roles, but never achieved the level of success that Dracula gave him. Ironically, after his death in 1956, he was buried wearing his original Dracula cape. Helen Chandler, on the other hand, succumbed to alcoholism, disfugured her body in a house fire after falling asleep smoking, and died in 1965 from a cardiac arrest. Her death was reported by almost no one; to this day her cremated ashes reside unclaimed in the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles.

*Although the 1922 film Nosferatu was based on the book, it never secured the rights by Stokers widow, resulting in a legal battle and requests that all existing copies of the film be destroyed.

Rating: *** 3/5