Here they are. These are getting to be the cream of the crop!
Brides of Dracula (1960): A well done Hammer vampire film directed by the equally good Terrence Fisher. This was to be a sequel to the first Dracula film, Horror of Dracula, but Christopher Lee was not available or something so they came up with this version. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) proves invaluable help to a girl that has mistakenly freed the Baron Meinster. A rather mean Vampire. He quickly, kills his own mother, spawns 2 “brides” and his reign of terror would have remained unchecked if not for Van Helsing. It is an interesting take on the genre, as Baron Meinster is held prisoner by his own mother! The only problem is the ending which I feel ends a bit too abruptly, but don’t let that stop you from watching this. It is one of the best movies Hammer ever made.
The Haunting: AND THIS is one of the best if not THE best haunted house films ever made. Maybe it’s too slow for today’s audiences and if so, that is a shame. Admittedly the film loses some of the scary atmosphere about 3/4 of the way through the movie, and the ending is maybe not the most satisfying (it was adapted from the book “The Haunting of Hill House”) BUT there are brilliant and very memorable scenes that do SO much without showing anything! Directed by the great Robert Wise (who had “graduated from the Val Lewton school of filmaking) it is a crown jewel in any Halloween movie viewing session.
Them: This movie just flat out works. Why? I think its because everyone takes the threat of the giant ants so seriously. Not tongue in cheek as you might see today. It feels so “honest.” Then there is that terrific opening sequence of the little girl just walking through the desert by herself, a totally blank expression on her face. The military confronting the ants in the LA underground drainage system, AND the ants themselves. Huge and vicious ants (made so by nuclear testing) that make the most eerie sound as they communicate amongst themselves. It’s quite effective hearing that sound out in the desert at night wind and sand whipping about. This is by far, the best of the 50′s giant bug films. Starring James Arness and James Whitmore. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: (1932) What is the best version of this often filmed tale you ask? It’s this one, I answer. Frederick March even won an Oscar for his portrayal of Jekyll/Hyde. The makeup effects are great, and it’s his version that is still most famous. There have been many others though like…………
The Spencer Tracy version is a little too Hollywood, but Spence does a good job with little makeup, and it is really very well done.
The John Barrymore is, by far, the best of the silent film versions. He actually does 3/4 of his transformation on camera with NO edits! An ambitious stunt to try, and it kind of works. Later on in the film though he looks (like March and Tracy) ever more crazy!
There was also a decent made for TV, Dan Curtis, production starring Jack Palance that is pretty good. The best though is still the Frederick March Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!
Mothra: This movie is kind of an anomaly for the time. Two 4″ high woman, that speak in unison (the fairies of Infant Island played by the singing duo “The Peanuts”), are kidnapped from their radioactive island (made so by mankind’s excessive nuclear testing in the Pacific), and forced to perform in a live show. Mothra travels to Tokyo to rescue them. Mothra is a HUGE caterpillar, that causes much damage as it crawls about Tokyo searching for the fairies. Once it reaches Tokyo tower it encases itself in a cocoon, eventually emerging as a mammoth, colorful, moth. This Mothra adult travels about the world searching for the fairies who are being hidden by the promoter of the show. Mothra causes severe damage as it flies over cities creating hurricane level winds because of its massive wings. So………. the humans return the fairies to Mothra, who takes them back to the island. This film has a fantasy type soundtrack, and a crazy story that somehow gels to produce a different kind of story than had ever quite been seen. A mammoth, and beautiful moth as the menace! Only from Japan! 3 years later Mothra returned to battle Godzilla. Recommend.
Pit and the Pendulum: Oh boy I remember the first time I ever saw this as a kid. It scared the you know what out of me! My favorite Corman/Vincent Price Poe film. This is Roger Corman greatness that really has no monster, ghosts or anything supernatural in it at all. There is much implied but by films’ end we see it was all treachery! Vincent Price does a wonderful job in a part that would have been very easy to cross the line into bad overacting, AND like any good classic horror character oozes plenty of pathos. Poor Nicholas Medina…..he had it tough that’s for sure! Highly recommended.
This Island earth: Not quite a major sci fi classic, but it’s pretty damn good. Most famous is the Metaluna Mutant (see pic). A world is at war and dying out, so the leaders send out scientists to scout out the Earth for survival. Many of Earth’s greatest scientists are duped into helping. A very enjoyable sci fi from 1950′s Universal.
Soylent Green: One of the best of the 70′s apocalyptic/ pre Star Wars sci fi films. Charlton Heston had been making great sci fi at the time. Planet of the Apes, Omega Man and this one. Overpopulation, pollution, temperature changes….the world is a mess. This was the last film for the great Edward G Robinson, who was slowly dying at the time from cancer. His death scene in the film is one of the great death scenes made all the more so by the circumstances. Of course we all know the real secret of what Soylent Green is made of don’t we?
Silence of the Lambs: We have all seen this. If not then you need to. Mainly for the wonderfully performed and shot bad guy Hanibal Lecter
The Vanishing:
Guilty and so so bad.
Trilogy of Terror: (1975) A made for TV movie from Dan Curtis that features three separate stories starring Karen Black. The first 2 stories are ok, and certainly worthwhile, but it’s the third one that EVERYONE remembers! The Zuni Fetish doll segment.
Jack the Giant Killer: Ray Harryhausen’s less talented son
Only 2 days to go! Tommorrow.
Robert
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ml Kirigamine.
Hey, i just landed on your article by luck, and as i sometimes do, i start reading whats in front of me, the article gets really interesting after awhile. Thanks for putting it up, thanks and have a good night
What was you favourite movie of 2010? I would have to say that mine was Avatar. But also Inception was amazing!
Hi Ida,
Avatar was ok, but seemed overblown to me. Inception was good….but it left me kind of cold as most of Nolan’s movies do. I liked Kick Ass a lot. Scott Pilgrim was pretty good too.
Robert
really like what that you wrote . it just isn’t that easy to discover even remotely good stuff to read (you know really READ and not just going through it like a zombie before going somewhere else), so cheers mate for not wasting any of my time!