Here are today’s Halloween treats.
Frankenstein: Never has the monster been played better than Karloff did it. Is it close to the novel’s interpretation? Nope. Not at all, but that would be dull compared to this. The film falls a bit flat once the wedding starts, but then there is the ending….the monster screaming like a lost child as the flames lick up at him in the old windmill. If you have never seen it then……..why not!?
The Wolfman: Not the greatest horror film ever made….not by a longshot. It’s a film that is easy to pick apart, but the precedents it set (silver bullets, full moon, the poem, pentagrams etc), and the terrific makeup by the great Jack Pierce PLUS a great Salter Skinner soundtrack AND a sad, yet beautifully ironic ending make it a great Werewolf movie in my book. The remake (2010) had some good makeup moments, but was very much lacking in the pathos of the main character, and it tried to be too many things to too many people. Homages, a lousy werewolf vs werewolf fight (don’t ask), and a dull ending left me pretty cold. See the original Wolfman starring Lon Chaney Jr.
King Kong: One of my favorite movies EVER! There is nothing bad I could ever say about this movie. It was also SO tremendously groundbreaking, the story just so solid/no nonsense, the soundtrack so great…….Kong is iconic, and for good reason. It deserves it.
The remake in 1976 was disappointing. I was at opening night back in 1976 and I was disappointed then too.
The Peter Jackson 2005 remake looked beautiful, but was way too long, had a tremendous amount of filler/fluff, and missed the mark. Really though, there is never a reason to remake King Kong. It is all too perfect to even try.
Horror of Dracula: A big favorite of mine.
Godzilla: Wow! What a great movie. So much different than any other Godzilla film ever made.
War of the Worlds: Another one of my favorite films. I saw this at around age 7 or 8 on TV back in the late 1960′s and I have NEVER forgotten it.
Psycho: A groundbreaking, scary film that I think everyone has seen right?
Night of the Living Dead: I saw this by myself late one night on TV back in around 1971-72 I think? It scared the crap out of me and I was afraid to go upstairs to bed.
Halloween: Not THAT great, but it is called Halloween, and this film DOES have it’s moments. Yes, some of the scares are cinematically cheap, but others are VERY effective.
So bad???
High School Musical? Nope that is just plain bad. Nope it’s………….Dracula vs Frankenstein: Bad? Real bad? This is it.
AND…
El Baron Del Terror: A crazy Mexican film once again starring the great Abel Salazar.
And that is that….oh ok, one last day coming tomorrow!
