13 Nights of Shocktober: The Uncanny

 by A.J.

Night 6: Anthology Horror Night

“It was the cat that did it.”

The Uncanny

It’s good for a horror anthology to have a theme to keep it on track and tie the stories together, even in a loose way; it makes the collection a more satisfying and cohesive experience. The 1977 horror anthology The Uncanny has perhaps the best possible theme: cats. The legendary Peter Cushing plays an author who is finally ready to reveal his latest book, which will make public how cats are actually intelligent and devious creatures who seek to control and even kill humans. His potential publisher, played by Ray Milland, is very skeptical, so Cushing tells him three stories that will prove the murderous nature of cats. If that sounds silly, that’s because, well, it is. If it sounds like not that much of a stretch because cats are clever and intelligent, that’s because, well, they are. The Uncanny takes full advantage of the unlikely combination of  deviousness and cuteness in such a creature. This movie never asks you to take it seriously and thus is quite entertaining. 

The first story is set in London in 1912. Joan Greenwood plays the wealthy Ms. Malkin who has cut her nerdowell nephew out of her will and left everything to her cats. Her housemaid, Janet (Susan Penhaligon), overhears this and alerts the nephew, with whom she is having an affair. He tells her to steal the will and Janet complies but is caught and smothers Ms. Malkin. The only witnesses are the cats who are determined on revenge. In Quebec 1975 young Lucy (Katrina Holden Bronson), whose parents recently died, is sent to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Lucy’s only comfort is her beloved cat Wellington but her aunt can’t wait to get rid of Wellington and Lucy’s books about magic, tarot, and witchcraft. Wellington is sent away to be put down but escapes and returns and for revenge. In the final story, set in Hollywood in 1936, Donald Pleasence stars as Valentine De’ath whose wife tragically dies of an “accident” while on a movie set. He suggests that the production should continue with his mistress, Edina (Samantha Eggar), taking over his late wife’s role. He never paid attention to his wife’s cat, whose name he doesn’t remember, nor is he aware that the cat is actually a female. When he finds that the cat has a litter of newborn kittens, he drowns them in the toilet (off screen). If any cat ever deserved her revenge it is this cat and she gets quite inventive. Neither Cushing’s or Milland’s character seems to realize that the cats in these stories, though murderous, are not actually evil. They only seek revenge after being wronged.

Each of these segments and the interstitials with Cushing and Milland are filled with countless shots of staring cats set to ominous music. The laughs that come when a tiny fake paw darts out and scratches Janet’s hand every time she tries to reach for the will are perhaps unintended but fun. The same goes for shots of the cat in the Hollywood story trotting on the catwalk of the soundstage and chewing through the rope of an overhead light.

The London 1912 story is more of a thriller story. Janet was not able to clean up the crime scene before being attacked by the cats so she cannot answer the door or phone for help and is basically trapped. The Quebec segment is perhaps the weakest. The most shocking revelation of this story should be not that cats understand injustice, but that witchcraft is real. It has a dark joke of an ending that plays like a punchline that doesn’t really work. The third segment has dark humor that works. Pleasence does a great job playing an overly serious hammy actor. 

There’s comedy in every scene where an adult human is outwitted and outfought by a cat. A scene where a cat jumps on a man and rips his throat out and then runs off is ridiculous but also kind of scary. Some of the effects are dated (fake paws and fake cats) but others are still effectively gruesome. Peter Cushing is 100 percent committed to being frightened and paranoid about cats. He is doing the work of believing the incredulous premise so that we can just be entertained. Aside from one or two graphic horror images, this makes for a great and enjoyable movie for the more squeamish crowd. The Uncanny has everything you’d want in a Shocktober movie: some scares, great acting, a sense of fun, and lots and lots of cats.

The Uncanny is available to stream for free on Tubi and Plex.  

13 Nights of Shocktober: From Beyond the Grave

by A.J.

Night 10: Anthology Horror Night

“All tastes catered for. Oh, and a big novelty surprise goes with every purchase.”

From Beyond the Grave

Horror anthologies, or portmanteau films, are maybe my favorite horror subgenre. Multiple stories of different kinds wrapped up for the price of one movie. Many horror stories, in fact most, no matter what kind (monsters, slashers, allegories, whathaveyou) work best in short form simply because there is less time to pick apart details or overthink a thin premise. In the late 1960’s and throughout the 1970’s the British production company Amicus specialized in horror anthologies. Their most famous film is Tales From the Crypt (1972). Their 7th and final production, From Beyond the Grave (1977) did not fare well at the time, but it is quite entertaining and makes for great spooky-not-scary Shocktober viewing. 

From Beyond the Grave has four separate stories following people who visit an antiques store run by none other than horror legend Peter Cushing. Each story is based on a short story by British author R. Chetwynd-Hayes and all have the same director, Kevin Connor, and cinematographer Alan Hume (later to shoot Return of the Jedi and A Fish Called Wanda), so they all have a similar aesthetic while also having just enough variety in tone to feel distinct. Every anthology movie winds up feeling uneven to a certain degree and From Beyond the Grave is no exception, but overall there is more to enjoy than not. 

The first story, “The Gate Crasher”, has David Warner purchasing an old spooky looking mirror. He has some friends over and one of them says the mirror looks like something a medium would have. This prompts someone to suggest they have a séance, so they do, because why not. This calls forth an evil spirit trapped in the mirror who hypnotizes Warner into luring people to his apartment and killing them. The premise feels familiar if you’ve seen enough horror movies but it’s a good start and probably the darkest of the four stories. 

The second story “An Act of Kindness” is probably the best of the four. It stars Ian Bannen as a put-upon office manager with an overbearing wife who befriends a peddler played by Donald Pleasence. The peddler invites the office manager to his flat for dinner and to meet his daughter (played by Pleasence’s real life daughter, Angela). Of course, the peddler and his daughter are not what they seem. This segment benefits from the added layer of the office manager seeming to be a proper gentleman but actually being an undignified, pathetic man (he steals a war medal to impress the peddler) and the lowly peddler actually have the dignity and self respect the office manager only pretends to have. It also benefits from a great performance from Donald Pleasence. This story ends with a twist that plays a bit like a joke and seems to come out of nowhere but it fits the tone of the story. 

The third story has a man switching the price tags on snuff boxes in Cushing’s store. On the train ride home a goofy psychic calling herself Madame Orloff (Margaret Leighton) claims that he has a nasty elemental on his shoulder and gives him her card. When he gets home the dog won’t stop barking at him and his wife gets mysterious scratches, so he calls Madame Orloff to perform an exorcism. The exorcism is Madame Orloff giving him an insane shoulder massage while objects fly around the house. This is clearly a comedy and is a nice tonal switch up.

The final story is relatively straightforward. A young man asks to buy the extremely spooky looking door with a scary gargoyle carving. It’s crazy that this guy wants this; it’s even behind stuff that Cushing has to move out of the way. Perhaps the craziest thing about this story is that the guy uses this door for a simple closet in his otherwise average looking house. Of course later when he opens the closet he finds a big abandoned room covered in layers of dust and cobwebs. The room holds the spirit of a 17th century warlock who needs a body to finish a ritual and escape into the real world. There is not a lot to this story but the old room, lit with an eerie blue light and covered in cobwebs provides a good spooky atmosphere. 

There isn’t anything in From Beyond the Grave that will make you jump or cover your eyes, and there are more than a few moments that will make you laugh or even giggle. However, each story works well on its own and also as part of a larger anthology of people getting more than they bargained for and sometimes deserving what they get. 

From Beyond the Grave airs on TCM on Wednesday, October 30th and 6:15AM CT.

13 Nights of Shocktober: The Curse of Frankenstein

 by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month-long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some horror movie recommendations to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 7: Hammer Horror Night

Christopher Lee: I’ve got no lines! Peter Cushing: You’re lucky. I’ve read the script. The Curse of Frankenstein

There are more than a few things that give The Curse of Frankenstein a special place in horror film history. It was the first remake of a classic Universal monster movie by the British film company Hammer and its success led Hammer to produce other Universal monster movie remakes, each with its own line of sequels, and other horror films as well. Throughout the 1950’s, traditional horror films focusing on monsters, ghosts, or curses had taken a backseat to science fiction films that had some horror elements but focused on the fears of the atomic age: monsters from outer space, the effects of nuclear radiation, or experiments gone wrong. The Hammer horror films are credited by some film historians and cinephiles with revitalizing the horror genre and attracting new audiences. They were shot in vivid color, utilized eye-catching period sets and costumes, and contained a level of violence, blood, and sexuality that was new and shocking for the time. It all started with The Curse of Frankenstein. Watching The Curse of Frankenstein today, there are certain aspects that may seem dated or hokey and its shock value has waned but not disappeared. It is easy to see why this film stood out at the time and has become a classic.

Perhaps as significant as its success for Hammer, The Curse of Frankenstein was the first film to pair Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee on screen together—they had previously appeared in the same movie, Hamlet (1948), but in different scenes. Cushing and Lee met for the first time and became friends by complaining about the script together. They appeared in numerous films together for Hammer and other studios becoming horror movie icons and their friendship lasted until Cushing’s death in 1994.

This version of Mary Shelley’s novel begins with Dr. Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) in prison telling his story to a skeptical priest. We see a flashback to an arrogant teenage Victor Frankenstein, who inherits his father’s fortune and aristocratic title and uses the money to hire a tutor, Paul, to teach him medicine. Over the years they conduct experiments that eventually allow them to resurrect a puppy. Both are thrilled but for different reasons. Paul (Robert Urquhart) wants to use their discovery to improve medical care by putting a patient into temporary death to perform a surgery without any shock to their system and then revive them. Frankenstein, however, wants to build a bigger, superior being. There’s no reason given for why Frankenstein wants to do this, but the book also doesn’t explain Frankenstein’s motivations since there is no good reason for wanting to build a new human out of dead body parts. Paul reluctantly agrees to go along with Frankenstein’s idea and together they create the Creature.

Despite his problems with the script, Cushing gives a great performance as the villainous Dr. Frankenstein. It's tempting to want to think of Victor Frankenstein as a hero because he pushes the boundaries of science and fights a monster, but this Frankenstein is a cad and villain. He doesn’t just rob fresh graves for body parts, he kills people. For a superior brain for his Creature, Frankenstein invites an old professor to his house then pushes him to his death. The brain is damaged but he uses it anyway leading to the Creature’s lumbering movement and murderous behavior. Also, Frankenstein is having an affair with his maid, Justine (Valerie Gaunt), even though he’s engaged to Elizabeth (Hazel Court). When Justine threatens to expose his horrendous experiments if he doesn’t marry her, Frankenstein uses the Creature to dispose of her. Cushing often played the hero in horror movies, or someone driven to extremes, but he is also really good as a sinister villain. You want him to stop the monster, but you also want him to get his comeuppance.

The reveal of the Creature’s face is a striking moment. The Creature lumbers to life, pulls off the bandage covering its face, and camera rushes in for a close up. Though Mary Shelley’s novel was in the public domain, Universal held the rights on the makeup design of the monster from their 1931 version of Frankenstein, one of the most iconic images in film history. So, the design of the monster here is very different from the Universal monster. This Creature’s design is nowhere near as memorable as the look of Boris Karloff as the Monster, but the film is better for trying something different.

Christopher Lee doesn’t have a lot to do as the Creature. It’s obvious that the movie couldn’t decide if it wanted him to be sympathetic, like in the Universal movie, or just a force of destruction. Still, Lee’s imposing size gives the Creature a sense of immediate danger. Lee would get to show off his verbal talents and charismatic screen presence in the next film he and Cushing starred in together for Hammer, Horror of Dracula, one of my favorites.

The period 19^th century costumes and sets look great in color. There are some exterior scenes where the background is obviously a matte painting, but this adds to movie’s fantastical atmosphere more than it distracts. Frankenstein’s laboratory is filled with bubbling jars of colored potions and the Creature is kept in a water tank. Nothing in his lab looks especially scientific but this adds to the unnatural side of his experiment, and it looks great in color. Terence Fisher directed The Curse of Frankenstein and while many directors had a hand in Hammer horror movies, his remain among the best. Seeing the names of Cushing, Lee, and Fisher together mean that you’re in for a treat.

13 Nights of Shocktober: Madhouse (1974)

by A.J

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month-long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some horror movie recommendations to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 4: Vincent Price Night:  
“I must play the final scene. The death of Dr. Death!”

Madhouse (1974)

It just wouldn’t be Shocktober without Vincent Price. He appeared in so many horror movies, turning out such quality performances, that he became a horror cinema legend. Some of those movies are genuine classics, others campy fun, others forgettable. Madhouse, released in 1974, combines the campy entertainment of Price’s most famous horror films (the Edgar Allan Poe adaptations he made with Roger Corman) with a more hard edged 1970's horror sensibility. It is also, in its own way, a tribute to Price’s career in horror.

Price plays Paul Toombes, an aging actor famous for playing the character Dr. Death in a series of horror movies. After his fiancée is murdered gruesomely, Toombes suffers a mental breakdown and disappears from the limelight. The writer of the Dr. Death movies, Herbert Flay (Peter Cushing, another horror legend), arranges a comeback for Toombes with a new Dr. Death series. Yes, putting a traumatized man who may or may not have murdered someone into a situation similar to the one that traumatized him in the first place is a bad idea. Toombes arrives in London and even before the cameras roll, the bodies start piling up.

Madhouse is ostensibly a murder mystery (who is dressing up like Dr. Death and murdering people?) though there is little doubt about the identity of the killer and their goal of framing Toombes for the murders, or driving him mad, or both. That doesn’t hurt the film, however, because the real entertainment comes from its approach to horror: a mixture of shock visuals, admiration for the genre, and a dash of camp. The plot follows the structure of a slasher movie though that subgenre would not be solidified until the early 1980’s. One by one people are murdered in different and more elaborate ways: decapitated, hanged with their own hair, crushed by a bed. The kills are not especially gory or violent especially when compared to other 70’s horror films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, released the same year as Madhouse, or Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left, released two years earlier.

There’s a sly sense of humor to Madhouse. Any horror movie with characters named Toombes and Flay can’t take itself too seriously. There's even a costume party scene that has Peter Cushing (famous for playing the vampire hunter Van Helsing in numerous Hammer Films) dressed as Dracula. Living in the basement of Cushing’s house—a dungeon straight out of a Hammer horror movie—is his ex-wife Fay Flay (Adrienne Corri), who was disfigured in an accident and is now obsessed with spiders. The clips we see of the “Dr. Death” movies are actually scenes from older Vincent Price movies: Roger Corman’s The Raven and Tales of Terror, both distributed by AIP, the company behind Madhouse. Using footage from another movie to pad out a new low budget movie was something fairly common at the time, especially in horror (Roger Corman would do this several times with footage from The Terror). In Madhouse this device feels a bit more justified since the story is about a horror movie star confronting his past. Viewing the film today, these clips of Price’s older movies feel like a tribute to his career and talent. Though Vincent Price’s career would continue into the 1990’s, by 1974 he had already appeared in enough horror movies that a film playing on his horror career felt justified.

The reason to watch Madhouse is, of course, Vincent Price. Other roles have given him more to sink his teeth into but he still plays the part of a reluctant actor unsure of his sanity very well. For me the highlights of the movie are his speeches; these are the scenes where he really gets to shine. Watching him talk about death while lighting candles is just what you want from a Vincent Price movie. My favorite scene is of Price talking about the nature of horror movies and their appeal to viewers. A TV interviewer asks, “Why do you think that your films have been so very successful?” Toombes replies, “Well, I think it’s because they’re not about the ordinary everyday world around us. They’re about a world that’s deep inside of us. A world of impulses and instincts that we have been taught to suppress. That sounds a bit spooky…” Spooky and true sentiments, wonderfully delivered by Vincent Price.

13 Nights of Shocktober: The Mummy (1959)

by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month-long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 1: Hammer Horror Night

“He who robs the graves of Egypt dies!”
The Mummy (1959)  

Beginning in the late 1950’s, the British film production company Hammer began making a series of horror films that were essentially remakes of the Universal Monster movies of the 1930’s. The Hammer films had different storylines and monster designs, however, being in technicolor and showing more explicit violence and sexuality is what made them a distinct brand. The Curse of Frankenstein kicked off the Hammer Horror cycle in 1957, followed by Dracula (released in the U.S. as Horror of Dracula) in 1958, and tonight’s recommendation, The Mummy in 1959. Each film spawned numerous sequels—some more entertaining than others—but none matched the first in their respective series, all of which were directed by Terence Fisher and paired the great actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

The plot is pretty straightforward. In the 1890’s, a father and son archeologist team discover the tomb of the legendary Princess Ananka. The son, John (Cushing), has a broken leg, so he is not present when his father reads from a mysterious scroll and witnesses something that drives him mad. An Egyptian man named Mehemet (George Pastell), a disciple of the god Karnak, follows the father and son to England to exact revenge for desecrating Ananka’s tomb. Mehemet’s weapon of choice is... you guessed it, a mummy.

The Hammer Horror films usually cast Peter Cushing as the protagonist and Christopher Lee as the monster. When Lee began his acting career, he had difficulty getting good roles because of his imposing size, a commanding 6’5”. It’s easy to understand why he was cast as Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula (his best horror role), and the mummy. While the mummy is a thrilling screen presence, he is not a very interesting monster since he is just the tool for Mehemet’s revenge. When the mummy sees that John’s wife, Isobel (Yvonne Furneaux), resembles the Princess Ananka, he begins to act on his own will. The mummy’s silent, lumbering nature leaves Lee only his eyes to act with and he does a pretty good job when he gets a close up. In a flashback narrated by Cushing we see that the mummy was a priest named Kharis that was obsessed with Ananka and attempted to bring her back to life. Lee gets to use his voice and whole body in the flashback. It’s a brief scene but it’s good to see Lee really play a character. Thanks to Lee’s large size, it is easy to believe that this mummy could pick up someone by neck with one hand or burst through doors and windows, the only way the mummy enters a room. When he and Cushing fight, it doesn’t seem like much of a contest—thankfully, just then the mummy catches sight of Isobel.

Cushing and Pastell have a good scene together when John visits his suspicious new neighbor. Mehemet is the main antagonist of the movie, more so than the mummy, but his revenge is not without good reason. He is not wrong that English archaeologists are desecrating sacred tombs and disregarding another culture’s customs, just so people can stare at relics in the British Museum. John’s counter argument is that nothing would be known of the ancient Egyptian people or their culture if it were left sealed and buried. However, everything else he says is purposefully condescending and insulting as he is trying to provoke Mehemet.

Like all Hammer Horror movies, the period sets and costumes, especially the ancient Egyptian sets and costumes, look obviously fake. However, this only helps create the movie’s fantasy atmosphere. The bog nearby John’s country estate is a fun set. Seeing the mummy in the dark, soupy water is a great sight. The look of the mummy is pretty spooky—wrapped in bandages that are dirty and tattered and look a thousand years old—especially with Lee’s eyes behind the costume. Though, I’m pretty sure you can the line for a zipper on the back of the mummy in certain scenes. 

The top tier Hammer Horror films, in which I would include The Mummy, are great Shocktober viewings because they are fun horror entertainment, but not so scary as to be intimidating. Whether you are a bit squeamish or a die-hard horror fan, the Hammer Horror version of The Mummy will help you have a great Halloween.

Classic Movie Picks: October 2016

by Lani
Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

10/3, 8 PM - Jinnah (1998)
TCM Star of the Month for October is British actor Christopher Lee, a fitting honor since Lee is well-known for his horror films. He played Dracula (10 times!), Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy, and a host of other weirdos; sometimes he was even the hero, but there was generally a lot of blood involved. During his long career, Lee's imposing physical presence and booming voice meant he was often cast as a the bad guy - in fact he played a villain in the Star Wars series, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and opposite James Bond! 
In tonight's film Lee takes center stage in a very different role portraying Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the modern nation of Pakistan. The casting of Lee was controversial; not, as you might think, because Lee was a white actor playing an Asian character, but because of his association with Count Dracula. However, audiences in Pakistan ultimately responded positively to Lee's portrayal and the film is broadcast every year on Pakistan's independence day. Unfortunately, it seems that the film never got a proper theatrical release anywhere, so audiences outside Pakistan haven't really had a chance to see it. Tonight's air date is the North American premiere. As a fan of Sir Christopher Lee, I look forward to seeing what he felt was his most important role.

BONUS: 10/24, 4:30 AM - Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
My official pick may be an art house biopic, but I can't deny my love for Lee's weird horror movies - especially the ones with frequent partner/foil Peter Cushing. The two actors first appeared opposite each other as Dracula and Van Helsing in 1958's Horror of Dracula. Though Lee would play Dracula several more times over the next 14 years (ruining his reputation as a serious actor in the eyes of the entire nation of Pakistan in the process), this was Cushing's first appearance as Van Helsing since the '58 film. This time around the setting is contemporary "swinging" London where the Count has been resurrected and is hunting the descendants of his old nemesis.
 

10/11, 8 PM - Hollywood Canteen (1944)
The Hollywood Canteen was a special nightclub for serviceman during WWII, where they could get a hot meal, dance with a pretty girl, and meet real film stars before shipping out. Actress Bette Davis was the driving force behind the Canteen, supervising its construction, recruiting fellow stars to volunteer there, and managing it with her agent Jules Stein. Two years after it opened, the Canteen got its own film - a romantic comedy about a young G.I. who falls for starlet Joan Leslie (playing herself). The story was really an excuse to pack the film with star cameos by Davis, Canteen co-founder John Garfield, Joan Crawford, and Jack Benny (and many more), and musical numbers from the Andrews Sisters and Roy Rogers. However, it's an interesting glimpse into how Hollywood contributed to the war effort. With its patriotic message and star power, the film was a big success at the box office and a portion of the profits went back to the Canteen. 
Davis was rightfully proud of the success of the Canteen and her contribution is recognized during tonight's programming theme of "Actresses Who Made a Difference," part of TCM's month-long spotlight series on Trailblazing Women. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the real Hollywood Canteen (good and bad), check out episode #27 of the You Must Remember This podcast, "Bette Davis and the Hollywood Canteen."

10/19: Presidents on Film
8 PM - Fail-Safe (1964)
10 PM - Advise & Consent (1962)
12:30 AM - Seven Days in May (1964)
2:45 AM - Gabriel Over the White House (1933)
With Election Day looming, you may be suffering from presidential fatigue; however, I think it's the perfect time to watch these political films...if only to remind you to vote on November 8th! Each of tonight's films depicts a President under pressure: trying to fend off World War III in Fail-Safe, pushing through a controversial Cabinet nominee in Advise & Consent, as the target of a military coup perpetrated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seven Days in May, and (following a visit from archangel Gabriel) crusading against government corruption and organized crime in Gabriel Over the White House. Depending on the day, any of these scenarios seems unfortunately all too plausible.

 
10/28: Universal Horror
8 PM - Dracula (1931)
9:30 PM - The Mummy (1932)
11 PM - The Invisible Man (1933)
12:15 AM - The Wolf Man (1941)
On Halloween night, TCM will feature several Hammer Studios horror films of the 50s and 60s starring Christopher Lee; however, tonight, you can see the Universal Studios horror films of the 30s which inspired those later films, even more so than any literary sources. The Universal films created the iconic looks of classic literary characters like Dracula, The Invisible Man, and Frankenstein's monster; while also adding new creatures to their rogues gallery like the Mummy and the Wolf Man. If you're in the mood for an atmospheric, spooky chiller - these films deliver. However, if you're in the mood for a laugh, there's plenty to giggle about here, too - from far-fetched plots to hammy acting.

BONUS: 1:30 AM - The Black Cat (1934)
This creepy, but stylish thriller was "inspired by" Edgar Allan Poe's short story of the same title (and that's where the inspiration ended) and featured the first pairing of horror stars Karloff and Lugosi. The two actors are not playing supernatural monsters this time, but portray a sadistic cult leader and a man out for revenge. The film also features David Manners, the young hero who had previously faced off against both Lugosi in Dracula and Karloff in The Mummy. 
 

13 Nights of Shocktober: Horror of Dracula

by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and October becomes the month long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 8: Christopher Lee Memorial Night, "He'll Hold You In A Grasp of Shock!"

Horror of Dracula

The passing of movie icon Christopher Lee earlier this year was very sad news, but he left us with many, many films to enjoy. He had a long and impressive career that included both the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings film series. However, his most famous role is unquestionably as Dracula in a series of movies for the British production company Hammer. When people think of Dracula, they either picture Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee. The first film in which Lee took on the already legendary character was in 1958 with Horror of Dracula, co-starring fellow horror movie icon and superb actor Peter Cushing, and directed by Terence Fisher. When Terence Fisher, Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee made a film together for Hammer, audiences were in for a treat.

Horror of Dracula is a loose remake of Todd Browning’s Dracula from 1931, and an even looser adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel. The movie begins with bright red blood dripping on Dracula’s tomb. Jonathan Harker arrives at Castle Dracula in Klausenburg to work as the librarian for the Count, but he is actually a vampire hunter and protégé of Dr. Van Helsing. Harker becomes trapped in the castle and succeeds in killing the Count’s bride, but not Dracula himself. Dracula seeks revenge by first trying to take Harker’s fiancé, Lucy, for his new bride, and then Lucy’s sister, Mina. Van Helsing is on Harker’s trail and tries to save Lucy and Mina and put an end to the sinister vampire. Almost none of this happens in the novel. It is almost like Dracula fan fiction. It takes the already existing characters and then just makes up a different story and does what it thinks is most entertaining, and it is indeed very entertaining.

Horror of Dracula was impressive when it was released because, like other Hammer horror films, it ups the ante on violence, action, and sexuality. That means that when someone gets stabbed or bitten we see blood, Dracula’s bride wears a dress revealing her cleavage, and Lee plays Dracula as a dangerous seducer. This film was shot on Technicolor so the colors of the sets and costumes are rich and vivid, and red blood is especially red. All of those elements are still entertaining today, but the reason this film works, then and now, is because of its reinterpretation of Count Dracula and Dr. Van Helsing and the screen presence of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Lee’s tall stature of 6’5” and natural physical appearance give his Dracula a commanding and imposing presence. Lee's Dracula exudes menace. The danger and threat he poses are immediate and ever present. In one scene Lee bounds across a large dining room and over a table to pull his bride away from attacking Harker. Other versions of Dracula usually give him servants to do his bidding, but this Dracula drives his own carriage and digs a grave for Mina himself. This is a take charge, action Dracula. In other words, a this is a badass Dracula, and Christopher Lee has the talent to make it believable. 

The only match for a badass, action Dracula is a badass, action Van Helsing and that's what Peter Cushing gives us. He makes his first appearance in the movie wearing a very cool, very boss fur collared coat and bowler hat. We spend most of the movie with Van Helsing as he tracks down Dracula. Cushing's performance and screen presence keeps those scenes interesting and entertaining. He believably portrays Van Helsing as learned scholar and fearless vampire hunter. He springs into action too: he leaps over a railing and runs upstairs when he hears someone removed the garlic from Lucy's bedroom. The climactic confrontation between Van Helsing and Dracula does not disappoint; it's action packed and all the while Van Helsing wears his boss coat.

Some people might find Horror of Dracula campy, but it is undeniably entertaining. There is great scenery and the production design does a good job at setting the mood for a Gothic vampire tale set in a far away land. Not every bit of scenery looks completely real but the hint of artificiality only adds to the fantasy element of the movie. Horror of Dracula is a fun movie from beginning to end and never gets too intense or gross so even squeamish people can enjoy the movie. The blood and horror effects are tame by today's standards but hold up pretty well. There's something for everyone to enjoy in Horror of Dracula, whether you are a horror movie buff or only watch horror movies at Halloween.
 

13 Nights of Shocktober: Horror Express

by A.J.

This is my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas. Autumn has arrived, the weather is cooling down, and, October becomes the month long celebration of scary movies called Shocktober. There are a lot of horror movies out there, but as a genre, horror is still looked down upon by some mainstream critics and moviegoers. It doesn’t help that, admittedly, there are so few quality horror movies made but, like comedy, it’s a very difficult and subjective genre. So, in the days leading up Halloween I’ll be posting some recommendations for scary movies to help you celebrate Shocktober.

Night 12: "Evolution is a fact, and there's morality in a fact." Horror Express

I'm not the only person recommending horror movies this Shocktober. Every weekday local film buff John Ary is hosting Ain't It Scary Reviews, a special Shocktober edition of the Vulcan Vault review series in which Vulcan Video employees (such as myself), filmmakers, local film personalities, and other special guests recommend lesser seen films for Ain't It Cool News. Today John interviews me about one of my favorite horror movies:

Check in with Ain't It Cool News tomorrow for the final Ain't It Scary Review! For past segments search for "Ain't It Scary" or "Vulcan Vault."

Horror Express will air on TCM on Halloween, Thursday, October 31st at 5:30PM (Eastern Time)/4:30PM (Central Time).