Black Sunday (1960)

Barbara Steele's face is a very recognizable one to a fan of horror.  I remember seeing that face with puncture wounds in the pages of Famous Monsters.  I had never seen the film that face was from, until now.

"Black Sunday" is an excellent horror film.  It is an Italian film that is dubbed into English.  The audio sounds a little off because of the dub, but it doesn't hurt the film overall.

The film is a great vampire horror story, which at times is very scary.  Barbara Steele comes back to life to take over the body of her relative.  Another vampire comes back from the grave to help bring his lost love (Steele) to life.  This other vampire was very scary, but I wish his face was more hideous.  It would have added another dimension of fear.

"Black Sunday" is a classic horror film that combines myths of vampires and witchcraft.  Director Tim Burton has said that this is his favorite horror film and I can see why.

A-  I recommend it.

Frankenstein (1931)

"Frankenstein" is one of my favorite films and I watched it again last night.  I can't tell you how many times I have seen it, except that it is the first movie I remember seeing.

What can I say about "Frankenstein"?  It is perfection.  Jack Pierce's make-up was the best in this film and I think it is the best make-up in film history.  

Karloff is amazing in the role of the monster.  He is not a bad guy.  He is like a child that does not know his own strength.  He did nothing wrong.  The people he kills in the film either deserved it or it was an accident.  

Another thing I love about the film are the massive sets used.  It is remarkable to think that the huge laboratory is inside a sound stage, not ten miles away from where I live in southern California.

James Whale is great as director.  Any director could have made a monster movie and scared people.  Whale went the complete opposite direction and had Karloff play the monster with sympathy.  Only a true genius would be confident in that decision.  

"Frankenstein" is one of the most important horror films to be made.  It is the film that really started the Universal horror cycle.  It is fantastic on all accounts.  You would think a film this great could not be topped, but Whale and Karloff proved the world wrong four years later with "Bride of Frankenstein".  A rare time when a sequel is better than the original.

A+  I recommend it.

Nosferatu (1922)

**

I saw "Nosferatu" on Halloween at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.  The film had a live organist just the way you would see it back in 1922.  I had never seen "Nosferatu" from beginning to finish and I must say it is quite the film.

There is a certain amount of creepiness to the film.  It is very scary, but subtle at the same time.  The vampire, Nosferatu, doesn't pop out and scare you.  It is all about atmosphere and mood.

I really liked how the arrival of Nosferatu to the town was a plaque.  He brought rats with him on the ship, which caused the plague.  Nosferatu, himself killed a few people as well, adding to that plague.  

Max Schreck played the vampire and he really is an icon of horror.  His look is unique and has not been topped.  

I was also surprised on the amount of comedy in the film.  It was a film way ahead of its time by combining the horror with the comedy.

Even though I prefer Bela Lugosi's look of Dracula compared to Schreck's, "Nosferatu" is the better film.  It is scary, eerie, and just about every other adjective that describes a great horror classic.

A  I recommend it.

House of Frankenstein (1944)

**

"House of Frankenstein" is one of my favorite films.  It might not be the best made movie, but it brings me joy like no other.  

It is the first monster rally film.  It includes Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Dracula, a Mad Scientist, and a Hunchback.  

Seeing this in the theater is something I have always wanted to do.  I finally saw it in the theater this past Friday.  Seeing these monsters on the big screen is simply amazing.  Lon Chaney's transformation into The Wolf Man is great.  It is my favorite scene from the film.

There is also a good amount of emotion in this film.  You really feel bad for Daniel, Ilonka, and Larry Talbot.  Daniel is a hunchback in love with Ilonka, but Ilonka is in love with Larry.  Larry refuses to get close with Ilonka because of his werewolfism.  It is a love triangle destined for doom.

Even though "House of Frankenstein" is ridiculous, especially when Karloff describes how he will build new brains for his victims, it is a very enjoyable film.  All of the actors are very good, with J. Carroll Naish's performance standing above the rest.  The cinematography is great and the music by Hans J. Salter is fantastic.  It is one of my favorite musical scores.  "House of Frankenstein" is a movie I can watch over and over again.

A-  I recommend it.

The Stepfather (2009)

**

"The Stepfather" is actually OK.  It's nothing special though.  It was a fun time at the theater and there was a good amount of tension.  

The stepfather, played by Dylan Walsh, was very good.  He was a very convincing killer, changing from lovable to crazy to deadly.  If his performance wasn't done well, the movie would not work.

Amber Heard played the girlfriend of the eldest son.  She is pretty popular these days.  I don't really like her though.  She was kind of boring and just seemed kind of slutty.  

My biggest problem with the movie is that we know the stepfather is a killer right from the get go.  I feel it would have been much more thrilling if the film began with what seemed like a nice, loving family and the stepfather slowly becomes evil.  It would have been much more effective.

I have never seen the original version of "The Stepfather", so I can not compare the two.  This version ended up being pretty good, but it had its problems.  The film reminded me of "The Amityville Horror", but without the ghosts.

B-  I recommend it.

The Fall (2006)

This is a very good film that reminded me of films like "Cinema Paradiso" and "Pan's Labyrinth".

An injured stuntman tells stories to a little girl with a broken arm.  They are in a hospital together and they become good friends through their story time.

I really liked how the stories paralleled the lives of the characters.  The best thing about the stories were the wonderful locations used.  The director found all of these amazing places and planned a movie around them.  It truly is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen.

All of the acting was top notch, but the big breakout performance is from the little girl played by Catinca Untaru.  She didn't speak English before  this film.  She learned during the filming and she did a great job.  She has a natural talent about her.

"The Fall" needs to be seen by everyone.  It is a great story with amazing cinematography, locations, actors, and music.  I was really impressed.

A-  I recommend it.

Saw VI (2009)

**

Here we go again with another "Saw" film.  I am not a big fan of the series.  They are not terrible movies, but they're not great.  They are just average horror movies with nothing special about them.

"Saw VI" felt the same way.  It has your usual torture situations with a lot of blood and guts.  This film tries to be somewhat political dealing with health care issues.  I like that message, but I sort of felt it was too in your face.  It could have been more subtile about its message, but then again, we are talking about "Saw VI".  

My biggest problem with the film was all of the flashbacks.  So many times, we are looking at flashbacks from other "Saw" films.  I think it is a mistake to connect each "Saw" film with a story line.  I have seen all of the films, but I forgot what had happened.  I don't care about the characters.  I think each film should stand on its own.

"Saw VI" has a lot of problems, but I wouldn't say I was bored.  It kept my interest and it was tolerable, which is a lot more I can say about many other films in their 5th sequel.

C