DVD Collection
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
R1 / NTSC DVD
Universal Studios / 2004
Directed by: Rowland V. Lee
Written by: Wyllis Cooper, Mary Shelley
Cast: Boris Karloff, Basil Rathbone, Bela Lugosi, Josephine Hutchinson, Lionel Atwill
Review by Vaughn Drake
On a dark and stormy night, the son of Doctor Frankenstein (Baron Wolf von Frankenstein Continue reading »
DVD Collection
Frankenstein (1931)
R1 / NTSC DVD
Universal Studios / 2006
Directed by: James Whale
Written by: Mary Shelley (novel), Peggy Webling (play), John L. Balderston, Francis Edward Faragoh, Garrett Fort, Robert Florey and John Russell
Cast: Boris Karloff, Lionel Belmore, John Boles, Mae Clarke, Colin Clive, Arletta Duncan
Review by Vaughn Drake
The film opens with the title and credits, and the monster credited as “?” rather Continue reading »
DVD Collection
Dracula (Spanish Version – 1931)
R1 / NTSC DVD
Universal Studios / 2004 (from Dracula, The Legacy Collection)
Director: George Melford
Writers: Bram Stoker (novel), Baltasar Fernández Cué
Starring: Carlos Villarías, Lupita Tovar, Barry Norton,
Review by Vaughn Drake
It opens with Renfield, on his journey to the Count through the Carpathian hills Continue reading »
DVD Collection
House of Dracula (1945)
R1 / NTSC DVD
Universal Studios / 2004
Director: Erle C. Kenton
Writer: Edward T. Lowe Jr.
Starring: Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, Onslow Stevens, Glenn Strange, Martha O’Driscoll
Review by Vaughn Drake
Count Dracula (played by John Carradine) and the Larry Talbot aka the Wolf Continue reading »
DVD Collection
Dracula (The Legacy Collection – 1931)
R1 / NTSC DVD
Universal Studios / 2004
Director: Tod Browning
Writers: Bram Stoker (novel), Hamilton Deane
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, Dwight Frye
Review by Vaughn Drake
The film starts with Renfield traveling to Dracula’s castle against the warning Continue reading »
Criterion Collection DVD
Z (1969)
R1 / NTSC DVD
Wellspring / 2002
Director: Costa-Gavras
Writers: Jorge Semprun, Costa-Gavras & Vassili Vassilikos
Cast: Yves Montand, Jean-Luis Trintignant, Irene Papas & Charles Denner
Review by James Garfield
Deputy Z (Yves Montand), a doctor and politician, arrives in Solanika, Greece for a demonstration against nuclear weapons and foreign military bases stationed in Greece. When the rally takes place, working-class thugs do their best to start a riot, and in the confusion a small pickup truck drives up, and the man in back bashes Z over the head with a club. Z dies Continue reading »
Criterion Collection DVD
High and Low (1963)
R1 / NTSC DVD
Criterion Collection / 1998
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Writer: Eijiro Hisaita, Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Ryuzo Kikushima & Evan Hunter
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Kyoko Kagawa & Tatsuya Mihashi
Review by James Garfield
Kingo Gondo (Toshiro Mifune) is a shoe company executive planning to buy a majority share and change the company’s direction. His plan falls apart when Continue reading »
Criterion Collection DVD
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
R0 / NTSC DVD
Laserlight / 1999
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers: Sidney Gilliat, Frank Launder, Ethel Lina White
Cast: Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, May Whitty & Paul Lukas
Review by James Garfield
Iris (Margaret Lockwood) is on a trip through Europe Continue reading »
Alpha Video DVD
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1921)
R1 / NTSC DVD
Alpha Video / 2000
Director: Robert Wiene
Writers: Hans Janowich & Carl Mayer
Cast: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher & Lil Dagover
Review by Ted Phipps
Francis and his best friend Alan are both in love with the lovely Jane, and the three of them are often together. A fair is coming to town, and one of Continue reading »
Classic Horror!
13 Ghosts (1960)
Sony Pictures
R1 / NTSC DVD
Director: William Castle
Writer: Robb White
Starring: Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Rosemary DeCamp, Martin Milner & Margaret Hamilton
Review by Ted Jones
Horror movie director William Castle was, above all else, a showman. He made 3D movies. He offered life insurance in the theater lobbies for those with weak hearts. He announced that a registered nurse was in attendance for those who fainted from fright. He used gimmicks like “Percepto” and “Emergo” to make his films stand out above the rest of the Saturday matinee scare-fests. Continue reading »
Theatrical Poster
D.O.A. (1950)
Image Entertainment
All Regions / NTSC DVD
Director: Rudolph Mate
Writer: Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene
Starring: Edmund O’Brien, Pamela Britton & Luther Adler.
Review by Ted Jones
Film Noir, those dark and cynical movies where men are men and women are dames. Nice gams inspire wolf whistles and settling an argument often involves serving up a knuckle sandwich to make your point. You didn’t go outside without a hat and everyday dress was a suit and tie.
Edmund O’Brien plays Frank Bigelow, an accountant who is anything but mild mannered, and he discovers that he’s been poisoned by an unknown person for an unknown reason and has Continue reading »
Theatrical Poster
So instead of marrying the hot girl that he is betrothed to, Dr. Frankenstein makes a monster. His assistant is an ass about the whole thing and tortures the monster that then goes wild and gets loose. The monster kills a couple of people, the towns people gather the pitchforks and torches and chase the monster to a windmill with the help of Dr. Frankenstein. Frankenstein goes up to the monster and what does he get by way of thanks for giving the creature life. He gets thrown off the top of the windmill. So ends the original Frankenstein so begins its sequel.
Bride of Frankenstein starts, after a really lame framing device involving Lord Byron and Mary Shelly, with the Continue reading »