Horror Films (3)
Posted on 28th June 2022 at 12:00
I was really looking forward to this week's films and they certainly didn't disappoint...
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Starring Peter Lorre, this is widely regarded as one of the first films about a serial killer. Not scary as such but a great film with some brilliant shots. Peter Lorre is fantastic as the child killer - unusually they shot the film in German and English, but I chose to watch the German version with english subtitles as the english version wasn't directed by Frtiz Lang and hadn't been restored to the same extent. Great film though and well worth a watch.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
The last of the Nightmare on Elm Street films (hooray), but this is actually quite good. It has a weird premise in that it brings back the original characters from the first film, but they are playing themselves... So we see Robert Englund (Freddy) without the makeup painting in his studio and Heather Langenkamp as a mother of a young boy, married to a special effects propmaster. As they celebrate 10 years of "Nightmare", things start to happen and people get killed and it seems that Wes is writing the script for a new film and it is coming to life, threatening Heather's son. As I said, not bad and unlike some of the other sequels in this series, worth checking out
Frankenstein
For a classic horror film, this really takes some beating - from Boris Karloff's brilliant performance of the monster to Colin Clive as the crazed doctor, this film is brilliant and you feel real sadness for the tormented monster which is played with such pathos. Directed by James Whale, every scene is a gem. Brilliantly lit and gothic I absolutely love this film. "It's Alive, It's Alive!". This should be in everyone's collection!
30 Days of Night
One of the best of the modern vampire films. Set in Border, Alaska where every year they experience 30 days where the sun doesn't shine - this time the vampires decend! Speaking their own gutteral language and a far cry from Christopher Lee's sophisticated Count Dracula, these are feral, genuinely terrifying creatures who are very fast and literally rip out the throat of their victims to feast on. A great cast, amazing special effect and lots and lots of gore - highly recommended!
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
A great classic with the brilliant Freddie March playing the part of Jeykll and Hyde. The transformation between the two characters is quite well done considering this films age. And Freddie plays both parts really well. You can't help feel a little sorry for him as he tries not to change but is powerless to prevent his darker side from showing itself which ultimately ends in ruin.
That's my run up of this weeks viewing - all rather good and worth checking out. Let me know what you think?
Next week - Amtyville Horror, The Wolfman and Freaks!
Tagged as: horror films
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