Halloween may have come and gone, but movies like The Ring, Ghost Ship and more are keeping fans shaking in their seats. But these films would never have come to being without classics our parents grew up on like:
All which have stood the test of time. Any day is a good day for a scare and with Christmas around the corner, these horror classics should find their way into every horror fan's stockings.
Many thanks to Rhino Home Video for re-releasing these five classics onto DVD, giving fans and newbies alike the chance to enjoy stories that boggle the mind and make you think twice before even going to the bathroom.
Probably the most famous of the five DVDs is Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde is one of those black-and-white classics my girlfriend kept trying to get me to watch. I thank Rhino for the opportunity to review this classic. Dr. Jekyll's experiment to separate the soul from the mind and release our inhibitions backfires and turns Jekyll into the villainous Mr. Hyde. Enjoying the good life, Mr. Hyde partakes in, Jekyll realizes his wicked ways and the scientist finds it hard to become the good man he once was. This psychological thriller about the dangers of scientific experimentation and of ignoring your conscious today still entertains and intrigues. Great acting with classic cheesy effects, this movie is a classic no one should miss.
I remember this movie from the classic 80s late night shows. Connie Hayward is in search of her missing brother who has gone off to find the legendary Yeti. Along with her friends, Hud and Steve, the trio meet a doctor obsessed with legendary beast and his assistant, Varga who has his own agenda. Suddenly, members of the exhibition turn up missing and the strange connection Varga has with the Yeti is revealed. This movie's attempts at being serious succeeds in the end. You have to admire the filmmaker's attempts to scare without use of the special effects we have today. There is even an underlying message about humankind's annoying need to discover the unknown and share it with the world whether that discovery wants to be shared or not.
This movie is possibly the worst of the bunch. When bodies start turning up with their eyes gouged out, Mathius (played by Boris Karloff), a wealthy maker of deadly toys fears someone in his family may have passed an ancestral curse where paranoia takes over and anyone who stares at the carrier must be terminated. In an effort to make sure no one in his family passes the curse, Mathius invites his family members to his mansion to kill them all one by one with the assistance of his toys. This movie is bad! It lacks focus and doesn't take advantage of Karloff's expertise in the horror field. Karloff is great as Mathius, but the film becomes slightly confusing and starts to veer off near the end. The outcome is pretty obvious as soon as one family member brings her boyfriend.
The only redeemable quality about Dance of Death is that the end left me asking questions about the fates of the heroes and Mathius. In addition, the toys staring across the darkness at their victims was pretty unnerving. From the son of a doll collector, take my word for it. When the lights are out and all you can see if the white eyes of a doll follow you through your house, how brave could you be? So, despite not being the best of stories, Dance of Death will certainly freak you out.
This was one of the more fun movies to watch plus it dealt with my favorite vampires. Chris Bolton journeys to a remote island to unravel the mysterious death of his father, an archaeologist. A researcher takes him to the ancient crypt where his father perished. Chris' father was crushed beneath it and he is there to recover his body. However, to do so will unleash Hannah, Queen of the Vampires. Though somewhat of a convenient plot, this movie was well done. The characters were developed and worked hard to keep this movie from becoming cheesy. Suspending disbelief this film will allow you to enjoy the film.
The best part of the film had to be Andrew Prine's acting as Chris Bolton. This is a guy you have to like. He is a normal person thrust into a spooky world where people believe in vampires, and like some of us, he is a non-believer who is forced to see and believe in order save the people he put in danger. Prine also just looks cool with his early 80's, late 70's funky look and of course throughout all the drama, he still manages to find a way into a girl's heart.
In addition to his acting, the viewer gets the sense that this movie did not even have to be a horror movie. They could have replaced the vampire themes with anything else and it would have worked the same. It was just a fun-filled ride and my favorite out of the five films because of its consistency. Hollywood doesn't make movies like this anymore.
This movie was freaky. The flick opens with a group of women and men drag racing across a bridge, when one of the women's cars takes a dive off the bridge. Instead of the usual "seek revenge" movie, we get a film that would have done Rod Serling proud. Leaving the town, the woman discovers something wicked following her. Upon returning home she discovers more unusual developments including moments when no one can see or hear her. The woman also discovers she has an inexplicable desire to investigate an abandoned spot, which out to be a Carnival of Souls inhabited by those who have passed away. You can easily figure out the premise within ten minutes of watching the film, but you can't help but enjoy this predictable tale. Yet, while the premise was easy to discover, the ride was thrilling. I was freaked out by these souls when the woman encounters these souls, the film suddenly turns into this spooky "silent movie", an eeriness permeates where no words; just effective body language and facial expressions make you remember the faces of the dead when you closed your eyes to go to sleep at night. No gore or blood; this film is still as scary as they come.
Send your comments and or questions to Blackhart@ybfree.com.