Cutting Gangster Cinema’s Mold Released at the tail end of American prohibition, 1932’s Scarface, at times, is more a plea than movie. The Chief of Police (Edwin Maxwell) verbally …
Gentle Rapping Bela Lugosi stars as a doctor driven mad, his lust for violence sustained by grisly worship of Edgar Allen Poe. Released not long after the production code’s …
Spoiler: It’s Quite Visible Invisible Ray’s flimsy science isn’t worth the excitement or fear mongering. An opening text suggests super radium X-rays were inevitable soon (this back in 1936). …
Karloff’s Transplant Universal cobbles together a number of genres in their production of Black Friday. The mad doctor movie, brain transplant story, the gangster parable, Jekyll/Hyde motions, and some …
Poetry of Medicine The Body Snatcher conveys perfect ‘40s era wartime horror. It’s indirect, but morbid and unseemly, where actions matter and dialog hangs. Corrupt in intent, and gruesome, …
Animal House The first act of House of Frankenstein deals exclusively with Dracula. John Carradine steps into the role, an exotic seducer who puts a woman under his spell. …
Sinister Son Stuck in the shadow of two revered classics, Son of Frankenstein never earned its deserved reverence. That’s more tragic than the monster. While Son of Frankenstein lacks …