Fine Stories and Other Wordy Tidbits
Well, if it isn't our old bloodsucking buddy back for another round! Cinema's favorite vampire has had a pretty decent track record in Universal Horror so far. The 1931 Dracula was a triumph of tension and eerie atmosphere, and the Spanish-language version built on that already-strong foundation to make something even better. Dracula's Daughter managed … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “Son of Dracula” (1943)
So, what are we doing here? I'm breaking my own rule just a bit, after all. The Phantom of the Opera isn't one of the Canonical Six that I'm supposed to be focusing on. What's the reason for this detour? There are a couple of reasons, actually. The most important is that this movie came … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “Phantom of the Opera” (1943)
The cinematic showdown has been around since time immemorial. We've had Batman v Superman. Freddy vs Jason. Godzilla vs King Kong/Mothra/King Ghidorah/etc. Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny...okay, not that one. But you get the idea. One badass fights another badass, with (hopefully) awesome results. And then we have today's film, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man” (1943)
Unwatchable. It's a hefty word, or at least it's supposed to be. In today's digital word, we're more likely to see it tossed around as shorthand for "something I personally didn't like." But what does it really mean? When is a film really, truly unwatchable? The problem is that "unwatchable" can mean a few different … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “The Mummy’s Tomb” (1942)
When I first pressed Play on this movie, I really had no idea what to expect. Son of Frankenstein had been a decent, if not perfect, conclusion to the story begun in the 1931 film, and after three movies, the most interesting story possibilities for the Frankensteins and the Creature had already been played out. … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “The Ghost of Frankenstein” (1942)
Seems that I've finished a spooky short story just in time for Halloween! How about that? This is a project that I've been wanting to do for quite a while. It's a follow-up, technically a prequel, to my story "White Saffron." It was loosely inspired by my recent reading of Madeline Miller's Circe, and it … Continue reading Short Story: “In the Garden of Death”
NOTE: Today's film and some of the clips in this article include the use of pejorative language toward Romani people, which may be offensive to some readers. While my analysis does make note of the film's terminology, I have attempted to use appropriate terminology whenever possible. Even a man who is pure in heart And … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “The Wolf Man” (1941)
Okay, how do I ease you guys into this...? I haven't done an exact tally on how many views each article in this series has, but I have noticed that people seem to keep coming back to my article on Werewolf of London. I couldn't tell you why. Perhaps it's because it's a more obscure … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “The Mummy’s Hand” (1940)
First of all, I'd like to begin this new article by giving a big shout-out to my new team of staff writers. They worked very hard to help me bring you this new piece, and their diligence is much appreciated. So give 'em a big hand! Elsa, Boris, Orlok (our transfer from Germany) and Griffin … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “The Invisible Man Returns” (1940)
After our cheerful little trip through the land of German Expressionism, we're back in familiar territory and ready to move forward. Today's film is the first in what we're going to call the second part of Universal Horror's Classic Era, which as you may recall lasts from about 1930 to 1960. Why are there multiple … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “Son of Frankenstein” (1939)
