Fine Stories and Other Wordy Tidbits
I really, really didn't want to watch this movie. I put it off as long as I could. Because people had warned me about this movie. They told me that it sucked, that it was the worst movie in the big 30-film Universal Horror collection I own, that I would never want to watch it … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “She-Wolf of London” (1946)
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to 1945. World War 2 is over, the Cold War is just beginning, America is entering a long period of economic prosperity, and we have another monster crossover movie. You may recall how I found House of Frankenstein to be rather lacking in the "crossover" aspect of its main gimmick. And … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “House of Dracula” (1945)
The inspiration for this story came when I happened across a picture showing the grave of famed Swiss artist H.R. Giger. Giger, who passed away in 2014, had a distinct and horrifying visual style that popularized the idea of “biomechanical” art, i.e. images of machinery combined with organic material. You probably know his name thanks … Continue reading Short Story: “The Unknown Occupant”
I feel it's time to shake things up a little with this series. Up to this point, we've only been looking at the movies which fall under the Universal Horror banner, and while the movies are certainly the backbone of this whole enterprise, they are not the only medium in which these stories and characters … Continue reading Horror Is Universal SPECIAL! “The Bride of Frankenstein: Pandora’s Bride” (2007)
We finally did it, folks. We've reached the end. We're free. Free from the curse of Kharis and his lame-ass movies. Of course, Kharis couldn't let us go without one last ordeal to suffer through. After the batshit nonsense of The Mummy's Ghost, I was a little optimistic about this film. I still didn't think … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “The Mummy’s Curse” (1944)
If Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man was the Batman v Superman of this cinematic universe, then House of Frankenstein is its Justice League or The Avengers. Assuming, of course, that those movies had the members of the crossover turn up one at a time, never interact and made sure to kill off each character before … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “House of Frankenstein” (1944)
I have a confession to make. Or perhaps a retraction. After completing my last review, I put off watching this movie for a couple of weeks. Why? Because I thought I knew what it was going to be. I have made no secret of how much I hated The Mummy's Hand and The Mummy's Tomb. … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “The Mummy’s Ghost” (1944)
I deliberated for a while about how to begin this article. I like to open these articles by posing a question or thesis statement, or I'll just try to write something that I think is funny. But in this case, I'm hard-pressed to do either. I can't think of anything to say about this movie … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “The Invisible Man’s Revenge” (1944)
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)
Himrich Hall 