by Sam Juliano
Chilly temperatures have suddenly arrived, though the calendar has been hinting at such a wake-up call for a few weeks now. Halloween is in full regalia in schools, homes and at parties, and some are already adored with multi-colored hair and masks. Horror film fans of course will not have a better time of the year to engage in their passion, and on the new release front plenty genre staples are slated to appear in the coming two weeks, most with new transfers. Of course at this time of the year political signs and adds are all the rage, and I’m urging all to support the Democratic candidates nationally and locally. James Uhler’s Horrorfest 2018 continues with two more from the timeless Universal series:
House of Frankenstein (E. C. Kenton… 1944) Universal monster
Recently, when Universal announced that in an attempt to compete with the ever expanding cinematic universe of Marvel that they would bring back their great legacy of Monsters in a series of original, new stories, and eventually build to a series of mashups and combinations, something of a Horror equivalent to the The Avengers and Infinity War, most saw it as a great idea. The studio badly needed a cagey move to expand their revenue across a bunch of different avenues as most media conglomerates had operated under since at least the 1990’s, and given that they didn’t have a franchise themselves (like Marvel, DC or Star Wars) it was only seen as even more sound in judgment.
Of course, there was a whole other set of people who saw it merely as a rejiggering of an idea they’d done half a century earlier. Once the initial run of Universal Monsters had run their course—I briefly discussed this during my The Wolf Man (1941) piece—they started a series of mashups and meet-ups, squeezing every drop from characters they’d given birth to a decade prior. You can see Universal’s turn to franchise now as them following current trends, but us Horror fans know Batman v. Superman (2016) first saw its cinematic home in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943).
That’s a good place to start, as the franchises starting crossing over by now; with these two E. C. Kenton films sandwiching Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. Thus, the first one, The Ghost of Frankenstein and the first sequel after the official Bride of Frankenstein James Whale sequel classic, starts things in reboot fashion. Really both films do; each of these begin by castled walls being destroyed to free imprisoned monsters from ‘earlier’ movies (I use quotes as both use characters we’ve never seen before). Marauding angry villagers start the destruction of a castle in The Ghost of Frankenstein that free Ygor (Bela Lugosi) and the Monster (who eventually looks to get struck by lightning intentionally to reinvigorate himself, not unlike so many Jason rebirths as the beginnings of several Friday the 13th offerings), while House of Frankenstein sees a storm destroy the castle, freeing our sadistic, revenge minded Dr. Niemann (Boris Karloff) and his hunchbacked servant Daniel. The Ghost of Frankenstein then moves to Ygor’s story essentially, him trying to maneuver to force Dr. Frankenstein (a descendant of the original Victor who knows his secrets but is reluctant to use his brilliance for evil ends) to put his brain into the Monster so that he can live forever. It’s a decent film—often recalled for its wonderful score now—but it lags too, even at 67 minutes your attention is often checking your watch. Part of it is restarting the series with wholly new characters in key spots—Chaney Jr. is an inert and lifeless Frankenstein Monster—part of it is the poetry of Ygor’s ultimate demise being as much fulfilling for us to see a baddie die than being anything emotional (thus robbing the film of some of its purpose). But, haunting images abound, the sulfur/concrete prison that Frankenstein’s Monster is resurrected from in the beginning is tremendous for example, and much of the camp—the series moves from A status to B here—offers fun, odd sets and character choices.
But once the series was moving along, House of Frankenstein is the better film here, and about a good as they come within a complete mashup; Frankenstein’s Monster, John Carradine’s Dracula, and Chaney Jr’s Wolf Man all feature here. But of course, in a film like this, again an actor wins out—you watch because Karloff is our engine, and his diabolical Dr. Niemann drives the show. He and his Daniel manservant escape and kill the owner of a traveling Horror carnival show, with Niemann’s singular focus to murder the men who imprisoned him for trying to resurrect Dr. Frankenstein’s work when he tried to put a human brain in a dog 15 years prior. Soon, they’re found out, but not before Daniel has fallen for a gypsy girl and they’ve unfroze the bodies of Larry Talbot (as the Wolf Man) and the Frankenstein Monster (if you’re interested in where George Lucas got the idea of freezing Han Solo in carbonite you might want to look here) unleashing much mayhem. Eventually, again, a horde of townspeople with torches come calling and the Monster and Dr. Niemann have to escape to the marches, eventually dying together when they’re surrounding and must enter quicksand. Seeing Karloff die next to his greatest creation—Frankenstein’s Monster—but within his own visage is quite an ironic, wonderful treat. You realize how such a wonderful actor—to me Horror’s greatest—died at the end of most of the things he appeared in, but in Horror, what more can you expect? You just hope you get half as many wonderful, beautifully poetic deaths as he did. Here, it’s his white wisp of hair curling up just after his face goes under, two beats later, THE END. Wonderful.
Jim Clark continues with his Ingmar Bergman series, J.D. Lafrance with his October horror reviews and Yours Truly with this year’s Caldecott Medal Contender series.
Lucille and various members of the family joined me this week to see two (or three if I get to a late Sunday night screening) films in the theater:
First Man ***** (Saturday night) Edgewater multiplex
Halloween 2018 *** (Thursday night) Secaucus multiple
FIRST MAN is masterful-one of the best films of the year -stirring, exhilarating, superbly acted and scored; HALLOWEEN is passable for its craftsmanship but the same old, same old.
I’ve heard good things about First Man. I can’t wait to see that one. Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you so much for the comment here Maddy! i can’t wait to compare notes with you on FIRST MAN either here or at your place. I do know well your love for this subject and am sure you will be mighty pleased!
Can’t wait to see First Man. I’m a Ryan Gosling stalwart. In his underplaying Gosling is a Canadian-American Delon, easy to dismiss as a poor actor if you can’t get past his striking good looks (Cf. Robert Redford, who didn’t win a NYFCC acting award until 2013.)
A Star Is Born (2018). No. In the realm of pop/rock I vastly prefer Grace Jones’s “La Vie En Rose” over Lady Gaga’s more traditional interpretation. See Jones’s cathartic live version on Chilean public television (TVN, Television Nacional de Chile) ca. 1980. Oh la la.
A double dose of Edith Scob this weekend, first in Holy Motors (which I love) then in Eyes Without a Face (which I don’t love). I know, I know. Eyes is universally regarded as a horror classic, a high example of poetic realism, but I just can’t take it seriously, either as an indictment of modern science gone mad, or as a metaphor of Europe’s reconstruction after the Nazi horror.
To end on a positive note, it’s always nice to see Alida Valli, reminding one that she also appeared in The Paradine Case and The Third Man.
Mark – Sounds like you have Gosling sized up perfectly. I can’t agree with you more. His art is subtlety for sure and Delon a great comparison! Aye on Redford not winning a critics prize from NYFCC until 2013. I like “Ma Vie en Rose” far more than I do this “A Star is Born” and considering the films with that time I count the 1937 Gaynor best. That live version on Chilean public television sounds fantastic! In any case, despite my substantial issues with this new “A Star is Born” I do think Gaga was first-rate. I was no at all as impressed with Bradley Cooper. Hmmm, I didn’t know you were down on “Eyes without A Face” until I just read this. I do of course totally agree with you on HOLY MOTORS and Edith Scob. I happen to be one who endorses the status you ascribe to the Franju film, but I grant you artistic license my friend!! Yes Valli is always a stunning thespian and in those film, especially the latter, she is unforgettable. Thank you so much my friend!! Have a great Halloween! 🙂
I prefer House of Frankenstein to Ghost of Frankenstein, but the best are Bride and Son. Wonderful reviews. Can’t wait to see First Man.
Ricky, I agree with you on HOUSE being superior to GHOST, and also that BRIDE and SON are the top Frankenstein sequels. Looking forward to discussing FIRST MAN. Thank you my friend!
My FB timeline is full of folks who loved First Man….My good friend was born on Halloween and we always try to go to dinner and to see a movie or play to celebrate. This year she is traveling so we will have to put things off until her return. Reading like a fiend as my IT Girl will be gone to work in Japan in December and not be able to post anything for me while she is gone…need to get them all read, reviewed and on the schedule before she leaves!!
I voted…we are being inundated with fake ads that are trying to get folks to vote for Progressives by writing them onto their ballot…The lastest card wants one to cross out the actual democrat and put in the name of our PORT COMMISSIONER for the County Commissioner position. In other words waste your vote. It is such a big deal we made the national news and the Rachel Maddow show yesterday….What on earth will they think of next???? so disgusting. They truly do not believe they can win on merit or platform or truth or even buying the vote, I hope they do not win.
Patricia, I can’t say I am at all surprised you have many voicing their admiration for FIRST MAN, which is surely one of the very best films of this year. Sad to hear your usually Halloween ritual with your friend can’t happen this year, but as you say it gives you a chance to post more book reviews! That is quite a scam by the opposition to influence voted but happy to hear you were on to it. I’m thinking our people will do very well on November 6. Thank you as always my friend! Have a great week!