Day 6: Werewolf of London (1935)

Charles 2016, 31 Days of Horror, Classics, Part 4, Reviews Leave a Comment

Welcome to Day 6 of 31 Days of Horror, where we’ll be discussing Universal’s first werewolf movie, Werewolf of London from 1935. I have to admit: Outside of that Warren Zevon song, I had never heard of Werewolf of London and had absolutely no idea there was any other werewolf film in Universal’s classic monster movies, outside of The Wolf Man series. That franchise (especially the first one) is so iconic, and casts such a long shadow over every other werewolf movie ever made, that is it almost unfathomable to even consider that Werewolf of London came first (and by half a decade at that!). It’s a shame, really, because …

Day 5: The Black Cat (1934)

Kelley 2016, 31 Days of Horror, Classics, Part 4, Reviews Leave a Comment

Day 5 of our 31 Days of Horror brings a double whammy in the form of the two great masters of horror cinema: Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. 1934’s The Black Cat is very loosely adapted from Edgar Allan Poe’s story of the same name, and it is the first of seven Lugosi/Karloff pairings. When I say it leaves no holds barred, I mean it leaves no holds barred. Necrophilia, pedophilia, Satanic rituals, ailurophobia (a deathly fear of cats!), torture, flaying…they all come into play as the film unfolds in a nightmarish and truly disturbing fashion. But first: a summary! The movie begins with two American newlyweds, the Alisons, boarding the Orient Express for a …

Day 4: Island of Lost Souls (1932)

Kelley 2016, 31 Days of Horror, Classics, Reviews Leave a Comment

Welcome back for Day 4 of our 31 Days of Horror series! This review will lead the charge into the beginning of a new decade: the 1930s. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love pre-code films. I won’t bore you with a long-winded ode to the popcorn-munching, wine-drinking watchability of these early ’30s movies, but I do want to say one thing before moving on to my actual review. In case you are not familiar with the difference in what studios could get away with pre- and post-Motion Picture Production Code, it’s an interesting concept to keep in mind as we journey through the rest of our 1930s selections for this …