The Mysterious House of Usher

The Mysterious House of Usher

I was little boy when I first saw a Vincent Price i sitll think he is one of the greatest horror actors all time. He truly had such a charm to him. House on Haunted Hill was the the movie i saw as my frist movie of his horror movies. So i am begining halloween month with The Mysterious House of Usher for a horror movie review.It is truly something I feel embodies the classic gothic horror that is a big part of the genre. So lets begin the review.

The Fall of the House of Usher/House of Usher  (1960) review

The Fall of the House of Usher/House of Usher was the first of seven (eight, if you want to count The Haunted Palace) films that Roger Corman directed for American International Pictures, based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. It is one of best entries in the series to my eyes. Roger Corman’s brilliant adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling tale is one of the greatest achievements in cinematic horror that does really stand test of time. It is hard to pick a best Roger Corman Poe movie. Vincent Price turns in one of of his finest performances he ever did on the screen in this horror classic but he always amazes in any movie anyway.

Madness on flim really is such a tricky thing at times to have on screen without it being silly. It’s at this point that I must mention one of Corman’s creative collaborators composer Les Baxter really makes such a wonderful soundtrack. The magical charm of this film is its wonderful acting by its cast. It is something about them they bring to life the wonderful gothic tale of Edgar Allan Poe. The Fall of the House of Usher is a terrific example of Roger Corman’s ever widening circle of gothic, directorial accomplishment. That it stays faithful to the darker tones of its source material but has some of its own way to it too. If The Raven was a delicious farce trading on how easily camp follows theatricality, Usher is something very different, something genuinely creepy and despite the modest claims of its director, it’s very effective that really underlines the magical charm of the orginal tale yet giving way to something totally new.

The perennial 1960s American Gothic setting, and a mood-board for spooky, autumnal vibes. The Usher mansion itself beings a monument to the fissures of familial desolation, from mental illness to egomania and the lingering, perpetual stench of Death rising from the crypt. Probably Roger Corman’s most tasteful Poe adaptation, and so assured that its moments of dreamy color and swift action are both visceral and psychological. When Vincent Price is on screen, nothing else matters, even as he is only one harrowing piece of a larger atmospheric tapestry that will set out to really make you watch the movie no matter what. Everything is personified in Vincent Price’s melodramatic portrayal of lead character Roderick that i feel you will simply enjoy to watch from start to finish. The film is short and sweet at eighty minutes but really makes best use of all of this time but it makes very good use of its time. You simply must see this classic movie today. Needless to say, it’s easy to understand why House Of Usher (also known as The Mysterious House Of Usher or The Fall Of The House Of Usher) stands out as a high mark in Roger Corman’s filmography. It’s a delightful horror picture that will tantalize and terrify while it spirals us headfirst into madness that you must see today I will be revisiting more of these poe movies soon this month. So I may review them all. I hope you join me for them.

Hitchcock should have won an Oscar.

Hitchcock should have won an Oscar(https://www.facebook.com/Wolffianclassicmoviesdigest)

It has been well documented but it still astonishes that Hitchcock never won an Academy Award. Anointed as “the master of suspense”, that acclaim didn’t translate to statuettes on Hitch’s mantelpiece. it seems unfair to say that Hitchcock never won an Oscar. Amazingly, of 52 Hitchcock movies, only five won Oscars of any kind. Rebecca was the only one to win Best Film, but David O Selznick as producer claimed that one, and only one actor, Joan Fontaine for 1941’s Suspicion, lifted an acting Oscar yet he never won one for directing in any of his flims. I would say his flims are often considered the crown jewels of movies so i say today why he should have won one for his works as i talk it today for 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon. so i hope you enjoy my talk on it today.

Hitchcock should have won an Oscar

Alfred Hitchcock is arguably one of the most well-known directors in the last century. Born Aug. 13, 1899, the English film director created more than 50 movies before he passed away in 1980. He changed the way flims were made forever as he demanded specific start times for “Psycho,and audiences were asked to not give away the end of the movie. its always been something special his works to my heart but him never winning an oscar seems odd for such a wonderful director that changed the game and inspired many future flim-makers whom would win Oscars.Hitchcock may have never won an Oscar for best director but he should have won it many times.

spellbound(1945)

This psychological thriller opens with an intriguing Shakespeare quote: “The Fault … is Not in Our Stars, But in Ourselves  which may be one of the most interesting ways to begin a story that takes place (by and large) in a mental asylum as its one of the best movies of the year of 1945 as going my way was not as good as spellbound as what was Oscars thinking when they choose that movie over spellbound.

Spellbound is one of the many Hitchcock movies every film fan should see.  It was one of the first films to deal with psychoanalysis a theme he would often revisit but this flim is very much in his later flims.

Spellbound is Cleverly directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the film is full of twists & turns throughout its runtime and repeatedly plays a dream sequence that toys with viewers’ mind like a strong puzzle asking to be solved. Cinematography is a stunning work of film-noir that should been enough earn hitchcock an oscar for this outstanding flim that really has such wonderful acting with such wonderful Cinematography.  Its brilliant performances from Gregory Peck, Michael Chekov & the immensely beautiful Ingrid Bergman amongst whom Bergman impressed me the most for I was completely in awe of her. On an overall scale, Spellbound is a spellbinding tale by the master of suspense that never lets out the entertainment factor it is a shame that never got the Oscar chance at all for  many things as its wonderful and its simply an overlooked classic.

rear window 

The year of 1954 had director Alfred Hitchcock in sublime form as he delivered not one but two back-to-back genre masterpieces to cement his status as the pre-eminent filmmaker of thrillers & suspense. While one of the two was Dial M for Murder which even today remains one of his most enjoyable & entertaining works that you could enjoy to watch for fun. Rear Window is a wonderfully simple thriller that also flirts with comedy and drama. With the always active photographer, L.B. ‘Jeff’ Jefferies, confined to a wheelchair he is left with little to do but spy on his fellow neighbors across the courtyard. Jeff becomes a voyeur in the same way we do when we watch movies upon the screen.

Rear Window is an undisputed masterpiece with such tight editing, terrific performances from James Stewart, Grace Kelly & others plus clever use of music, the tension & excitement never leaves the film for one instant ands its wonderful direction by hitchcock that is shameful it never won an oscar  for him for best direction because this movie is simply amazing to watch form begining to end. Rear Window is a masterpiece of suspense & mystery you will watch again and again.

Vertigo” (1958)

There can be no last word on Vertigo. In 2012, it usurped Citizen Kane as Sight and Sound’s “greatest film of all time”, but with this superlative label comes an expectation for absolute meaning. Since its release 60 years ago, academics and critics have tried (and failed) to dissect the plot its simply one of those classics that keeps becoming better loved with age. Its pinnacle of movie-making. Its powerful and affecting story is concise, clever and unpredictable. Hitchcock is playing at the peak of his game, with great depth of character and storytelling, and his actors do not let him as its simply a marvel of flim-making. The film is shot beautifully in color, on location in San Francisco (with some shots on a sound-stage), by longtime collaborator Robert Burks  Cinematography is simply the best ever shot to flim as its such lovely shots of the city that you almost feel like you are in the city with the characters.James Stewart delivers a career-best performance as Scottie, an acrophobic detective that truly is him at his finest ever as you truly believe he is losing his mind sometimes.A masterpiece of dizzying psychological depths that one should watch that should earned him directing Oscar for it. 

Notorious’ (1946)

Notorious is a deliciously smart and electrifying spy flick mixed with a venomous love story. Possibly the most suspenseful spy movie I’ve ever seen, Hitchcock knew exactly what buttons to push to create something that at times takes your breath away. An absolute Gothic masterpiece with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman they’re excellent as give out such amazing acting performances. Hitchcock’s films are often psychologically complex and mordantly funny, but they’re rarely deeply romantic as this spy thriller with masterful direction and acting that is a wonderful jewel of a film that should have been more beloved in its day as it’s simply a classic that everyone would adore to watch.

“Strangers on a Train” (1951)

A bonafide suspense classic concerning an up-and-coming tennis player (Farley Granger) who meets a psychopath (Robert Walker) on a train by chance, and how the troubled man thinks he strikes a deal with the athlete on him murdering his girlfriend if he murders his father. Only, that’s not the case at all. Another successful Hitchcock noir isn’t as good as some of his best work that is case at all as its very much equal to his greater works but very overlooked by people with the marvelous acting of Robert Walker that makes this movie shine. its simply a marvelous thriller with such marvelous direction that you will enjoy to watch anytime.

Psycho” (1960)

Psycho is Immortal for its contribution to cinema, notorious for pushing the boundary of what’s accepted in mainstream movies & setting an extremely high benchmark for horror films to follow, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho remains the most influential, successful & famous work of his legendary career and is rightfully hailed as one of the greatest achievements in the history of film-making for many good reasons as it’s a marvelous movie with great direction and acting by its cast. Psycho is a breathtaking work of perfection that marks the creative height of Alfred Hitchcock’s glorious film career that is truly a wonderful gem to watch.

Alfred Hitchcock the greatest flim  director all time

Hitchcock’s films seem to cross all boundaries in terms of audience.  A screening of one of his more popular titles from his mid period such as the aforementioned Vertigo or Rear Window (1954) will bring an equal flock of casual cinema goers to the birds to his later works his earlier works.  Underneath the exciting visuals and story, often lies an analysis of ideas and beliefs, often taken down Freudian, perhaps even Jungian routes of psychoanalytical territories that have such marvelous acting with marvelous direction in so many of his movies form his start to his end he was a man that had clear way of telling such marvelous stories upon the screen. I would say he is the greatest flim-maker ever in history of the medium. I am sad he never won an Oscar because so many of his works are such marvels of flim that each of his flims showcase the marvelous growth of a man in directing form his more simple begining to his end he managed to make flims that grew with the times but also were ahead of their times. I adore him so much so i hoped you see why he should have won an Oscar for directing.

7 FACES OF DR. LAO

 7 FACES OF DR. LAO (1964) review

In the late 19th century, a mysterious Chinese man and circus owner, Dr. Lao (Tony Randall, Pillow Talk), arrives in a small Arizona town and proceeds to teach townies a few important life lessons.

7 Faces of Dr. Lao is a marvelous tale of magical realism. It is an amazing tale of classic story-telling that is a wondrous pastiche of western motifs, comedy, and fantasy movie with simply a wonderful outlook on what makes you feel human. The film also works as a fairy tale for adults and children alike that can teach you many wonderful lessons on life.

7 Faces of Dr. Lao is a marvelous performance for  Tony Randall who plays eight roles seven plus a cameo by him. He is just marvelous. Randall’s Lao is a particularly cunning characterization that is simply one amazing role that you will adore to watch him play form start to finish. Randall’s great performance couldn’t have been accomplished without the then state-of-the-art make-up effects created by William Tuttle that creates some of the best make-up effects in any movie. He received an honorary Oscar for his groundbreaking work (the first Oscar ever to a make-up artist). The special effects, which consist mostly of stop-motion model animation that is simply marvelous stop-motion animation that may be some of best ever done for flim which may remind you of the work of Ray Harryhausen (20 Million Miles to Earth, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, etc) which is tons of fun to watch on-screen anytime.

Randall’s performance and Tuttle’s make-up work is reason enough to watch this classic gem of a movie that is a fairy tale.  The rest of cast is pretty great too. Barbara Eden (TV’s I Dream of Jeannie) plays Angela Benedict, the Widowed Librarian, and John Ericson (Bad Day at Black Rock) is Ed Cunningham, the Crusading Publisher. Arthur O’Connell (Pocketful of Miracles), Noah Beery Jr. (TV’s The Rockford Files), John Qualen (A Patch of Blue), and Lee Patrick (Now, Voyager) also appear in key supporting roles as all of their performances are simply marvelous performances for each of them.

I have seen this weird western fantasy many times and I have always enjoyed it. It won a special Oscar for makeup, but it could have also been honored for its production design and costumes. It has the feeling of a children’s film, yet there’s a lot of stuff that’s not really intended for kids as simply this movie is for anyone young at heart. 7 faces of dr lao is simply a marvelous movie with marvelous effects and a wonderful cast that you should simply see anytime as this marvelous movie form start to finish. The film doesn’t necessarily push the envelope of fantasy, but its satirical tone and irreverent attitude have an ageless quality. All in all, it’s a helluva fun ride form that you wont reget watching at all.

Halloween classics reviews:the devil rides,The chilling adventures of Sabrina double feature

Today I talk about the devil rides and the chilling adventures of Sabrina as review both of them today for a double feature. Hammer horror movies are some of my favorite horror movies all time as today I review them both today. The devil rides is another example of a great hammer horror classic movie it was released in same year as Rosemary’s Baby, The Devil Rides Out” is yet another movie dealing with a satanic cult. I review also today season one of and the chilling adventures of Sabrina which talks about, Sabrina must choose between the witch world of her family and the human world of her friends; based on the “Archie” comic of Sabrina.  It deals with witchcraft and Satan as both themes are in both of my reviewed features today. I am huge fan of horror movies which deals with these darker elements of the occult and its darker world. So today’s review begins now of The Devil Rides Out and the chilling adventures of Sabrina now for my second and third review of Halloween classics as both reviews are rides of horror and fun you will enjoy.

The devil rides out review((https://www.facebook.com/Wolffianclassicmoviesdigest/) 

 

.The Devil Rides Out, known as The Devil’s Bride in the United States, is a 1968 British horror film, based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley. It was written by Richard Matheson and directed by Terence Fisher. The film stars Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Niké Arrighi and Leon Greene. The Devil Rides Out is possibly is one of my truly favorite horror movies all time.

The Devil Rides Out is one of those classics in the horror cannon where everything just works in spite of how incredibly silly and hammy it could all be for its subject matter. The Legendary Hammer Horror directors Terrence Fisher’s adaption of Dennis Wheatley’s devil rides out novel of the same name. The script was written by equally legendary writer/screenwriter Richard Matheson and is a much more subdued and serious horror film compared to Fisher’s other works for the studio. It’s much of a psychological horror then a full out horror movie.

The devil rides is a splendid example of Hammer Films operating at the height of their powers, The Devil Rides Out released as The Devil’s Bride in the U.S. to avoid being confused for a western is pure classic horror as its come.  Christopher Lee, in a role he has long claimed as a personal favorite. The Devil Rides Out wasn’t a big hit at the box office and isn’t nearly as well known as it should be, but it regularly appears near the top of most fan polls of Hammer’s best movies all time.

It was Christopher Lee, himself an avid collector of works on the occult and a fan and friend of Wheatley’s, who spurred Hammer on to make a film based on his works as he truly plays out of one of the finest roles he played upon the screen. The Devil Rides Out also stands apart in its supporting cast, eschewing the regular Hammer stock company as that cast is simply marvelous to watch upon the screen play out their respective roles with such amazing charm and acting skills in their roles they play on the screen. I would this is a fun thriller to watch form start to finish.

The Devil Rides Out is perhaps unlikely to be particularly scary for anyone that loves horror movies as but its such a wonderfully crafted out thriller that is as well as a fascinating oddity in Hammer’s horror catalog as it stands out among them as so diffrent form so many of its counterparts done by hammer horror with wonderful acting that makes its such a wonderful thriller you will adore to watch again and again.

The Ruth rating:

The chilling adventures of Sabrina review 

As her 16th birthday nears, Sabrina must choose between the witch world of her family and the human world of her friends; based on the “Archie” comic.

I would forget everything you know about the wholesome teen witch from the original Archie comics and the ‘90s sitcom, this dark version of Sabrina Spellman (played by Kiernan Shipka) and her world bears a much closer resemblance to the likes of Rosemary’s Baby than Bewitched.

Sabrina’s beloved familiar, Salem, is introduced very early on and has a completely different origin and personality than his previous iterations as he simply is perfection anytime he is on the screen. Its visual standpoint is a horror fans wild dreams come to life form  Suspiria to Hellraiser to hammer horror classics.

Kiernan Shipka who plays the inquisitive witch with a strong moral compass, is instantly charming.  Davis and Otto are bewitching as Sabrina’s Satan-worshipping guardians, and Michelle Gomez exudes bewitching confidence as Madam Satan. But the biggest surprise, though, is that of cast member Tati Gabrielle as Prudence, the leader of the Weird Sisters. Prudence is a fearsome witch with a grudge against Sabrina, but Gabrielle imbues her with enough magnetism and vulnerability that you can’t wait to see more of her story unfold. The inaugural season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a wonderful ride to watch upon the screen at any moment.  You will enjoy watching it anytime.

The Ruth rating:

the time machine

the time machine(https://www.facebook.com/Wolffianclassicmoviesdigest)

So today I talk about the time machine. The time machine is directed by George Pal who directed some of my favorite movies all time. I loved stories of adventure and fantasy as a boy. George Pal movies are prime examples of this kind of story that I adored so much as a boy. The Time Machine may one of the greatest Science Fiction movies ever made for the screen. I review this classic movie now for my blog.

the time machine review

George Pal brought to fruition a visionary concept for a film based on a the time machine which was written by H.G. Wells years before. Rod Taylor passed away just four days shy of his 85th birthday with close to 60 films credits, his last performance was as Winston Churchill in Inglorious Bustards. He began with the movies the birds directed by Hitchcock. This movie may be Rod Taylor’s finest hour on the screen. The story is brilliantly told on screen with such wonderful special effects. Director George Pal crafted out an amazing classic that will delight you anytime to watch unfold on the screen. The Morlocks aren’t really evil as they are products of their age and time period that are truly scary to watch on the screen.

The Time Machine has such wonderful creature designs. It has the best creature designs of that era of films. We always ask one another if we would go back or forth in time if having the option giving in the time machine but we would likely not really want to risk the trouble as we know the effects can be worst then we think to travel back in time. The time machine as this is a great adaptation of the excellent novel. George Pal has shown us that it is wonderful characters and story that makes a movie magical to watch unfold on the screen. Nicholas Meyers achieved the same type of success years later with the film Time After Time with a time travel movie that is done with same effect as this wonderful classic you should see today.

The Ruth rating:

I hope you enjoyed my talk about the time machine  today which frankly is one amazing classic gem that i simply adored to talk about today.see you next time for another classic review soon.