Reviews

I was pleasantly surprised by King of the Zombies, considering it is a "one-star" movie with an under-5 rating here on IMDb. The reason I was pleasantly surprised was not the expected Moreland antics, but more the actual suspense the movie generates at times. The zombies are properly menacing and stiff, and the zombie ritual scene near the end was good until the rather anti-climactic downfall of the antagonist. The acting overall was very good (with Moreland shining as always), and the simple sets didn't really do anything to detract from the effectiveness of the plot (except for the ridiculous toy airplane crash). The direction kept the pace fast - it never really becomes boring or uninvolving - though you never feel drawn that deeply in either. In any case, this is one of the better Monogram/ Moreland flicks of the era.

This telling of French serial killer Bluebeard (why was he called Bluebeard?) is notable for two reasons - one is John Carradine's haunting yet believable portrayal of a madman's psyche, and the other is for Edgar G. Ulmer's ability to create mood and even grandeur on a tiny budget. While Carradine's acting skills have never been in question, his over-the-top scene stealing in many small roles would make one approach him with caution in a leading role. However, Carradine manages to restrain himself enough to never grow old or cumbersome in the role, while simultaneously delivering his lines memorably - leading to the excellent final crescendo. The plot never tires, the direction is masterful, the ensemble acting (especially the devious art dealer Lamarte) far better than expected, and the final feeling one of satisfaction. While all of this is unadulterated praise, the movie does appear a tad bit stagey (via budgetary concerns) at times, and also moves slowly at certain points. Despite this, Bluebeard is not merely an excellent time-waster, but a movie worthy of any viewer going out, renting, and popping in.

Within the context of B-dramedies, this is undoubtedly a great movie, but within the overall context of movies as a whole, it falls just short. While it utilizes an "A" cast, led by the superb Warren William, the plot just loses too much steam at the end to really feel like it meets its potential. The build-up in the movie, especially the sharp dialogue that is given to the aforementioned William, makes the movie feel even shorter than its hour-plus running time. It certainly never drags, and the grey characterization given to the various roles even makes the film food for analytical fodder. Unfortunately, the trial and cop-out yacht cruise ending come so fast and non-furious that even the most accepting of viewers will feel at least a bit cheated. Nonetheless, if you ever stumble upon this on TCM and have a little time to spare, it is more than worth your while, and is remarkably non-dated.

I love Bela Lugosi, I love Zombie movies (of all kinds), and I love classic cinema. Therefore, I thought I would love "White Zombie", but I ended up feeling cheated. The movie was slow, it was not that well acted, and the plot never seemed to drum up any crescendo of suspense to make the ending worthwhile. Additionally, the comic relief last line of the movie left an exceedingly bitter yet corny taste in my mouth. I understand its considered a minor classic, but outside of the appearance of Lugosi and a good premise, this was 30s cinema at its overrated worst. This isn't to say that some of the cinematography wasn't excellent, because it was, and this isn't to say that there weren't some genuinely disturbing scenes and ideas, because there were, but merely to say that I've been more entertained and found better mood-creation in some Poverty-Row quickies than in this 1932 pseudo-masterpiece.

While I am a self-avowed fan of low-budget horror flicks, "cult" classics, etc.., I was expecting to be disappointed by Carnival of Souls. The little I allowed myself to read about COS before watching it made me feel like it was either going to be disappointing and slow or right on target (weighted average is around 7). Instead, it was almost certainly the creepiest, eeriest movie I have ever seen. At the age of 21, most might expect me to have had my senses dulled by MTV-style shock theatre, but whatever damage has been done was not enough to diminish in any way the effect of this brilliant movie. I, in fact, read the screenplay to "The Hitch-hiker" (the Twilight zone script many have referenced as an inspiration for this movie) for an 8th grade class, but even that knowledge did not diminish my admiration for this low-budget masterpiece. The photography is incredible and atmospheric, with many of the lighting contrasts and unexpected appearances of "the ghoul" extremely effective. The acting was actually rather good, with Candace Hilligoss believable as the cold, yet seemingly psychotic lead character. I found the slimy man-next-door to be played even more convincingly, with all the repulsiveness of a real-life slum Casanova. The Saltair setting was also brilliant. Honestly, I have to stop exuding praise, but this movie really knocked me off my feet, with only occasional moments of slow-but-tensionless action early in the movie keeping this from being a ten. All in all, the best low-budget indie horror movie I've ever seen (and that includes Night of the Living Dead).