Mysterious Things Have Happened. A Murder in the Village…They Probably Think You, Like Your Father, Have Created Another Monster…: Son of Frankenstein (1939)

Wolf, the way you’re carrying on, if I were a policeman, I’d be suspicious myself. You would? Yes, I would! Mysterious things have happened. A murder in the village, our own dear Benson disappears for no reason. They probably think you, like your father, have created another monster…

When I was making up my list of films to review I had originally planned to do The Hound of Baskervilles, but then I thought I needed more traditional horror films in the 2022 lineup. As I was looking at all the different drafts I have started I decided on reviewing The Son of Frankenstein. Since I had a review earlier this month on Frankenstein (1994), I thought I would balance it out with a hopefully better Frankenstein film. I mean it has Boris Karloff so the bar is high.

Frankenstein’s son, Wolf Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone), is coming to the ancestral village to claim his inheritance and all the townspeople are in a tizzy afraid that he might be just like his father.

Wolf is married to an American, Elsa (Josephine Hutchins), and they are both happy to be out of the college and to start a new life. As they talk about the home Frankenstein and never been to they imagine a gothic castle and it’s super cute how the two of them talk about it. It makes me think of Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney when they travel to Northanger Abbey.

Frankenstein is angry abut the legacy of his father and how he is remembered for making a murderous monster instead of his accomplishments bringing the dead to life. He blames the assistant Igor (Bela Lugosi).

When Frankenstein arrives at the village he is met by the burgemeister, the villagers, and the village council who are not happy at that he is there. They do not give him a cheery welcoming, but deposit his papers and items and leave.

From Scream

They get to the house and Elsa Frankenstein does not seem at all pleased at the gloomy demeanor and the way they were greeted. She has second thoughts about being there and wants them to take their son and go “home”.

It is a good thing that the Frankensteins brought some of their servants as none of the local people will serve them or interact with them.

The family makes their way home and the castle is really interesting. It is more German Expressionism and something you would see out of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari then an old castle.

Frankenstein never met his father and has always felt something missing. He has tried his best to connect with him, becoming a scientists as well. He hopes he is someone his father would be proud of and like him. He goes to visit the library and unlocks a box of papers given to him by the council and in it finds a letter written to him with information about how his father brought rhe creature to life.

Basil Rathbone was a really good choice to play Frankenstein in this as he’s a very likable character, he almost has got wanting him to try his father’s experiments…almost.

That evening the inspector comes calling and warns Frankenstein against trying to do what his father did and to return to England before he is infected with the “poison of discovery”. Frankenstein doesn’t take him seriously at all and asks if the inspector has even seen anything of the creature as he feels the stories were exaggerated. The inspector has seen the monster, as it turns out when he was a boy the creature tore one of his arms off. He says the monster stories are not exaggerated.

Also leading to the high tension in the area are six murders since the monster was “destroyed”; all were killed by hearts rupturing, a bruise at the base of their brains were discovered, and all were prominent men…very suspicious. The inspector cautions Frankenstein again and tells him that he will be there for the Frankensteins fmaily when they will, will not if, need him and leaves.

Like his father, Frankenstein is a doctor and he loves lightning. The longer he stays in his ancestral home, the more he desires to follow in his father’s footsteps as he his in awe of what his father was able to accomplish.

Frankenstein decides to check out his father’s old lab, which is a mess and in pieces as it was destroyed in Bride of Frankenstein

While out there Frankenstein runs into Igor (Bella Lugosi). Originally Lugosi only had a small part in the film, but the scriptwriter felt bad about the way he was treated and extended the character for him. The script changed from day to day so no one knew what was to come, so making the part bigger was an easy feat. Igor was hung for the assisting the senior Frankenstein, and when they tried to kill him he didn’t die but it broke his neck and left it broken. It appears that the senior Frankenstein did some experimenting to give him that ability.

Igor takes Frankenstein to the family crypt where he sees the coffins for his father and grandfather; along with the monster who is not dead but still alive!

I miss Fritz as Igor is super creepy. Igor sees the creature as “his friend” who he “does things” for him. Hmm I wonder Igor and the monster are behind all the murders the inspector was talking about. Right now the creature has been wounded and is in a coma-like state as he was electrocuted. Igor insists that as senior Frankenstein made him too, the creature is Wolf Frankenstein’s brother and begs him to bring him back.

At first Frankenstein isn’t interested, but it doesn’t take long to convince him as he wants to be like his dad and protect hush legacy. He agrees and scurries away to the library to get tools and info.

Frankenstein tries to get Benson to help them but Igor tosses him out. Igor doesn’t want anyone else involved in bringing the monster back to life. Uh Frankenstein, do you notice that Igor is acting very, very odd? You definitely shouldn’t do anything he’s involved in.

I really enjoy this film as it definitely feels like a callback to the original movie.The way the scenes are cut, the music, etc.

The heads of the council try to get Igor to sly on Frankenstein and threaten hangin him if he doesn’t help them. Seriously guys? You tried to have him die by hanging and he survived. Why would he help any of you? Igor acts suspicious as he tells them he will not be hunted and killed, and also points out that out of the 8 that condemned him to death only a few remain. Hmmm….??? Why has no one put together the “killing ghost” is Igor getting revenge.

Meanwhile, Frankenstein is having a fight within himself. He wants to destroy the creature as he knows bringing him out of the coma is wrong, but as a scientists he just can’t stop himself. It makes me think of the scientists in The Thing From Another World.

The inspector comes over for the dinner he was invited to, but the only one there is Elsa Frankenstein as Frankenstein is too busy working on his project. It’s entirely normal to her as he has often done this when he is concentrating on a scientific problem, however, the inspector is very interested a he wants to make sure that Frankenstein isn’t working on trying to resurrect the creature.

Hmm…

Frankenstein finally comes to dinner and they are joined by Frankenstein Jr. Frankenstein Jr. starts about a giant being in the house. Elsa thinks it is just his imagination but the inspector and Frankenstein share looks. Could Frankenstein have woken up the creature?

Frankenstein questions Frankenstein jr and when he hears the description, he is in shock. He thought his resurrection experiments has failed, did it actually work? He goes running to the lab and when he gets there, there is no one to be found.

Frankenstein feels something on his shoulder and discovers the creature awake and lumbering about.

The creature doesn’t look so big in this one as Boris Karloff as Frankenstein was 6’6 and Basil is 6’2. They should when chosen a smaller actor for Frankenstein.

Igor is pleased but now that the creature isn’t a scientific question, Frankenstein is worried that people might find out what he did and not give him or his father the accolades he thought they would. Igor reassures him he won’t tell anyone and will protect their secret (totally leaving the butler out of the circle of trust). I 100% think he has killed or will kill the butler benson.

Frankenstein wants to examine and test the monster, but Igor won’t let him touch the creature and the creature only listens to Igor. I wonder why he listens to Igor. In the other films the creature wouldn’t even listen to Frankenstein, why does he trust Igor?

Igor controls the monster and use him to continue killing off the men who had sentenced him to death. I knew it, I knew he was behind the murders!

That night Frankenstein is surprised by the inspector who comes for dinner. Strangely the butler is missing (I told you! Igor probably killed him to!). Frankenstein tries to hide this from the inspector and says he sent him to the lab, but why is he acting so suspicious? Does he suspect the monster?

Frankenstein questions Igor about Benson and doesn’t get any answers. That evening Elsa questions Frankenstein and again Frankenstein is SUPER suspicious, Benson is totally dead. They have a heart to heart and Elsa admits that she hates living here and is terrified all the time.

So it appears that Igor is controlling the creature with music, his playing gets Frankenstein’s monster to do his bidding .

Meanwhile another man is murdered and the villager start storming the castle as they blame the family and want to destroy the Frankensteins. The inspector forces them to say inside the castle for their “own safety”.

Grab your torches and sharpen your pitchforks!

Frankenstein makes it back to the lab and sees Frankenstein sleeping. He knows what the creature has done and tries to kill him, but is stopped by Igor who admits what I knew, Igor was using the creature to get revenge. The two yell at each other and wake up the creature who threatens Frankenstein.

Frankenstein fires Igor and goes home where he is questioned by the inspector. Frankenstein is really is cracking under the pressure and this scene is done very well as t looks insane, especially when he laughs. Just like dead old dad.

You’re crazy! Crazy, am I? We’ll see whether I’m crazy or not. From Frankenstein (1931)

The inspector arrests Frankenstein for the murder of Benson, there is noting to really hold him on as their is no proof but they think by arresting him they can appease the crowd. Dr Frankenstein tells them that Igor is the murderer, and the inspector informs him they suspect Igor but cannot arrest him as there is no proof.

There is no proof Frankenstein did anything and you are arresting him!

Frankenstein is let go and heads back to the lab where he finds Igor, fights him, and shoots him in self defense.

Meanwhile the inspector has been searching the house without permission and discovers a secret passage with Benson’s body in it.

Frankenstein comes home and runs into the inspector. The inspector tells him about Benson and Frankenstein reveals he killed Igor. The inspector believes that Frankenstein brought the monster back and demands he admit it and show him the monster, or else he will give him over to the villagers who will hang him and his family. Seriously, that seems like a gross miscarriage of justice. At least let him have a trial first.

Back in the lab the creature has discovered Igor’s dead body and is furious. He destroys the lab and I have to say, that while this film is alright it would have been much better if we had less Igor and more of the creature.

To get revenge, the creature decides to kidnap and kill Frankenstein’s child. He runs to the house through the secret passage and kills the nanny, kidnaps Frankenstein Jr. Frankenstein and the Inspector discover Frankenstein Jr. missing and take off after him. They save him just in time, knocking the creature deep into the sulfur pits. Once again the creature is dead…at least until the next film.

Frankenstein and family decide to leave, returning to England; giving the home, lab, and property to the community.

Like I said this film was okay, I mean Basil Rathbone was incredible in his role. However I feel it was lacking to the other films, as we hardly had any creature in it and that’s what I’m here for. As much as I love Bela Lugosi, I would much rather have more Creature/Boris Karloff.

For more Frankenstein, go to Did You Ever Consider the Consequences of Your Actions? You Made Me, and You Left Me to Die. Who Am I?: Frankenstein (1994)

For more Bela Lugosi, go to Time for You to Awaken, Master. Time for You to Go Out: The Return of the Vampire (1943)

For more Boris Karloff, go to Eternal Punishment for Anyone Who Opens This Casket: The Mummy (1932)

For more Universal Film, go to The Book of the Dead? Are You Sure You Want to Be Playing Around With This Thing? It’s Just a Book. No Harm Ever Came From… Reading a Book.: The Mummy (1999)

Holy Smokes! Your Mom’s a Werewolf!: My Mom’s a Werewolf (1989)

Holy smokes! Your mom’s a werewolf.

Really?

This was the weirdest movie I have ever seen.

It looked like a fun ’80s horror film, but it was not.

So Leslie Shaber is your average housewife-who is extremely bored. Her daughter, Jennifer, is a mean sarcastic teenager who doesn’t want to spend any time with her, her husband works late and then is glued to the TV, the only excitement she gets is making up new and strange (gross looking) dishes that she eats alone.

Her daughter takes off to go to some Horror convention with her best friend Stacey who loves it-and is totally me and my love of classic horror. It also makes me think of someone else…

While Stacey is off on a booth, Jennifer goes to the gypsy and gets a prophecy from the gypsy fortune teller. She tells Jennifer that she has the mark of the pentagram, and will be attacked by a werewolf.

From The Wolf Man (1941)

There have been strange attacks going on with a man hunting people.

Hmm…I feel like this information will come in handy later. From Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Meanwhile, Leslie has become angry and her husband and kids and decides to go off to shop away her bad feelings. She stops at the pt store and meets a strange red-eyed man Harry Thropen. Oh no, this dude is trouble. Stay away from him.

From The Twilight Zone

Leslie leaves and a thief tries to steal her bag, but Thropen comes to rescue and saves her belongings. He invites her to come to lunch, brainwashing her with his powers to come with him.

That’s not good.

They go out to lunch, where Jennifer comes upon them as she had a change of heart and wants to fix things between her mom and dad. She planned on bringing her flowers to try and pretend it is from her dad, but when she spots her mom eating with another man-she’s drops them and follows her.

Thropen convinces Leslie to go off with him, again using his powers, and they start getting down, showing way more than I would have expected with a PG rating. He is kissing her legs, when he bites her toe. That makes Leslie mad as it hurts and she snaps out of it and heads home,  Jennifer having witnessed the whole thing.

Leslie goes home and daughter is extra angsty and angry. Leslie is upset about her cheating and makes her husband the perfect meal and later-because if you haven’t guessed yet, she was bitten by werewolf-and is beginning to transform-is in the mood to be with her husband- her and her husband being extremely loud that night with their daughter in the house.

After that Thropen wants her and Leslie starts turning into the werewolf. First her teeth start growing fanglike and she goes to see a dentist who gets his jollies filing her teeth down. He’s like the freak dentist in Little Shop of Horrors

Now this is where the movie gets weirder. Leslie looks like this:

But  Jennifer is the only one who sees her and finds it weird. Like Leslie goes to the beauty shop like that and no one freaks out about how she looks.

That night Jennifer is holding a Halloween party and Leslie spends forever in Jennifer’s bathroom trying to get rid of her werewolf hair and such. I don’t know she doesn’t use her own (as it is off-limits to the party guests) It makes a huge line as all the guests wait outside to use the bathroom. It doesn’t do much as she can’t stop the hair from growing.

I’m a mess

So this film is really boring. I checked out of it. She keeps turning, she fights with the family, and she has a huge fight with Thorpen. Do be honest I didn’t care about the characters they all are rude, angry, don’t listen to each other, etc.

Ugh…

And a news crew shows up and films them, everyone knows at the end that werewolves are real?

In the end Jennifer transforms into a werewolf because she slayed the werewolf? What lore is that?

For more ’80s films, go to They Choose the Wrong Person to Be a Hero: Dark Crystal (1982)

For more on werewolves, go to Women are Like Werewolves

For more gypsies, go to Gypsy Justice: Thinner (1996)

Oh No, It Wasn’t the Airplanes. It Was Beauty Killed the Beast.: King Kong (1933)

Police Lieutenant: Well, Denham, the airplanes got him.

Carl Denham: Oh no, it wasn’t the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast.

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVEEE King Kong!!!

I grew up watching this film and owned a VHS that had a King Kong on it that growled when you pushed on it.

The film all started with Merian C. Cooper’s idea of a giant ape on top of the world’s tallest building, fighting airplanes. He worked backward from there, to develop the rest of the story.

The name comes from producer, David O. Selznick, who decided King Kong was better than just Kong.

I know a lot of people hate the effects and such-but I don’t care. It was amazing in 1933 and it is amazing now!!

So without further ado-here we go!

So we open our film on 1930s New York City. There is a ship heading out to go on location to film, Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) is in charge of it. Everyone is talking about it as the ship has three times the crew needed to sail.

Denham has explosives and gas bombs-he doesn’t care about legal issues, morality-he cares about money and his film. Its in his blood.

He needs an actress and no agent will help him hire one-as Denham has a reputation for being recklessness and he’s so private about where they are going. Everyone is afraid of what might happen. Go who knows where, to do who knows what, and stuck on a boat full of men. Yeah, I’d pass too.

I wouldn’t!!

The first mate is John “Jack” Driscoll (Bruce Cabot) and he doesn’t think they should bring a woman on board. They are bad luck. I think Mrs. Croft would not agree.

They can’t see why Denham needs a girl, as none of his other pictures has them. He says that he’s tired of people going on that if it had a love interest it would make twice as much money-so he is giving them what they want. But he need  girl to do it!

“Skipper: What are you doing?

Carl Denham: I’m gonna go out and find a girl for my picture – even if I hafta’ marry one.”

He heads to a woman’s shelter as he needs someone young, hungry, and desperate. But none look right.

He heads to a fruit stand and spies a woman, Ann Darrow (Fay Wray), looking at the fruit, she gets caught by the fruit stand owner for stealing, but Mr. Denham comes to her aid. He takes her to a nearby diner to eat. There Mr. Denham questions her-no job, no family, used to act, etc. He tells her he has a job, but Ann is no fool. She needs more info. She’s not walking into a sex slavery or whatever.

Denham slows down and introduces himself and tells her about his new picture and how he needs an actress ASAP. She agrees as she has heard of him, so knows he’s legit, needs a job-and this provides food, clothes, money, etc!

On the ship Ann and Jack meet. Jack is gruff and his interactions with Ann have always made me laugh. I think it is because he’s trying to be so macho and tough, but just becomes a big teddy bear around Ann.

Ann loves being on the ship and befriends everybody. The one she gets closest to is Jack who’s compliments just sound like facts. He cracks me up. He is trying to be romantic and failing.

Jack says she is trouble, just being around. He’s trying not to like her and keep her away, bit he does. He’s just a marshmallow.

This guy.

Jack doesn’t really like Denham, and hates that he hasn’t told him where they are going. It wouldn’t bother him so much, but he’s worried about Ann. Denham points it out that he likes her, but Jack deies it. Sure…

Carl Denham: [warning Jack about women] Some big, hardboiled egg gets a look at a pretty face and bang, he cracks up and goes sappy!

Which if you are paying close attention-that basically reveals the rest of the film.

So Denham finally reveals to Jack and Captain where he wants to go next. They are confused as there is nothing known out in that direction but ocean-but Denham has a secret island, that he got from a skipper who’s boat was destroyed. The place is called Skull Island. There is a giant wall that was built centuries ago, and no one knows what is on the other side but they police it and make sure it stays strong. That sounds kind of familiar…

Did you ever hear of white walkers Kong? Denham asks. He wants to go and create a picture with this Kong, whatever it is. He doesn’t care about anything or ayone other than money and this picture.

Denham does some screen tests with Ann, with all the sailors watching. Ann practices with the famous scream scene.

Sidenote her dress kinda looks like the one in White Zombie.

She is like a zombie.

Anyways, back to the film-this screaming pierces Jack as he loves Ann, but it also makes him wonder-what is Denham planning on them seeing?

They come into a fog and look for the island, but can hardly see anything…As they get closer they hear drums, but the fog burns off and they see the island.

Carl Denham: [seeing the island for the first time] Well, Skipper, there she is… Skull Mountain, the wall… everything just like on my funny little map.

Denham and the group plan to go ashore. The skipper comes as he knows languages, they have a guy who does the gas bombs (just in case), etc. Jack wants Ann to stay behind until they have assessed the situation, but Denham won’t listen. He wants his camera and cast by his side so that at any moment a picture can be filmed.

They look at the Wall and Denham goes ape over it, wanting to film it immediately. As they go Ann holds Jack’s hand, she’s excited and slightly fearful. But Jack is very afraid, he thinks having Ann come along was an awful idea.

The group stumble on a ceremony. The people are dressed up in ape skins, beating drums, and preparing a girl for something-some special ceremony is going on. The poor girl, she looks so sad and upset, but doing her duty.

Denham films them, and Ann peaks out trying to see what is going on. But they are spotted by the native’s leader. He walks over to them and the Skipper speaks to him in the hopes of keeping any fighting from happening.

The leader asks them to leave and says that the girl is the bride of Kong. One guy is upset-he says the ceremony has been ruined as it was viewed by outsiders. The chieftain asks to purchase Ann because of her yellow hair, and they think she would make a better gift for Kong. He wants to buy her, six of women for her.

They leave as the situation is hot, and say they will be back tomorrow to make friendship.

Anyone!

This want of her blonde hair as they had ever seen one before reminds me of my friend Margery. Margery had beautiful red hair and traveled all over, and people in other countries where red hair was scare were always in awe of it and wanting to touch her curls.

Jack and Ann talk, and he admits that he cares for her. He scared for her and a little of her.

Jack Driscoll: [to Ann] Hey… I guess I love you.

I guess I love you?

He makes me laugh. Jack has zero clues on how to be romantic.

Ann likes him too and they kiss. Jack gets called away by the Skipper, while Ann waits for him. But little does she know the people are intent on gettig her. They want her for their god and sneak aboard the boat and snatch her.

Denham notices torches going throughout the village, and Jack finished his duties and searches for Ann. But Ann is gone.

He goes to her room-no Ann, no one has seen her. But Charlie finds a native bracelet and calls all hands on deck as he has a bad feeling about it.

So the ceremony has begin, but unlike the previous girl-Ann doesn’t want to do the duty so they have to hold her.

They pull the bar from the door back and open to reveal…..a stage, they drag her through the giant walls, looking like little dolls next to them and pull her up the steps, chaining her t it. And seal her on it.

I remember the first time I saw this and I was just on the edge of my seat, what will it be? What is it going to look like??!!!

And then you hear the noises

And then he crashes through and we see his giant scary face!!!!!!!!! Those teeth!!!!! I LOVE it! They did such a great job, and I think it still looks 100% aMAZING!

Kong is just like what is this and grabs her carrying her off.

Meanwhile, Jack leads the band to save her. The crew goes storming in, all willing to save her as all loved her. A chunk stay behind to guard the gate and make sure that it stays open for their return.

The chieftain sees them storm in and sends his own men after. You guys never should have taken their women, it ruined your whole way of life.

As they march Denham still is thinking about the picture-money, filming.

They spot a stegosaurs, but they knock him out, temporarily and shoot him.

It’s funny but like all the creatures are giant on this island, bit the humans are still human-sized. I wonder why?

They make a raft and drift dow the river, I would be very, very, very afraid to be on that river safer seeing a stegosaurus. Who knows what else is in the water.

As they drift along we see some loch ness monster type thing

I still think it looks cool. It looked cool as a kid and still does. And I don’t care about what anyone else says.

NOOOOOO it eats some of the crew!!!

Things just get worse as they are followed by a Brontosaurs. This would be the worst island of all time to be stuck on. Basically everything is giant and trying to kill you!

Everything is trying to kill me!

Meanwhile Kong has Anne and Jack and the rest are not too far behind. The chase is on!

They are crossing a tree branch above a ravine, except Jack who gets on a vine nearby, but Kong picks it up and shakes them off-some falling to their death only two managing to hold on, opps..make that one. Kong then throws the branch and they all are dead.

All but Jack.

Wow!

Kong spots him and tries to grab him from his hiding spot, but Jack stabs his hand. But Jack has more serious problems when a snake like creature also goes to attack him.

Meanwhile, Ann is waiting in the tree that Kong placed her in for safekeeping, when a T-Rex comes out and tries to get her. We then have the epic Kong and T-Rex fight, YEAH!

I like T-Rexs, but..oh no, they bumped into Ann’s branch and it fell. She is almost crushed and finds herself trapped under the log.

Poor Anne, I bet she’s thinking I should have never agreed to this job. I should have just walked away from Denham and never looked back.

Oooh King Kong rips the T-Rex’s jaw apart and then plays with it not going back together. His creepy ape face with all the teeth!

Kong picks her up and caries her away screaming. Jack comes up and sends Denham (they guy has nine lives, I swear) off to get some more smoke bombs to knock Kong out.

Jack is prepared to go alone and fight the giant ape monster.

Carl Denham: [talking to Jack across the ravine] Why, you wouldn’t follow that beast alone?

Jack Driscoll: Someone’s got to stay on his trail while it’s hot!

Ladies, find yourself a Jack. Like this is the kind of bravery and love you want in a person. Can you imagine this-a giant freaking ape that could squash you like a bug-anyone could have been out but he decides to face it on his own because he loves Ann. How sweet.

So cute!!

Denham heads back to shore tells them the story, and Skipper is sure all they are all dead men. Everyone else is after all. Denham plans to leave at dawn with the bombs and go after them.

Meanwhile, Kong goes to his lair where he sets Ann down for a minute and another creature comes after her out o the water.

Man today is not anybody’s day!

We get another fight scene!! Yeah!! Of course after winning Kong must do a victory roar.

So now it is Ann and the monster alone she faints. And Kong picks her up looking and her. He rips her clothes off trying to figure out what they are-the other girl was in a skirt and flowers, the one that was supposed to be the bride.

This scene was one that was removed as it was too “graphic” and then added back in later.

Hmmm?

Jack tries to sneak up on them, but knocks a boulder over.  Real smooth.

Kong looks for him, and as he does Ann inches away and is attacked by a pterodactyl. Geez-it has really not been her day.

While Kong fights it, Jack sneaks in and leads her away on a vine. Kong eats the pterodactyl and Ann is grateful to be away.

See this is what bugged me in the remake, how they tried to make Ann and Kong friends. She doesn’t want to leave the giant ape monster which makes no sense to me. Like I LOVE cats, but being stranded on a desert island with a ginormous one that has bee known to devour the previous women-I don’t think that I would ever want to do that.

And let’s be serious-if I want a giant friendly ape-I’m watching Mighty Joe Young-If I want a killer monster ape, I’m watching King Kong. I don’t watch King Kong to have a girl beast love affair and ice-skating and Jack jealous of a gorilla and all that dumb stuff.

For the thousandth time

Speaking of giant cats, did anybody ever read the picture book Kat Kong as a kid? I used to check that out over and over again.

They all want to leave but Denham of course is all about the money. He wants to take Kong with them.

Carl Denham: Wait a minute, what about Kong?

Jack Driscoll: Well, what about him?

Carl Denham: We can here to get a moving picture, and we’ve found something worth more than all the movies in the world!

Captain Englehorn: [incredulous] What?

Carl Denham: We’ve got those gas bombs. If we can capture him alive…

Jack Driscoll: Why, you’re crazy. Besides that, he’s on a cliff where a whole army couldn’t get at him.

Carl Denham: Yeah, if he stays there…[looks at Ann] but we’ve got something he wants.

Jack Driscoll: [holds Ann] Yeah. Something he won’t get again.

Jack is not interested and wants to get gone. They all hurry when they hear Kong is coming. Seal the doors, run for the ship, the natives try to keep him out too-all joining together but, Kong comes and boy is he mad.

He breaks the doors down (FYI whoever built that wall you din’t build it strong enough). Everyone flees in terror! If I was the chieftain I would fire whoever come up with the idea to get the blonde woman.

RUN, the men try to protect their people and women but Kong is too strong!!!! He eats them and kills them.

Kong eventually makes it to the beaches and they throw the bombs at him trying to knock him out and accomplishing it.

Denham makes a big speech and they take him to New York.

[Kong has been knocked out by gas bombs]

Carl Denham: Why, the whole world will pay to see this.

Captain Englehorn: No chains will ever hold that.

Carl Denham: We’ll give him more than chains. He’s always been king of his world, but we’ll teach him fear. We’re millionaires, boys. I’ll share it with all of you. Why, in a few months, it’ll be up in lights on Broadway: Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World.

One thing that has always bothered me-and they never explain in the new one either-how did they get that giant creature from the island to New York? Like he is ginormous! He’s bigger than the boat. How did they feed him?

Anyways, I don’t know how, but they do it and bring Kong to New York City.

They all come to the opening night and Ann is excited and Jack is not happy. He doesn’t care for being there and hates the suit. Jack is very humble when Denham tries to paint him as the hero and Ann the star!

The house is packed out and all are eager to see Kong. Denham gives a great speech, but like Ian Malcolm says-chaos you cant control everything. He reveals Kong-now chained to a platform-oohh the irony. Ann and Jack are engaged! Aw! Denham has the press come foward and they take pictures. Bad idea!

All the light bothers Kong  and then Jack holding Ann-it gets to be to much and Kong breaks free.

Everyone goes screaming and running as Kong chases after them, Grabbing people, throwing them while searching for his girl.

Even as a kid I was always conscious of money and always wondered who’s going to pay for all the damage? Denham? Does he get arrested for the carnage and wreckage? Can you imagine if this was made today? Lawsuit after lawsuit would come running in.

Ann is upset and discussing her PTSD over the event, while Jack tries to console her-but too late. Kong has found them. Jack gets knocked unconscious and Kong takes Ann.

Jack wake up and runs off to rescue her again.

Meanwhile the police and fire department gets called in. Can you imagine the luck of being one of the people who pulled that shift this night. Getting a calls about giant apes!

Kong causes destruction and mayhem and gets caught in a train, breaking it and you just gotta love it. He’s destroying everything!

So the story says Merian C. Cooper didn’t like that the film was at thirteen reels, too unlucky! He insisted they add another shot, one he’s been wanting all along that was the train scene.

He heads for the tallest building in the world (at least in 1933) to the Empire State Building.

They don’t know what to do or how to stop him, but Jack comes up with the idea of airplanes, so the military is called in. While everyone is watching the planes. Jack sneaks into the elevator and heads to the roof.

We see Kong at the top with the planes. I LOVE this scene.

The planes shoot him and he falls, down down to his death! Jack makes it to the top and he and Ann are reunited!

Down below Denham makes it to the ape and says the famous line.

Police Lieutenant: Well, Denham, the airplanes got him.

Carl Denham: Oh no, it wasn’t the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast.

I LOOOOOOOOVVVVEEEEEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

You know this film made $90,000 its opening weekend, the biggest opening ever at the time. When the film opened in London, 12,000 people had to be turned away.

You know its funny, I planed to review this movie way back when I first started Horrorfest, but I just ran out of days. I had always planed on reviewing it, but never imagined it would take seven ears Oh well!

Oh, well.

To start Horrorfest VIII from the beginning go to, Count Dracula the Propagator of This Unspeakable Evil Has Disappeared. He Must Be Found and Destroyed!: Horror of Dracula (1958)

For more monster movies, go to Once, There Was Even a Man Who Had Scissors for Hands: Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Horrorfest VIII: Strange Tales of Terror

It’s that time of the year again!

It is time for Horrorfest VIII!

HORRORFEST!!!!!!

31 Days of horror, suspense, mystery, gothic tales, Alfred Hitchcock, psycho killers, ghosts, murder, dystopian futures, monsters, and more!

I love film and here’s my chance to share it with you all.

A couple years ago I put Jane Austen in a costume and added it to my Horrorfest traditions. This year I choose to dress her up in a skull mask for Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos. As you know I’m Latino and that is a part of the way people celebrate those who have passed on. This year both my grandmother died in the beginning of the year, while one of my best friends died last month. While I can’t paint my face, my skin allergies, I can honor them in this way. Along with Jane!

Well, I hope you enjoy this year’s picks!

To start Horrorfest from the beginning, go to I Don’t Belong in the World: Carnival of Souls (1962)

To start Horrorfest II from the beginning, go to There Are Many Strange Legends in the Amazon: The Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954)

To start Horrorfest III from the beginning, go to Even a Man Pure of Heart: The Wolf Man (1941)

To start Horrorfest IV from the beginning, go to You Cannot Conquer It. It has Conquered You!: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

To start Horrorfest V from the beginning, go to Who You Gonna Call?: Ghostbusters (1984)

To start Horrorfest VI from the beginning, go to One of Our Guests is a Werewolf, I Know It.: The Beast Must Die (1974)

To start Horrorfest VII from the beginning, go to It’s the End of the World: The Birds (1963)

An Invisible Man Can Rule the World. Nobody Will See Him Come, Nobody Will See Him Go…He Can Rob, and Wreck, and Kill!: The Invisible Man (1933)

 

An invisible man can rule the world. Nobody will see him come, nobody will see him go. He can hear every secret. He can rob, and wreck, and kill!

Choosing a movie to open and close is hard-very, very hard. My drama teacher always told us the opening, before intermission, after intermission, and the closing are the most important-basically the opening and closing are what people remember. If you goof, make a mistake, or something doesn’t quite go right-they will forgive. As long as the begining is good and the end is powerful. That’s a lot of pressure.

Hmmm…

I was very unsure what to do-

Hmmm….

But then I had an idea. I read the book The Invisible Man and did not like it. I had never seen the film-in fact it is the only classic Universal Film I have yet to review.

Idea!

That being the case, it is the perfect one to end on. Will it be as good as the other classic films? Will it be better than the book? Will it be worse? Hmmm…?

On with the review!

When screenwriter R.C. Sherriff came to Hollywood to write this film, he asked the staff at Universal for a copy of the H.G. Wells novel he was supposed to be adapting. They didn’t have one; all they had were 14 “treatments” done by previous writers on the project, including one set in Czarist Russia and another set on Mars. Sherriff eventually found a copy of the novel in a secondhand bookstore, read it, thought it would make an excellent picture as it stood, and wrote a script that was a closer adaptation of the book.

What?

But there is one thing they did to help-they gave him a girlfriend. Having a girlfriend is very important to this character who otherwise is crazy, cruel, maniacal, evil, etc. The girlfriend humanizes him-when they are together we see there is more to him-another softer side, he isn’t just a monster.

So everyone wanted Boris Karloff to play the lead-but he turned it down as the character isn’t really on screen. The director overheard Claude Rains auditioning for another part and thought he was perfect. Rains had never been in a film before this, only stage acting, and did it perfectly as his voice was clear-even in all the costuming.

So let’s do the review:

A stranger arrives in the snow to the small village of Iping. All stop when they see how strange he looks-dressed in much heavier clothing than one would even in the cold. He wants a room.

They are more of a summer place, but agree to give him a room to sleep and an extra room-for his experiments.

The townspeople are wary of him-after all what innocent person covers themselves and tries to obscure thier identity. When the owner’s wife brings Griffin his dinner she sees that half of Griffin’s face is GONE!!

They didn’t have the technology we have today, so in order to make Rains invisible they dressed him in a full black bodysuit and placed him in front of a black screen.

Elsewhere, Dr. Cranley (Henry Travers) is woking in his laboratory. Dr. Cranely is Griffin’s mentor and his daughter Flora (Gloria Stuart) was engaged to him. Both are puzzled by his disappearance, and Flora is extremely worried about him, as she hasn’t heard from him in over a month. Dr. Arthur Kemp-Griffin’s friend and the other worker in Dr. Cranely’s lab, has also had zero word. And because Griffin was always working in secret, none know even what he was doing, so no clues where to find him.

A week later, Griffin is still at the inn working trying to find his way “back”. The only one who goes into the rooms is Jenny, the innkeeper’s wife. She doesn’t want Grifffin here-she wants him gone as his rooms are a mess, he is incredibly mean, and just creepy.

When they try to get him out, Griffin refuses and tosses the innkeeper down the stairs. They call the police. Constable Jaffers (E.E. Clive) comes to arrest him, but then Griffin does what no one expected.

Griffin attacks the men guarding the door and then takes off.

So this where I have a problem in the book. All the other classic monsters had something that made you feel for them. The Phantom? Thrown out because disfigured, abused, mistreated, used, and people have tried to kill him because he is ugly. Finds a girl who he thinks loves him but doesn’t care a fig about him-you understand why he goes all crazy. Dr. Frankenstein wants to help humanity, believes he knows better than God, but learns his harsh lesson. His monster is just trying t make it but people are afraid and trying to kill him. In Bride of Frankenstein? Frankenstein wants to live his life but blackmailed into creating another monster. Frankenstein’s monster just wants love. The Mummy is crazy and bad, but his main goal is to bring his love back to life. Dracula is an evil monster, but very charming. The Wolf man, poor guy just trying to reconnect with his dad, grieve his brother, and take over family business-wrong place wrong time. The Creature from the Black Lagoon? Just wants love.

Griffin is not charming, he’s not trying to help people, he’s not looking for love. He’s a wackadoo murderer-evil, insane, cold, etc.

Dr. Cranely and Kemp go through Griffin’s stuff to try and find clues to where he is. They do find a list of drugs, one being monocaine, which destroys everything and turns whatever creature that gets into it-insane.

You’re crazy!
Crazy, am I? We’ll see whether I’m crazy or not.

Griffin goes to Kemp as he needs help. He threatens him and blackmails him into being his errand boy. Griffin and Kemp discuss what happened and Griffin tells him he started working his experiments five years ago. He threatens Kemp to get his notes for him so that he can create the antidote.

The Chief Detective starts investigating and questioning people. Meanwhile, Kemp and Griffin head to the inn to get the notes. Griffin gets his stuff and attacks the Detective, killing him. This causes more panic and hysteria.

The police murder has lit a fire under them and they begin searching for Griffin. They start looking 20 miles in all directions and more and more volunteers join in. At 10:30pm  radio broadcast goes out and warns everyone that it isn’t a hoax. A reward for £1000.00 is offered.

Dr. Kemp is worried and calls Dr. Cranely to tell him about Griffin and warns him that Griffin has gone crazy. Dr. Cranely tells Kemp to take care to keep him there and that he will be there the next day. Kemp calls the police to tell them Griffin is in his house. Griffin becomes enraged at him for telling in him.

Flora goes to see Griffin and here we have a shred of humanity as he softens toward her and we see a sliver of the man he was-the one Flora fell in love with. But then he is gone and only the crazed killer remains.

One who has created this invisibility and wants to auction it off to the highest bidder.

While they are talking the police arrive. Griffin escapes and flees, but not before he tells Kemp he will murder him at 10:00 pm. The police come up with a plan as to how they will catch him. They will use Kemp as bait, but Kemp doesn’t like that idea. He takes off in his car but Griffin is already waiting there. He ties him up and pushes Kemp and the car off the cliff.

Griffin stays in a barn that night and a farmer spots the hay moving and calls the police. They decide to burn down the barn and follow the Invisible Man’s footprints on the snow to take aim. He’s hit and as he does his body is revealed slowly.

I thought it was pretty good, but let’s be honest it wouldn’t be nearly as good if it wasn’t for Claude Rains.

The thing that is mindblowing is the special effects. Really good for 1933. So there we go I have reviewed all of the Universal Classic Monster Films!

There we go. All 31 posts finished! Yay!

I hope you all have a fantastic and safe Halloween!

To start Horrorfest VII from the beginning, go to It’s the End of the World: The Birds (1963)

For the previous post, go to Mr. Hyde Versus the Werewolf: Dr. Jekyll Versus the Werewolf (1972)

For more Claude Rains, go to Even a Man Pure of Heart: The Wolf Man (1941)

For more mad scientists, go to Nowhere to Hyde: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? (1970)