Sometimes, we need to take a break from the more recent horror movies of our time. If you're a real fan of the genre, check out this piece on some of the greatest black and white horror films of all time.
1) Carnival of Souls (1962)- Herk Harvey directed this tale of a woman named Mary Henry, who gets into a car accident with her friends after a failed drag race. She survives the accident, and doesn't remember anything. A while after the accident occurred, Mary leaves her town and heads over to an area where she will take the job of a church organist. Soon, she begins to experience hallucinations and see ghostly apparitions that constantly haunt her. "Carnival of Souls" is certainly a B-movie. The acting is just so bad it's good. However, as B-grade as it is, there is just something about it. The atmosphere is tremendous and inescapable, and there are moments of undeniable creepiness, especially when we see that creepy man with the wide eyes that is haunting Mary Henry. The acting isn't all that, but if you're looking for something that is ambiguous and strange, you've found it here.
2) The Phantom of the Opera (1925)- Lon Chaney shines in this silent film adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel about a deformed figure that demands love from the opera singer that he is obsessed with. Chaney doesn't need to speak for this movie. It's all about his body language and facial expressions. He can project any emotion instantly, making him a genious performer. And the face revelation scene is still one of the most haunting and shocking moments in horror cinema. It's a classic tale and an equally classic movie.
3) Nosferatu (1922)- Before the suave and lovesick Dracula, there was this movie. Directed by F.W. Murnau, "Nosferatu" is basically "Dracula" under a different name(Murnau was almost sued for not getting the film rights for Stoker's novel from his widowed wife), but through the power of suggestion and atmosphere, it is a triumphant horror film. Realtor Knock hires his best man Hutter to travel to Transylvania to sell a house to the mysterious Count Orlok. Leaving his wife, Ellen, behind, Hutter takes the trip and finds himself caught up in a horrific and vampiric nightmare. Easily one of the ugliest and creepiest vampires on film, Max Schreck's Orlok is a performance that will creep you out even after the film is finished. You don't want this guy knocking on your door.
4) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919)- Another German expressionist horror film that has to be seen to be believed.
5) The House on Haunted Hill (1959)- Aided by the performance of Vincent Price and the showmanship of horror master William Castle, "The House on Haunted Hill" is classic B-movie fun about a millionaire who chooses a couple of people to spend the night in a supposedly haunted mansion. Whoever survives gets 100, 000 smackers. It's one of Price's best performances and the movie oozes with love for the genre.
6) Dracula (1931)- Don't need to say much about this Universal must, only that it's the movie that made Bela Lugosi a hit in the horror genre.
7) Frankenstein (1931)- Mary Shelley's novel about the creation of monsters is turned into one of the most iconic horror films ever made, thanks to the casting of Boris Karloff as the monster. "IT'S ALIVE!!!"
8) Cat People (1942)- A black and white horror film that, if you pay close attention, is all about sexual repression. Bosnia native Irena falls in love with everyman Oliver Reed in New York. The bad news is that if she becomes sexually excited, the creature inside of her will take over and attack! The Val Lewton productions were all about suggestion. There are no transformation scenes, but plenty of terror!
9) Night of the Living Dead (1968)- People locked in farmhouse. Hungry, flesh-eating ghouls attack. George Romero's film is simple, but the jaded aficionado will find it most effective due to the controversial social commentary littered throughout the movie.
10) Repulsion (1965)- "Black Swan" is obviously inspired by this Roman Polanski-directed psychological chiller about a sexually repressed woman that stays alone in her apartment for days, and slowly goes over the edge of sanity. It's weird, bizarre, frightening, and definitely one of the biggest "WTF?" films of the 60's.
No comments:
Post a Comment