NOSFERATU & THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

 

 

 

I’ve never been a big fan of Dracula movies. I enjoy them like the next guy but to a certain limit. That is until NOSFERATU (1921) came my way. Indeed, this German horror film made me re-think of the whole vampire sub-genre. Finally it isn’t always about sexy bloodsuckers. Sometimes it’s just about ugly creatures with fangs who can turn a whole town upside down just by their sheer presence. Yes, this NOSFERATU film has one scary dude to its advantage, but the flick is so much more than that. It’s also about gloomy atmosphere, it’s about impressive camera shots, lyrical pacing, solid story telling (even if it’s a stolen piece from the Bram Stoker classic, mind you), and no dialogue, because to those unaware of the fact (and there are some, trust me), the film is silent; and in black and white. But these last two details shouldn’t keep you away from seeing NOSFERATU, for it is certainly an experience in itself. One that even I, an expert in horror—or so they say—had carelessly overlooked for so many years. So indulge ASAP. You won’t regret it.

 

 

 

 

The second feature, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is another one I had the chance to discover. Like many of you, I already had heard of the musical based on the movie but I had never been tempted to see it—until now, that is. After watching this 1925 silent film I’m very curious to see what Broadway has done to it, especially of the big chandelier dropping scene which I imagine is part of the show. Anyway, to get back to the film, everything in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is grand, from the melodramatic on-screen performances to the panoramic handling by both director(s) and cinematographer. Very pleasing to the eye, I must admit. The only downside is that the investment isn’t as rewarding as the opposite film NOSFERATU. Oh, you do get caught up into this story of lost romance and revenge but the film feels more like a love story than anything else. As much fun as it is watching the Phantom losing it, nothing compares to the wrongdoings of the night creature in NOSFERATU. That’s the main reason why I don’t think I’ll be revisiting THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA anytime soon. But if you have yet to catch it, please do, if only for the visual gratification.

　




Until next post—Martin

"THE DEVIL BAT": A BATTY FLICK

 

 

The fictitious village of Heathville (Deathville/Heathville, get it?) in the 1940 THE DEVIL BAT from Alpha Video may be in turmoil over killer bats but has nothing to worry about visually: the film will always be considered grade-Z-looking no matter who gets bitten, and that’s a good thing. Well, it is if you dig this sort of trash cinema, and trust me, if you do, this one’s up your alley.

Bela Lugosi plays this evil doctor/scientist who, with the help of his breeding bats and a potion that passes for after-shave lotion (don’t ask), succeeds in getting rid of some of his enemies. Two reporters (one of which is Dave O’Brien, the guy who co-stars in the cult classic REEFER MADNESS portraying the piano and weed enthusiast. "Faster! Faster!" Remember?) are on his case. It doesn’t take Einstein to figure out that they’ll eventually come out on top but not before enduring the wrath of Le Lugosi and his winged minions.

 

 

 

Except for Lugosi and perhaps O’Brien who did continue to prosper in TV mostly, the rest of the cast are what you call unknowns. Not only are they weak in their respective roles but they’re also laughable in most of their scenes. Take the two aforementioned reporters; unless the director wanted a poor man Abbott and Costello type of budding, nothing in their performances is worth writing home about. Fun in a bad way comes to mind immediately, sort of like the film as a whole. However, some scenes involving the flying bat do end up being effective in a papier-mâché way—all mixed with close-ups of a real life bat; or should we say a close-up, since it seems to always be the same shot.

 
THE DEVIL BAT is definitely no lost cause once you get past the silly plot and FX. Oh it’s far from being the best awful flick out there (that would be TROLL 2, or better yet: THE LONELY LADY, reminisced on my other blog), but it’s clumsy enough to have a go at it either with a warp sense of humor or with a completely baked mind.

 

　
Until next post—Martin