Stealers Wheel

After three ultra successful films, the Frankenstein franchise was met with the task of replacing its key piece in Boris Karloff... who had a scheduling conflict and chose Arsenic and Old Lace (the play that would turn into the iconic movie just two years later) over another sequel – of which he was tiring of doing. Deciding upon another one of their monster masters as a replacement, Lon Chaney Jr. took up the mantle and became the Monster in The Ghost of Frankenstein (celebrating its 80th anniversary this 2022). Though this is where a dip in creativity, nuance, and horror is noticed, it doesn’t mean that this isn’t a lot of fun. Taking place almost immediately after 1939's Son of Frankenstein, director Erle C. Kenton reintroduces us to poor Ygor (Bela Lugosi), who was riddled with bullets and suffered a broken neck... but he simply won’t die. Now, he just sits patiently by the sulfur pits that have swallowed up his only friend, the Frankenstein Monster (Chaney Jr.).

Sometimes, a movie title can be misleading. Imagine heading to the theatre in 1960, excited to see Terence Fisher’s Hammer horror film The Brides of Dracula, only for the opening voice-over to exclaim, just a couple of seconds in, that Dracula is dead – that might be a bit of a letdown. But don’t worry, a new vampire will rise to start his own harem. I know what you must be thinking... did he immigrate to Europe from Utah? No, he’s one of those unusual, ultra kinky Europeans, but more on that later.

2022's Barbarian, which is written and directed by Zach Cregger, is a gonzo, go for broke horror thriller that needs to be seen to believe... preferably with as little known as possible, so this will be a pared-down, to the basics, as close to spoiler free review as possible. Following a guarded gal, Tess (Georgina Campbell), she has Airbnb’d a cute place in a sketchy neighbourhood in Detroit (the city takes another movie blow after others like Don’t Breathe). Arriving late at night (not truly realizing just how ramshackle the surrounding area is), she finds the lockbox holding key empty. A perfect side note for history lovers, the address of the place is 476 Barbary St. – the year the barbarians invaded ancient Rome.

The first Missed the Bloody Cut horror selection of this 2022, here are some horror movies that did not meet my strict criteria (a rating of 7.0 or higher). . . but are still entertaining films (horror fanatics may enjoy) that do not deserve to be ignored like the drunken, scantily clad college girl wandering off into the woods after a bush party – and that they are definitely worth a watch (just maybe not several re-watches).

Though definitely not the most iconic version of Gaston Leroux’s much loved horror romance novel, 1943's Phantom of the Opera is opulence personified. Directed by Arthur Lubin (the man behind so many classic comedies with Abbott and Costello. . . though he had already proven that he could do darker work with Lugosi and Karloff in 1940's Black Friday), the movie is actually filmed on the set constructed for the legendary Lon Chaney Sr. 1925 version. . . built to be completely identical to the actual Paris Opera House (a true masterpiece of set design). This version is shot in stunning Technicolor, every single hue popping to create an eye-catching pastiche. Paired with creative cinematography that at times reaches German Expressionism like chiaroscuro lighting (especially when filming the Phantom), this really is a treat to look at. It is then all pieced together with creative crane shots, intriguing static angles and so much more, a technical masterpiece that cannot be denied.

Sometimes, a comparison just has to be made... and that is the case today with the 1977 giallo Nine Guests for a Crime, directed by Ferdinando Baldi (a film maker who was usually manning westerns or sword and sandal epics, with this being his only foray into the genre). It is also worth noting here that the movie has also been called Death Comes From the Past (in Spain), as well as having the alternate Italian title A Scream in the Night. So, their ship disappeared off the shores of this uncharted desert isle, with Greta (Rita Silva), the Skipper too (he dies too soon), the Millionaire Patriarch (Arthur Kennedy) and his much younger wife (Caroline Lawrence), the Soothsayer (Sofia Dionisio), the Professor of Truths (Dana Ghia), and Michele too (Massimo Foschi), here on Giallo’s Isle.