Tag Archives: vampire

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Comedy and horror can be tricky. Comedy has to hit you as a surprise. Horror is often the result of surprise. Typically comedies and horror films have difficulty “holding up” over the years. Taste in comedy and horror is typically a contemporary affair and adapts to the times that surround it.

So how, oh, how has Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein held up after all these years?

The real Monster Squad assembles!

Was it the cast? This is one of the few appearances of Bela Lugosi as Dracula for Universal (he was often passed over for various reasons) despite being the iconic figure for the character. The incredible Lon Chaney Jr. is here as the classic Larry Talbot Wolf Man. Even Glenn Strange does an admirable job in the boots that Boris Karloff first made famous as Frankenstein.

Yes, Bela really is holding his cape up like that. And here you thought that was just a trope.

It is the comedy? Bud Abbott and Lou Costello typically recreated old vaudeville routines on the screen, but this movie is lighter than air. No set routines, but plenty of the wheezy fear takes of Costello shouting for “Chick!” to point at something that inevitably went away by the time Abbott returns.

Lon Chaney juggles his roles as Talbot and the Wolf Man with his usual expertise.

Is it the horror elements? I remember as a child being mesmerized by the classic transformation of the Wolf Man with Jack Pierce’s iconic makeup design. I was also impressed with the transformation of Dracula into a bat animated by Woody Woodpecker creator Walter Lantz. The hypnotic scenes of Dracula with his victims are chilling and the destructive feats of strength by Frankenstein are thrilling.

Sleepwalking monsters are always a favorite

Is it nostalgia? Perhaps. Certainly references to the Lucky Strike ad campaign (So round. So firm. So fully packed.) are not landing as jokes in 2020 as they did in mid-century America. But there is something disarming with the mix of wordplay, slapstick bumbling and a straight on classic Universal horror film. While Abbott and Costello play for laughs, the rest of the cast were playing things absolutely straight; sometimes ignoring things no human could ever truly ignore in service of the film.

It’s just crate film!

I think this combination is what brings us one of the greatest Halloween movies of all time. It was actually banned in some territories upon original release and still could scare an uninitiated child and illicit laughs even after you’ve seen every sequence and know every line of dialogue.

Grade: A-

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Peacock’s Halloween picks are FANTASTIC!

One of the things that always attracted me to Universal is their ability to embrace “Joe Six Pack” type entertainment, particularly horror. No other major studio celebrates their relationship with horror. Even Disney has a horror movie or two in their past (though they’ve sucked. Remember “Watcher in the Woods”? Yeah, no one else does either.)

Peacock proves their relationship with horror with a great front page tab “Halloween” that opens to a splashy page with prominent films on display. In particular, they give great placement to their Alfred Hitchcock and Classic Monster work. So, what should you check out? WHERE TO START!

Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the shower.

Alfred Hitchcock is a good opening salvo. A brand new The Making of Psycho documentary is full of great information. I recently “audiobooked” (I can’t bring myself to call that “reading” yet) the original Psycho and I forgot just how wonderfully Joseph Stefano adapted Robert Bloch’s wonderful novel. Then follow that view with a re-watch of Psycho (if you haven’t seen it yet, by jiminy, watch Psycho first!), The Birds, Vertigo and Rear Window! Here’s a hot take: I actually prefer Rear Window. Take me on in the comments below.

Hail! Hail! The Gang’s All Here!

In the classic monsters, I think people forget how good some of those films are due to their “creaky” nature and not always having aged very well. I suggest the greatest horror comedy of all time, Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein. Yes, “the boys” made a few of these meet the monster films, but this one features one of only four times Bela Lugosi played Dracula on film (go ahead and check me on that) and a fantastic performance by Lon Cheney Jr. as the Wolf Man, Lyle Talbot. What makes this work is the monsters play their bits completely straight, making Lou’s over-the-top fear reactions all the more entertaining. If you haven’t watched it recently, take it in. You forgot just how good this one is!

It Follows is a solid pick of their newer fare. While I’m not willing to call it a new classic as many reviewers did when it came out, it’s a solid little suspense filled flick about an entity that infuriatingly defies simple definition. The suspense is well crafted and it certainly has earned its reputation for being creepy. Worth a look.

Hoodies are still creepy.

Let Me In is a remake of the Swedish Let the Right One In, which has a superior ending, but as for the rest of the film, I think this version is actually more fun to watch. In general, this film’s workmanship is superior to the original and the acting is far better. This is the film that made vampires scary again, and took some of that sparkle away.

This was the original class action park.

The Funhouse is an oft overlooked scary movie. Tobe Hooper of Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame made this criminally underseen carnival creepfest that features the most disturbing Frankenstein monster mask ever committed to the silver screen. I’m not sure what to call it. Is it a creature feature? A slasher? A ghost story? This flick will having you guessing and hopefully screaming.

Give these movies a look while they are up on the Peacock.

Peacock’s Halloween picks are FANTASTIC!

Brides of Dracula (1960)

Yeah. I hear ya. That’s a Hammer film. It has a gothic castle. It has really beautiful women in the lead. It has Peter Cushing for goodness’s sake! It’s a Hammer film.

True. But it is also a Universal film. That’s the logo at the top of the flick (Universal distributed many, if not all, of Hammer’s classic monster output) so I am calling it.

I watched Brides of Dracula on Svengoolie on Me-TV that was lurking on my DVR for literal years. I guess I have always been mixed on Hammer films, because they are nostalgic, but I always found the original Drac and Frankenstein much more charming. Hammer was always attempting to be “gritty” with the most gorgeous color ever committed to film. Just look at those reds pop!

This was Hammer’s second vampire movie. It was a followup to the classic “Horror of Dracula” which featured Christopher Lee as the Count. In this one, Peter Cushing reprises his role as the great vampire killer, Van Helsing.

Also returning is Terence Fisher who was responsible for many of the top Hammer horror films and gave up his career concurrently with the fall of the house of Hammer.

Freda Jackson steals most of the scenes she is in as the deranged mortal protector of our fanged friends. This is where I change gears….

Brides of Dracula (1960)
Yvonne Monlaur and David Peel give performances fit for a corpse

Yvonne Monlaur, as the our female lead, is a very beautiful woman…and not much else. If she didn’t fill out a shirt so well, I’d declare her an empty one. No fire or life is in her performance. And how can we get behind her…she causes this whole mess! After warnings from the townfolk and the mistress of the castle (who lets her stay the night for free in her magnificent home), she still stupidly releases David Peel, the vampire, Baron Meinster.

Now, the Baron is a bore. Peel appears to have mainly been a TV actor. In this flick….he’s mainly absent. Now, that’s fine since Peter Cushing is the real draw of the piece, but when your female lead (who has no sparks with Van Helsing as per usual) and your antagonist literally just lie there, that’s a problem with your film.

Brides of Dracula (1960)
Andree Melly brings the fangy fun in “Brides of Dracula” 1960

In fact, all the scares come from the fetching Andree Melly, who is beautiful…until she flashes that fangy smile. Those fangs, alone, change the entire shape of her face along with her emoting makes her from beauty to beast in the speed of a smile.

The flick features the usual uber-red gore of Hammer and an exciting final reel, but the middle act is a crashing bore. It’s here where you really miss Christopher Lee. Lee was, of course, killed off in the last Dracula film, but apparently was offered the role. Lee declined because he didn’t want to get typecast. Can you say….too late? It was even then! He returned to the role naturally and if I remember correctly played Dracula more often than any other actor.

What’s odd about this slow second act is that’s when Van Helsing/Cushing shows up. You are already a third into the movie before he shows himself. Unfortunately, as good as Cushing is, this is also the point where they decide to TELL the story instead of SHOW the story. The whole proceedings crash to a grinding halt.

Peter Cushing praying for a good review on OWC

To add to it, the worst flying bat prop you have ever seen shows up about halfway through the film. I mean, you have a better bat prop that you bought at Halloween Express for $5 last October. This is on top of the previous Hammer vampire entry scoffed vampire transformations into animals to try to give the vampire a more “realistic” feel. Well, one flappy, flappy and that was gone.

The staking scenes are top notch, as you would expect from Hammer. The showdown between the Baron and Van Helsing, which dominates much of the final reel of the film, has many great touches and worth sitting through the seven years in the wilderness you get in the middle of the flick.

This is where watching this on Svengoolie or a similar show can really help. At least you have the break in’s to wait for!

A decent, if not my favorite, vampire entry in the house of Hammer and worth a viewing the next time it comes on Me-TV or watch it on Prime today!

Grade: B

Brides of Dracula (1960)

Tim reads…How to Care for Your Monster

Originally recorded April 13, 2020

Tonight, Tim reads one of his favorite books, from when he was a little shaver. For all you kids in quarantine, here’s a book you are going to love. Sit back and enjoy Norman Bridwell‘s masterpiece, “How to Care for Your Monster.”

This book is a kid’s guide to how to capture (or purchase) a monster and care for it like any good pet. You get all the greats here. Frankenstein. Dracula. Wolf Man. Mummy. They are all here and ready to come home with you. But what about Mom and Dad? Are they ready?

You can find this book on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3bmgUm8

Tim reads…How to Care for Your Monster

Now Streaming: The Strain

During this time of social isolation, our need for entertainment has never been greater. Let’s check out some of the great television and movies available on streaming platforms.

Tonight’s Genre: Horror

The Pick: The Strain

The Strain
The Strain is a high concept thriller that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of the Center for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. As the strain spreads, Eph, his team, and an assembly of everyday New Yorkers wage war for the fate of humanity itself. Co-Creators, Executive Producers and Writers Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan co-wrote the pilot script for The Strain, which was directed by del Toro. Emmy® Award winning Writer and Producer Carlton Cuse serves as Executive Producer/Showrunner and Writer. Gary Ungar also serves as Executive Producer. An FX Networks Original Series. – Hulu synopsis

To stream this for a low rental price with AMAZON PRIME, click this link:

https://amzn.to/2UqQ2di

Or check it out on Hulu at:

https://www.hulu.com/series/the-strain-d424ff74-760e-4070-a490-73b89d180fc4

Now Streaming: The Strain