Forgive me if I don't have anything particularly insightful to add in the following post...It's a few days before Christmas and I'm already bloated from overindulgence. But what's Christmas without a few horror films?
The Return Of Dracula (1958 - Paul Landres) - If the whole film doesn't quite live up to its opening image...
...that's quite all right because it's still a good deal of fun. Due in part to Francis Lederer...
...and this guy...
...and some nicely composed shots...
...and a confused young woman...
...and vampires NOT being in the mirror...
...and a single splash of colour.
The Vampire (1957 - Paul Landres) - This earlier Landres effort is not a great film by any stretch, nor is it overly scary or even suspenseful. But it was still entertaining and has one of the great metamorphosis scenes I've seen in awhile:
That second screencap is a dead ringer for how I look the next morning after a bender.
The Devil Rides Out (1968 - Terence Fisher) - I expected a bit more from this tale of devil worshipers trying to rope in two new members since I had heard it was one of Hammer Studios' best works. It looked great (so does everything I've seen by Terence Fisher and Freddie Francis so far), but it didn't generate enough creepy scenes or an intriguing enough plot to really hold my attention. Still, there were several moments and some fun scenes:
How great is Charles Gray's stare in this film? That's a rhetorical question - it's great and you can't deny it. Known more for being Blofeld or The Criminologist in Rocky Horror, I think he's the best thing about this film.
So what went wrong? Even Christopher Lee doesn't know...
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