Hello again my faithful readers! This past Saturday I attended the San Francisco Silent Film Festival's Silent Winter Event at the historic Castro Theatre! This one-day event was once again attended by silent film fans from all over the world! Upon arriving at the theatre I saw several of my fellow film bloggers. First person I saw was the lovely Ms. Marya E. Gates from Cinema Fanatic. Then I saw Lara Gabrielle, who's amazing film bog Backlots is one of my favorite blogs to read and follow. And finally I ran into my partner-in-crime Jason Wiener, the mastermind behind the film blog Jason Watches Movies. After saying hello to some of my other friends, I made my way to the front of the theatre to take in a day's worth of silent movie magic.
Marguerite Clark as the beautiful SNOW WHITE (1916)
The first film screened was SNOW WHITE (1916). Starring Marguerite Clark as Snow White, the film is based more on the stage production rather than the Grimm Brothers story. In fact, Clack starred as Snow White on the theater stage. It is well known that a 15-year-old Walt Disney was inspired by this silent film and is in many ways similar to the classic 1937 Disney version than one might think. Walt re-used several of the film's scenes for his film, such as Snow White looking through the window of the dwarf's home and seeing Grumpy being washed in a barrel. While the names of the dwarfs are different and the queen and the witch are two different characters, the film on the whole was fun and entertaining to watch. The film was produced by the
Famous Players Film Company and distributed by Paramount Pictures on December 25, 1916. The musical accompaniment was provided by Donald Sosin on the grand piano.
Buster Keaton & Sybil Seely in ONE WEEK (1920)
The second program of the day was THINK SLOW, ACT FAST: BUSTER KEATON SHORTS. Keaton was on of the "Big Three" comics of the silent film era (the other two were Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd) and these three shorts demonstrate his comedic genius perfectly. The first short screened was ONE WEEK (1920): Buster and Sybil Seely play newlyweds that attempts to build a do-it-yourself house kit. However her jealous ex sabotages the kit's component numbering, thus the house is less than perfect when completed! THE SCARECROW (1920) pits Keaton and his roommate Joe Roberts against one another for the heart of the farmer's daughter (Sybil Seely once again). The opening gags of Keaton and Roberts in their one room cottage is hilarious! THE PLAYHOUSE (1921) has one of the most amazing opening sequences in silent film history! Keaton plays everyone in a theatre simultaneously (through multiple
exposures). He's the band leader, all its members, the dancers on the
stage and everyone in the audience! Keaton achieved this trick solely in the camera, long before there was CGI or the use of green screen! It truly is a sight to behold! On the grand piano for these program was once again Donald Sosin.
Douglas Fairbanks in THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1924)
The third film screened was the astounding THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1924) starring the great Douglas Fairbanks. The isn't anything I can say about the film that hasn't already been said since its release. Boasting large, extravagant sets over six acres of land and a cast of thousands, this is one of the greatest and finest silent films ever made. Fairbanks literally leaps of the screen! Hard to believe that the man was 40 years old when he made the film! Also making an appearance in the film is Anna May Wong. Fairbanks produced the film himself and was released by United Artists (which he formed along with Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and D.W. Griffith) on March 23, 1924. The musical accompaniment was provided by the great Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.
Mary Pickford in MY BEST GIRL (1927)
Film number four for the day was MY BEST GIRL (1927) starring America's Sweetheart Mary Pickford in her last silent film ever! In the film Mary portrays stockroom girl Maggie Johnson, who falls in love with fellow employee Joe Grant (Charles 'Buddy' Rogers). However Joe is actually Joe Merrill, son of the millionaire owner of a chain of 5 and 10 cent stores. It was during the making of the film that both Mary and Buddy fell in love and you can see it on the screen. A charming, sweet, and funny romantic comedy, the film was produced by Pickford herself and distributed by United Artists on October 31, 1927. Musical accompaniment was provided by Donald Sosin on the grand piano.
Emil Jannings as Mephisto in FAUST (1926)
The fifth and final film of the day was the German Expressionistic film FAUST (1926). The film follows a German alchemist by the name of Faust. As God and
Satan war over Earth, the Devil preaches that he will be able to tempt
Faust into darkness and so has a wager with God to settle things. Satan
sends Mephisto
to Earth to offer Faust an end to the plague that is
making it's way through the local population, and eternal youth, in
return for Faust's soul. From the same director who made such legendary and acclaimed films NOSFERATU, THE PHANTOM, and THE LAST LAUGH,
the film was Murnau's last film he made in Germany before fleeing to
the United States. Here we see the ultimate battle between good and
evil, and containing some of the most amazing visuals and art direction
to appear in a silent film, Murnau raised the bar very high for other
films to follow. The film was released by Universum Film AG (better known simply as UFA) in Germany on September 14, 1926. It was released here in America on December 6, 1927. Providing the musical score was Christian Elliot on the Mighty Wurlitzer.
And folks there you have it! What a fun-filled day of silent movie watching! Now if missed out this event, pay close attention. During the event, the SF Silent Film Festival announced that they will be having a special presentation called THE HITCHCOCK 9, featuring all nine silent films that the Master of Suspence Alfred Hitchcock's made! This special event will take place at the Castro Theatre on June 14th-16th! Tickets for this event is on sale now so buy them before it sells out! To purchase tickets, and to learn more about the SF Silent Film Festival,
and how to become a member, visit their website at http://silentfilm.org.
Recently I was asked my a friend of mine that, besides horror and exploitation films, what are some of my other favorite film genres. I quickly responded without hesitation documentaries. These films must deal with the truth and can have the power to change things; open the eyes to those who may not know what is happening in the world around them. They teach us the past, what's happening in the present, and how we can reshape our future. They also shed light on the hypocrisy of the world and the injustice that still to this day plague our society. Case in point, the new documentary film WEST OF MEMPHIS shows us how a horrible crime lead to the incarciration three innocent young men.
In 1993, the bodies of Christopher Byers, Steven Branch, and Michael Moore were found viciously beaten and murdered in
the small town of West Memphis, Arkansas. Less than a year later, Damien
Echols, Jessie Misskelley, Jr. and Jason Baldwin were convicted of the
crime, even though the prosecution's evidence was feeble and
speculative at best. Almost 18 years later, the three wrongfully convicted men
still claim their innocence and fight to overturn the injustices that
have destroyed the larger part of their lives.
In 1993, while attending college, I had heard of the murders and the subsequent witch hunt and trial. For the past almost two decades, the West Memphis Three has been a part of my life as well as with most people in my generation. A lot of people who didn't know what had happened soon learned about them courtesy of filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. In 1996, their documentary PARADISE LOST: THE CHILD MURDERS AT ROBIN HOOD HILLS made the public aware of the West Memphis 3 and brought media attention to them, shedding light on the injustice that was handed down. Two more documentaries followed: PARADISE LOST 2: REVELATIONS and PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY. Soon artists and filmmakers were lending support for their freedom.
WEST OF MEMPHIS was directed by Amy J. Berg, known best for her Academy Award-nominated documentary 2006 film DELIVER US FROM EVIL about the sex abuse cases in Roman Catholic Church and an abusive native Irish priest Oliver O'Grady. It was produced by Damien Echols (one of the West Memphis Three) and filmmaker Peter Jackson (LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY, THE HOBBIT) Amy acknowledges the PARADISE LOST films almost immediately and mentions them throughout the film, but most of the film is her own voice: allowing the film to show the investigation, research and appeals process
in a way that has never been seen before; revealing shocking and
disturbing new information about a case that still haunts the American
South.
Those who were part of the trial were interviewed as well as celebrities such as Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam, Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks, and Peter Jackson himself. But an interesting individual to watch for in the film is Terry Hobbs, stepfather of Steve Branch. I don't want to include any spoilers in this review, but after viewing the film, one has to wonder....
Overall WEST OF MEMPHIS is a powerful, riveting, and unflinching examination of our justice system. It brings to light the travesty that transpired 18 years ago when three innocent teenagers were found guilty of a crime they didn't commit. This is why I love watching documentaries and this is one that you all need to see! 5 out of 5 stars! Highly recommended!!
WEST OF MEMPHIS is currently playing in select theaters nationwide, including at the Camera 3 here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.
Hello again everybody and welcome to the 2013 season of the Cult Movie series at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! Now for those of you who are late to the game, let me explain this cool series. In 2011 the Camera Cinemas started up
the Cult Movie series (which for years had been called the Midnight Movie series). They would show one cult film twice a month
(Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February
through November. Tonight was the new season of the series and we screened the 1994 cult film THE CROW, starring the late Brandon Lee, the son of Martial Arts legend Bruce Lee. Once again yours truly was back as the host for tonight's screening. Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.
Theatrical Movie Poster (1994)
Based on the comic book series by James O'Bar, the film is about a young rock musician named Eric Draven (Lee), who along with his
fiancée Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas) are murdered by a vicious gang consisting of knife thrower Tin-tin (Laurence Mason), drugetic
Funboy (Michael Massee), car buff T-Bird (David Patrick Kelly), and the unsophisticated Skank (Angel David). One year, Eric is resurrected and with the help of a crow, he extracts revenge that caused the death of him and Shelly. However when crime lord Top Dollar (Michael Wincott) learns about Eric, he along with his sister Myca (Bai Ling) and his right-hand man Grange (Tony Todd) learn the legend of the crow and the secret to the vigilante's invincibility. Aiding Eric are his friends, 13 year-old Sarah (Rochelle Davis) and Sergeant Albrecht (Ernie Hudson).
The film was directed by Alex Proyas (DARK CITY, GARAGE DAYS, and I, ROBOT) written by David J. Schow and John Shirley. Right from the start of production, a series of horroble events took place. During the first day of shooting in Wilmington, North Carolina, a
carpenter suffered severe burns after his crane hit live power lines. On
subsequent days, a grip truck caught fire, a disgruntled sculptor
crashed his car through the studio's plaster shop, and a crew member
accidentally drove a screwdriver through his hand. The media dubbed it, "The Curse of the Crow." However, no one could have predicted of what came next.
On March 31, 1993, at EUE Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina,
Brandon Lee suffered an accidental gunshot wound on the set of the
film. He was taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, where he died about 12 hours later, at 1:04 p.m. There were only
eight days left of shooting to be completed. Sofia Shinas, who had witnessed the accident, did not want to continue and went home to Los Angeles. The rest of the cast stayed to finish the film. Michael Massee was so upset over his involvement in the death of Lee that he stopped acting for an entire year. He has never seen the film to this day.
Linda Lee Cadwell, the widow of Bruce Lee and mother of Brandon Lee, filed a negligence case against producer Edward R. Pressman, actor Michael Massee and 12 other defendants over the death of her son on-set. She settled out of court to the tune of $3 million. The footage of his death was subsequently developed and used as evidence
in the investigation into his death. As part of the lawsuit settlement,
the footage was later destroyed.
The film was released by Mirmax Films on May 11, 1994. it
opened at #1 with $11,774,332 in its opening weekend. The film went on to gross $50,693,129 in the states and then $94,000,000 worldwide. THE CROW would be remembered as Brandon Lee's greatest role as well as his last performance.
This was a fun night and a great intro to the new season of the Cult
Movie Series. Now like I said, the Camera 3 will be showing one cult
classic film every month from now till November. Next month we'll be screening the children's adventure classic THE GOONIES so make plans to attend that screening! To view their upcoming
schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.
Greetings and salutations from San Francisco! This past Friday night I had the honor to cover the first Peaches Christ show of 2013! Taking place during the SF SketchFest, the film for the evening was director Todd Solondz's 1995 indie cult hit WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE. Making this event even more special, Peaches had actress Heather Matarazzo in the house! Another factor that made this show even more special was that my very good friend/make-up artist extraordinaire Michelle Snyder joined me for the screening! Not only this was her first Peaches Christ show, but her visit to the Castro Theatre! After having dinner at my favorite spot Orphan Andy's, we made our way inside to take in the show!
Finding seats in the middle of the second row, Michelle and I were treated to a spectacular opening show! The house rock band Zbörnak performed for the audience while Peaches herself stuck a pose on stage, imitating Heather's pose on the poster. Soon she was swaying back and forth to the music, and then her cast came out to perform scenes from the film. Once again it was fantastic, filled with rambunctious humor and good fun! After the performance, Peaches welcomed the sold out crowd and then brought up Heather Matarazzo! The audience went absolutely crazy! They were standing on their feet, cheering and screaming at the top of their lungs! Heather and Peaches cozied up on stage and had a great interview. Heather recalled what was it like working with Todd Solondz, the film's impact on her life and career, her coming out, plus her future projects she's currently working on! After the interview it was time for the big costume contest! Peaches appointed Heather as the judge for the contest and this was no easy tack by any means. There were some great costumes, but the lucky winner was couple Amie and Aaron, who dressed up as Dawn Wiener and Brandon McCarthy respectively. After that, it was time for the movie!
Original Theatrical Poster (1995)
In the film Heather portrays Dawn, a painfully awkward 13 year old girl who not only has to contend with
being ostracized and friendless at school (they taunt her and call her names like ;Dog-Face' or 'Wiener-Dog' or 'Lesbo'), but is essentially ignored
and treated with disdain at home as well. Being the middle child is
obviously not the easiest thing to deal with within the family dynamic,
but when your older brother (Matthew Faber) is the "King of the Nerds" and your little
sister (Daria Kalinina) is a gorgeous ballet-dancing cherub who commands total devotion
from her mother, life is generally difficult for Dawn. And that's just the beginning--her life seems to be falling apart when
she faces rejection from the older guy in her brother's band that she
has a crush on, her parents want to tear down her 'Special People's
Club' clubhouse, her sister is abducted, and the school's resident troublemaker wants to rape her! Yup, poor 'ol Dawn has it rough!
Todd Solondz crafted an anti-coming of age story. Where as Hollywood has its own version of this classic tale, Solondz's take on it is more realistic: from the bullying to the middle child syndrome, the neglectful parents and the isolatation are just some of the issues that he has placed in Dawn's life. Believe it or not, this was Heather's first movie role ever! Not only that, she never had any acting lessons and was only 13 years old when she made the film! Her performance in the film is just staggering! You cannot take your eyes off her, therefore we are forced to journey along with her Dawn as she attempts to survive junior high! The film was distributed by Sony Pictures Classics and released to theaters on May 24, 1996.
Both Michelle and I had a blast at the show! Once again Peaches outdid herself with this event! And there's plenty
more fun ahead! Peaches will be back at the Castro Theatre on March 9th at 8pm for the screening of the documentary PARIS IS BURNING! The film is one of the greatest documentaries in queer cinema history! This is one show that you do not want to miss! Also if you are interested in becoming a fan of Peaches
Christ, or want to purchase ticket for her next show, visit her website at www.peacheschrist.com. And don't forget to follow her on Facebook and Twitter! And for all you Heather Matarazzo fans out there, don't forget to follower her on Facebook and Twitter as well!
To view the Castro Theater's film schedule, visit their website at www.castrotheatre.com
This past Saturday night my good friend Leslie and I did the Time Warp again over at the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! The film was presented by the Camera Cinemas, the Barley Legal
production crew, and Psycho Donuts, home of the maniacal named snacks! Now what made this screening even more exciting was that this was Lingerie Night because of Valentine's Day being this month! Yup, 'twas going to be a very fun night!
The Camera 3's lobby was packed full of people, mostly young teenagers
and college students, and some of them have never been to a midnight
ROCKY screening before! Mmmmm.......I smell virgins! My only real complaint was that their wasn't enough ladies in lingerie! Well, besides the cast and Leslie! Tee-hee!!
After the theater was filled, the show began! As always, our host Nate
McHavoc was our emcee (and Riff Raff) for this special Lingerie Night show.
He had all the virgins come up and do the butt dance (there were A LOT
of virgins), and then sent everyone under 18 years old back to their
seats. After picking out six victims....uh.....virgins....Nate subjected them
to his embarrassing games and we all had a big laugh at their expense!
It was awesome!
Theatrical Movie Poster (1975)
There isn't anything that I can say that hasn't already been said. The
film is talked about in books and periodicals, referenced in movies and
TV shows, and I dare you to find anyone who doesn't know how to do the
Time Warp dance. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE has become part of the
American Lexicon of cult films, a film that to this day, is the longest
running theatrical released film in Hollywood history. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW is the alpha and omega of midnight movie; a
cult classic that has no real equal. The film is in a class all by
itself, far ahead of its time. The film was a bomb when it was first
released. Now, it is part of the Library of Congress' National Film
Registry. The film's message of "Don't dream it. Be it." has had a
major influence on those who are different, the outcasts if you will. It
resonates and has inspired many who felt that they didn't belong.
Artists, punks, gays, lesbians, movie maniacs, college students, and
everyone in between. It speaks to us all
to not give up on hope and to not give up on ourselves and to keep
following our passions in life! Also the film is just one of the best
films ever made! After 36 years,
the film continues to play in theaters, and it is playing every month at
the Camera 3!
So another great midnight screening has come and gone. But don't fret,
the Barely Legal crew will be back in San Jose next month. They put on
shows all over Northern California, so no matter where you live, there
will be a show near you. So what are you waiting for? Come out next Saturday and join in on all this ROCKY HORROR fun! You'll be glad you did! To learn more about future shows, and how you
can become a cast member, visit their website at barelylegal.rhps.org.
It's been far to long since I've visited my friends over at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. located in the quaint Niles District in Fremont. However, Saturday's screening was a very special one. The museum was having a MARY PICKFORD SHORT FILM PROGRAM, and all the shorts were 35mm prints from the Library of Congress. Another cool bonus was that Christel Schmidt was on hand to talk about the short films and to autograph her new book Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies.After having dinner at my favorite Niles eatery Broncho Billy Pizza Palace, I made my way over to the museum to spend the night with America's Sweetheart.
After saying hi to all my friends at the museum, the night began with Christel welcoming the sold out crowd to the show! She informed the audience that they would be seeing a total of seven shorts with her talking about the films as well as about Mary Pickford's career.
SWEET AND TWENTY (1909): Mary stars as Alice, who jumps to the wrong conclusion when she sees her boyfriend Frank (Billy Quirk) kissing her sister (Florence Lawrence). Upset about losing Alice, he tells her he's going to drown himself, but Alice runs off and stops him and they kiss and make up. It's a cute little film, with Mary showing signs of greatness. The film was directed buy the legendary D.W. Griffith for the Biograph Company and released on July 22, 1909.
THEY WOULD ELOPE (1909): Another D.W. Griffith short film, Mary stars as Bessie. She and her boyfriend Harry (Billy Quirk once again) elope without the consent of her father (James Kirkwood). However, her
father tricked them into running off, and after a series of hilarious missteps, the "happy couple" return home to have the father celebrating their marriage. Also making a cameo in the film is none other than Mack Sennett, the future Keystone Films ringmaster. Mary started off making a series of romantic comedies before becoming a dramatic actress. The Biograph Company released the film to theaters on August 9, 1909.
TRICK THAT FAILED (1909): Mary is Nellie Burt, a struggling artist whose paintings nobody wants to purchase. She tells her boyfriend Billy Hart (Arthur V. Johnson) that she can't marry
until she sells her paintings. Seizing a brilliant idea, Billy asks his friend Hans Kessler (Anthony O'Sullivan) to buy them. However she soon
learns the truth, and then accepts the proposal of
a rival painter.Another great comedic performance by Pickford! Directed by D.W. Griffith, Biograph released the film on November 29, 1909.
After a brief intermission, the show continued with:
Cover of Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies
THE SIMPLE CHARITY (1910):Starring Mary Pickford, W. Chrystie Miller, Kate Bruce, Edwin August, the film was directed by D.W. Griffith for the Biograph Company and released on November 10, 1910.
THE DREAM (1911): A drunken lush husband enjoys a night out on
the town and neglects his loving wife at home. When he finally comes home after an all-nighter, he mistreats her and totally disregards her love and affection. When
he falls asleep, he dreams that his wife is the scandalous one and he's waiting for her at home. When he wakes up, he's a new man and loves his wife again. This was one of the first films that Mary starred in for her new employer Independent Moving Pictures (or IMP for short) and was directed by Thomas H. Ince. The film was released on January 23, 1911.
SWEET MEMORIES (1911): Polly Biblett (Pickford) is an elderly woman who looks back on her life; all the special events that happened to her as well as her dead husband. She shares these fond memories with her children and grandchildren. A sweet, touching short tha features the Pickford clan: mother Charlotte Smith Pickford, daughter Mary Pickford, daughter
Lottie Pickford, son Jack Pickford, and son-in-law Owen Moore. The film was directed by Thomas H. Ince (in 1915 he joined D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett to form the Triangle Motion Picture Company) and was released to theaters on March 27, 1911.
THE INFORMER (1912): The year 1912 marked her return to Biograph and once again making movies with D.W. Griffith. In this film Mary portrays the sweetheart of a Confederate Captain (Walter Miller), who after she's been informed that he was killed, is alive and being hunted by those damn Yankees. Soon she and her slaves are shooting at the Yankees while help is on the way. Fun fact: the child actor in the black face paint is Mary's younger brother Jack Pickford. This was a precursor to Griffith's 1915 film epic THE BIRTH OF A NATION. The film was released on November 12, 1912.
THE NEW YORK HAT (1912): Preacher Bolton (Lionel Barrymore) receives a letter from the deceased Mrs. Harding, who requests him to administer a small trust for her
lovely daughter (Pickford) so she can enjoy some of the finer things in life that her father (Charles Hill Mailes) has
always denied her. The pastor uses some of the trust to buy Mary a brand new hat (a New York hat) that she saw the other day. However, a group of gossip girls (not like the young girls on that TV show. These are old and prudish!) starts up the gossiping which puts Mary and the pastor at risk. This was Mary's last film for Biograph. The film was released to theaters on December 5, 1912.
And there you have it folks! An amazing night with Mary Pickford!! I got to see some really rare films, saw all my friends again, and had Christel Schmidt sign my copy of her book!! Remember the museum
is open for tours every weekend from 12pm-4pm and every Saturday night
there's a silent film show starting at 7:30 (doors open at 7pm). So if
you would like to learn more about the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum,
becoming a member, and to view their film schedule, visit their
website at www.nilesfilmmuseum.org.
WHITE ZOMBIE
Starring Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn, Robert Frazer, John Harron
Written by John Harron
Cinematography by Arthur Martinelli
Produced by Edward Halperin & Phil Goldstone
Directed by Victor Halperin
Originally released by Untied Artists
Distributed by Kino Lorber
Hello my faithful readers and welcome to Phil's Horror Watch! The purpose of this brand new series is to show all of you horror fans out there that you don't need to wait for October to watch horror movies. With the recent wave of classic and forgotten titles being released at a rapid pace, horror fans around the world can celebrate Halloween ever day! Today I will review the horror classic WHITE ZOMBIE, starring the great Bela Lugosi, which was just released by Kino Lorber as part of the "Kino Classics" label.
The film's synopsis: Young couple Madeleine (Bellamy) and Neil (Harron) are coaxed by acquaintance Monsieur
Beaumont (Frazer) to get married on his Haitian plantation. Beaumont's motives
are purely selfish as he makes every attempt to convince the beautiful
young girl to run away with him. For help Beaumont turns to the devious 'Murder'
Legendre (Lugosi), a man who runs his mill by mind controlling people he has
turned into zombies. After Beaumont uses Legendre's zombie potion on
Madeleine, he is dissatisfied with her emotionless being and wants her
to be changed back. Legendre has no intention of doing this and he drugs
Beaumont as well to add to his zombie collection. Meanwhile, grieving
'widower' Neil is convinced by a local priestthat Madeleine may still
be alive and he seeks her out.
The film was shot in eleven days on the Universal Studios lot as well as
and Bronson Canyon, which is located in Griffith Park (which I've been to) in Los Angeles.
The sets for the film came from other Universal films, such as the
pillars and a hanging balcony from1923's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, chairs from1927's THE CAT AND THE CANARY, the great halls from 1931's DRACULA, and the dark corridors from 1931's FRANKENSTEIN.
And if that wasn't enough, the make-up artist for Lugosi was none other
than Jack Pierce, the man responsible for creating the make-up for
several other famous Universal horror films like FRANKENSTEIN, THE MUMMY, and THE WOLF MAN.
Lugosi gives another hair raising performance in the film. Much like his
other famous character Dracula,
Legendre's suave demeanor hides his true side; that as an evil voodoo
master. With his piercing, hypnotic eyes, his double jointed hands, and
his thick Hungarian accent, Lugosi embodies the look and sound of the
bogeyman; an evil that will terrify people for generations to come.
Original Movie Poster (1932)
When the film was released in 1932, it was met with negative reviews. Many press articles and reviews stated that it featured poor acting, no scares or thrills, and its over-the-top storyline. There was some positive reviews for the film, but those were few and far between. At the time of its release, Universal's FRANKENSTEIN was garnering all the acclaim, as well as all the boxoffice receipts. Over the years the film fell into the public domain and soon there were several video companies selling poorly transferred versions of the film.
The Kino Classics Blu-Ray (and DVD) boats a Hi-Def transfer from a 35mm grain master of the film (there were some missing scenes from the film that were filled using a 16mm source. Those scenes are easy to spot since they were in really poor shape and were cleaned as best they could.), a raw, unenhanced version of the film complete with all the wears and tears, audio commentary by film historian Frank Thompson, stills gallery, the 1951 theatrical re-release trailer, and an "Intimate Interviews" short from 1932 that features a 6 minute interview with Bela Lugosi himself! This is a very rare interview and is a real treat to Lugosi fans as well as horror fans!
WHITE ZOMBIE has been given the prestige of being considered the
first feature length zombie film and has been described as the archetype
and model of all zombie movies. It also helped spread the folklore of
Haiti's black magic and voodoo practices. In the years that followed,
numerous horror films have borrowed themes fromthe film, such as
people returning from the dead and other elements of zombie mythology.
The film has been referenced in other Hollywood films and was even the
name of the popular 1990's heavy metal group White Zombie, featuring
future horror movie director Rob Zombie, who has publicly stated his
affection for the film.The Kino Classics is by far THE best version of the film to ever be released since its premiere back in 1932! If you're a horror fan, you need this movie!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!
WHITE ZOMBIE is avalable on both Blu-Ray and DVD and can be purchased at your local retailer as well as the Kino Lorber website. To purchase a copy, please visit www.kinolorber.com.
