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Monday, March 18, 2024

The Black Cat (1941) – Review

The 1930s and 1940s were a Golden Age of “Old Dark House” stories with such offerings as The Cat and the Canary and Horror Island populating theatres, but when you blend that “Old Dark House” setting with one of the works by the greatest Gothic writers of all time, Edgar Allan Poe, you are pretty much guaranteed a great flick, which is what we got with Universal’s The Black Cat. Will it be a faithful adaptation of said work? Probably not, but it will most likely be very entertaining.

During the opening credits, we get a title card stating, “Suggested by the story by Edgar Allan Poe” and that should give one a clue as to just how close this will be as an adaptation of the original story. For context, Poe’s story dealt with a man and his problem with black cats, leading to him murdering his wife and walling up her body with the cat, while in this film, we have a rich old cat lady whose greedy relatives are all waiting around to inherit her money and estate, with at least one of them ready to rush things along if need be. So one can safely say that the screenwriters of this movie took a few liberties with the source material because other than an ominous black cat there is not much here to compare it to the Poe short story.

 

We do get a crematorium/mausoleum with a cool statue of a black cat.

The plot of this movie deals with all the relatives of “Cat Lady” Henrietta Winslow (Cecilia Loftus) gathering at her spooky mansion in the hope that she will kick the bucket sooner than later so that they can each get a piece of the inheritance. Director Albert S. Rogell provides us with quite the array of suspects in The Black Cat, with the most prominent being Montague Hartley (Basil Rathbone) who is married to Henrietta’s niece Myrna (Gladys Cooper) but who clearly has an eye for the much younger granddaughter Margaret Gordon (Claire Dodd) and also has some debts hanging over his head. Then there is Richard Hartley (Alan Ladd), Myrna’s son from a previous marriage, whose knowledge of chemistry makes him a suspect when an attempt to poison Henrietta fails.  And finally, there is her granddaughter Elaine Winslow (Anne Gwynne) who is to inherit the house. All of these greedy bastards would love to get their inheritance as soon as possible but when Henrietta is found dead in her crematorium – built to cremate and house the ashes of her beloved cats – they learn that the will has an addendum which states that no one gets a thing while housekeeper Abigail Doone (Gale Sondergaard) is still “alive and well” and taking care of the cats at Winslow Manor.

 

I wonder who is going to end up dead next.

To spice things up we have an old friend of the family, Hubert Smith (Broderick Crawford), arriving with the hopes of brokering a real estate deal with whichever family member lands the house, and along for the ride is his friend Mr. Penny (Hugh Hubert) a rather clumsy and larcenous antique dealer who spends the bulk of the film bumbling around and breaking things, claiming “That is how antiques are made.” It is important to note that one’s enjoyment of this film will greatly stem from how much of Hugh Hubert’s brand of comedy you can stand because even I, who has a high threshold of silly comedy, found his character to be very trying. We must now mention the final suspect in this murder mystery, who is Henrietta’s gardener Eduardo Vigos (Bela Lugosi) who is also a blatant Red Herring.

 

“Don’t mind me, lurking is just a hobby of mine.”

Stray Observations:

• Broderick Crawford comments that Montague Hartley “He thinks he’s Sherlock Holmes” which was a nice nod to the fact that Basil Rathbone had already played in two Holmes films, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
• Bela Lugosi had earlier starred in 1934’s The Black Cat, alongside Boris Karloff, which like this was an adaptation, albeit a darker and more violent adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s story than this outing.
• Universal horror fans may recognize the interiors and exteriors of the Winslow Mansion as having appeared in Night Monster, The Mummy’s Tomb, The Mummy’s Ghost, and Son of Dracula.
• The only real connection to the Edgar Allan Poe story is when a black cat is trapped inside a crematorium with the damsel in distress and its yowling alerts the hero.
• Gale Sondergaard is pretty much playing the same character from her turn in The Cat and the Canary. If you need a creepy housekeeper look no further than Mz. Sondergaard.

 

Who could ever suspect her?

One of the most striking aspects of The Black Cat is its atmospheric cinematography and set design. The film masterfully creates a sense of dread and unease, eerie compositions, and oppressive architecture to heighten the tension, which works as a nice counterpoint to the film’s somewhat comedic moments. Without a doubt, cinematographer Stanley Cortez was a master of light and shadow thus the Winslow mansion itself, with its strange and intricate design, becomes a character of its own, adding an extra layer of mystery and horror to the narrative. However, it’s important to note that the film does deviate significantly from Edgar Allan Poe’s original story, only borrowing the title and a “few” thematic elements.

 

Who will be the next victim?

As an “Old Dark House” movie The Black Cat has all the prerequisite tropes; a dark and stormy night, secret passageways, a washed-out bridge, cut phone lines and even a grasping hand from out of the shadows, sadly, it also has some very tiresome comedic schtick surrounding the bumbling and inept Mr. Penny who is far more annoying than he is funny, that said, Broderick Crawford is quite amusing as the wannabee hero and him futilely trying to solve the mystery is the glue that holds this movie together as is any time he has to face off against Basil Rathbone.

 

“I’m telling you, the game is definitely afoot.”

In conclusion, The Black Cat is a classic horror film that showcases the talents of its ensemble cast, with notable performances by Basil Rathbone, Broderick Crawford, and Gale Sondergaard. It effectively combines elements of mystery, horror, and comedy creating a chilling cinematic experience. Fans of Edgar Allan Poe’s work may not appreciate its use liberal use of the short story but those who appreciate atmospheric horror will find themselves engrossed in this captivating tale of greed and murder in an old dark house.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Man-Made Monster (1941) – Review

Directed by George Waggner and starring Lon Chaney Jr, this low-budget Universal Pictures production showcases the enduring fascination with the perils of scientific experimentation and the boundaries of human control, a film that would usher in a new wave of mad science.

The film centres around the character of Dan McCormick (Lon Chaney Jr.) a carnival performer who survives a devastating bus accident caused by an electrical storm. McCormick is taken in by Dr. John Lawrence, (Samuel S. Hinds) who wants to study him so as to find out why he has an immunity to electricity.  Which is all well and good but there is also Dr. Paul Rigas (Lionel Atwill), Lawrence’s colleague and resident mad scientist, who discovers that McCormick’s unique resistance to electricity also makes him a perfect subject for his own dangerous experiments. Rigas seeks to manipulate and control McCormick’s body utilizing high-voltage electrical currents, hoping to someday create a race of mindless slaves of great physical strength. Needless to say, things don’t go well and when Dr. Lawrence becomes an obstacle in further experiments and so Rigas orders the now mindless McCormick to kill the kindly scientist. This is a dark and horrifying tale of science being used in the worst ways imaginable.

 

Nobody here will make it to the end credits alive.

Lon Chaney Jr.’s portrayal of Dan McCormick is the standout performance in this outing, which is not surprising as Chaney was known for his skill in playing tortured characters and in this film he delivers a sympathetic and emotionally charged performance.  A man caught between his desire for survival and his fear of becoming a pawn in a dangerous game, struggling to shrug off the mental control Rigas holds over him. His physical transformation, as his body becomes increasingly affected by the experiments, is convincingly portrayed, heightening the horror elements of the story as he becomes addicted to the electrical treatment he is subjected to. This would also be Universal’s first foray out of Gothic horror and into a setting that would not only take place stateside but hinge on a tragic character becoming a monster through no fault of his own.

 

“Not only are you a killing machine, you will never need a reading light.”

Stray Observations:

• Dan McCormick is the sole survivor of a horrific transit accident, completely unaffected by the electricity that killed everyone else, which kind of gives off an M. Night Shyamalan Unbreakable vibe.
• Any self-respecting scientist with half a brain should know better than to have Lionel Atwill as a partner, it’s only ever going to end badly.
• Lionel Atwill’s Dr. Paul Rigas believes electricity can create a new form of life, clearly, he went to the school of Frankenstein to get his degree in Mad Science.
• After escaping from the electric chair, the District Attorney informs the press that experts believe that Dan will run out of power and die within a few hours. I’d like to know where he found experts on people who can draw electricity and electrocute people with a touch.
• Dan may have been turned into an almost near-mindless monster but he’s still human enough to rescue a damsel in distress.

 

Women do tend to get carried off a lot in these things.

Lionel Atwill, in the role of Dr. Paul Rigas, exudes a commanding presence and sinister charisma and it’s his character that serves as the catalyst for the events that unfold, and Atwill’s performance effectively captures the morally ambiguous nature of a scientist obsessed with pushing the boundaries of human limitations, but while Man-Made Monster successfully maintains suspense and delivers a compelling story it does suffer from some pacing issues as it really has to pack a lot of information in a movie that runs only an hour in length. The film also toss in a love story between reporter Mark Adams (Frank Albertson) and Dr. John Lawrence’s daughter June (Anne Nagel) that, at times, seems rather out of place and any time spent with them only makes us want to return to whatever Atwill and Chaney are up to.

 

“Our job is to simply be horrified.”

One of the strengths of Man-Made Monster lies in its atmospheric cinematography and eerie lighting, which contribute to the film’s overall sense of dread. The black-and-white visuals and shadowy settings effectively enhance the tension and create a foreboding atmosphere throughout the narrative. Its modest budget is cleverly masked through inventive camera work and lighting techniques and Elwood Bredell’s aforementioned cinematography is excellent. Despite its limitations in budget, Man-Made Monster remains an enjoyable classic for fans of old-school horror cinema and serves as a noteworthy precursor to later science fiction films that would explore the dangers of tampering with nature and the consequences of unchecked scientific progress. The movie’s themes and central premise remain relevant even after more than eight decades, reminding us of the ethical dilemmas that arise when scientific advancements clash with moral boundaries.

In conclusion, Man-Made Monster may have some bizarre story elements but with its atmospheric visuals, Lon Chaney Jr.’s engaging performance, and its timeless cautionary tale, you can’t knock the end result. If you have a penchant for vintage horror films or an interest in the historical development of the genre, this 1941 gem is certainly worth checking out.

Monday, March 11, 2024

The Monster and the Girl (1941) – Review

What would you do if your sister was forced into prostitution and then you were framed for murder? This question is the heart of Paramount’s The Monster and the Girl, which you have to admit is a pretty good premise, but instead of being a simple revenge flick we get a savage gorilla and a brain transplant. Who says mad science never pays off?

Directed by Stuart Heisler and written by Stuart Anthony, The Monster and the Girl follows the story of a young woman who tries to save her wrongfully convicted brother from a death sentence only for things to take a decidedly bizarre turn for the worse. The plot is fairly simple, smalltown girl Susan (Ellen Drew) is tricked into a life of prostitution and when her brother Scot Webster (Philip Terry), a nice guy and church organist tries to track down the man responsible and he is framed and convicted of murder for his troubles.  As I said, a pretty simple plot, lucky for us his quest for justice doesn’t end in the electric chair, instead, he unwittingly becomes involved with Dr. Parry (George Zucco) a scientist experimenting with the transplantation of human brains into animal bodies. Needless to say, things get even more complicated from here on out.

 

“This is the last time we get a brain off of Craigslist.”

What is unusual about The Monster and the Girl is that the villain isn’t Dr. Perry, because while George Zucco’s Dr. Pary fits the “mad scientist” template he is a rather benevolent character and more misguided than he is mad, instead, the primary villain of this film is Big City gangster W. S. Bruhl (Paul Lukas) who is running some kind of white slavery ring. Susan is seduced by Larry Reed (Robert Paige), who is one of Bruhl’s flunkies, and after a quick courtship they are married. Unfortunately for Susan, the marriage is a sham and the priest was also one of Bruhl’s gang and she is then forced into prostitution with the rather odious threat – “Either you come up with the $95 in hotel fees or go to jail, or you could simply work for us” – and if this criminal scheme seems overly complicated then you’ve hit on one of the film’s charms.  It’s not just the idea of a man’s brain in the body of an ape we have to swallow but the most convoluted white slavery ring in history as well.  That all our villains meet their fate at the hands of a vengeful killer ape is almost poetic and makes this a great flick.

 

“It’s hard out here for a pimp.”

Stray Observations:

  • In the 1936 film The Walking Dead, a wrongfully convicted man is executed and his body is given over for scientific experiments but the body is revived and the man seeks out the men who sent him to the chair. Maybe prisons should just stop handing bodies over to mad scientists, just a thought.
  • People should really stop picking up murder weapons when they find a dead body as it results in no end of trouble for their lawyers.
  • With this film we get your standard small-town girl wanting to escape and experience big-city life, which rarely ends well in these stories but even rarer when it to involves a gorilla.
  • I’m no doctor but just how viable would a brain be after 2000 and 2,500 volts from an electric chair have passed through it? Not to mention Scot’s brain not having oxygen between the electric chair and the brain transplant.
  • That the dog recognizes his old master even when in its inhabiting the body of a gorilla is a surprisingly sweet and touching aspect that one doesn’t expect to see in this genre.
  • The first victim of the gorilla is the District Attorney, who is the one who prosecuted Scot, but other than a suspicious glance between him and Bruhl during the trial we get no evidence that he’s corrupt and worthy of a vengeful death.
  • When it comes to mad science I’d be hard-pressed to find better examples than that of George Zucco and Lionel Atwill who both exemplify the genre in many wonderful performances.

 

“I’m sure that brain was here a moment ago.”

The Monster and the Girl is a classic horror film that wonderfully combined elements of science fiction, crime, and tragedy to tell a bizarre but fun tale. The pacing of the film is also well-maintained, ensuring that the audience remains invested in the characters’ fates, and if this little horror gem has any faults is that at a swift 65-minute running time we don’t get to the gorilla running lose and knocking off members of Bruh’s gang until the well past the halfway mark.  While The Monster and the Girl may not be as well-known as other films of the era, it deserves recognition for its ambition and its successful blending of multiple genres as it delves into themes of justice, revenge, and the consequences of tampering with nature, adding depth to the story and elevating it beyond a typical horror film. The black-and-white cinematography adds to the film’s eerie ambience, transporting us to a world of shadows and uncertainty, it cleverly uses lighting and shadow play to enhance the tension and suspense, particularly in the scenes involving the monster.

 

“I just returned from having some fun over at the Rue Morgue.”

The performances in The Monster and the Girl are solid, with Ellen Drew delivering a compelling portrayal of a determined and courageous woman and truly terrible circumstances and she brings a sense of vulnerability to her character, making her journey all the more poignant.  But my favourite performance in this film comes from that of ape-suit actor Charles Gemora who manages to convey a remarkable amount of pathos within his short amount of screen-time and the few moments between him and Skipper the Dog are heartbreakingly sad. Not to mention the fun stuff of him somehow navigating the big city to pull off multiple revenge murders with no one spotting a big-ass gorilla lumbering around.  Basically, this is a fun film that succeeds in delivering a surprisingly thought-provoking story that goes beyond the typical monster movie tropes of the time. It explores themes of empathy, redemption and the power of compassion. Although it may not have achieved the same level of recognition as some of its contemporaries, it remains an intriguing and memorable entry in the classic horror genre.

 

We need more crime thrillers involving killer gorillas.

In conclusion, The Monster and the Girl is a fascinating and atmospheric film that blends horror, science fiction, and crime elements. With its strong performances, striking visuals, and thought-provoking themes, it offers a unique perspective on the monster movie genre. While it may have its pacing issues, the emotional depth and compelling story make it a worthwhile watch for fans of classic cinema and horror enthusiasts alike.

Thursday, March 7, 2024

King of the Zombies (1941) – Review

It’s hard to believe that at one time the zombie genre didn’t exist and that the “zombie” was just one of the lesser-utilized monsters populating the horror genre. Universal’s White Zombie with Bela Lugosi was one of the rare movies that took the subject matter somewhat seriously, which was definitely not the case with King of the Zombies, a film that played the zombies for laughs long before Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg took to the scene.

The plot of King of the Zombies follows a group of characters who are stranded after their plane crashes on a remote Caribbean Island, this consists of Intelligence Agent Bill Summers (John Archer), pilot James “Mac” McCarthy (Dick Purcell) and Bill’s servant Jefferson Jackson (Manton Moreland) who find themselves lost in bad weather while flying over the West Indies. When they intercept a radio signal from an island below them they decide to make an emergency/crash landing and after miraculously surviving a rather violent landing they seek refuge in a mansion inhabited by Dr. Miklos Sangre (Henry Victor).  This rather imposing man claims to be an Austrian refugee and he lives on the island with his catatonic wife Alyce (Patricia Stacey) and niece Barbara Winslow (Joan Woodbury). Soon we have zombies wandering around the kitchen, phantom women disappearing down hidden passageways and a mad scientist conducting bizarre experiments involving mind control and zombies. As the plot unfolds, the protagonists uncover a plot involving the kidnapping of Admiral Wainwright (Guy Usher) and the use of local voodoo superstition to create an army of biddable “zombie” servants.

 

This is how you avoid the minimum wage laws.

From a critical standpoint, King of the Zombies is a mixed bag. On one hand, it offers a fascinating glimpse into the cinematic conventions of the era, with its low-budget production values and reliance on stock characters and situations, but on the other, we have performances that range from hammy to wooden, with Mantan Moreland’s portrayal of the comic relief valet providing the film’s most memorable moments. Moreland’s character, though steeped in racial stereotypes typical of the time, manages to inject energy and humour into an otherwise formulaic narrative. However, the film’s treatment of race is undeniably problematic by today’s standards and may make some viewers uncomfortable. African American characters like Jeff were often relegated to comedic roles and portrayed as superstitious and cowardly—a reflection of the pervasive racism of the period. While Moreland’s performance is undeniably charismatic, it’s difficult to overlook the racial caricatures that pervade the film.

 

Moreland is the one bright spot in an otherwise formulaic film.

Stray Observations:

• The role of Dr. Miklos Sangre was designed for Bela Lugosi who had starred in White Zombie, sadly, he wasn’t available so we got stuck with this low-rent villain.
• Mac and Bill overhear a foreign language on their radio but are too dim to realize that the language is German, which in the 1940s would have been quite recognizable by just about anyone let alone a government agent.
• The plot of this film deals with a “secret agent for a European government” but the script tactically avoids the mention of Germans or Nazis. America hadn’t entered the war yet and the German market was still important to studios.
• Jefferson Jackson states “Were there’s light there’s hope. I need all the hope I can dig up tonight.” This could be a nod to Bob Hope and his appearance in the horror comedies The Cat and the Canary and The Ghost Breakers.
• While a zombie, Mac is shot several times at point-blank range by Dr. Sangre but we later learn he is fine. Bill states “Those bullets didn’t help him any, he’ll need little patching up when the Coast Guard Cutter gets here, but he says he raring to go again.” This is kind of amazing, also incredibly stupid.

 

Who knew hypnotism makes you unkillable?

This film was initially to be a straight-up horror/thriller but with the success of the Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard horror/comedy The Ghost Breakers the original director was replaced with Jean Yarbrough, who had prior experience directing comedies, and the character of Jeff Jackson was added to the script with Monogram’s premier comedy relief actor Mantan Moreland to play the part. After watching the film it’s safe to say that he’s the star of the picture as Moreland has more screen time than the supposed leading man and his scenes with Dr. Sangre’s black maid (Marguerite Whitten) are easily the film’s best moments. Their back and forth banter injected life into what was an otherwise fairly dull script.

 

The true stars of this film.

In terms of its horror elements, King of the Zombies offers little in the way of genuine scares. The zombies themselves are more comical than menacing, with their stiff movements and blank expressions failing to evoke the sense of dread found in later iterations of the walking dead. The film’s reliance on voodoo mythology as a plot device also feels dated and clichéd, lacking the psychological depth and social commentary found in more sophisticated horror films.  The fact that the zombies are simply duped locals subjected to Sangre’s hypnotism certainly doesn’t help matters much. What is odd is that we also have Dr. Sangre planning to get the information from the Admiral via something called “transmigration” where the soul of one person could be transferred into the body of another, which is about as ridiculous as the concept of raising the dead. You either try and explain away magic with bullshit science or embrace the actual horror element, this film fails to do either.

 

Failing to have your cake and eating it too.

Despite its flaws, King of the Zombies remains an intriguing artifact of its time—a window into the anxieties and preoccupations of 1940s America. Its blend of horror, comedy and wartime propaganda offers a unique perspective on the cultural landscape of the era, even as its racial stereotypes and simplistic storytelling serve as a reminder of the progress yet to be made in Hollywood representation. As a piece of cinematic history, King of the Zombies is worthy of study and analysis, but as a standalone film, it fails to leave a lasting impression beyond its quaint nostalgia.

Monday, March 4, 2024

Dr. Cyclops (1940) – Review

In today’s climate, a scientist trying to reduce humanity’s impact on the environment would most likely be considered noble character, if not a downright heroic, but in the 1940s Paramount Pictures took what could have been an altruistic premise and shifted it into the “mad scientist” genre.  The result was a little classic called Dr. Cyclops.

The film begins with the introduction of the brilliant but eccentric scientist Dr. Alexander Thorkel (Albert Dekker), who is working somewhere in the Peruvian jungle.  He has invited a group of scientists to this remote jungle laboratory to aid him with his incredible discovery; this group consists of Dr. Mary Robinson (Janice Logan), Dr. Rupert Bulfinch (Charles Halton), mineralogist Bill Stockton (Thomas Coley) and a local miner along for the ride, Steve Baker (Victor Kilian). Upon arrival, they find themselves a little perturbed when all that Thorkel needs from them is a couple of observations through a microscope, his eyes having deteriorated too much for him to do this himself, but once he learns all he needs to know from them he dismisses the group out of hand.

 

“Thanks for your help, now kindly fuck off.”

Needless to say, our intrepid scientists do not take such an insult lightly and they decide to investigate on their own, and their disdain for the man grows when they come to the conclusion that he has gone mad. That they see Thorkel hunting for a shrunken horse increases their belief in his suspect sanity, but when Thorkel discovers them going through his things he accuses them of trying to steal his work and take all the credit. This is when the other shoe drops, it turns out that he’s not completely crazy, or at least not in the way they originally thought.  They are in the presence of a scientific breakthrough that surpasses their wildest imagination.  It seems that Dr. Thorkel has actually perfected a method to shrink living organisms to miniature size, unfortunately, he decides to use this method to get rid of a few unwanted guests.

 

“Honey, I shrunk the scientists.”

With our poor group of scientists shrunk down to miniature sizes things become dangerous rather quickly and for the remained of the film it becomes a literal cat-and-mouse game between our heroes, who along with a miniaturized Pedro Caroz (Frank Yaconelli) – he was Thorkel’s assistant who, like the others, learned too much – must now join forces to escape the giant clutches of this mad doctor. But can our heroes escape into the jungle and if so is that any safer? This is but one of many dilemmas facing our tiny heroes and director Ernest B. Schoedsack is able to keep the momentum going and the dangers mounting to make a very thrilling and original science fiction flick.  As the story progresses we quickly learn just how cuckoo for cocoa puffs Dr. Thorkel is.

 

“I’m going to put you in my Barbie Dreamhouse.”

Stray Observation:

• The man aiding Dr. Thorkel in his research loses his nerve and demands that the doctor stop with the experiments, which is not something you tell a mad scientist if you have plans to live to retirement age.
• Our group of tiny humans is threatened by a particularly nasty house cat, which is a particular type of villain that will plague miniaturized people in movies for years to come.
• Mary Robinson is a doctor in her own right but because she’s a woman when it comes to fashioning clothing for the group she is the one sewing them new outfits.
• When Dr. Rupert Bulfinch learns that they will eventually regain their normal size he declares to Thorkel that “There will be a reckoning!” Which is another thing you don’t tell a mad scientist if you plan on living to retirement age.

 

Sometimes scientists can be the dumbest people on the planet.

This movie excels at creating an atmosphere of wonder and terror as the characters are reduced to mere inches, confronting a world of giant insects, menacing plants and the omnipotent presence of Dr. Cyclops himself. This film is also one of the earliest examples of the “improved” Technicolor two-strip “Process 3” and the first one to be used for the science fiction genre, the other two entries being Doctor X and Mystery of the Wax Museum, and it was nominated at the Academy Awards for its exceptional special effects by Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings, whose efforts here, despite the limitations of the era, are surprisingly impressive and breathe life into the miniaturized sets and creatures that fill the screen with a sense of otherworldly menace.

 

I always admire the giant props in these kinds of movies.

Albert Dekker’s portrayal of Dr. Thorkel is nothing short of mesmerizing as he captures the character’s genius and madness with conviction, effortlessly transforming from a seemingly benevolent scientist into a diabolical antagonist. His commanding presence dominates every scene, leaving us torn between admiration and fear. Aside from the fun performance by Dekker, which can’t be overstated, one of the film’s more notable achievements is its ability to blend scientific marvels with a haunting sense of dread. The miniaturized world feels genuinely eerie, showcasing the dark side of unchecked scientific curiosity. Schoedsack skilfully utilizes lighting and camera angles to enhance the suspenseful moments, eliciting a range of emotions from the viewers.

Note: The look of Dr. Thorkel has become a science fiction staple among mad doctors and Albert Dekker gives a landmark performance that all other mad scientists will be measured by.

The supporting cast all contribute to the film’s overall quality with solid performances giving each character distinct traits that add depth to the narrative and heighten the tension as they face the dangers of their shrunken world. While Dr. Cyclops does adhere to certain clichés of its time, such as the underdeveloped female characters and the occasionally predictable plot progression, it remains an engaging and entertaining piece of science fiction history. The film’s pacing is swift, with each scene offering a new spectacle or peril that keeps the audience engrossed.

 

Just watch where you step or the little people may shoot you.

In conclusion, Dr. Cyclops remains an engaging and visually impressive science fiction horror film from the 1940s, with impressive special effects and a captivating performance by Albert Dekker.  It is also one of the seminal moments in the genre and while it may not have the same level of character depth and nuanced storytelling found in contemporary cinema, it still offers an entertaining and imaginative experience for fans of classic horror movies. If you can appreciate the charm of early special effects, and the thrill of a mad scientist’s experiments gone wrong, then Dr. Cyclops is worth a watch.

Monday, February 26, 2024

Reign of Fire (2002) – Review

Hollywood has provided moviegoers with many post-apocalyptic movies, from the Planet of the Apes franchise to the Mad Max series – the aftermath of “The End of the World” has always been great cinema fodder – but with Disney’s Reign of Fire we get a rather odd entry as it tosses a fantasy element into the mix.

The movie opens with a young boy named Quinn Abercromby (Ben Thornton) stumbling upon a dragon that has just woken up from hibernation, this rude awakening caused by subway construction, and the creature flies up and away killing the poor kid’s mother in the process.  Maybe having a “take your kid to work day” in a dangerous underground construction site was a bad idea. This majestic creature then goes off to wreak havoc on the populace. Flash forward a couple of decades where we find a mostly destroyed Earth and humanity barely hanging by its collective fingernails. A now adult Quinn (Christian Bale) is amongst the survivors, hiding out in the ruins of an old castle, and while they seem to be living on the brink of starvation they are managing to hold on.  The true conflict kicks in when a group of American soldiers, led by the charismatic Van Zan (Mathew McConaughey), arrives at the castle claiming that they have the plan to kill the dragons and reclaim the world for humanity. Van Zan believes that there is a single male dragon that is the key to the species’ survival and if it is destroyed the dragon race will die off and mankind can take back the Earth.

Can his plan end this reign of fire?

The movie’s premise of dragons taking over the world is intriguing, and the special effects used to bring these mythical creatures to life is quite impressive, however, the dragons end up being more spectacle than substance and the story fails to explore their motivations or origins to any degree. Worst of all is the fact that the poster promised us helicopter gunships battling dragons over a burning London and none of that appears in this movie, instead, we get this quick explanation as to how mankind has been pushed to the brink of extinction by dragons “Who fill the sky like locusts” but the actual mechanics of humanity’s defeat is never properly explained. Later in the film, we see Van Zan take out a dragon using nothing more than a harpoon gun but if these things are susceptible to something as basic as a harpoon gun then how did the combined navies and air forces of the world lose to these things? Mathew McConaughey is amazing but are we to believe he’s more powerful than an United States Carrier Group?

“All right, all right, all right.”

Stray Observations:

• The movie opens with a male dragon waking up but where exactly did the females come from, was there Mail Order Bride service for dragons?
• The film posits an alternative history in which the dinosaurs were killed off by dragons, rather than the K-T asteroid, which I’ll admit is definitely a cooler theory but also rather silly.
• The “dragons” in this film are actually Wyverns because they only have two legs, whereas dragons have four.
• Gerard Butler and Christian Bale put on a stage play version of The Empire Strikes Back for the children and this is easily one of the best moments in this film.
• It’s never explained how Van Zan kept an armoured column of vehicles and a helicopter fuelled in a world that fell two decades ago. It is especially odd when you consider the fact that gasoline has a shelf-life between three months and three years.
• Van Zan is convinced there is only one male dragon on the entire planet, but as dragons are spread around the entire globe how does he know this? Does he subscribe to a Dragon newsletter?
• With one fly-by, a dragon wipes out Van Zan’s entire convoy and kills all of his men, which begs the question “How has he been surviving all these years if that is his casualty rate?”

“Now, shall you deal with ME, Van Zan, and all the powers of HELL!”

The acting is solid, with Christian Bale giving a strong performance as the stoic leader of a small group of survivors, but it’s Matthew McConaughey who steals the show as the charismatic and unhinged dragon hunter. He brings a lot of energy and intensity to the film and his scenes with Bale are some of the most memorable, which is odd considering the movie is about a war against dragons and not two angry dudes. Unfortunately, as good as McConaughy and Bale are as actors the characters they are portraying are somewhat underdeveloped, feeling like one-note stereotypes instead of fully-fledged individuals. Bale does his best to present a nuanced and emotional portrayal of a man who has lost everything and is fighting to protect what little he has left, while McConaughy gives us a cross between George S. Patton and Yosemite Sam.

“You rackin’ frackin’ varmint!”

The movie is visually impressive, with some of the most realistic dragon effects ever seen on screen, but it should be noted that these dragons are not portrayed as magical creatures, instead, there are depicted as biological beings that behave and move like animals.  Sadly, this does take away the majesty of these creatures and turns them into what can best be described as Jurassic Park knock-offs. The film’s pacing is also a bit uneven, with the first half feeling slow and ponderous at times, however, the film’s distinctive and striking visual style makes up for this with its desolate, apocalyptic landscape that perfectly captures the sense of hopelessness and despair that our protagonists feel. Of course, the biggest issue is the decision to give us “science-based” dragons and if one takes but a second’s thought about the “science” we are spoon fed it all falls apart.

The Dodgy Science of Dragons in Reign of Fire

• The movie depicts the dragons as being able to breathe fire due to a flammable liquid stored in a sac located in their throats, however, this is biologically implausible as it would require the dragons to be able to create and store an immense amount of flammable liquid without it causing harm to their own bodies.
• We are told the dragons survive by digesting ash, and while ash is a good source of potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium it is biologically implausible for such large animals to live on that kind of diet as something this huge would require a lot of food and water to survive and reproduce.
• The movie depicts dragons as being able to fly despite their size and weight.  This would not be possible as their wingspan would need to be disproportionately large to support their body mass, and their bones would need to be hollow to reduce weight.  For a dragon to fly it must be a creature of magic.
• We see dragon fire being able to cause massive destruction, even to steel structures like tanks and trucks, however, this is not scientifically accurate as steel has a very high melting point and is fairly resistant to heat damage.
• The movie suggests that there is but one male dragon that fertilizes all of the female dragon eggs, in reality, this would lead to a lack of genetic diversity and would then cause inbreeding and genetic disorders.

“It’s gonna be a great Easter with this egg.”

Overall, Reign of Fire is a flawed but entertaining movie that offers a unique and compelling take on the dragon mythos, one that abandoned the fantasy aspect of dragons and replaces it with testosterone-fuelled performances by Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey.  This is not necessarily a bad thing and should satisfy anyone looking for a thrilling and visually stunning adventure, but I still prefer my dragons with a bit of magic, so my favourite dragon movie Dragonslayer and it remains the gold standard of the genre.