TV and Movies

[Nataliesgramma]

 I love alot of the Horror movies from the 50's!

The Haunting....The Blob......The Killer Shrews...The Birds....."IT"......The Thing.....

Thanks @Oznell 

[just bee]

Oh, boy -- Nosferatu (1922)!

A night with Max Schreck.  What could be spookier?

He's still a terrifying vampire...

[SharkE]

@Oznell    My Tivo would just let me go to Oct 17th, have to remember to add the 2 Dracula's and one more on Nov 1st

[antiquarian]

Horror buff from way, way back.  (and how fitting that October is my birthday month, lol)

First movie in this genre I remember watching on t.v. is the Vincent Price "House on Haunted Hill" from 1959.  My favorite line of dialogue is between Price and wife Carol Ohmart (delicious performance from this otherwise unknown actress): Price: "Don't get frightened by the ghosts and the ghouls" -- Ohmart: "Darling, the only ghoul in the house is you"  The most memorable jump-scare that everyone recalls with shudders is the first appearance of an old woman....people who've seen this know which scene I mean!

But for genuine chills and almost trauma, there are still four movies that can shake me to the core:  the Night on Bald Mountain sequence from Disney's "Fantasia" (only learned later on that Bela Lugosi's body movements -- he actually came into the studios to pose -- were used for the demon), William Castle's "Mr. Sardonicus", "The Haunting", and 1933's "Dr. X" (cannibalism, synthetic flesh, and the full moon....)  I cannot watch any of them in the dark.

I give two heads-up to a couple of films which, while tottering on the brink of supernatural forces, focus more on the darker aspects of human nature, and are considered classics -- the 1955 French "Diabolique" and Japan's "Onibaba".  I guarantee, you will not soon forget them!

[antiquarian]

Oh, and I have two embarrassing things to confess -- I've always thought Fredric March's make-up and performance as Hyde in the 1932 "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" was the most effectively frightening I'd ever seen and remember thinking I'd be afraid to be married to the actor for fear he would actually turn into that monster when I least expected it.   (could this be why I'm still single after all these years?)    

Number deux:  I decided I never wanted to visit Japan because Godzilla might still be alive underneath Tokyo Bay, just waiting to come alive again and destroy the city.  

[Oznell]

Wow, what a tribute to the verisimilitude (sp?) of March's performance, @antiquarian!   Agreed, he was terrific in that-- I do prefer his interpretation over Tracy's....

[SharkE]

Jack Palance was ugly any way so he would do Drac and Hyde the best

He also played the Ripper you know.

[antiquarian]

And every movie after that @Oznell, even "The Best Years of Our Lives", I kept expecting March to start howling at the moon.  (I'm very susceptible as you've no doubt gathered, lol)

It would also give me a turn if I saw the British actor Guy Rolfe, in any other role before or after "Mr. Sardonicus".  It got so I could barely look at his handsome face, thinking he'd turn into that grinning nightmare.  Eeeek!  I remember the first time I saw "Young Bess" (wonderful write-up you gave) and who played young Edward's protector?  Guy Rolfe! (with a beard)  I was startled.

Same with another actor who I can't name since I don't want to give spoilers for "Dr. X".  Let's just say I also couldn't watch any other film the guy was in because of who he played in this one.  (another horrifyingly effective make-up job)

[antiquarian]

Yep, @SharkE, Palance was certainly no oil painting, ha!  But then, in the tradition of good looking actors who played classic monsters there was Louis Jourdan, who I thought gave a creepily effective performance as Count Dracula. 

I don't remember the Frank Langella one....(he was handsome too)

@Oznell, Tracy's performance in J&H is certainly in keeping with the I suppose Freudian interpretation they were going for, since Spencer hardly donned any make-up at all, relying only on facial expressions and his voice.  For someone who usually looked like a potato I thought he did a very fine job, but then again, he's a great actor too.  I thought Ingrid Bergman was excellent as Ivy.