Corridor of Mirrors (1948) directed by Terence Young
Christopher Lee's film debut has him in a minor role, so minor that he is not even mentioned in the opening credits. The film stars Eric Portman as Paul Mangin, an artist obsessed with the past. He is roguishly handsome and mysterious. He spots young socialite Mifanwy (Edana Romney) with her friends at a night club. They have an immediate attraction but he does not return to the club for several weeks. She's there every night hoping he'll be back. When he returns, they start a romance filled with strange behavior. Paul is a rich artist with a home full of art and the titular corridor. Behind the mirrors are clothing, mostly women's, some on mannequins. She enjoys dressing up and wearing his jewelry. He enjoys keeping her to himself. Their tale does not have a happy ending, as is often the case in gothic romantic horror.
The film is very atmospheric, with some amazing sets and costumes. Paul throws a Venetian Ball for Mifanwy and the filmmakers did not stint on the production. The story was just so-so with a not entirely plausible twist at the end. This movie wants to be like Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre but does not make that level of greatness. And Christopher Lee is barely in it, so I am not sure it's worth it for Lee fans to check this off their list.
Very mildly recommended.
The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) directed by Terence Fisher
In 1890s Paris, Dr. Georges Bonnet (Anton Diffring) is a popular sculptor and doctor in upper social circles. He's just unveiling his latest work at a party when a not so old flame, Janine du Bois (Hazel Court), shows up. Bonnet is romantically attached to his latest model Margo (Delphi Lawrence) but is ready to dump her for Janine. Janine is there with Dr. Pierre Gerard (Christopher Lee), a good surgeon himself. Bonnet shuts the party down early but not because he wants to put the moves (again) on Janine. No, he needs to drink a special elixir at a specific time. He starts to transform as Margo pops in, having not left because she is jealous of Janine. Bonnet horribly scars Margo by accident before he can drink the brew. He is restored to health while still being a bundle of nerves. He's been waiting for an old compatriot, Dr. Weiss (Arnold Marle) with whom he's shared a long history. Bonnet is really 104 years old in spite of looking in his mid-30s. They've been doing some surgeries to preserve his life. Weiss has had a stroke and can't perform the next surgery Bonnet needs. Bonnet thinks Gerard might help, if properly motivated.
The story moves at a good pace. The explanations comes slowly enough to keep viewers intrigued. The pace also lets the viewers think about the morality of the situation, something all the characters struggle with. The make-up for the horror bits looks like its from 60 plus years ago but the performances make up for it. Lee is good in a hero role, something he doesn't often get. The lavish technicolor Hammer production has good sets and costumes.
Recommended.
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) directed by Terence Fisher
Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) is called to the remote moors of England to deal with a family curse. Sir Hugo Baskerville (David Oxley) pursued and killed a woman centuries earlier and was himself killed, legend has it, by an immense, possibly supernatural, dog. The latest Lord Baskerville died mysteriously on the moors and now Sir Henry Baskerville (Christopher Lee) has returned from the continent to take up residence in the family home. The local doctor is concerned for him, calling for Holmes' aid. Holmes has business to wrap up in London but sends Doctor Watson (Andre Morell) with Sir Henry to deal with the situation.
This Hammer Studios production has the lavish, full-color approach of their horror films. Indeed, they even play up the horror elements of this most supernatural of the Sherlock Holmes stories. The film is a delightful adaptation. Cushing is great as Holmes, with the cunning intelligence and seeming aloofness needed. Lee gets to play a romantic lead (there is a local lady, daughter of a neighbor, who gets entangled with him) and does a fine job here. The mystery hardly strays from the novel's plot, but the plot is so good it's not a problem. A few little horror elements are added on though the actual hound is a bit underwhelming and doesn't get much screen time.
Recommended.
The City of the Dead (1960) directed by John Llewellyn Moxey
Young college student Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson) is taking a class on witchcraft with teacher Allan Driscoll (Christopher Lee). She wants to do some field research for her term paper and he recommends Whitewood, an off-the-beaten-track town that has a history of witch burnings. Both her brother and her boyfriend object but she goes anyway. The town is fog-draped and has one church with only one clergyman who warns her off of the town. But the local inn's proprietor, Mrs. Newless (Patricia Jessel), says it's a bit of nonsense and Nan should stay. Well, Nan shouldn't have stayed. When she does not return to college after two weeks, her brother and her boyfriend start an investigation, which does lead to some witchcraft.
The atmospheric visuals are almost too much. This is the most gothic and most rundown 17th century village in New England. Even so, the movie provides some chilling moments, especially from the performers like Lee and Jessel. The narrative is a bit familiar and yet very enjoyable.
Recommended.
The House That Dripped Blood (1971) directed by Peter Duffell
Horror movie star Paul Henderson (Jon Pertwee) has disappeared after renting a house in the countryside that's an hour's drive from the studio. A Scotland Yard detective (John Bennett) is sent to the small town to investigate. The locals tell him four stories about the house to explain, if not the disappearance, at least why he should not investigate. In the first story, a horror writer (Denholm Elliott) wants to finish a new book and thinks the house has just the right atmosphere. His wife is willing to put up with it until the writer starts seeing his new killer around every corner of the house. Next, a retired businessman (Peter Cushing) wants to have a relaxing life after too much work, only to discover the local wax museum has an effigy of Salome (the one whose dancing got John the Baptist decapitated) that looks exactly like a woman he was in love with years ago. Finally, a father (Christopher Lee) rents the house with his young daughter. He shelters her very much, going so far as to hire a teacher (Nyree Dawn Porter) who tutors the girl. The teacher does not understand why the father is so restrictive, but there are very good reasons. Returning to the present, the movie star, who is also an expert in the occult, wants a more authentic costume for his latest production and gets a musty cape from a local antiques shop. The cape enhances his performance more than he wants, as the viewers quickly discover (at least, we get it long before he does). It leads to his disappearance, which the detective scoffs at until he goes to the house after hours.
The set of stories all work well, providing little chunks of horror leading to a final unhappy revelation for the detective. The writing, directing, and acting are all enjoyable, making this a fun Halloween chiller. It's a nice way to string together a bunch of horror shorts (written by Psycho scribe Robert Bloch), even if Lee is only in a quarter of the film. All the other leads do a great job as well, though some stories are more convincing than others. The final scene features the estate agent talking to the audience in a way that looks very dated today. Still, it's entertaining if you are in the right frame of mind.
Recommended.
Horror Express (1972) directed by Eugenio Martin
Christopher Lee stars as Alexander Saxton, a British anthropologist who makes a fantastic discovery in 1906 Manchuria. He calls it a fossil but it is clearly a frozen "missing link" in the evolutionary chain. He digs it out of a cave and crates it up to go back to Europe. At the train station, there's some trouble, including a thief who tries to rob the crate. The thief dies with his eyeballs turned completely white. A Russian monk declares the contents of the crate evil and rants for a bit before Saxton completely dismisses him. Saxton has met Doctor Wells (Peter Cushing) who has a more pragmatic style for dealing with the trouble at the train station--bribing trainmen and government officials to get what he wants. The two men are at first antagonists. On the train, things change when whatever was in the crate escapes and starts killing train passengers one by one.
The story moves along at a good pace though some parts seem a bit contrived or nonsensical. Some characters are thrown in just to be cannon fodder (or monster fodder) later in the movie. It's entertaining enough in a rainy Saturday afternoon way. The atmosphere is not too chilling and the soundtrack sounds like late 1960s/early 1970s.The actors are fun to watch.
Mildly recommended.
Gremlins 2: The Next Batch (1990) directed by Joe Dante
Billy (Zach Galligan) and Kate (Phoebe Cates) have moved to New York City after their hometown was almost overrun by gremlins in the first film. They work at Daniel Clamp's (John Glover) "smart building." He's a real estate and cable TV entrepreneur (so, Donald Trump plus Ted Turner) who is completely obsessed with his image. He wants to rebuild Chinatown into a high-tech mall but one store is holding out. Mr. Wing (Keye Luke), who owns Gizmo, refuses to sell his place but he dies off. Gizmo sneaks out and is caught by an employee of the genetics lab in the smart building. The lab, called "Splice of Life," is run by Dr. Catheter (Christopher Lee), an unscrupulous scientist who is experimenting on all sorts of animals in all sorts of way. The lab is naturally interested in the new creature. Billy discovers Gizmo there but not soon enough to get him out of the building before more gremlins spawn and they mutate into their green, slimy, and destructive selves.
The movie starts with an animated Warner Brothers logo with Bugs Bunny riding on it. Daffy Duck interrupts and wants his share of the spotlight, leading to typical Looney Tunes chaos for the first minute or two. The rest of the film follows in the same spirit--satirical comedy. Clamp's ego and ambition are made mockery of, as is his cable networks, including an archery channel and a first aid channel. This was satirical in 1990 but now it just looks normal. The gremlins get ahold of the genetics lab and drink a lot of weird elixirs, creating a bat-gremlin, a female gremlin, and an intellectual gremlin (voiced by Tony Randall). The social satire is very strong and features a lot of cameos, some breaking the fourth wall in creative ways. But it is also a product of its time--fewer and fewer people know who Leonard Maltin or Hulk Hogan are. Seeing the first film is not required (they repeat the basic information needed) but it helps with some of the jokes. The effects are a bit dated, especially scenes where Gizmo walks around. But the movie is entertaining if you are of a certain age and Lee gives a fine though minor performance.
Mildly recommended.
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