The Ghoul
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Movie Reviews of The Ghoul
Movie Review: Boris Rises Again!
Summary: 4 Stars
THE GHOUL is a good little story about an egyptologist (Karloff) who wants to live forever. He believes he can achieve immortality by having a sacred jewel placed in the hand of Anubis (he has the statue in his bedroom) after his demise. Unfortunately, several others want the precious gem for themselves! Treachery abounds until Boris rises from his grave. He is NOT happy to find his jewel missing! THE GHOUL is creepy enough to overcome some of it's dull moments. Check out (sirs) Cedric Hardwicke and Ralph Richardson in early roles! Richardson plays a preacher who just might be a bit too "good". This is a great movie for all Karloff fans...Movie Review: couldn't believe my eyes
Summary: 4 Stars
This little seen Karloff obscurity has been given an amazing restoration by MGM. There is literally not a scratch on this 70 year old horror from Gaumont British studios. My only slight quibble is that the contrast varies slightly - sometimes appearing a bit washed out. The sound too is excellent with good clear dialogue and no background hiss that usually accompanies films of this vintage.The film itself is an incredibly talky affair and only really kicks in during the final half hour or so - but it's worth the wait.
Movie Review: A rare gem beautifully restored
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a hard-to-find Karloff film, done in England. It's very atmospheric and it has some fascinating characters, not the least of which is that hoot of an old queen, Ernest Thesiger, in one of the meatiest roles he's done since THE OLD DARK HOUSE. The restoration is wonderful.Movie Review: Great Classic Horror flick
Summary: 4 Stars
Any fan of the old Universal classic movies would certainly enjoy this one. I missed this one along the way as I understand it had been lost. It has that atmospheric black and white spooky feel to it... Enjoy!Movie Review: England's "First" Horror Film
Summary: 3 Stars
Thought to be lost for many years, 1933's THE GHOUL is widely considered England's first genuine horror film of the sound era--and so eager were executives to insure its success they brought Boris Karloff, fresh from his success in FRANKENSTEIN, from Hollywood to play the title role.
The film was based on a popular novel and play of the era. Professor Morlant (Karloff) is an Egyptologist on his death bed. He has, however, a jewel stolen from an Egyptian tomb: The Eternal Light, which is said to cause the Egyptian gods to smile upon those buried with it with the gift of eternal life. But Morlant is not the only one who knows of the jewel, and shortly after his death and burial a host of criminals and innocents descend upon his estate, the former determined to obtain the jewel, the latter determined to find out what is going on with the estate. Needless to say, candles flicker, shadows move, doors creak, and Morlant rises from the dead in search of the missing jewel.
In one sense, THE GHOUL is an astonishing film, for it has a remarkable atmosphere due largely to the work of cinematographer Gunther Krampf, whose earlier work included the famous German PANDORA'S BOX, as well as uncredited work on the legendary NOSFERATU. The music score by Louis Levy and Leighton Lucas (the latter uncredited) is also more effective than that found in most films of the period. But while the direction and performances are at worst at least plausible, the overall film simply doesn't hang together in any consistent way.
The result is a beautifully made vision wrapped around a slow-moving, awkward, and often hard to follow story that finds the characters running around in search of a jewel that looks very much like an ornate shoe buckle. The performers are entertaining--Karloff is always worth a look, and the supporting cast includes Cedric Hardwick, Ralph Richardson, and the memorably eccentric Ernest Thesinger--but even so THE GHOUL is very thin stuff, not a patch on the earlier horror films from Germany or the horror films being created by Universal Studios in America at the same time.
The DVD presents the film in near-pristine condition, making it easy to appreciate the art design and cinematography, but there are no bonus materials of any kind. In the end, this is really a film for hardcore fans of 1930s horror, who will be interested to see how England approached the genre.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer