The Old Dark House
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Movie Reviews of The Old Dark House
Movie Review: Creepy! Interesting film that works like a stage play
Summary: 4 Stars
The Old Dark House is directed by James Whale, which practically guarantees quirky cinema with flamboyant acting.
Definitely atmospheric in the old Universal Monster Movie way, this film was made not in Hollywood but in England.
Karloff has no spoken lines, as he plays a "dumb" butler with a penchant for drinking and, when drunk, the potential for being maniacal and murderous.
But there is plenty of dialog to go around - and it goes around quickly. Lines are shot out so quickly by the actors, it's barely possible to keep up.
Very little of the action takes place outside the Old Dark House. The visitors who must take refuge there because of a raging storm are welcomed (or are they?) by quite a queer and dysfunctional family, which seems to grow larger and larger (and more bizarre) as the movie goes on.
Other than the fact that the story is told to the audience via a motion picture, the story and the way it is told would certainly work as a stage play. The dialog, the performances, and the large living space where all the characters interact all lend to the thought one is watching a filmed stage play.
The film, however, was most likely not commercial enough to enjoy widespread success when it was first presented to the viewing public. The DVD should be purchased by Karloff or James Whale fans - or perhaps by those who enjoy atmospheric dramas that hint at evil doings and insanity.
Technically, the print used for the DVD is wonderful - much better than the print that was used for the VHS tape.
If you think you will enjoy (or do enjoy) this film, I highly recommend "The Ghoul," also starring Boris Karloff.
Movie Review: BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE
Summary: 4 Stars
Let's present this movie as a test for the 2000 movie buff. If he can stand THE OLD DARK HOUSE until its end without ejecting the DVD, he can undoubtedly consider himself as a real movie lover. Why ? Because it takes a lot of self-control not to laugh at the conventional plot involving a mad butler, a chorus girl, a depressed Lord (hilarious Charles Laughton !) and finally a schizophrenic * guess who he is ? * trapped in a labyrinthic house during a stormy night. Once you've accepted the situation, you can enjoy James Whale's THE OLD DARK HOUSE.Not ONE single drop of blood in the movie. Even if there a lot of knives waiting over the only table of the main set for a mad murderer. The fact that THE OLD DARK HOUSE is a 1932 movie shot in black & white isn't an excuse. No, James Whale believes in the power of shadows to suggest fear and also in the extraordinary presence of Boris Karloff . The unforgettable Frankenstein's creature mumbles a few words and that's it. A great make-up, a strange look and a robotic way to walk are enough to create uneasiness in the audience.
One can also have a great pleasure to rediscover such interesting actors as Raymond Massey, Melvyn Douglas and Gloria Stuart in superb close-ups which the restored version of THE OLD DARK HOUSE is offering you without too many white spots. The sound is also very good, with just a little buzz annoying your speakers. Extra-features at the best.
A DVD for the movie lover.
Movie Review: BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE
Summary: 4 Stars
Let's present this movie as a test for the 2000 movie buff. If he can stand THE OLD DARK HOUSE until its end without ejecting the DVD, he can undoubtedly consider himself as a real movie lover. Why ? Because it takes a lot of self-control not to laugh at the conventional plot involving a mad butler, a chorus girl, a depressed Lord (hilarious Charles Laughton !) and finally a schizophrenic * guess who he is ? * trapped in a labyrinthic house during a stormy night. Once you've accepted the situation, you can enjoy James Whale's THE OLD DARK HOUSE.Not ONE single drop of blood in the movie. Even if there a lot of knives waiting over the only table of the main set for a mad murderer. The fact that THE OLD DARK HOUSE is a 1932 movie shot in black & white isn't an excuse. No, James Whale believes in the power of shadows to suggest fear and also in the extraordinary presence of Boris Karloff . The unforgettable Frankenstein's creature mumbles a few words and that's it. A great make-up, a strange look and a robotic way to walk are enough to create uneasiness in the audience.
One can also have a great pleasure to rediscover such interesting actors as Raymond Massey, Melvyn Douglas and Gloria Stuart in superb close-ups which the restored version of THE OLD DARK HOUSE is offering you without too many white spots. The sound is also very good, with just a little buzz annoying your speakers. Extra-features at the best.
A DVD for the movie lover.
Movie Review: There's a light, over at the Franken... er Femm ... place
Summary: 4 Stars
I only noticed it mentioned by one of the earlier reviews but it immediately struck me that this must have had a strong influence on Rocky Horror Picture Show. Even some of the dialog had me finishing it in my head with the Rocky Horror version. ("There's a light ...", "Madness ... takes its toll"). You can almost hear the RHPS music (over the storm). It even has a little bit of "gender bending" -- not to be confused with homosexuality as one reviewer does. But the film soon casts its own spell and you're hooked on its terms. Have a potato! And some gin! Enjoy the ride.
In any case -- this is a minor masterpiece with some great performances. The Femm family are especially good and Charles Laughton is notable for what I think is his first Hollywood role.
The director is James Whale. He did Frankenstein before this then followed up with the incomparable Bride of Frankenstein, and a few other in between, like Invisible Man.
Like many of the "strangers stranded in a spooky house" movies (of which this must have been one of the first) it is filmed almost as if it were a stage play, giving it much of its considerable charm. The cinematography and lighting are pure "Universal Horror". This film was a trend-setter. Anything it didn't actually originate it certainly made its own.
And the title of the film is perfect!
P.S. Why not five stars? Need to leave a little room for Bride of Frankenstein!
Movie Review: An Oft Overlooked Film from a Great Director
Summary: 4 Stars
Though James Whale is better know for directing FRANKENSTEIN and THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, genre fans who appreciate his work on those films will probably enjoy THE OLD DARK HOUSE. In a way, its best to think of THE OLD DARK HOUSE as Whale's dry run for THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, as it contains many of the elements that made the latter such a success: a dark, gothic set; macabre humor juxtaposed with genuine creepiness; and great performances from Boris Karloff and Ernest Thesiger (Dr. Pretorious in BRIDE).The story involves a group of travellers who are forced by inclement weather to spend the night in--you guessed it--an old, dark house, the rightful inhabitants of which are eccentrically bizarre beyond description. (Thesiger portrays the acting patriarch of this peculiar family, while Karloff plays their brutish butler.) Though the plot may sound cliche now, it was the first of its kind in 1932, making it the standard by which all to follow should be compared. (Genre fans will probably agree that most of its imitators fall short of achieving the same level of quirkiness and creepiness.) Even in this day of cinematic carnage and graphic gore, THE OLD DARK HOUSE can stir up both genuine laughs and equally authentic chills.
A must-see for fans of Whale's genre flicks or any fan of classic horror.