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After American International Pictures, one of the greatest providers of cheap, classic 1950s cinematic fare was Allied Artists which began as Monogram Pictures in the 1930s and morphed into Lorimar in the 1970s before calling it a day. In 1958 the company spent more bucks than usual to come up with a fascinating double feature. They used big name stars and the films were shot in Cinemascope. One was the QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE with Zsa Zsa Gabor (shot in color) and the other was this B&W movie with Boris Karloff.

FRANKENSTEIN 1970 was shot in 8 days on the Warner Brothers lot and utilized impressive sets from the 1957 Diana Barrymore biopic TOO MUCH, TOO SOON. The rest of the cast consists of primarily young no-names with a few notable exceptions. One is tough guy Donald "Red" Barry as the movie director. Another is German actor Rudolf Anders who plays Karloff's old friend and confidante. They have 3 extended scenes together, each done in one take, which are great to watch. Two old pros showing us how it's done.

The plot features a then contemporary setting with Boris as the crippled Baron Frankenstein (he was tortured by Nazis) , the last of his line who allows a movie company to film a horror picture in his castle. Unknown to them he is using the latest technology, including atomic radiation, to create a new monster. The influence of Hammer's THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, made the year before, is clearly evident. The fact that he's a Baron, the look of the bandaged creature, and the emphasis on the technical side of its creation, is very similar.

The movie was the brainchild of producer Aubrey Schenck and director Howard W. Koch whose Bel-Air productions gave us such 1950s B movie horror staples as THE BLACK SLEEP and PHARAOH'S CURSE along with crime melodramas like BIG HOUSE USA and THREE BAD SISTERS. The print used for this Blu-Ray is the same one used in Warner's 2009 Karloff & Lugosi DVD Collection. It is absolutely pristine and in the original widescreen. Too bad it doesn't include QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE so we could recreate the original double feature...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

Before I viewed this as part of a collection called CULT CAMP CLASSICS - VOL 1, I had not seen QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE in over 40 years. I first saw it on TV in black and white without realizing that it was originally shot in color and in Cinemascope. Even as a kid I could see that it was less than stellar. Seeing it now restored to all of its 1950s glory (or as much as a DVD can show), I am amazed at how good it looks. The use of color is bold, the photography is well done, the use of sound is imaginative and the sets are.. well they look better in color even though the cheapness is impossible to disguise.

I was amazed at the incredibly sexist dialogue. If there is a hell for feminists, this is the movie that would be shown. I believe the film is meant to be a comedy as would be indicated by having comedy director Edward Bernds (THE THREE STOOGES, THE BOWERY BOYS) helm the project. If it is a comedy then someone forgot to tell leads Eric Fleming and Zsa Zsa Gabor in that. Fleming plays it straight and with Zsa Zsa you can't tell the difference. As the Venusian Queen, Laurie Mitchell gives the best performance. It's also a plus to have her along for the guest commentary on the DVD.

How you react to QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE will be entirely up to you. It must be seen to believed. I can see many people being offended by the dialogue and the film's storyline that a woman who banishes men in order to maintain peace is an evil despot. Of course they do have her wanting to destroy the Earth so that's it OK to overthrow her. The film does have great camp value and it is great to look at in this restored edition but I'm sure that Messrs Bernds & Co. Would be amazed that what was considered disposable in 1958, is still talked about after 60 years...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

THE KING OF KINGS is a remarkable film. I don't think that I 've ever seen a more reverent version (sound or silent) of the life of Jesus. It stands out among other biblical epics in that it strives not just for a retelling of events but for a recasting of them into myth. DeMille captures the essence of Christ and those around him with sincere performances coupled with soft focus photography and 19th century lighting. There are many memorable sequences scattered throughout the film. The casting out of the seven deadly sins from Mary Magdalene is one and the raising of Lazarus from the dead is another. The crucifixion scene is impressive even by today's standards with lighting in the style of Gustave Dore' and a massive earthquake sequence.

There are some outlandish moments as well (it is DeMille after all) especially Mary Magdalene (as Judas' lover!) arriving to confront Jesus in a chariot driven by zebras. At 50 H. B. Warner should be too old to portray Christ but it is his age that lends a sense of gravity to the role. He has wonderfully expressive eyes which help to convey the inner spirituality of Jesus. Ernest Torrance as Peter strikes just the right balance between great strength and childlike simplicity. It's also interesting to see Rudolf and Joseph Schildkraut (real life father and son) portray Caiaphas and Judas. Watch for their scenes together. DeMille took great pains to avoid charges of antisemitism by adding a prologue and having Caiaphas take the blame for Christ's death upon himself.

The restored 155 minute road show version is superb with the two technicolor scenes that bookend the movie looking great. There are important scenes missing from the general release version so it's great to have them both available so you can make the comparison. Thanks to Criterion for making this important film available once again. You don't have to be religious to enjoy THE KING OF KINGS. It stands on its own merit as one of the greatest movies of the silent era. It was also Cecil B. DeMille's favorite among all his films...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

There is a growing and welcome trend among DVD releases of classic films. If the title is a remake of a silent film version then the original is now being included along with the remake. Of course it's the remake that gets all the headlines but that is as it should be since most people aren't silent film enthusiasts. I was originally opposed to this idea on economic grounds as multidisc sets are expensive but then it occurred to me that without the remake we wouldn't get to see the original at all and this way people can be exposed to the silent versions and hopefully learn to judge them on their own merits. Already we have the 1921 CAMILLE coupled with the 1936 Garbo version and the 1925 WIZARD OF OZ (plus other silent Oz films) newly restored with the classic 1939 version.

Now comes the celebrated 1925 version of BEN-HUR accompanying the even more celebrated 1959 William Wyler/Charlton Heston film on a 4 disc set. As a silent film enthusiast I will comment on the 1925 film as very little has been said about it compared to all that has been said about the much better known 1959 movie. BEN-HUR was once regarded as one of the magnificent follies of the silent era. It took years to make and cost M-G-M around $4,000,000 (over half a billion in today's currency). Although what they lost in money was more than gained in prestige.

The film made M-G-M THE studio in Hollywood, a position they would not relinquish for 30 years. It made a star out of Ramon Novarro and gave Francis X. Bushman the role of his career as Messala. It featured Technicolor sequences (lovingly restored in this presentation), mammoth sets as well as the expected cast of thousands and has the original version of the chariot race which remains just as exciting today as back in 1925. The sea battle between the Pirates and the Roman galleys is even more exciting as it was shot in Italy with real ships and not miniatures.

The one thing that really stands out about this version is how powerful its condemnation of anti-semitism is. The Christian aspects of the story are still there of course but they are on an equal footing with the plight of what it means to be Jewish in a hostile world. The orchestral score by Carl Davis is outstanding and really helps to elevate this into one of the best silent film viewing experiences especially for people unfamiliar with silent films. If only the money were available to treat all of the great silent films this way. Perhaps it will be someday...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

It is interesting to note that with all the attention paid to Mel Gibson's PASSION OF THE CHRIST a few years back, this film version was made over 100 years ago (started in 1902 and finished in 1905). THE LIFE AND PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST was produced in France as a series of 31 tableaux and utilizes the famous Pathe' hand stenciled color process. Anyone familiar with the story of Jesus will easily follow it while those who aren't won't have any real difficulty.

There are no gospel quotations here only title cards which preface each segment and some of the most remarkable sketched and painted scenery ever seen which are based on the drawings of Gustave Dore'. The sets and costumes are equally impressive. The performances are not performances but actors striking a series of poses (especially Jesus) which is fitting for a series of tableaux. The condition of the film is truly remarkable. I have never seen a film of this vintage look this good. A remarkable find and a welcome addition to the ever growing list of silent films available on home video.

The second title on this disc, FROM THE MANGER TO THE CROSS, has already been out on VHS as part of Kino's FIRST AMERICAN FEATURES series. It's main asset is that it was filmed on location in the Middle East. Originally made by the Kalem company in 1912 it was reissued and retitled with an overabundance of Biblical quotes by Vitagraph in the late teens.

A sincere and fairly restrained look at the life of Christ (although the Crucifixion scene is quite realistic), it tells its story simply with an animated segment at the very end. While it didn't leave me with a sense of wonder like the first film did, it is likely to have more appeal to those who are just starting out with silent film. It is also of historical significance as one of the earliest surviving American features. Both titles have excellent organ scores by Timothy Howard and are ideal for anyone interested in silent cinema or the life of Jesus. Experience a PASSION that's over a century old and still going strong...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

I must confess that even though I am a silent film enthusiast with quite a collection of silent films on DVD/Blu-ray (and a number of reviews of them on Amazon), I had never heard of THE WINNING OF BARBARA WORTH. Now that I have seen it the surprise is even greater. Made by Samuel Goldwyn in 1926 and featuring Gary Cooper in his first credited film appearance, this movie is an outstanding example of a late American silent film. Not a classic but a well constructed, well acted and well photographed film presented here in a pristine print with color tints and a score performed by legendary organist Gaylord Carter. The speed transfer is occasionally too fast but never enough to detract from what you're watching.

The director was Henry King who made the silent classic TOL'ABLE DAVID in 1921 and whose career lasted well into the sound era with other classics such as THE SONG OF BERNADETTE, TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH, and THE SUN ALSO RISES. The casting shows what silent films were truly capable of. Joining Cooper are Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky as the romantic leads which would have been impossible in the sound era as Hungarian actress Banky could barely speak English and Colman's voice was much too urbane to be believable in a Western setting. The story of Western boom towns and the building of a faulty dam which results in massive flooding is based on the novel by Harold Bell Wright and is still relevant today. Director King knows how to handle both the action scenes and the quieter moments which were his real specialty.

THE WINNING OF BARBARA WORTH was originally part of the 4 DVD set GARY COOPER: MGM MOVIE LEGENDS COLLECTION which was released back in 2007. In addition to BARBARA WORTH it featured 3 sound features THE COWBOY AND THE LADY (1938), THE REAL GLORY (1939), and the influential VERA CRUZ (1954) with Burt Lancaster and directed by Robert Aldrich. If you love Gary Cooper then by all means get that set for your collection. If you are a silent film enthusiast like myself or a fan of Ronald Colman and just want the silent then look no further. This Warner Archive DVD-R is the same copy that was released in the MGM set...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

During the 1960s there was an entire subgenre of films, most of them German, based on the works of prolific English author Edgar Wallace (1877-1933) who is best known in America for having written the original draft script of KING KONG. He was immensely popular during his lifetime but his reputation rapidly declined after his death. Why he should suddenly become popular again 30 years later, and in Germany of all places, is anybody's guess.

Over the course of 13 years (1959-1972) there were 32 German films based on Wallace's books known as "krimis" or crime stories but a few were made elsewhere including 3 in England by producer Harry Alan Towers of which CIRCUS OF FEAR (1966) was the last. Thanks to it's retitling as PSYCHO-CIRCUS with most of the caper elements removed and Christopher Lee's name on the marquee, the movie was marketed as a horror movie which it definitely is not. People who rent or buy the film with that in mind are justifiably annoyed when they find that out but CIRCUS is actually a decent crime/mystery film when seen here in it's original uncut version (91 min -vs- 67 min) and in color.

The film opens with a well executed robbery on Tower Bridge where half-a-million pounds are stolen. Unfortunately one of the payroll guards is killed and the thieves are forced to split up. An anonymous tip leads to the capture of most of the gang. The one with the money is killed near a circus. When a member of the troop (Lee) accidentally finds the money, he hides it. Cut to the circus where we meet squabbling performers, see a few circus acts, and witness a couple of knife murders. Is it the knife thrower? The lion tamer?, or perhaps a blackmailing dwarf? It's up to the ringmaster (Heinz Drache) and a Scotland Yard inspector (Leo Genn) to find out.

Perennial nutcase Klaus Kinski is there, along with Drache, for the German audience where this film was well received. It's much closer in spirit and style to Joan Crawford's BERSERK (1967) than to CIRCUS OF HORRORS (1960). However if you're a fan of crime fiction, enjoy caper films, and aren't overly picky, then CIRCUS OF FEAR is an engaging enough way to kill an hour and a half. Just don't expect great filmmaking even if it was made by the man who gave us HORROR HOTEL...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

Warner Brothers, trying to compete with MGM/Fox's MIDNITE MOVIE series, began releasing a number of DVDs of Sci-Fi/Horror/Cult films from the 1950s and 60s. The Sci-Fi and the Cult Camp Classic series are still with us but the Horror Double Features are now available only as individual DVD-Rs. The presentations are bare bones (not even chapters are included although there are subtitles) but the films are in good shape. I guess the sales must have been really abysmal to pull the plug so early but then whoever came up with the pairings for these discs should have put a little more effort into it. While IT! And THE SHUTTERED ROOM (the other release) at least share the connection that they are both British films, there is absolutely nothing linking CHAMBER OF HORRORS and BRIDES OF FU MANCHU other than the fact they were made in 1966.

CHAMBER was intended to be the pilot for a proposed TV series featuring Cesare Danova and Wilfred Hyde-White as Wax Museum owners who also solve bizarre crimes but the show never materialized. This accounts not only for the dramatic lack of on-screen violence throughout but the unusual ending where a girl is found murdered. Shown in theaters instead, the WB marketing department came up with the "Horror Horn" and the "Fear Flasher" as gimmicks to hook people in which it did as the film was successful at the box office but no sequels followed. Taken on its own merits as an unofficial remake of HOUSE OF WAX (it even uses the same sets), CHAMBER OF HORRORS is pretty good with atmospheric old style cinematography and a delightful turn from Patrick O'Neal as the demented killer building a corpse from parts of the people who sent him to prison. Scary?, hardly, but quite enjoyable nonetheless.

In contrast THE BRIDES OF FU MANCHU is a direct sequel to 1965's FACE OF FU MANCHU utilizing once again the talents of the dependable but underrated director Don Sharp and horrormeister Christopher Lee. This time though producer Harry Allan Towers cut the budget (Fullscreen instead of Widescreen and Eastmancolor instead of Technicolor) and it shows. Also gone is Nigel Green as Nayland Smith although Douglas Wilmer does an admirable job filling in. The story (written by Towers under his pseudonym of Peter Welbeck) has Fu Manchu kidnapping the daughters of famous scientists in order to coerce them into helping him build a death ray. It's really more of a thriller than a horror film but director Sharp does manage a few interesting set pieces and Lee does his best with the material. Not as good as CHAMBER but still entertaining, BRIDES really doesn't belong here and I wish WB had coupled it with the first FU film and found something else to put with CHAMBER...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

As I continue working my way through several old style horror films of the 1950s and 60s, I just have to weigh in on this double feature which I found to be among the best of the many retro horror twofers that are out there on the market. I somehow managed to miss both of these on their initial releases and never saw them on TV so they were brand new to me. Most of the previous reviews focus on THE SHUTTERED ROOM which got far more exposure and certainly boasts the stronger cast as well as the H. P. Lovecraft name (even though August Derleth wrote most of it).

Very little Lovecraft/Derleth is left and what you essentially have is a tense little thriller that seems like a dry run for STRAW DOGS (1971) without all the ultra-violence. The real stars of the movie are not the performers (although Oliver Reed and Flora Robson know what to do with the material) but rather Ken Hodges striking cinematography and Basil Kirchin's modern jazz score which combine to make the picture a tense viewing experience until the ending which is singularly disappointing. The Norfolk (U. K.) locations, especially the abandoned lighthouse and old mill, are also very effective.

While THE SHUTTERED ROOM is clearly the better movie, I enjoyed IT a lot more because, as one U. K. website said, the film is absolutely "barking mad". What starts off as a deliberate PSYCHO ripoff evolves into a kooky film experience with Roddy MacDowell playing the script for all the dark humor he can get out of it. His Arthur Pimm is such a polite madman that he becomes a parody of every proper upright Englishman. He is actually fun to watch even more so after he really starts to lose it.

Grafting PSYCHO onto THE GOLEM story deserves credit for chutzpah if nothing else. As for the statue itself, the real Golem was made out of clay not stone, was far from indestructible, and didn't resemble a petrified tree with a Conehead. Details...IT was originally made back to back with a creepy Dana Andrews vehicle about resurrecting Nazis called THE FROZEN DEAD which was made for an outfit called Gold Star Productions. Both were written and directed by Herbert J. Leder and would have made an ideal double feature. THE SHUTTERED ROOM could have been coupled with another WB/Seven Arts feature THE ANNIVERSARY with Bette Davis or just released on its on..For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

When this movie first appeared in 1959, it was considered shocking and incredibly brutal. "For strong stomachs" a review at the time said. That was then. Today it probably wouldn't even raise an eyebrow although the film still contains several scenes that, while they aren't graphic, do remain quite disturbing in their implications. What could not have been foreseen in 1959 was that the public's appetite for tabloid headlines, especially involving crimes of violence, would be able to be assuaged at the touch of a keyboard or the swipe of a screen.

The story concerns celebrated crime writer Edmond Bancroft whose articles about a series of vicious murders have made him a celebrity. He's even written a book called "The Poetry Of Murder". What the police and the public don't know is that Bancroft and an assistant are committing the murders themselves so that he can write about them. The murders themselves are very gruesome including one that opens the movie involving a pair of binoculars with hidden spikes. The title is a reference to Scotland Yard's "Black Museum" which Bancroft has duplicated in his private basement. Of course they are caught in the end with a rousing conclusion involving a carnival ferris wheel.

If all this sounds a bit over the top...it is, and it was meant to be. This is the first collaboration between American B movie producer Herman Cohen and the British actor Michael Gough (pronounced GOFF) who leaves Shakespeare far behind and chews the scenery with relish. In fact this would be the beginning of a lucrative career for Gough who would specialize British B movie horror when not acting on stage. He wound up playing Alfred the butler in the Tim Burton BATMAN movies. The success of BLACK MUSEUM led to two other Herman Cohen produced efforts. They are KONGA and THE BLACK ZOO. All three are now available on home video and would make for a truly unique triple feature.

There are several versions of HORRORS available but the best one is the 2003 release from VCI. It contains not only a fully restored version of the uncut British version but it contains several guest commentaries including one from producer Cohen. It also contains the American added introduction (to lengthen the film) that features hypnotist Emil Franchele who introduces "Hypno-Vision" which the movie was supposedly shot in (it was actually Cinemascope). The film also marked a move away from the period Gothic horror of Hammer Films to Briitsh horror movies with a contemporary setting...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

Leave it to B movie mogul Herman Cohen (I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF) to give us two movies for the price of one low budget effort and that's what KONGA is. The first hour of the film is remarkably well done with an intelligent script (under the circumstances) and a creative use of color for the background sets. The unique carnivorous plants are cleverly done and the movie is professionally shot by celebrated cameraman Desmond Dickinson (HORROR HOTEL/CITY OF THE DEAD). Add to that an increasingly demented performance by Michael Gough as the mad doctor and a study in feminine frustration from Margo Johns as his assistant and you had the makings of a true classic. However once the "gorilla" enters the picture, it, as the Brits would say, "goes straight into the crapper".

I don't have any qualms about them using a guy in a gorilla suit but this is the worst gorilla suit I have ever seen. It was borrowed from celebrated "apeman" George Barrows who should have been hired because whoever they got had no idea how to act like a monkey. Once KONGA was introduced , it's as if the filmmakers knew the jig was up and they just threw in the towel. The special effects become increasingly substandard and there isn't even a pretense of disguising how bad they are. The last fifteen minutes of the film left the audience in hysterics according to people who saw it in 1961 and it's easy to see why. That's what makes KONGA such a guilty pleasure. Adding to the fun is the fact that the cast plays it with an incredibly straight face with no hint of camp. The final shot of the poor little chimp lying dead in the street has to be seen to be believed.

The remarkable thing about this DVD (as mentioned in an earlier review) is how good it looks. I had never seen KONGA in color before much less in widescreen. The color is very important as the first half of the film (as mentioned earlier) seems to have a psychological basis for its color scheme. The widescreen actually makes it looks more expensive than it is until it falls apart at the end. There's no way that they couldn't know how bad it looked and I think they deliberately made it that way. Either way KONGA is one of those movies that is so bad that it's good and they just don't make em like that anymore. If you love old style bad movies than you can't afford to pass this one up. The second of three films Michael Gough made for producer Herman Cohen...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

BLACK ZOO marks the third and final teaming of producer Herman Cohen and actor Michael Gough and the results are definitely mixed. This is a pity because the other two movies, the incredibly lurid HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM and the deliriously outrageous KONGA are guilty pleasures of the first order. ZOO doesn't quite measure up to the other two although it does have its moments.

The biggest problem is the screenplay by Aben Kandel and Herman Cohen. Although responsible for the first two films, they ran out of steam this time around. This screenplay is not lurid or outrageous enough and it recycles themes and plot development (young assistant to do his dirty work, unhappy female partner) from the others. It may have been cheaper to shoot it in America (and these were certainly not big budget productions) but this one really looks cheap from the claustrophobic sets in pastel colors (which resemble the choices you had in purchasing an American Motors vehicle) to the frequently non-existant use of lighting and that kept constantly distracting me.

While technically inferior to the first two, BLACK ZOO is graced by a number of fine performances from Jerome Cowan's sleazy developer to Gough's tormented wife as played by future soap opera star Jeanne Cooper. Former child star Virginia Grey is very good in her small part as Cooper's agent and Elisha Cook Jr is...Elisha Cook Jr. There are a couple of outstanding scenes that linger long after the film is over. One is the sequence where Gough entertains his big cats with an organ recital while they lounge on furniture just like domestic ones. The other is the funeral of a tiger which is staged as if it were one of Roger Corman's Poe films.

When I first saw this back in the mid 1960s it was on TV and it was in black & white (which probably "colored" my view of it). This Warner Archive DVD-R is a high quality transfer that preserves the original widescreen aspect ratio as well as the 1950s color scheme. I only wish that it contained subtitles so that I could really follow and enjoy the "remarkable" dialogue. While not his best, this rarity is still a must for fans of Michael Gough...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

In 1932, MGM decided to do a sound remake of one of Lon Chaney's most successful post-PHANTOM OF THE OPERA movies, 1928's WEST OF ZANZIBAR. That 1928 film, based on a Broadway play, was set in the jungles of Africa and told the sensational story of an injured man's bizarre quest for revenge. A stage magician, crippled by a rival who stole his wife, plans to revenge himself on the wife and rival's infant daughter (after the wife's death) by having her raised in a brothel in Africa then transported to a secluded spot in the jungle where he controls the natives through his stage magic. He then plans to tell the father, who is in Africa working the ivory trade, what he has done, have him killed, and then have the daughter burned alive in a native ritual. However, things do not go as planned, thanks to an unseen twist of fate.

Lon Chaney died in 1930 so the studio chose character actor Walter Huston for the remake. This was appropriate as it was Huston who had actually originated the role of Chaney's character in the stage play KONGO in 1926. Huston had recently arrived in Hollywood and had played the title role in D. W. Griffith's ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1930). Huston would appear in movies regularly until his death in 1950. Other notable roles included the evangelical minister in RAIN (1932) with Joan Crawford, The Devil in ALL THAT MONEY CAN BUY (1941), the old prospector in THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1947) with Humphrey Bogart, and finally the powerful land baron in THE FURIES (1950) with Barbara Stanwyck. Walter is the father of director John Huston and grandfather of actress Angelica Huston.

Joining Huston were 21 year old Virginia Bruce in the role of the beleaguered daughter. In ZANZIBAR, Bruce's part had been played by the ill-fated Mary Nolan. Silent star Conrad Nagel, adapting well to sound, took over Warner Baxter's role as the down and out doctor while Lionel Barrymore's role of the rival went to chiseled featured character actor C. Henry Gordon. In each case the sound performers were an improvement over the silent ones not because they were better actors but because they had the opportunity to do more. There was also an additional role in KONGO which hadn't been in ZANZIBAR, that of the crippled man's exotic companion, Tula, who was played by the south-of-the-border actress Lupe Velez who had yet to become celebrated as the "Mexican Spitfire".

While the 1928 Chaney-Tod Browning WEST OF ZANZIBAR was considered pretty out there as were most of their movies, KONGO made ZANZIBAR appear pretty tame in comparison. All the sordid and disturbing aspects of the story were played up even further making KONGO one of the the most flagrant violators of the Production Code, which at the time was still 2 years away from being rigidly enforced. Rape and implied incest along with physical brutality were hinted at (but not shown) while drug and alcohol addiction certainly were. As for MGM's portrayal of the natives, by today's standards this would be considered extremely politically incorrect and racially insensitive. So would their TARZAN, THE APE MAN and THE MASK OF FU MANCHU, not to mention FREAKS, which were all made the same year (1932).

ZANZIBAR currently survives in a 61 minute version (down from 70 minutes) while KONGO was released at 86 minutes and that's the one around today. The print is also in much better shape than its predecessor which is probably due to the fact it was not successful at the box office due to much negative publicity over its storyline which bothered audiences in 1932 whereas it hadn't in 1928. While ZANZIBAR had a long run in theaters, KONGO completely disappeared shortly after it opened and so prints of it were rarely in demand. The strict enforcement of the 1930 Production Code which went into effect in 1934 made sure that no one would see it for at least 25 years until it showed up on TV in the early 1960s. Even then showings were few and far in between.

KONGO made its first appearance on home video in 1990 when MGM released it on VHS. It didn't make it to DVD until 2012 and it has yet to be issued on Blu-ray. The Warner Archive Edition is a MOD disc and comes with zero extras. However, as pointed out earlier, the print is clear and sharp and the soundtrack is clean so it isn't hard to follow which is good because there's some choice dialogue for all the major characters. While not as good as KONGO as regards the print, WEST OF ZANZIBAR is still quite watchable and comes with the original 1928 synchronized music and effects soundtrack. It's also a Warner Archive release and contains no extras either. But it does allow us the chance to compare the two movies which have some intriguing differences...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

When British filmmaker Michael Winner died in 2013, I decided to go back and revisit several of his movies (which I have done on many occasions) and the one that always makes the biggest impression is LAWMAN. When I first saw it on the big screen back in 1971, I was impressed with the big name cast (Burt Lancaster, Lee J. Cobb, Robert Ryan), the number of TV regulars (Ralph Waite, J. D. Cannon, Albert Salmi) and absolutely stunned by the finale. Now many years later I'm still impressed but somewhat saddened by Gerald Wilson's screenplay especially now with Congress constantly at an impasse and the rampart gun violence that is everywhere around us. It seems that we have gone backwards since 1971 not forward. As that statement implies, and as you can read in other reviews, LAWMAN is no mere Western. It's a morality play about the inability to compromise and its inevitable consequences.

Burt Lanaster, one of Hollywood's most unabashed liberals, was immediately drawn to the script of a no-nonsense marshal who never deviates from the letter of the law no matter what the cost. In the beginning we admire his refusal to be corrupted by bribes and his determination to bring in the lawbreakers who shot up his town. By the end we hate him. His unwillingness to yield or compromise has cost the lives of many men including some who weren't guilty. Of course cattleman Lee J. Cobb & his men could have willingly gone with Lancaster knowing that they would have gotten off with a slap on the wrist but he too is unwilling to compromise thus setting the stage for the tragic conclusion. Although tame by today's standards, the violent finale remains unsettling for its implications which are left up to the viewer.

Director Winner, who would go on to make the highly controversial DEATH WISH with Charles Bronson, had the ability early in his career to make movies that were thought provoking as well as entertaining (THE JOKERS, THE NIGHTCOMERS, CHATO'S LAND). The runaway success of DEATH WISH essentially ended his career as a "serious" filmmaker as all the studios wanted was more of the same. When THE SENTINEL, a 1977 horror film that is now highly regarded flopped, his Hollywood days were numbered and he went back to England where he made a series of interesting films (DIRTY WEEKEND, A CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL, APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH) that failed to make any kind of impact. He retired from films in 1998 after PARTING SHOTS and became a successful restaurant critic. Look him up on imdb and then check out his films. His ability to entertain first and then leave food for thought afterwards makes his movies a worthwhile experience...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

A number of reviews love to trash this version by comparing it to the Bogart/Bacall original but it's really an apples to oranges comparison. They are two very different films removed by a generation from each other. The 1946 version is a classic Hollywood film noir that is loaded with atmosphere but heavily waters down the story and makes its biggest mistake by removing Marlowe's first person narration. The 1978 version transplants the story to London and updates the setting to make it contemporary. While this is jarring at first, I got used to it quickly much like an updated version of Shakespeare. The setting may be changed but Chandler is still Chandler and this version restores the Marlowe narrative which is well delivered by Robert Mitchum.

Director Michael Winner stated that there was no way to remake a period version of the '46 Howard Hawks original so that's why he went with the updated one. It was also a way to keep costs down as the bulk of the budget went to pay the performers. It's important to note that despite having Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, and Richard Boone for the U. S market this is essentially a British film made for a British/European audience who don't bring along a lot of classic film noir baggage. Although Sarah Miles is miscast and has the worst bad hair day ever (I agree with another reviewer who said that she and Joan Collins should have swapped roles), I think Candy Clark does an admirable job with an impossible role and is better than most of her notices.

The real reasons for me to have this version are to see Mitchum, have the original storyline restored and to enjoy the supporting players. Jimmy Stewart was old and frail when he made this movie but he brings a melancholy dignity to General Sternwood. Although clearly in his cups in one of his last film appearances, Richard Boone can still manage to muster serious menace with just a touch of black humor (singing "Frankie & Johnny" after dispatching Joan Collins' lover). As for Joan, this is right before DYNASTY and it's easy to see that she was more than ready for prime time. Brit thespians Edward Fox, Colin Blakely, John Mills, and especially Oliver Reed as Eddie Mars bring assurance and a touch of class to the proceedings.

I originally had the old full frame Aritisan DVD release which was taken from an old Pioneer laserdisc and it wasn't bad but it was also all there was. This new Shout Factory release is clearly superior as it has a better overall picture quality and it features a number of extras that were only available on the Region 2 release up until now. Shout Factory has also released Mitchum's earlier FAREWELL MY LOVELY for those of you who want the period piece approach to Philip Marlowe. Don't get me wrong, I love the 1946 version but I found this version to be just as entertaining unlike Robert Altman's updated version of THE LONG GOODBYE with Elliot Gould. I'll also mention James Garner's contemporary MARLOWE from 1969 which also works and is well worth checking out...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

To mark the passing of Michael Winner and to celebrate the film's 30th anniversary(2013) the time would now seem to be propitious to finally release this movie on DVD even if it's only a DVD-R as most older movies are these days. Of course it all boils down to who currently owns the rights. Originally made for the Cannon banner, most of those films wound up being purchased by MGM whose DVDs are now being distributed in conjunction with 20th Century Fox.

There could also be a problem with the soundtrack by Tony Banks (of Genesis fame). He may be due royalties which the current owner of THE WICKED LADY doesn't want to pay. That happened to a number of late 1960s and early 1970s American International titles when they first came out on video. There could be many different reasons for the delay but whatever they are, they need to be worked out! If the film looks great on VHS (which it does), think of what a proper aspect DVD would look like.

The film was roundly panned upon its original release in 1983. The Brits hated it because they saw it as an unnecessary R rated remake of the beloved 1945 film with Margaret Lockwood and James Mason and the Americans hated it because they either didn't realize that it was meant to be tongue-in-cheek or found it too over-the-top for their liking. To criticize Dunaway's performance as overblown is to totally miss the point. Alan Bates, John Gielgud, Denholm Elliot and the rest of the cast are having a fine old time and the cinematography by Jack Cardiff (THE RED SHOES) is gorgeous to behold.

There is definitely gratuitous nudity and the nearly X rated horsewhipping scene is truly outrageous but that adds to the overheated atmosphere of the film. It's either your cup of tea or it isn't but either way it deserves to be available in the digital format. Is it a fun historical romp or over-the-top melodramatic trash? Let each viewer decide!

POSTSCRIPT: The DVD and Blu-ray versions were released by Kino Lorber in 2015 and although still available, they are outrageously expensive...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

Director Michael Winner (1935-2013) made a number of my favorite films during the 1970s. It started out with LAWMAN (1971) followed by his breakthrough year, 1972, when he made THE NIGHTCOMERS, with Marlon Brando and 2 Charles Bronson flicks CHATO'S LAND, and THE MECHANIC. 1973 saw SCORPIO with Burt Lancaster and then came the reviled yet highly successful DEATH WISH in 1974.

I mention all of this because it was THE SENTINEL in 1977 and all the controversy surrounding it that ended his career as a a high profile Hollywood filmmaker. He would make one more noteworthy film, a remake of THE BIG SLEEP in 1978 (Winner updated it and changed the setting to London which angered Raymond Chandler and Bogart/Bacall enthusiasts) and that was essentially that. I continue to watch his 1970s film as they never fail to engage and entertain me.

Back to THE SENTINEL. The controversy arose over a particularly graphic murder (which scared the audience) and the infamous finale in which Winner, taking a tip from Tod Browning's 1932 film FREAKS, used real life deformed people to play the denizens of Hell (which outraged and disgusted others). THE SENTINEL continues Winner's practice of getting high profile stars on their way up (Christopher Walken) or near the end of their careers (Ava Gardner) to appear in his movies.

The story, based on a book, deals with a NYC fashion model (Christina Raines) who moves into a beautiful, old apartment which seems too good to be true. Of course it is. While there she meets some some rather strange neighbors presided over by Burgess Meredith who gives a spellbinding performance especially at the end. Her boyfriend (Chris Sarandon) investigates the building and comes across a startling revelation. To say any more would ruin it for the people who haven't seen it.

THE SENTINEL was surprisingly not a box office success and quickly disappeared although some people never forgot it. The next chapter begins with its sale to TV. It was considered so offensive that it was censored beyond recognition with new unrelated footage shot, much footage removed (including a lesbian couple), voiceovers, and the Catholic Church changed to a heretical sect. For years this is the only way the film was seen by many.

The next chapter occurs in the early 21st century when the original, uncut version is released on DVD garnering a number of new fans who had never seen it and surprising old fans who only knew the TV version. The final chapter has now been written with the film now available on Blu-Ray and looking better than it ever has. It contains a wealth of extras including commentaries from actress Cristina Raines and director Michael Winner...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

BLACK TORMENT was a movie I read about in books on British horror films but it was one which I had never seen until I was recently able to rent it locally. I was so impressed that I went out and bought it. It's not a classic but it is very well done. BLACK TORMENT was made in 1964 by a small production called Compton headed up by Tony Tenser who would eventually start one of Hammer's main competitors Tigon Films (makers of WITCHFINDER GENERAL, BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW) later in the decade.

Compton produced some interesting films in the mid-1960s including Roman Polanski's REPULSION, The Sherlock Holmes meets Jack the Ripper thriller A STUDY IN TERROR and George Harrison's WONDERWALL. BLACK TORMENT was obviously an attempt to cash in on the success of Hammer Films and the film turns out to be not such much a horror film as a Gothic one like those being produced in Italy with Barbara Steele (CASTLE OF BLOOD, NIGHTMARE CASTLE) although not as gruesome. In fact it was of the few true English Gothic movies that I've seen as it comes straight out of the tradition of Ann Radcliffe and Horace Walpole.

The plot is standard Gothic stuff. An 18th century nobleman returns to his family estate only to be told that he's been there before and committed murder. He begins to see the ghost of his first wife and starts to doubt his own sanity. Meanwhile more murders occur. If you're a fan of Gothic literature you'll have a pretty good idea of how this all turns out but I won't spoil it for you. The film is beautifully shot which comes as no surprise since the cameraman is Peter Newbrook who would later direct the atmospheric Victorian shocker THE ASPHYX.

The real surprise is that the director is Robert Hartford-Davis who would go on to make CORRUPTION and BLOOD SUCKERS (INCENSE FOR THE DAMNED) two very different films in terms of style and content. All were photographed by Newbrook so there is that connecting thread. Although there are no major genre stars, the costumes are appropriate, the settings atmospheric (inside and out), and the music is effective. A good, old-fashioned Gothic thriller that really entertains if you're into this sort of thing. This Redemption DVD of BLACK TORMENT looks very good but I'm sure there's a better print out there somewhere...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

...or may ever want to see him again. 1968's CORRUPTION is surely the most uncharacteristic movie Cushing ever made. Not that he isn't his usual dignified self, it's just that every thing around him seems so whacked out. Actually it's vice-versa. This is Swinging London ca. 1967 and in this environment Cushing seems as out of place as prime rib at a vegan restaurant. That contrast is what gives CORRUPTION its raison d'etre but it remains a difficult film for long time fans of the actor to sit through. That doesn't make it a bad film just an unpleasant one.

The plot is basically a rehash of the famous 1959 French shocker LES YEUX SANS VISAGE (Eyes Without A Face) in which a plastic surgeon desperately attempts to repair his daughter's hideously scarred face. In CORRUPTION instead of his daughter it's Cushing's beautiful much younger wife (Sue Lloyd) who needs the repair job. After the initial skin graft doesn't work Cushing is forced to go out and murder women for fresh grafts. Soon the younger wife has younger companions and this eventually leads to a wild finish with an out-of-control laser. And then...well, you'll just have to see it to find out or look it up which won't take nearly as long.

Watching CORRUPTION again after 3 years, in lieu of the new Blu Ray/DVD release and after watching countless British horror movies, I discovered what a really remarkable film it is from a technical standpoint. As another reviewer points out in greater detail, the film is beautifully photographed and the compositions of the shots themselves (ie. What's in the frame) are rather striking. D. O. P. Peter Newbrook would go on to photograph CRUCIBLE OF TERROR (1971) and direct THE ASPHYX (1973).

The new release gives you the choice of the 1968 Columbia Pictures version that played in English speaking countries or the "uncut" European/Japanese version which features additional gore and nudity. The release of CORRUPTION now means that all of his major movies are available in a Region 1 digital format. This Grindhouse release cannot be faulted as it contains loads of extras as well as both versions of the film. It's now up to you as to whether you want to see it. Top marks for the packaging but not for the content. The poster (for the uncut version) says it all...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

I have recently developed an appreciation for low budget British filmmaker Robert Hartford-Davis (1923-1977) after watching a handful of his horror films such as BLACK TORMENT (1965), CORRUPTION (1968), and THE FIEND aka BEWARE THE BRETHREN (1972). The constant thread running through these and such films as BLACK GUNN (1973) are imaginative camerawork, crisp but non-flashy editing, and consistently interesting performances from his actors.

In that sense Hartford-Davis is sort of a poor man's Michael Winner (literally since he never had the budgets Winner did for his films) which is meant as a compliment. I have a strong admiration for directors like Edgar G. Ulmer, Edward L. Cahn, and now Hartford-Davis who could create numerous memorable moments out of the small budgets that they had to work with. Small budgets also meant that they were stuck in genre films like horror or exploitation (Blaxploitation in this case) but even in this category the cream always manages to rise to the top.

Despite the title, BLACK GUNN is not a remake of the old TV series PETER GUNN refitted for an African-American audience. It's an urban crime melodrama set in L. A. with Jim Brown as the successful owner of a night club whose younger brother rips off the mob. We all know happens when you do that. Throw in some black militancy, some deliberately provocative racist dialogue, a delightfully droll performance by Martin Landau as the chief baddie, and B movie veterans Bruce Glover and William Campbell as a pair of deliriously sleazy hoods and you've got classic entertainment early 70s style (Quentin Tarantino said GUNN made him want to be a director).

It's all directed with a quiet panache by Hartford-Davis who had just come to America and would make one more feature before going into television and dying of a heart attack at 53. Is it a great movie? Of course not but within the limited parameters it has to contend with, BLACK GUNN is one of the best of the many blaxploitation movies that were made at this time. I thoroughly enjoyed it and Robert Hartford-Davis is the reason why...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

Back in 1988 MGM in conjunction with Turner Entertainment (no Turner Classic Movies back then) released this version of Erich von Stroheim's masterwork GREED on VHS as part of their Silent Classics series. The print used was prepared by England's Photoplay Productions the number one restorer of silent films at the time and is based on the original release version of 1924. In 1999 Warner Bros and TCM brought out a 2 tape version of the film prepared by Rick Schmidlin with production photos used to fill in the legendary missing footage. That version weighs in at 239 minutes and while it's great for film buffs to see what might have been, it's easier for the ordinary viewer to see what is.

Frank Norris' novel McTEAGUE about how money destroys the lives of a working class dentist (Gibson Gowland) and his wife (Zasu Pitts in an extraordinary performance) was expanded by von Stroheim into a film whose rough cut ran for 9 hours. The director intended the film to be 5 hrs long and divided into two parts. He sanctioned a 194 min version but MGM cut it down to 140 minutes primarily to remove the character of Zwerkow the junkman as Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg found von Stroheim's treatment of the character too anti-semitic.

Neither version has made it to DVD but when the time comes I'm sure it will be the 239 minute one which would be too bad. As I mentioned earlier the Photoplay version approximates the original 1924 release and is much easier for a present day audience to stay with. It also comes with a dynamic full orchestral score from silent film musicmeister Carl Davis which greatly enhances the viewing experience and it features a wonderful brief introduction that tells the story of the film's tortured history. Grab this VHS version while you can because once the other is released on DVD, this one will disappear except for maybe some Region 2 copies somewhere down the road...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

Edward L. Cahn has become a forgotten man among low budget filmmakers. Not as gifted as Edgar G. Ulmer nor stunningly incompetent like Ed Wood Jr or as prolific as William Beaudine, Cahn was nevertheless responsible for many of the more memorable moments which occured in 50's B movies. To the first generation raised on television IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE and INVISIBLE INVADERS were classics of their kind which inspired other more celebrated films (ALIEN and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD)

Cahn earned the nickname "Fast Eddie" in Hollywood because of his ability to shoot his pictures quickly and efficiently (he made 110 films over a 30 year period). He first came to prominence at MGM directing the last several OUR GANG shorts in the late 1930's. He then worked for several independent outfits who released through Columbia, American International, and United Artists where he finished his career.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was his swan song and his only film in color which is too bad because one of its highlights is the imaginative use of lighting to enhance the color photography. The Beast make-up was done by Jack P. Pierce who did the legendary Universal monsters which is why it resembles Lon Chaney Jr's WOLF MAN. Mark Damon (FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER) and Joyce Taylor make a lovely couple as the title characters while veteran villians Walter Burke and Michael Pate help to add spice to the proceedings. There are also several shots which, as was characteristic of Cahn, manage to stick with you once the movie is over though you really don't know why.

While definitely not the best version of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (the Jean Cocteau 1946 film will always reign supreme while Disney's will remain the best known), this one is not without merit. "Fast Eddie" was one of those rare directors who could get the very most out of the very least. The ability to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear is a talent that deserves to be remembered.

In the mid 1970s Kevin Francis (son of legendary cinematographer and director Freddie Francis) made a foolhardy attempt to keep alive the old school of British horror that he had grown up with (and to which his father had made significant contributions). Unfortunately he was tilting at windmills as his company Tyburn, which had previously released Richard Burton's DOCTOR FAUSTUS in 1967, did not have the financial resources, nor the distribution capabilities, and ultimately the audience to make his grand scheme work. In 1975 they made three films (LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF, THE GHOUL, PERSECUTION) before retreating into television where they kept a very low profile. In 1984 they once more rose to the occasion by giving Peter Cushing one last meaty role to close out his career on. It was a role that he had played 25 years earlier in Hammer's HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. That role, of course, was Sherlock Holmes.

Cushing was 70 years old when shooting on the film began and once more the game was afoot. Tyburn surrounded him with several old friends and top flight talent so that THE MASKS OF DEATH would be a grand sendoff. His old Hammer compatriots actor Anton Diffring and director Roy Ward Baker were there and Tyburn recruited Ray Milland and Anne Baxter from America to enrich the proceedings. The biggest coup however was getting John Mills to play Dr. Watson. Picking up where Andre Morell had left off in HOUND (Morell died in 1978), Mills is the perfect Watson...intelligent, trustworthy, and devoted to his friend. There is a great chemistry there which enhances their scenes together and it helps to make MASKS one of the better Holmes offerings especially for a film that is a TV movie complete with blackouts. What it lacks due to budgetary restrictions is more than made up for by watching these old pros in action.

The film opens in 1926 with an aged Watson hiring a stenographer to set down in writing the details of a case that had been suppressed by the British government for more than a decade. Cushing, his frame as thin as ever and with white hair, epitomizes Holmes with just a roll of the eyes as he urges Watson to get on with it. The bulk of the story takes place in 1913 right before the outbreak of World War I. While investigating the discovery of three bodies, their faces distorted horribly (hence the title), Holmes is approached by the Home Secretary (Milland) and a German aristocrat (Diffring) to drop that case and find a missing member of German royalty. This leads Holmes & Watson in many directions for there is more going on than meets the eye. To say anything else would be criminal except that Warner Brothers, who released this VHS, should release it on Archive DVD as soon as possible...for more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

When I was growing up in the 1950s and the early 1960s, I remember reading about this film in TV GUIDE (remember when it was a staple in every home?) and looked forward to seeing it. Unfortunately in those pre-cable/streaming days, it was never shown on a channel that could be picked up on the family TV. By the end of the 1960s it had disappeared from TV showings and became one of those lost Fox Film movies that were made before the merger with Darryl F. Zanuck's 20th Century Pictures in 1935 (in fact it was the last pre-merger production).

A massive warehouse fire in 1937 desroyed virtually all of the original negatives of the Fox Films made up to that time. Only those of Shirley Temple & Will Rogers, the company's two biggest stars, were still readily available. Spencer Tracy appeared in over 20 movies at Fox beginning in 1932. Some of these were very highly regarded (ME & MY GAL & THE POWER & THE GLORY to name two) but few were box office successes. His later fame from his movies at MGM coupled with the warehouse fire have kept most of his early work from being seen. Hopefully that will be remedied with the Fox Cinema Archives series starting with this DVD-R release of DANTE'S INFERNO.

This film was Tracy's last for Fox and it was a grand production directed by Harry Lachman who was a celebrated post-Impressionist painter. His eye for detail can be seen throughout the film but nowhere more than in the silent 10 minute "Hell" sequence which was patterned after Gustave Dore's illustartions for THE DIVINE COMEDY. The story of an unscrupulous carnival barker who eventually gets his comeuppance and a chance at redemption (shades of LILIOM / CAROUSEL) was tailor made for Tracy who reportedly hated the movie yet it never shows (it never did).

Claire Trevor does a good job in the unchallenging role of his wife and it gives us the rare opportunity to hear the wonderful voice of stage actor Henry B. Walthall who began his career in the silent era and is best known for BIRTH OF A NATION. The young dancer in the casino boat sequence at the end is a 16 year old Rita Hayworth billed under her real name of Rita Cansino. Filled with personal drama, spectacular sets and effects as well as a riveting climax, DANTE'S INFERNO is not a great film but it's an excellent example of early Spencer Tracy and the work of the artisans at pre-20th Century Fox...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

I had seen stills of this 1911 Italian epic for many years but it wasn't until 2005 that I had the opportunity to see it. That was shortly after this DVD was released by Snapper UK. A quick look at the other titles available from that label indicate that they primarily released concert footage of progressive rock music. That's were Tangerine Dream comes into the picture. If it weren't for them wanting to accompany the film, it wouldn't have been released at all. Too bad because the score they came up with is unfortunate. I used to listen to Tangerine Dream back in the 1970s and really liked them. I thought their score for Ridley Scott's LEGEND w/Tom Cruise was excellent but that is not the case here. Unlike LEGEND, the music does not match the visuals which is paramount for accompanying a silent movie. Even without the film the score is tedious and repetitive and far from their best work.

As for the movie itself, considering when it was made (1911), it's a truly remarkable achievement. Before the onset of World War I the Italian film industry was one of the best in the world. It was the Italians who pioneered the feature length movie as well as the epic spectacular. Such films as LAST DAYS OF POMPEII, QUO VADIS?, and especially CABIRIA inspired moviemakers in France and the United States to do the same thing. D. W. Griffith decided to make his own epics and came up with BIRTH OF A NATION and INTOLERANCE. Skilled at opera sets and scenery, the Italians did a masterful job in recreating Gustave Dore's celebrated engravings. The lengthy title cards are necessary to convey some of Dante's text and the images depicted.

Unfortunately there does not appear to be a restored version of the movie available, if one has even been done at all. The technology for a full restoration now exists so hopefully one day we'll be able to see it as it really looked. Let us also hope that an appropriate musical accompaniment will be provided as this Tangerine Dream score is not it. There is currently another version of this film available coupled with HAXAN another silent movie that deals with witchcraft. It uses the same print but adds color tints and has generic classical music as a soundtrack. Of course you can turn the volume down and use your own music. That's one of the beauties of silent movies.

UPDATE; 7-19-21: There is currently a high quality version of L'INFERNO available on You Tube. The picture image has been cleaned up considerably with clear intertitles and effective color tints added. This version features a newly composed soundtrack (2016) by Mike Kiker which somewhat resembles early Mike Oldfield. Highly recommended until a fully restored version comes along...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.