Shocktober 2023, Week 1

I'm back! (I guess) This week my brother and I watched a bunch of monster movies whilst also continuing our slow but steady effort to watch all of the horror movies produced by the British studio, Hammer Film Productions.

1. The Mummy (1999)

Though The Mummy not exactly a horror film, it does draw inspiration from the iconic Universal series of the 30's and 40's, whilst infusing it with some Indiana Jones style action/adventure elements. It's one of the more successful attempts, that I've seen at least, at recapturing the energy of the aforesaid series, albeit without Spielberg's directorial flair. The production value is impressive, and the effects (mostly) hold up all these years later. Brendan Fraser is well cast in the lead role, his rugged charisma complemented by Rachel Weisz, as the nerdy but tenacious Egyptologist. The lore the writers came up with behind the titular monster Mummy is creative, if a little theologically dubious, drawing as it does from the biblical ten plagues but without reference to the One, True God who sent them. 

7.8/10

2. Dog Soldiers (2002)

A low budget werewolf picture that has become something of a cult classic, Dog Soldiers largely lives up to its reputation as a minimalistic, suspenseful thriller. It's not a particularly profound film, avoiding the usual explorations of concupiscence and existential body horror that usually comes with the territory, the film avoids becoming a mere exercise in gross-out gore (ala Dead Snow) thanks to its likable cast of characters, whose heroism and loyalty ground the film with a sense of humanity. This is thanks in no small measure to the cast, headed by Sean Pertwee, and to writer/director Neil Marshall's hard-boiled dialogue and matter-of-fact approach to the film's fanciful subject matter. 

8/10

3. Phantom of the Opera (1925) 

The first really classic Universal Horror film and the earliest (surviving) adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel, Phantom of the Opera (1925) is carried, first and foremost, by Lon Chaney's iconic portrayal of the titular phantom. The makeup, which Chaney created himself, is truly gruesome, a characteristic that many later portrayals lack. The set design is also superb, in particular the Phantom's lair with all its death traps and intricate decor. On the other hand, the pacing is a little erratic and the ending in particular, feels rushed. films production was something of a nightmare. Poor test screenings lead the studio to hire a new director reshoot almost the entire film, only to make a third (and final) edit combining elements of the two earlier versions. Given this, it is remarkable that the film turned out as well as it did. 

8/10

4. Arachnophobia (1999)

A fun 90's monster movie that feels like a cross between Jurassic Park and The Burbs. Director Frank Marshall delivers some suspenseful scenes and Jeff Daniels is good in the lead, anchored by a strong supporting cast. John Goodman, in particular, steals the show in his brief but memorable role as the over-the-top exterminator, Delbert McClintock. On the other hand, the script relies a little too heavily on characters making stupid decisions in order to move the plot forward and the score, by the usually reliable Trevor Jones, is a little overbearing. 

7.8/10

5. Phantom of the Opera (1962)

Herbert Lom makes for a decidedly more sympathetic phantom in this Hammer studios adaptation of Leroux's novel. Perhaps a little too sympathetic, sucking most of the horror out of the story. Despite this the film functions well as a mystery thriller and, surprisingly, an interesting exploration of tormented artistic genius. The production design is magnificent, as usual with Hammer horror. The story's action is shifted from Paris to London and the opera-elements are interesting, though the take up a little too much of the film's runtime. 

8/10

6. The Damned (1962) 

A curious film, exploring cold war anxieties about nuclear winter. In The Damned Macdonald Carey plays an American tourist who, while boating near the south coast of England, stumbles upon a top-secret government program involving young children, whose parents were exposed to nuclear radiation. The overly complicated plot also involves a delinquent motorbike gang, who are out to get the noisy tourist after the sister of their over-protective leader runs away with him. The film's meandering pacing is somewhat compensated for by its tragic, disturbing climax, which raises some interesting ethical questions that the writers would have done well to explore earlier on in the film. 

Score: 7.8/10

7. The Old Dark House (1963) 

A co-production of Hammer and William Castle Productions, The Old Dark House is a rather dull parody of the classic 1932 Universal film of the same name. The film doesn't really get going until the last act, the zaniness of which is not enough to compensate for the first hour of decidedly unfunny gags. The only redeeming quality is Mervyn Johns as Uncle Potiphar, whose belief that a divine chastisement is imminent leads him to construct a replica of Noah's ark in the backyard. If nothing else this makes for some refreshing screwball high jinks in what is otherwise a lame comedy. 

6.2/10