I could write a million words about Exodus' original lead singer, who died 10 years ago. I never met him, never had the pleasure of seeing him live when he was with the band, but his spirit always shines through, whether watching his shows on Youtube, or hearing his music, or what others have to say about him. All I'm going to say is this: Paul Baloff - Heavier Than Time. Enjoy the videos. Don't forget to headbang.
Friday, 2 March 2012
House of Dracula (1945) - A Review
The ‘House of Dracula’ is yet another of the
Universal sequels, with familiar monsters, convoluted mad Doctor
plotlines and clichés galore. But it’s also rather good…
Dracula (John Carradine, in a chilling, dignified
performance), has decided he wants to be cured of his vampirism and
evil-ness, seeking out kindly Doctor Franz Edelmann (Onslow Stevens) to aid
him. Of course, Dracula is lying (the fiend!), using the ploy to get close to the Doctor’s
daughter, the sumptuous Milizia (Martha O’Driscoll). In a series of insane
events, however, the plot spirals out of control, as Lawrence Talbot turns up
wanting to be cured of his lycanthropy (and Lon Chaney, Jr. gives yet another
fantastic performance as the haunted Wolfman), Frankenstein’s monster is found
buried in the sand, and Dracula possesses Dr. Franz via his bloodstream!
This film offers nothing especially new to the
Universal horror table, and many of the clichés and settings are much the same
as in previous sequels ‘House of Frankenstein’ and ‘The Ghost of Frankenstein’. It
is, however, wonderfully enjoyable, and gorgeously directed by Erle C. Kenton.
We get to see Dracula actually transform into a bat
before our very eyes (a big thing for audiences at the time), and Dr. Franz go
from a force for good, to Mr. Hyde-esque vulgarity. Yes, Frankenstein’s
monster (played by Glenn Strange, who made the part his own in three movies) is
tacked on and used at the end just to bring the house down (literally), but his
inclusion adds to the fun. The shot of him buried in the sand is also suitably
chilling.
Lon Chaney, Jr. is splendid as Talbot. Indeed, being
the only actor to have played the Wolfman and his human counterpart in all the
original Universal films, you get the sense that Chaney understood his
character. Unlike the lumbering monster, or the cold evil of Dracula, Chaney
gives Talbot real emotional depth, and the scenes in this film with Talbot in
human form are far more interesting than when he becomes the Wolfman. It’s a
joy at the end, to learn that he has finally been cured of his lycanthropy.
As a Bela Lugosi fan, it’s always a sorry point to
look at how his career declined, and a sad fact that he never reprised Dracula
on screen (in a horror film, at least). Carradine, however, is simply
excellent. Rather than imitating Lugosi, he makes the role his own, taking
explicit inspiration from the original Bram Stoker novel. He manages to be both
suave and malicious, devious and sadistic. It’s all there. It is, however, a
surprise that his character is killed off so soon, considering the film bares his
name. It’s Dr. Franz who takes over as chief villain, possessed by Dracula and
essentially becoming a Mr. Hyde subtitute.
One ‘monster’ in the film who is not evil at all, is
the lovely Nina (Jane Adams). A beautiful, intelligent lady, Nina is also a
hunchback, and the use of such an attractive lady to play the part of somebody
with a disfigurement really adds character and depth to the film. It’s a
masterstroke, and Jane Adams does the role justice.
‘House of Dracula’ is a great popcorn flick. Action,
suspense, characters with depth, the usual lush settings of towers and caverns,
and four super monsters duking it out…all packed into a mere 65 minutes.
A must-see for any horror fan!
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