Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Suspiria

      In my review of Dawn of the Dead, I mentioned Dario Argento, who had helped facilitate the creation of that film. Originally a film critic, Argento got his start in the Italian film industry when none other than Sergio Leone recruited him and fellow critic turned eventual director Bernardo Bertolucci to write the story to Once Upon a Time in the West. From there, he entered the giallo genre of Italian horror pioneered by directors like Mario Bava with The Bird with Crystal Plumage, starting off a prolific and influential career (many American slashers would take influence from the giallo genre from films like Bava's and Argento's). The particular idea for this film came from English writer Thomas de Quincey's 1845 collection of essays, Suspiria de Profundis, which included Levana and Our Ladies of Sorrow, an essay exploring the idea that there are three Sorrows (Tears, Sighs, and Darkness), much as there are three Fates. Argento took further influence from occult and witchcraft (notably the ideas of Rudolf Steiner) to construct the idea of Three "Mothers" that would embody these sorrows, and would write a trilogy exploring each, with Suspiria being about the Mother of Sighs. Argento's girlfriend Daria Nicolodi further helped with the development (eventually getting a co-screenwriter credit), both infusing influence from fairy tales like Snow White and her own personal stories (including her grandmother's experience at a music academy, and a dream which influenced the ending), which would create the setting of the film as a ballet academy in Germany. Argento originally intended for the film to star girls as young as 12 (to fit in with the fairy tale influences), but his father Salvatore, who produced the film, refused, feeling the violence, gory nature of the film would cause trouble with such young actresses. After the ages were increased, Daria was meant to play the lead, but again, the producers felt an American actress would help promote the film better. Thus, Jessica Harper was cast, based on her performance in Brian de Palma's Phantom of the Paradise. German and Italian actors rounded out the rest of the cast, including Udo Kier. Shot in De Paoli Studio in Rome, as well as additional shooting in Munich, most of the cast spoke in whatever their native language was, which was dubbed over in English or whatever language. Released in 1977, it would garner success critically and financially, both in the US and Italy. Argento would further explore the "Three Mothers" concept in two other films (Inferno and The Mother of Tears), which, with Suspiria, form the aptly named "Three Mothers" trilogy. And, of course, there is the remake coming up in a few weeks at the time of writing.

       Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper) comes to Freiburg to attend the prestigious Tanz Dance Academy. Unfortunately for her, she has to deal with a downpour, especially when she is briefly turned away from the Academy's door. She catches a glimpse of a girl (Eva Axen), however, as she flees. The girl, Patricia Hingle, runs through the woods, and finds herself at the home of her friend Sara (  Stefania Casini), where she appears to be paranoid about something. Sure enough, she is attacked, and killed in a spectacular, violent manner. This starts off a chain of events, which sees Suzy descend into the strangeness of the Academy itself...

       The one thing that immediately stood out for me in this film was the colors. This has very distinct lighting that bathes the characters in every scene in a strange aura, which precludes the events as they happen. The way that Argento uses Reds and Blues especially helps give the film both a distinct look, and helps with the atmosphere. It is just gorgeous to look at, and shows the images in a sheer, unfettered manner. In some ways, it contrasts the first film I did this month, Night of the Living Dead, which utilized black-and-white to its fullest potential. This emphasizes color films, and uses colors and shadows to create tension.  The style of this film helps with enticing the viewer and pulling them in, along with helping set the mood for the story. You noted the short synopsis, and I really don't want to give anything away. This is the kind of film that needs to be seen. It cannot be conveyed properly through words. Not only with the visuals, but with the story itself. It needs to be viewed with as little context as possible to get the full extent of it. I'm serious, I don't want to spoil any of it. It needs to be seen to be believed.

     The dubbing felt off. It gets distracting sometimes when the speaker is clearly ADR-ed in. It destroys the emersion that the silent moments so very carefully craft. I never felt that the characters weren't actually speaking to each other, but it always took me out of the film when a character's voice didn't match. There were also some confusing aspects to the film, particularly towards the beginning and end, that felt like more explanation or more time was needed to fully detail this.

      A couple days ago, I saw a Wired article that said something to the effect of "Don't watch the original Suspiria  before the remake." Of course, I disregarded this, given I've already replaced one of the planned films. Still, having not yet seen the remake, go watch this. Whether or not you are a horror fan, this is simply an excellently crafted, beautifully shot, and very shocking film that really stuns you in a very good way. This is an overall recommendation.

    So, that's it for this year. I hope you enjoyed this and the new Summer edition. I'm glad I'm back to choosing a diverse range of films to do, after doing more concentrated work for last year and the Summer of Terror. I really do enjoy watching these, and writing about these, and with the new Summer, I hope to watch more of the popular franchises that have come along over the years. Anyways, thanks for following all this month, and I don't know if I'll start November like this, but I'm planning on doing a "Dailles and Nightlies" on 2010, the sequel to 2001.   

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- American Psycho

       Bret Eaton Ellis' American Psycho was released in 1991, towards the end of the 80's culturally in the US (with the collapse of the USSR and the election of Bill Clinton on the horizon). Having explored the culture of dissatisfied teens in Less than Zero and The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho explored the "yuppie" subculture of wealthy young people on Wall Street, through the lens of Patrick Bateman, secretly a psychotic murderer, and would explore the excesses of consumerism and capitalism. The book was ... controversial after its publication, with some taking issue with Bateman's misogyny and the violence. The controversy didn't deter Hollywood, with producer Edward R. Pressman buying the rights with Johnny Depp in mind for the lead in 1992. After Stuart Gordon fell through, David Cronenberg was attached to direct, with a script by Ellis himself.  Eventually, this fell apart due Ellis' dissatisfaction with where Cronenberg wanted to take the film. The film went around, at one point being considered for a TV series for NBC, before eventually ending up with another Canadian director Mary Harron (known for her film on Valerie Solarias, I Shot Andy Warhol (if you wanted to know who she was)), working from a script she wrote with frequent collaborator Guinevere Turner. Controversy still followed the film, due to the book's reputation and especially due to the Columbine massacre. Many tried to stop the film's production through various means, and many fashion labels and some artists (including Whitney Houston) refused to have their products shown. Christian Bale (ironically the stepson of famed feminist Gloria Steinem, a staunch critic of the book and the production, who would later urge Leonardo DiCaprio when he was attached to back out) was given the lead, with Willem Defoe, Reese Witherspoon, and Jared Leto in supporting roles. Emerging Canadian film company Lionsgate would purchase the film, though pushing for Edward Norton or Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead. Harron briefly left when Lionsgate replaced Bale with DiCaprio, and Oliver Stone replaced her. However, when this fell apart both Harron and Bale returned. Bale primarily channeled Tom Cruise in the role (ironically, given Cruise was a minor character in the book), and studied the book extensively to prepare for the role.  Released in Sundance to polarized reactions, it would receive positive reviews and good box office. Ellis was decided ... mixed on the film, let's just say.

      In 1987, Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) lives a very meticulous life as a Wall Street investment banker. He has an extensive morning routine to keep his face fresh, he has what we in our modern era might call a playlist of 80's pop to listen to, and he dines with his fiancee Evelyn (Reese Witherspoon) and their vapid friends, including Paul Allen (Jared Leto, and yes, that name is a bit of an odd choice). This all hides his nature as a sociopath and murderer. When Allen displays a better business card than his, Bateman takes out his rage by killing a homeless man (the late Reg E. Cathey) and his dog. Bateman then lures Allen to his apartment, where he lectures Allen on Huey Lewis and the News, before axe-murdering him. This sends Bateman on a spiral, as he is interviewed by police detective Donald Kimball (Willem Defoe)

       I think that this film walks a very fine line. Its various observations, in any other hands, would've seemed too preachy or obvious, and might've come off too comedic to be truly satirical (if that makes any sense). However, director Harron manages to make it obvious, but natural enough that the viewer can believe what the characters are saying, and also glean the messages at hand. How Bateman's feels alienated by a world as meaningless and cold as 1980's Wall Street, and that just fuels his own rage. Christian Bale is a true standout, giving, I think, a better performance than even his turn as Batman in Christopher Nolan's trilogy. He captures both Bateman's yuppie outer self talking to his peers, and him as a depraved individual indulging in his murderous delusions, as well as his mental decline.  I read that Ellis' biggest complaint was that the unreliable narrator aspect of the book wasn't conveyed properly. I disagree. If anything, the unreliable narrator was the best part, keeping the viewer in the dark as to whether Bateman is just imaging the increasingly out there moments that happen to him. The contrast between the very ornate places Bateman inhabits and the very gory violence he inflicts cements the film's themes.

    I felt that some parts were left unresolved or unexplained. Like the character of Kimball sort of disappears at the end, and Allen is implied to be still alive. Or the fact that Bateman is mistaken for various other people. Maybe these are better explained in the book, but they feel like they don't go anywhere or really fit within the film.

      I had wanted to read the book before doing this review, since I had seen the film before, and had hoped to get a new perspective on it. Life got in the way of that, however. That said, this is a true modern classic of the genre, a satirical piece that takes on the culture of the Reagan era and all its truly emotionless, money-driven culture, and holds specific relevance today, if you catch my meaning. A definite watch for fans and non-fans alike.

Tomorrow, I close out this year, in honor of its remake, with Dario Argento's Suspiria.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Hellboy II: The Golden Army

     (Okay, a bit of explanation. I couldn't find Spirit of the Beehive online anywhere. I assumed it was on Hulu, but for some reason, it wasn't there. Since getting a DVD of it would take a couple days, I decided to make a last minute pass, and choose something that was more easily available. To compound manners, I twisted my foot over the weekend, and had to spent time recovering from that. With that out of the way).

      Not much history, as to be expected from a sequel. Guillermo del Toro had intended a trilogy with the character, and with the success of the first one, the sequel was to be released in 2006. However, Revolution Studios, which had produced the original, went bankrupt, and Columbia stepped in to distribute. After bouncing around a few ideas (including reinterpretations of classic monsters and elemental titans) and some stories from the comics to adapt, del Toro and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola wrote an original story. The film finally entered production after Pan's Labyrinth won many accolades. Released in 2008, the film was both financially and critically successful, and a third film was in development, before it faltered, and a reboot (currently slated for 2019 with Stranger Things' David Harbour in the lead role) was deemed necessary.

     On Christmas Day, 1955, Trevor Bruttenholm (the late John Hurt) tells his adoptive son Hellboy (Montse Ribe) about the legend of the Golden Army. How humans and elves went to war many years ago, and how the Golden Army was created by Goblin engineers for the elves to destroy humanity. However, the elf King Balor ( Roy Dotrice) sees the destruction wrought about by his new army, and how he created a pact with mankind. However, Prince Nuada (Luke Gross), who had tempted his father to creating the Golden Army, is dissatisfied with this, and leaves to be called back at some indeterminate time, while the Golden Army is sealed away with the elf crown being the key to opening it. Sure enough, in the present day, Nuada decides his time has come to destroy the humans, and retrieves their portion of the crown from an auction at a museum. He then kills Balor, and takes his portion, while his sister Nuala (Anne Walton) flees with the final portion. Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and fellow Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) agents Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, now doing both voice and body) investigate the initial attack, and find themselves the victims of tooth fairies (which are not as innocuous as they sounds). They defeat them, but Hellboy is exposed for the first time to the public, prompting fallout with the higher ups, particularly BPRD head Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor). They take one tooth fairy, and have their new team leader, Johann Krauss (John Alexander and James Dodd for body, Seth MacFarlane (!) for the voice) a German whose body is now a strange ectoplamsa material contained in a suit, examine it. This leads them on a course that will intersect them with Nuala and then, having to stop Nuada from reviving the Golden Army.

      I don't know where to start with how good this film is. It has great effects, an engaging story, great performances, great action, a larger sense of world building and mythology, some nice homages here and there (including references to the films of John Landis and Ray Harryhausen). Unlike the more mysterious original, this one has a more of an action-packed, urban fantasy feel to the proceedings, which actually works in that it still feels like it's in the universe of the original. It also has the character grow from the original, and grow throughout the film. The Golden Army itself was built up well, especially with their ability to regenerate, making their threat very clear, and forcing a unique solution beyond a direct confrontation.

     This is one of those films where every flaw I could think of actually works upon revisitation. I suppose the length.... nah, I'm kidding, it's 2 hours long. I think a little bit more backstory was needed for somethings. Like, if the elves were solely restricted to the British Isles and Ireland or were more worldwide, and a bit more on Johann Krauss and what happened to him (since he turns to the heroes side due to a tragedy in his life). It might've helped flesh out the story a bit more.

    I was harsh on the original Hellboy. I think I didn't really appreciate it for what it was, a fun romp with many different references and complex worldbuilding. I think this is better than the original, and a whole hearted recommendation to anyone who loves horror, urban fantasy, action, or del Toro films. Just, maybe watch the original first, however.

   We're at the home stretch, so Friday will see the modern classic American Psycho. 

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- The Blair Witch Project

      The found footage sub-genre of horror was said to have been started by the 1980 Italian feature Cannibal Holocaust, where it was used to satirize Italian media coverage of terrorist groups during the "Years of Lead". In 1998, The Last Broadcast, an American film, used the format to tell the story of the Jersey Devil. In 1993,   Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, students at the University of Central Florida, had the idea of a fictional documentary on a mysterious paranormal phenomenon, based on their shared opinion that paranormal documentaries were scarier than traditional horror films. They decided to combine more traditional horror tropes from films like The Shining and Alien with documentaries like the series In Search of...(narrated by Leonard Nimoy, incidentally) and, probably the biggest influence, Charles Pierce's 1972 docudrama The Legend of Boggy Creek (about the Fouke monster, a bigfoot like creature in Arkansas). They formed Haxan films to produce it, and spend years refining the concept, using multiple influences, including mystics like Rasputin and Edward Kelly, the Salem Witch Trials, and Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Leads Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard were hired through auditions in the Musical Theater Works in New York. Eventually, the film would begin principal photography in Maryland, which lasted 8 days until Halloween, 1997. The actors were unaware that the mythology of the Blair Witch was entirely fabricated by the directors, or that the townspeople they interviewed were planted. They also improvised, due to unexpected events the directors threw in. Over twenty hours of footage was shot, which was cut down to 2 and a half hour film, which was screened at the Sundance Film Festival. Hoping at least for a television run, the directors were likely surprised when Artisan Entertainment (known for films like Reservoir Dogs and Bad Lieutenant) purchased the film for $1.1 million. Sure enough, the film, with a budget of only $60,000, grossed $284 million at the box office. The fictional mythology and footage of the film was trumpeted as real during publicity, which is credited as helping the film. The film spawned off two sequels and a larger media franchise.

      The film starts with a disclaimer that the footage we are about to see was recovered from the woods after the mysterious disappearance of Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Joshua Leonard in the Maryland woods. Said footage shows them interviewing various citizens of the town of Blair, Maryland about a local legend called "The Blair Witch". They hear of 1940's child murderer Rustin Parr, and of a woman in the 1800's, Robin Weaver, who saw an old woman floating when she was lost in the woods. The documentarians head into the woods in search of the legend, but gradually become lost due to Mike throwing the map in the creek. As tensions rise between the three, they find a number of strange occurrances have been happening. Starting as twig snaps in the night, they escalate as the three travel through the woods.

       Martin Scorsese once observed that "cinema is a matter of what is in the frame and what's out [of the frame]". I think this film is the most apparent example of that within the horror genre. A lot of the actual scares are mostly off-camera. The characters clearly see it, and react to it viscerally, but we the audience don't see it ourselves. This actually intensifies the scares, since we aren't sure what is chasing them. Sometimes, it works to great effect to reveal things, such as one evocative scare towards the end where a bundle of sticks reveals the remains of one of the leads, or the final scene. It is more effective than I thought, especially with the lack of music and the subtlety of it. Similarly, the realism really works, with the characters acting as people might act in this scenario. I did like the early scenes with the weird sub-documentary look to it. It really makes it seem like a real thing.

     The main problem with the film is that it lulls towards the middle, with the characters largely screaming at each other and walking in the woods. This really doesn't add much, and admittedly, a lot of this review was written while that part was happening, because I felt nothing of note was going on. It is also fairly short. I know that there is a longer cut somewhere, and maybe that has more scares and mythology, but I would rather not watch a film of just walking for 2 hours.

      I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It was effective, it never actually showed what was haunting the people (unlike other films of this particular genre), and it has a surprising sense of folklore and mythology. Plus, it just feels like a real documentary. So, this is a recommendation, though bare in mind it is very boring towards the middle.

    Tomorrow, I deal with the Spanish film Spirit of the Beehive.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Q: The Winged Serpent

        Before I discuss this, I will briefly discuss its writer and director Larry Cohen. Originally a TV writer and creator of shows like Coronet Blue and The Invaders, he would transition to directing in the 70's, and would have a smash with It's Alive, a horror film about a killer newborn, and followed by God Told Me To, a science fiction thriller about mass killings. The film mostly originated from Cohen's desire to see a King Kong style monster movie for the Chrysler Building (which he had admired in terms of design), and figured the Aztec god Quetzelcoatl (described as a feathered serpent in most accounts) would do as the big bad. After getting fired off another project, he decided to move ahead with this idea He was able to get big stars like David Carradine (who he had served with in the army), Richard Roundtree, and Michael Moriarty to sign on (a young Bruce Willis auditioned, but was ultimately rejected by Cohen). After multiple rejections, the film was able to be shot on location in the Chrysler building, and the special effects team of Randy Cook (who would later win three Academy Awards for his work on Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Dave Allen was contracted to make the stop motion creature based on Cohen's designs. The film was released in 1982 to mixed critical reception, but relative box office success and later cult classic status.

       Something is picking off people in New York! From a window cleaner to sunbathers to just people standing on rooftops, someone-or something is killing off many New Yorkers. Investigating this strange turn of events are Detective Shepard (David Carradine) and Sergeant Powell (Richard Roundtree). Wow, two Die Hard references in two reviews!). The former soon finds a connection between the seemingly ritualistic killings and ancient Aztec sacrifices. Sure enough, a cult has brought back the god Quetzelcoatl back through human sacrifices, who is now killing multiple people. Eventually, Shepard deduces what is happening, and needs to find their hideout. Luckily, small time criminal and part musician Jimmy Quinn (Michael Moriarty) came across a strange lair while escaping a botched robbery, with a large egg in the center.

         The creature design was very well done, as was the stop-motion. At first I was a bit iffy on it, due to the fact the viewer doesn't see much of it, but once it can be shown in its full glory, it is very impressive in its scale. I like that it combines the look of a bird and a dragon, a more realistic look for a being shown in Aztec paintings as a serpent with wings. The stop motion is well done, and as a bit of an homage to King Kong, the stop motion is supplemented by larger effects for its head during the climax. Many people bring up Michael Moriarty as the highlight, but honestly, Carradine was the best actor for me. He brought an edge and seriousness to the character that makes him more credible as he realizes the true nature of what's happening.

       The main problem with the film is mostly its length. The first 40 minutes could be condensed easily into 20 or even 10. Most of what happens could easily just fit into 10 minutes without losing anything significant. It would've worked better had the build-up been shorter, since more of the film could be focused on the creature itself and the attempts to stop it. As is, it meanders a lot, with the creatures various killings, Shepard investigating, and Quinn getting into trouble with his fellow robbers. This is not just restricted to the first 40 minutes. Most of the film has filler to it to pad out the run time. Had they leaned in more to the creature, it might've helped cut down much of the filler.

       This felt more like an extended television episode of an anthology show or an action show than it did a feature film. Not to say it was bad. It was entertaining and interesting enough to have kept me watching. If you want a film to watch in the background or just want to see some monster shenanigans, I recommend this. Honestly, though, it was a bit of a disappointment.

     Next week, we move to one of the most influential horror films of the modern era: The Blair Witch Project

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Re-Animator

      HP Lovecraft "Herbert West-Reanimator" was originally published in Home Brew (a small fanzine run by a friend) in 1922. Centering on the titular character resurrecting the dead (as well as a satire of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein), Lovecraft was dissatisfied with it, having only done it for money. (Reading the story makes that clear, with how much of it seems to have been written on auto-pilot), and is generally considered one of his worst. Accordingly, unlike many of Lovecraft's other story, it was not republished at first. Chicago playwright Stuart Gordon first came across the story after a discussion with friends lamenting the number of Dracula movies and not a lot of Frankenstein ones, whereupon a friend recommended it. Gordon had been a fan of Lovecraft for years and after reading, decided to try to adapt it: first on stage, then as a TV pilot. Originally wanting to emulate Lovecraft's setting, they ultimately decided to update to modern day Chicago for budgetary concerns, and later expanded it to an hour. Eventually, special effects director Bob Greenberg (known for John Carpenter's Dark Star) convinced him to make it into a feature film, and introduced him to producer Brian Yuzna, which allowed the production to move to Hollywood. Special effects director John Naulin would use both morgue shoots and books on forensic pathology to help make many of effects used as bodies and make-up in the film, using 25 gallons of fake blood in the process.  The cast would themselves spend time in a morgue and insane asylum to fully prepare for their roles in the film. The film was largely shot over 18 days, with Richard Band composing the score over three weeks (having to spend money due to overtime). It was released to financial success and critical acclaim, and continues to be a cult classic, though Lovecraft fans (despite the story being considered one of his weakest) are split on it.
     Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs), a medical student is kicked out of the Swiss institution he was studying at, after a mishap with his Professor Hans Gruber (sadly, not Alan Rickman, but Al Berry) ends with Gruber walking and acting strangely while bleeding out of his eyes. He moves into Miskatonic Medical School, where he bonds with Dan Cain (Bruce Abbot), and clashes with Dr.Carl Hill (David Gale), whom West accuses of plagiarism. Cain is dating Megan (Barbara Crampton), the daughter of Miskatonic Dean Alan Halsey (Robert Sampson). Cain allows West to room with him, over Megan's objections, where he conducts strange experiments. Sure enough, one day, Megan discovers their cat in West's fridge. West says the cat had died due to an accident, but Cain and Megan are skeptical. Then, Cain finds West attempting to find the cat and seeing him kill it, even though it was explicitly dead earlier. Cain is upset, before West reveals a formula that brings the cat back to life. Megan is understandably horrified, and her father subsequently bans Cain and West from campus. Undeterred, they sneak into the campus morgue (do medical schools have those?) at night to test the formula on humans. The dean hears about it, and tries to stop them, only to be killed by a corpse they were able to resurrect. Hill hears about it, and now wants to hear their secret....
     This film is pure schlock. How is this a good thing? Well, it's shlock, but it decides to fully embrace it. It is a messy, gore-filled, supernatural enfused B-movie, and it is incredibly fun, helped by great effects that make it as disgusting and revolting as needed Not to mention, it is incredibly earnest. The acting and writing take every moment very seriously. It takes Lovecraft's worst story, excises a lot of it, and leaves the bare bones story to play around with. Probably the best way to adapt material like that. It is very entertaining, in the way it was intended. I like that the villain, previously shown as a bit of a snobby, cantankerous fellow, to become a depraved monster, unhinged by traditional morality, after his own death and West resurrecting ....his head. No, really, West resurrects his head after beheading him, and it is still able to control his body. Once again, this is a hell of a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed watching it.
      There was a couple of minor problems following the narrative. Mostly, sometimes things happen off-set or just not explained, and some scenes were a bit hard to follow. Similarly, it is quite short at only 86 minutes. I feel more could've been explored.
     It might be hasty to say this, but I think this is one of my new favorite horror films. I really loved the experience of watching it, and it is truly an underrated classic, like I've heard from many sources. This is a true Halloween movie, with various horror elements put together to make a great viewing experience. As such, I highly recommend to horror fans of any stripes.
    Tomorrow, we go back to gods and monsters with Q-The Winged Serpent.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Frankenstein Conquers the World

      I talked a bit about Willis O'Brien (best known as the special effects director of the original King Kong) last time, and this film is, in a sense, bourne from him as well. In 1961, he came up with a proposal for a film called King Kong meets Frankenstein, which is exactly what reads: King Kong fighting a massive version of Frankenstein's Monster in San Francisco. He eventually sold the idea to producer John Beck who shopped it around to various studio (including Kong rights holders Universal and RKO), before getting interest from Japanese studio Toho. Toho had wanted to make a King Kong film for a while, but eventually changed Frankenstein's Monster into Toho's own monster, Godzilla. Thus, King Kong v. Godzilla was made and released in 1962. They returned to the large Frankenstein's monster concept for a proposed sequel, Frankenstein vs. Godzilla, where Frankenstein's monster would be irradiated and grow to giant-size, prompting a fight with the Big-G. Eventually, Toho dropped Godzilla. Eventually, they would enter with American production company Henry G. Saperstein Enterprises (previously animation studio UPA) to produce the film. This new American involvement prompted the creation of a new monster called Baragon to replace Godzilla (and Godzilla actor Haruo Nakajima plays him), and allowed American actor Nick Adams (notable for his friendship with James Dean and Elvis Presley) to star. The titular Frankenstein was played by Koji Furuhata, who got the role through an open audition. Ishiro Honda, the director of the first Godzilla and some others in the series, directed, and Eiji Tsuburaya did the effects as he did with other Kaiju films.Originally, Frankenstein was to fight a giant octopus in a callback to King Kong vs. Godzilla, which was filmed but this was ultimately chucked from final release, due to Saperstein being dissatisfied with it.  Honda stated that this was one of several alternate endings filmed. The film had Nick Adams speaking English, while his cast mate spoke Japanese, and dubbing each other for each release. Released as Frankenstein vs. Baragon in Japan and Frankenstein Conquers the World in the US, it was enough of a success to prompt a sequel, War of the Gargantuas in the US.

        During the final days of World War II, Dr. Risendorf (Peter Mann) finds his experiments disrupted by an SS officer and goons, who steal a chest over the Doctor's protests. The chest is transported by U-Boat to their allies in Imperial Japan. The chest is revealed to hold the heart of Frankenstein's Monster, which cannot be destroyed and can be used for presumably stem-cell sorts of activities. The researchers are in Hiroshima, however. 15 years later, Doctors James Bowen (Nick Adams), Seigo Togami (Kumi Mizuno) and Ken'Ichiro Kawaji (Tadao Takashima) are alerted to the presence of a strange child (Sumio Nakao) roaming the streets of Hiroshima. They take him in, where they note that he has a strange resistance to radiation and a massive appetite. Sure enough, the child grows more and more, breaking from any cage he's in. Eventually, after investigation, they learn that the child was likely grown from the irradiated heart of Frankenstein. The aged Risendorf suggests cutting off a limp to test this. However, the child escapes and rampages through Japan. Meanwhile, Kawai (Yoshio Tsuchiya), who brought the heart to Hiroshima and now works for an oil company, witnesses Baragon (Haruo Nakajima) emerge. Baragon also rampages, which is blamed on Frankenstein (over the objections of Bowen and Togami). Now the researchers must race to capture Frankenstein before more harm comes to him or anyone else.

        First, I really like the fight scenes in this. They are sufficiently long, they never overstay their welcome, and they end rather satisfyingly. Originally, it seems that Baragon and Frankenstein are unrelated, just to build up the final fight. However, I do like that they do integrate the two, such that they are related in more than the fact they are giant monsters. I liked the Frankenstein's Monster itself. It was distinct from previous interpretations, but still recognizable. The make-up is well done, and both actors do well in adopting the more animalistic mannerisms that is supposed to have. Finally, the concept is very creative, with radiation prompting a full creature to form from a regenerating heart. It seems sort of like a Marvel comics character.

     This is not directly the film's fault, but the translation felt off. Like, it seems very curt and to the point, and doesn't seem to translate the full sentence. This could just be how the film was. I also found the ending to be underwhelming, when Frankenstein is just put into a large pit and presumably dies. It feels like there should be more. Apparently, a lot of this film was cut down, so that could be the reason.

     This was a pretty good monster movie, and probably a good Kaiju film (as someone who hasn't seen many Kaiju films). I recommend it on those grounds, or just some fun 60's era B-movie action. It was never boring and always entertaining, while never going into outright cheesy. Certainly see why this is a cult classic.

    Next week, we take a look at the Lovecraft adaptation Re-Animator. 

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- The Beast from 20000 Fathoms

     "The Beast from 20000 Fathoms" was a short story by Ray Bradbury originally published in the Saturday Evening Post in 1951. The basic story is about a sea serpent attracted every night by the sound of a lighthouse fog horn that resembles its mating call. Ray Harryhausen (Bradbury's friend from their time as friends of sci-fi superfan Forrest Ackerman) saw the similarities between the short story and a film he was working on called "Monster from Beneath the Sea", particularly one scene at a light house, after Bradbury pointed it out. Given Bradbury's reputation, producers Hal Chester and Jack Dietz bought the rights to the short story, changed the name, and added "Suggested by the Saturday Evening Post story by Ray Bradbury" into the credits. (Bradbury would change the name of the short story to "The Fog Horn"). The original film itself was more or less inspired by King Kong, with Dietz and Chester getting Harryhausen (who was the apprentice of Willis O'Brien, the special effects director of that film) to do the effects. The creature used was based off an illustration used in the original Saturday Evening Post, as well as the illustrations of early Paleoartist Charles R. Knight (whom Harryhausen admitted was a massive influence). The creatures (a quadripedal archosaur) was originally going to breathe fire, but due to budget limitations, this was scaled back. Ultimately, Warner Brothers would buy the distribution of the film, and replaced the original score by Michael Michelet with something more "dramatic" by David Buttolph. It was a massive box office success, and would spark off the giant atomic monster craze of the 1950's.

      "Operation Experiment" (real original name there) is an atomic test being conducted by the US government in the Arctic. After a successful detonation, the radar operators find something strange emerging from the test range. When investigators, including physicist Dr. Tom Nesbitt (Paul Christian) come to area to investigate the event, they see a strange four legged creature walking around in the snow. Nesbitt is injured, and he is dismissed as insane after describing the creature. He is sent to a psychiatric ward, where he learns that a strange sea creature has been attacking fishermen. He tries to convince paleontologist Dr. Elson (Cecil Kellaway), who also dismisses him. Elson's assistant Lee (Paula Raymond) is sympathetic, and after another attack, she convinces Nesbitt to identify the creature. Sure enough, he finds it to be Rhedosaurus, a creature from the Mesozoic. With another account, he and Lee convinces Dr. Elson. Now, as the creatures destroys lighthouses and ships, they must work with the military to put a stop to it.

     The best  part of this film is the creature attack scenes. It shows a stunning amount of technical acumen, from the creature to the sets it destroys to the way it integrates this footage into the scenes of people running, or the military trying to bring it down. It creates some truly excellent scenes. The Rhedosaur itself is very well designed, showing both classical dinosaur design with a menacing design. The texture was especially impressive. Despite it's jerky movement, it feels like a real animal walking around. I like that the characters are fairly rational in dealing with the creature, dealing a reasonable amount of skepticism until it is undeniable.

     This is surprisingly short, at only 80 minutes. It conveys most of the action and plot well during this period, but I feel more should've been there. Maybe the creature rampaging through the country, or more planning against it, but it feels a little too short as is. I feel that maybe show a little sympathy for the creature might've helped, especially seeing it writhing in pain at the end. The film clearly shows it as a great "the monster is gone" moment, but it is a bit difficult to watch, and maybe more of an acknowledgment of it.

     This was a very good monster movie, with all the good ingredients (good monster, good effects, good characters). If you like monster movies or stop motion monsters, this is likely the premiere example of the genre. Even if you don't, it's just a fun film to watch, with some excellent scenes of destruction. Certainly one of the best monster movies I've seen thus far.

     We continue looking into monster movies with Frankenstein Conquers the World.