Reviews (41)

They Came From Outer Space is a bit more accurate
I love old movies. They are an entertaining glimpse into who we thought we were filtered through a fun house history mirror. It Came From Outer Space was a great movie when I was a kid. Like The Day The Earth Stood Still Bradbury's original film treatment focused on character and suspense at the expense of bug eyed monsters. The final film (changed from the original conception of Bradbury and director Jack Arnold) does have the BEMs but, luckily, Universal didn't evisorate the characters and thought provoking plot that drove the film.

Amateur astronomer John Putnam (the reliable and stoic Richard Carlson)witnesses what he believes to be a meteor striking the desolate desert surrounded his small town. It turns out to be -- surprise!--alien's with a major blow out that has incapacitated their space ship. These Xenomorphs begin to kidnap the locals and replacing them so that they can get the materials to repair their ship and keep a lid Carlson's wild story about their arrival.

Jack Arnold's subtle direction works wonders with the budget and the 3-D format. He manages to create a film that has aged exceedingly well. Bradbury's original concept is mostly intact as well. In fact, it sounds like screenwriter Harry Essex may have incorporated dialog from Bradbury's treatment largely intact during a number of important scenes.

It benefits from being create in the wake of The Day The Earth Stood Still and it also benefits from its unusual setting (the Desert). Sadly, I can't wholeheartedly recommend this DVD. Universal has done a great job of restoring this classic film. Unfortunately, they don't offer the option of viewing it in 3-D. That's a pity as Arnold made effective use of the gimmick using a number of subtle tricks (and a couple of dramatic ones as well) to artfully blend the 3-D format with the narrative of the film. Since It is presented on a dual layer disc, I'm surprised that Universal didn't figure out a way to present the film in it's element. Unfortunately, some of the film's most powerful sequences suffer from the flat presentation here. Given the extra effort that went into the restoration and the extras, it's a pity that Universal didn't go the extra mile and present this fine film in the format it worked best in.

The extras including the documentary (The Universe According to Universal)includes interviews with illustrator/collector Vincent Di Fate, film historians and collectors (such as Bob Burns). All discuss the circumstances around the making of the film as well as the impact it had when it was presented in its original format. Additionally, they bring up the little known fact that the creatures were never seen in the original cut that Jack Arnold prepared. Universal executives went back and took reshot a couple of sequences with shots of the aliens. While this doesn't work against the film, it would have been much more powerful with the aliens presence only suggested via Arnold's idea of showing the alien-human encounters from the alien's point of view.

The photograph and poster gallery is interesting but hardly essential and the production notes informative about the cast and Arnold. The documentary will probably show up in a number of variations on other Universal science fiction and horror thrillers coming to DVD. Perhaps This Island Earth (Universal's attempt to make a picture on the scale of MGM's Forbidden Planet)will eventually be re-released to DVD with the same care. A bit of trivia on This Island Earth--Jack Arnold isn't credited but he directed many of the scenes involving the aliens and their world.

Regardless of this reissues shortcomings, It is an impressive package for the most part. It's a pity that Universal missed their opportunity to reissue this minor classic the right way the first time on DVD.

Hey, Goober - Could You Pass Me That Lug Wrench?
Ray Bradbury pens passable '50s sci-fi fare, but it's not what everyone cracks it up to be. The movie is more fun than actually good, but definitely worth a watch.

B-movie vet Richard Carlson has his not-quite-love-match with the always wonderful Barbara Rush interrupted by a flaming meteorite, near his gorgeous desert home. Faster than he can light a pipe and don a houndstooth jacket, professorly Carlson goes out to investigate. The thing is too hot to approach - and big, too.

But that's hardly the greatest of his worries. Before long, many of the townsfolk are acting unusually, and Carlson finds his tracks dogged by these zombie doppelgangers of their former selves (including the Professor from Gilligan's Island, Russell Johnson, himself). He figures out that the meteorite was actually a crashing space ship, and eventually manages to meet face-to-face with...well, a pretty horrible 3-D thing, living with its buddies in a nearby abandoned mine shaft. The aliens really aren't all that friendly - they're just not hostile, eager to get their ship repaired with their rented zombie-human space-car mechanics and escape this backward berg. The usual "Earthling, Beware!" zany hijinks ensue.

This is not a great movie. But it is a good one. The cast is good, the script adequate. The special effects aren't great, but they are at least interesting, and the atmosphere is pretty spooky. It's a lot of fun in 3-D, if you ever get a chance to see it in its original format.

Surprisingly Good!
When I first saw this film last November, I was expecting your average alien film where people are attacked by hostile aliens. Was I ever wrong! Instead of hostile aliens, you have aliens who landed on earth by mistake and have to shapeshift into human beings so they can get the necessary tools and supplies they need to repair their ship.
The acting is very good although Carlson's acting seems to get a little low at some points. Overall, a great film that is worth at least a look.

An early Sci-Fi Gem from the fifties...
The great thing about 1950's sci-fi movies is the way in which they took the psychological fallout from the Soviet-USA Cold War confrontation that dominated the decade (paranoia, McCarthyism and the "Red Scare", fear of the atomic bomb), and turned it into edgy science fiction that's unlike any present-day moviemaking. Some of these relatively low-budget films were awful, but others have stood the test of time to become classics of the genre. One of the best is 1953's "It Came From Outer Space", which features a great plot, solid acting, and is based on a story created by the great Ray Bradbury, one of the best sci-fi writers of his generation. Richard Carlson, who also starred in several other classic sci-fi films of the fifties, is John Putnam, an amateur astronomer and scientist who lives in the desert outside a small town in Arizona. The townsfolk consider John to be a loner and something of an oddball, but he does enjoy the love of Ellen Fields (Barbara Rush), a pretty schoolteacher who thinks that he can do no wrong. John's relationship with Ellen has earned him the ire of the town's sherriff (Charles Drake), a down-to-earth, cowboy-type fellow who can't understand Putnam's interest in "weird" things like science and astronomy and who wants Ellen for himself. One evening both John and Ellen watch as a huge meteor crashes near an old mine outside of town. The next day they investigate the meteor's crater, but only John makes it to the bottom, where he sees a large spaceship which is promptly buried in a landslide which nearly engulfs him as well. Ellen believes his story, but others are doubtful and laugh at him, and even the local radio stations make fun of him. However, events soon begin to convince even the skeptical sherriff that something odd is afoot, especially when several townspeople begin to act in bizarre ways, such as speaking and behaving in a zombie-like manner and staring directly at the sun for long periods of time. As it turns out, the "townspeople" are actually aliens from the buried spaceship, and the real humans have been abducted by them - including Ellen! Although the sherriff and some other townsfolk wish to attack the aliens (out of fear and paranoia), Putnam suspects that the aliens are actually peaceful and only want to repair their spaceship and leave. I won't give away anymore of the plot, but the storyline of "It Came From Outer Space" actually is decades ahead of its time, and strongly resembles modern sci-fi (such as "Star Trek") in showing that even strange "aliens" are not always hostile and can be peaceful if given a chance. This attitude comes directly from the stories of Ray Bradbury (for example, "The Martian Chronicles"), where aliens aren't always the bad guys and humans aren't always the good guys. It's this moral complexity that makes "It Came From Outer Space" stand out from the other (and often more simplistic) sci-fi films of the decade. As an added bonus, the DVD set of this film will be a delight to all fifties sci-fi movie buffs. It has a short documentary entitled "The Universe According to Universal" showing how "It Came From Outer Space" and other fifties sci-fi movies were made, the theatrical trailer, and a commentary by film historian Tom Weaver. Overall, this DVD set is well worth the money, IMO. Recommended!

It Came, It Saw, It Left...
Richard Carlson (Creature From The Black Lagoon) stars as an intense astronomer who witnessess a "meteor" crash in the desert near his home. Along with Barbara Rush, he investigates the crater left by the impact. In it he finds a hexagonal doorway, that belongs to a now buried spacecraft. In the craft is a being, best described as a giant, hairy, big-toe with an eyeball where the toenail should be. Carlson's character gets out as an avalanche almost crushes him with it's paper-mache boulders! No one believes him (duh) and he is soon regarded as a nut. Two telephone co. linemen (one played by Gilligan's proffessor Russell Johnson) are possessed by the alien presence, and become monotone-speaking zombies. It turns out that rather than an invasion, the extraterrestrials are simply lost. They're just trying to fix their ship before we locate it and destroy them! Can Richard Carlson save them from the angry mob, including a hot-headed sheriff? ICFOS is a classic 50s paranoia gem. Extra points for Barbara Rush in her ... evening-wear! And, check out that blonde in the sheriff's office (whose boyfriend comes up missing). I'd watch her in anything... ... Read more

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At last--a great American movie available on video for the first time in its original aspect ratio. For all the slasher pictures that have ripped off Psycho (and particularly its classic set piece, the "shower scene"), nothing has ever matched the impact of the real thing. More than just a first-rate shocker full of thrills and suspense, Psycho is also an engrossing character study in which director Alfred Hitchcock skillfully seduces you into identifying with the main characters--then pulls the rug (or the bathmat) out from under you. Anthony Perkins is unforgettable as Norman Bates, the mama's boy proprietor of the Bates Motel; and so is Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, who makes an impulsive decision and becomes a fugitive from the law, hiding out at Norman's roadside inn for one fateful night. Psycho gets the masterpiece treatment it deserves on DVD, with extras including newsreel footage surrounding the making and release of the movie; an archive of production stills; the special trailer in which Hitchcock (acting as one of the original Universal Studio tour guides) himself leads viewers around the Bates place; credit designer Saul Bass's original "shower scene" story boards; posters and advertising materials for the movie's William Castle-like publicity campaign (No One Will Be Seated After the Feature Begins!); and a 90-minute documentary on the making of the film! What more could any movie fan possibly want? --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (319)

Hitchcock's Finest Film
Its amazing how still to this day, a movie made 40 years ago can continue to still scare you every time you view it. But thats exactly what Psycho does. The film never has a dull moment, and all its infamous scenes are just as startling as they were back in 1960. The story revolves around Marion Crane, searching to leave the big city, and live the american dream, she steals 40,000 dollars and travels to the outskirts of California. Along the way, she starts going a little paranoid after her boss sees her leaving the city, and she is chased by a local police officer. Overwhelmed by these feelings and the weather, she stops at the Bates Motel. The hotel, run by young Norman (Anthony Perkins in his finest role) has 12 open rooms. From here, the story starts to pick up. If you have never seen any scenes from Psycho, than the suprise you have will be amazing. There are plenty of plot twists and edge-of-your-seat moments. Hitchcocks directing is a high note. Just look at the scene between Marion and Norman in his parlor. The dialoug is great, directing is great and the acting is great. A all around great movie, and Hitchcocks best.

Don't Go Psycho after Watching "Psycho"
Director Alfred Hitchcock's movie, "Psycho" kept me at the edge of my seat throughout this classic thriller. Although the movie is in black and white, Hitchcock uses other special effects to add excitement. Not only that, but his wise choice of actors made the film that much more enjoyable. They portrayed the characters just as Hitchcock wanted them to. At the beginning of the movie, the plot is shifted in many directions. Hitchcock did an extraordinary job adding many twists into the story. "Psycho" is a famous, classical horror movie that will be a popular movie for many years to come.
Hitchcock knew what he was doing when he chose the characters that he did. Anthony Perkins, who played Norman Bates, used the perfect facial expressions and tone of voice to keep you guessing his innocence or guilt. When the investigator comes to his tiny, in-the-middle-of-nowhere hotel looking for Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), Perkins is nervous and stutters a lot. This suspicion leads you to believe he might have something to do with the disappearance of Marion, but in your head you're portraying Perkins as this nice, innocent hotel owner with great hospitality. Throughout the movie in many different scenes, Perkins uses very meaningful, evil, and friendly facial expressions that especially play out Bates' character. When Bates' is watching Marion through the window, you get the feeling that Bates' has something evil planned, but murder is not what jumped to my head right away.
Janet Leigh was another great actress for Hitchcock's film. She is a petite, vulnerable character that is marvelous for the role of a devious, suspicious blonde on the run with $40,000. I think Hitchcock knew what he was doing when he asked Leigh to be in his movie. It adds a whole other twist to the storyline.
The special effects make the movie outstanding all by themselves. One thing that really stands out in my mind is the soundtrack. The music adds to the horror and suspense of it all. Hitchcock selected music that terrifies you even if you weren't even looking at the screen. It really draws you into the scene like you're witnessing things firsthand.
Throughout the movie, the lighting and camera angles draw you in even more. Hitchcock uses outstanding shadows on the faces of the characters, and adds a dark, eerie glow to the dark nights at Bates' Motel. I especially liked the camera angles during the shower scene. Hitchcock zooms in really close, once again inviting the audience to be a part of the scene.
At the beginning of the movie, Marion Crane is with her boyfriend Sam, at a cheap motel over their lunch break. Unable to get married because Sam is still paying alimony to his ex-wife, Marion is drawn in to the perfect opportunity: She is trusted with $40,000 in which her boss orders her to take it to the bank at the end of the day. Instead, Marion flees the town to Sam's home in another town.
Tired from driving almost all through the night in a heavy rainstorm, Marion sees a hotel off the main highway and decides to stop. Here, she meets Norman Bates, the owner of the hotel. Being the nice hotel clerk that he appears to be, Norman offers Marion a late supper. She complies, and patiently waits for his return. In the meantime, she overhears Norman in an argument with his mother. This adds yet another twist in Hitchcock's film. After dinner, Marion tells Norman she wants to get cleaned up and get a good night's sleep, so he leaves, only to return later, leaving the audience in total shock after what comes next....
I think "Psycho" is an excellent horror film that will scare many viewers right out of the shower after watching it. Its constant mysteries and plot twists keep you thinking all the time. Although it may be quite gruesome, Hitchcock's film remains on my list for scariest movies of all time!

Not his BEST, but FULL of exciting scenes
I`ve seen this film numerous times and I have always found it a bit cold, made without passion. Sure the shower-scene in particular is a mind-blower, but Hitchcock was much better off in the suspense-genre... This story simply isn`t interesting enough. It reason may be that it always had a GREAT reputation and everyone who ever saw it knew if by heart and thus destroyed the first viewing of others... Another factor is that Janet Leigh is much 2 pretty and ladylike for her role. When I saw Anne Heche in the 1998 movie I realised that H E R Marion was indeed a low-life, tramp - sort of - who jumped at the chance of doing something stupid 2 her employer. Janet Leigh`s Marion is never at any moment stupid... Alas, Anne was much more satisfying, as were Viggo Mortensen and Julianne Moore.

John Gavin and Vera Miles are lifeless - cardboard stereotypes and that leaves us only with Martin Balsam and the great Anthony Perkins. THEY breath life into their characters and are the main reason I like this version. William Macy and Vince Vaughn repeated their roles, but eh..... hehehehe???????? Let there be silence. In 1983, Perkins reprised his role as Norman Bates to even better effect in the splendid PSYCHO II.

Mother says, "Watch this movie, or else!"
I don't know why it took me so long to review this film. Perhaps I've been extremely busy, but this creepy and memorable piece of cinema came into my mind a few days ago, and I haven't seen it in YEARS! Unsurprisingly though, I remember everything about it, as if I saw it yesterday. That's one of the many impacts PSYCHO has, no matter how many times it's viewed. (Just for the record, mine is three so far, which includes a USC screening with Hitchcock's own daughter and granddaughter providing a Q&A afterward.)

The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock has outdone himself with this brilliant masterpiece. It's a taut, suspenseful little tale that paved the way for other thrillers and provided many firsts in cinema-

1) It was the first slasher film, EVER! Without PSYCHO, there would be no BLACK CHRISTMAS, no HALLOWEEN, no FRIDAY THE 13th, no SCREAM, etc. That's right folks, PSYCHO is the granddaddy of the slasher pic.

2) It was the first movie to show a woman (Janet Leigh) in just a bra and slip, an aspect used very cleverly by Hitchcock. In the opening scene, Marion Crane is wearing a white bra because Alfred Hitchcock wanted to show her as being "angelic". After she has taken the money, the following scene has her in a black bra because now she has done something wrong and evil. Similarly, before she steals the money, she has a white purse; after she's stolen the money, she carries a black one.

3) It was the first movie to show a flushing toilet on camera. This is a must know for any film buff.

Yup, PSYCHO did all those first. Learn it, live it, love it.

Anyway....Alfred Hitchcock anonymously bought the rights to Robert Bloch's great novel, for just $9,000. He then bought up as many copies of the novel as he could to keep the ending a secret. That's one of many things that made him so great. Hitchcock did take liberties when having the novel (which was more graphic) adapted, but they all work well. In Bloch's novel, Norman Bates is short, fat, older, and very dislikable. It was Hitchcock who decided to have him be young, handsome, and sympathetic. Norman is also more of a main character in the novel. The story opens with him and Mother fighting rather than following Marion from the start. I think that's one of the many reasons PSYCHO works so well. It also shocked audiences when Janet Leigh, who was advertized as the star, bit the dust a mere 50 minutes into the film. (SCREAM used this tactic by offing Drew Barrymore less than 15 minutes into the picture.)

The picture is filmed in black and white because Alfred Hitchcock believed the movie would be too gory for color. That adds to the creepiness and makes the film more effective, as the horrible colored remake proved.

A brilliant and much duplicated score by Hermann Bernard adds to the atmosphere and builds the suspense. Hitchcock originally envisioned the shower sequence as completely silent, but Bernard Herrmann went ahead and scored it anyway and Hitch immediately changed his mind. I couldn't imagine the movie any other way.

However, what makes PSYCHO truly immortal, when so many films are already half-forgotten, is that it connects directly with our innermost fears: Our fears that we might impulsively commit a crime, our fears of the police, our fears of becoming the victim of a madman, and of course our fears of disappointing our mothers.

Speaking of mothers, you wouldn't want to disappoint Norma Bates would you? I thought not, so see the film, before you make mother really angry....

Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock is definitely the most legendery film director of all time. His work is beyond amazing, without a doubt. Psycho is among the many greats of Alfred Hitchcock and will remain a classic.

Starting off in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday, December 11th, 1960. The beautiful MARION CRANE (played by Janet Leigh) has rented a posh hotel room with her boyfriend, SAM LOOMIS (played by John Gavin), during her lunchbreak. Marion has to get back to work, while Sam has to get back to Fairvelle. Marion gets back to work a little late, but lucks out in knowing that her boss, GEORGE LOWERY (played by Vaughn Taylor) is late himself, for he is in a meeting. In comes George Lowery, following a businessman named, Tom Cassidy (played by Frank Albertson). He walks over to Marion and begins telling her about his 18-year old daughter tying the knot. He hands Marion $40,000, the money Mr. Cassidy will be using to buy his daughter a house as a wedding present. George invites Tom into his office and tells Marion to bank the $40,000 until the following Monday. Marion asks George for permission to take the rest of the day off because of her supposed headache and goes on her way.

While in her bedroom, Marion packs a suitcase and changes clothes. She so temptingly stares at the $40,000 and tries to restrain herself, but not for long, for, in one quick movement, she steals the $40,000 and heads out to her car. Seems as though that Marion is on her way to Fairvelle to see Sam. While at a red light, she notices George crossing in front of her. Unfortunately, he notices Marion, but Marion, as worried as she is about having being noticed, continues on her way. She drives into dusk until pulling over to sleep. The next morning, Marion is awakened by a suspicious cop. She nervously talks to the cop and goes on her way, as the cop follows her. She pulls into a dealership and requests to trade in her car for another. She makes her decision rather quickly and pays for it with her car, plus $700.

She drives on her through the morning, afternoon, and into dusk. Suddenly, it's starts to storm. She gets off a main road and finds The Bates Motel sitting quietly off the highway as if it were hidden from it. She gets out and sees nobody in the office. She looks up and finds a sinister looking house and notices, through a window, an elderly woman walking about. She beeps her car horn until someone comes running out. He finally comes to Marion's aide and takes her inside. The man who took Marion inside the office is NORMAN BATES (played by Anthony Perkins), a seemingly-sweet young man, who owns both the house and motel. He checks Marion in to cabin No. 1 because 'it's closer in case you want anything'. Marion says she wants sleep more than anything, except maybe some food. Norman invites her to the house for some sandwiches. As he goes off to make the sandwiches, Marion hears a woman, viciously yelling at Norman. The woman is the elderly woman Marion saw and it turns out that the woman is Norman's mother. Norman yells back and comes back into Marion's room. The two have supper in Norman's polar, which is located in the back of the office. The polar is decorated with stuffed birds. Turns out that Norman's hobby is taxidermy. They have a brief conversation, leading to Marion wanting to get some sleep. She goes off into her cabin and gets ready to take a shower. She steps in and begins washing herself. While in the middle of her shower, the curtain opens to reveal a dark figure of an elderly woman. Marion turns around and screams in fright as she is murdered in cold blood. The woman disappears and Norman comes in to erase the crime.

A week later, a young woman runs into Sam Loomis' store and demands to talk to Sam. Sam comes out and walks over to the young woman. The young woman is LILA CRANE (played by Vera Miles), Marion's curious sister. She tells Sam what Marion had done the Friday before. As Sam and Lila are talking about it, a private investigator by the name of MILTON ARBOGAST (played by Martin Balsam) comes in and begins talking to Sam and Lila about Marion. He goes off to investigate and comes across Norman and The Bates Motel. He questions Norman, but claims that Marion stayed overnight and left early the next morning. Arbogast then sees Norman's mother and asks to question her, but Norman refuses. Arbogast calls Lila and Sam, gives them the news and goes into the house to question Norman's mother, only to be killed by her.

Lila and Sam have been waiting for Arbogast to return for three hours. Sam drives up there, but finds no Arbogast, but only Norman's mother. He drives back to Lila and they visit SHERIFF AL CHAMBERS (played by John McIntire). Al and his wife, ELIZA CHAMBERS listen to Lila and Sam's story of Marion's disappearance and of Arbogast's disappearance. Sam says that when he went up there, he too noticed Norman's mother. Both Al and Eliza make them aware of the death of Norman's mother that happened ten years earlier. Sam is certain of seeing Norman's mother in the house. The next morning, Lila and Sam drive up to the motel and decide to check in as man and wife, in order to search the motel. They are checked in by Norman. They settle in and begin searching Cabin No.1 and find that it was occupied by Marion. Sam tells Lila to take the job of questioning Mrs. Bates, while he distracts Norman. Lila enters Norman's fruitcellar, only to see that Mrs. Bates is dead, as the real killer is finally revealed. If you're wise, you'll take showers with the curtains open forever. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The only time I draw is when I'm crowded
I've been avoiding Audie Murphy for years, copping the attitude Howard Cosell had for the Frank Giffords of the world. Cosell devoted a good portion of at least one book attacking "jockocracy," the invasion of the professional broadcasting booth by unqualified ex-jocks. Audie Murphy was a war hero but the bits and clips I've seen of his work always made it look like he was in over his head. Murphy's appearance in a movie meant one unemployed real actor.
So I was a little trepidatious when I hit the play button on DUEL AT SILVER CREEK. I hung with it through the slow opening exposition scenes (a pod of claim jumpers are terrorizing silver miners, forcing them to sign over their deeds and then shooting them.) By the time Murphy's pa was kilt and he morphed into the poker playing Silver Kid I was hooked. DUEL AT SILVER CREEK is a fun little flick.
Look, this movie made me laugh at things decent folks don't laugh at, but I believe these elements were put in deliberately. This is director Don Siegel's first western and his first Technicolor production. He would go on to work with the likes of Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) and John Wayne (The Shootist.) Siegel knew what he was doing.
One of the humorous elements, to me at least, was the proliferation of nicknames. Murphy's Luke Cromwell is the "Silver Kid," or just "Kid." Sheriff Stephen McNally is "Lightning," there's a character called "Rat Face." Lee Marvin plays a heavy nicked "Tinhorn." The lovely Faith Domergue (Opal Lacy) is nicked "Brown Eyes" early on by "Lightning."
Then there's mondo-heavy Eugene Iglesias, who plays Johnny Sombrero. I honestly couldn't refrain from laughing every time he was on screen. Dressed in red and white striped pants and wearing an impossibly large sombrero pushed back off his head he was a caricature of... something. How can a guy in candy stripe pants and a balloon hat intimidate?
Wisely the film-makers don't overload Murphy in this one. Although he's the nominal star, McNally does most of the heavy lifting. Murphy is along more as a wise-cracking (!?) sidekick. My uninformed take on Murphy was that he was a Roy Rogers/Gene Autry type. Squeaky clean, you know. Siegel gives the Silver Kid an edge, and to Murphy credit that edge remains sharp. Still and all it was a bit of a surprise to see Lightning and The Kid interrogating Brown Eyes and hearing The Kid impulsively say "I bet I can get it out of her." Heeheehee. I was half expecting The Kid to call her a punk and ask her if she was feeling lucky.
DUEL AT SILVER CREEK is a dandy little horse opera. It will satisfy without offense those who love traditional westerns, and sate those with less conventional tastes.

Overlooked but very good....
I had forgotten just how enjoyable this little Audie Murphy Western was until I recently purchased this handsome Universal DVD release. Murphy in this venture is "the silver kid," and his co-star Stephen McNally actually steals the show. The action is fast-paced and believable, the plot way above average. There are shoot outs, claim jumping, and some humor thrown in--Audie has some droll lines. Universal-International made a number of fine Murphy Westerns in the 1950s into the mid 1960s. DUEL AT SILVER CREEK is one of the better ones. Now let's hope that Murphy's finest outing in the genre, NO NAME ON THE BULLET, and some of his other, better films---RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO, GUNSMOKE, SEVEN WAYS FROM SUNDOWN, TUMBLEWEEDS, get the nod from the engineers at Universal. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

FUN!
The Secret Weapon is one my all time favorite Rathbone and Bruce films. It's wonderful to have it on DVD! The Universal Holmes series continues to be a great source of fun and I've always enjoyed seeing Holmes and Watson transplanted into the 1940's and dealing with W.W.II intrigue and Nazi spies. The Secret Weapon adds the nefarious Moriarty to the mix! I won't argue that the Universal Holmes movies had the most logical elements, but they always highly entertained me. The Secret Weapon is no exception. I found this one to be a blast. Great stuff!

News Flash! Colorized print is from 20th Century Fox!
Most of the reviews shown underneath this colorized-b/w combo disc of "Secret Weapon" seem to be discussing discs issued by other companies. I am (normally) a total believer that discs from "no name" issuers are to be avoided like the plague, as the print quality will almost always be inferior; one of the best lessons I ever learned about buying DVD's was that if it isn't issued by a major studio (Paramont, Fox, Universal, etc.), and that if that info isn't clearly listed on the outer packaging, then it isn't worth buying. Over the years, I've learned that there are a few exceptions; Artisan normally puts out nice prints, and one of the old "villians" of VHS, GoodTimes, seems to have changed it's spots and has issued some very nice prints (some of the "Airport" films); but in general, the "major studio or don't buy it" rule still applies.
This issue was inexpensive, so I decided to take a chance. I can't recall the name of the issuer that's shown on the outside of the case, but once it starts to play, the 20th Century Fox logo makes it very clear that this is at least a co-effort, and why they don't show Fox's name on the cover is beyond me. The picture quality/sound is really very good (as I say, many or all of the reviews shown under this particular issuance were apparently written for other companies' editions of this same title)...so, bottom line is: the colorzied option is fun, not garish or saturated, and the print is very clear. Also offers the film in b/w for you purists, and that's just another reason to get these versions.

Reread "His Last Bow"--Homes went up against the Kasier!
First of all, this is not quite a Sherlock Holmes film.It has Holmes, but no deerstalker cap. no calabash pipe, and no magnifying glass.It does have Holmes keep observations, and it is loosely based (14% of the film at least) is based on the canonical story "The Dancing Men." Furthermore, it is not set in Victorian England, but during the Blitz of WWII.If you can get past all of this, it is quite an enjoyable film.

It is essentially a B spy film.Since it does not focus on Bond's gadgets, or any heroessuper alien powers, you actually get a story that has a Bourn Identity fell to it.This is what saves the film--you see normal people with keen minds solving a riddle and trying to get the targeting equipment.

As a Sherlock film, it falls flat on it's face.It is a vague, pale ditto-copy of "The Dancing Men," and is barley a Holmes filmAs a spy film, it is fairly good, and is a good family film.The only objectionable material is there is a torture scene, which, by 1940's standard, is a bit graphic--about 10 years old and over.However,Kids see this type of thing all the time while playing HALO.

Most other reviews have blasted this film, primarily for the continuity jump from 1890's to 1940's.I would remind these people that Holmes is a timeless charter, as the Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century cartoon shows.

Moreover, the Nazi blitz was a real thing. Think of the scene where Holmes and Dr. Tobel were walking to 221-B Baker street, and cross over the rubble and bombed-out buildings. The Brits needed this film for the moral. That is why they had that corny speech at the end of the film. This was not a bleached-teethed marketing monkey or airhead exec, but a soul-surge of a people on the brink of a very real and present disaster.

For the die-hard Sherlockinas, I would also ask them to reread "His Last Bow":He was at odds with the Kaiser.Having him fight Hitler is by no means a stretch of the imagination.

This is a good Saturday afternoon or rainy day film.

A weak plot does a great disservice to Professor Moriarty
As a Holmesian traditionalist truly spoiled by the unsurpassed performances of Jeremy Brett as the great detective, I find it difficult to fully embrace the old 1940s Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone.If for no other reason, it's just odd to see Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade transported to the World War II era.Obviously, this film is not a product of any of the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (although it is extremely loosely based on his story The Dancing Men), a fact made manifest to even the most casual of observers by the overall weaknesses of this plot.While Holmes displays some of the remarkable talents of observation he is famous for, he can't hold a mental candle to Doyle's Holmes, and his archenemy, Professor Moriarty, displays none of the mental acumen that made him Holmes' intellectual equal in the stories of the canon.

There is a propaganda element to Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, as the plot pits Holmes in a race against time to keep a military secret from falling into the hands of the Germans.Holmes' final speech, I might add, surely did an effective job of rallying British audiences amidst the dark days of 1942.A Swiss scientist has invented a new bombsight capable of greatly increasing the accuracy of bombs, and Holmes is sent to Switzerland to safeguard Doctor Franz Tobel and conduct him and his innovative bombsight to London - before he and his discovery fall into the hands of the Gestapo.Once safely ensconced in the British capitol, though, Tobel refuses to part with his secret, insisting that he alone oversee the production of his nifty bombsight.Naturally, he soon disappears - courtesy of Professor Moriarty.The only solid clue Holmes has to work with is a piece of paper bearing the faintest of imprints of a coded message the scientist left behind (here's where your dancing men come in).Normally, a renewal of the struggle between Holmes and Moriarty lifts a Holmesian story to great heights, but neither great man really impressed me - especially Moriarty, who came across as a sad amateur rather than the greatest criminal mastermind in England.Furthermore, no matter what you might think of Professor Moriarty, I for one do not believe he would betray his own country.

Rathbone makes for an interesting and, by and large, successful portrayer of the great detective (even though it looks as if he and Shemp Howard shared the same barber).Dr. Watson (played by Nigel Bruce) is almost buffoon-like at times and barely manages to shine even in the presence of Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey).Personally, I was not very impressed by Lionel Atwill's portrayal of Professor Moriarty, but the weakness of his character here would naturally preclude any actor from excelling in the role.

This is still an interesting film with some enjoyable moments, and the atmosphere is, at times, noticeably Sherlockian, but Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon is very much in the pastiche vein and, as such, delivers only the palest of incarnations of the great detective - although I must admit the World War II propaganda aspect of the film makes it a little more interesting than it would otherwise be.

"We meet again, Professor Moriarty..."
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON is one of the Basil Rathbone "Sherlock Holmes" films that I watched many, many times while a youngster and adored completely.Thanks to this DVD featuring a newly restored print, I'm watching the film in much better condition today that has probably been seen in decades.And I'm overjoyed that the film is as delightful to the adult-me as it was to the mini-me.

"Thousands are finding strength in Guinness!" proclaims the side of a double-decker bus in a stock footage establishing shot.This is the second film which pits Sherlock Holmes directly against the Germans during World War II.Holmes had previously fought for the Allies in THE VOICE OF TERROR, and would do so again in SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON.After these three films, Universal would keep Holmes and Watson in their contemporary setting, but would limit them to more conventional crime-fighting.For my money, this is the best of the three.The plot is a variation on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Dancing Men", and the code-breaking storyline is quite apt for a WWII-era escapade.

The storyline concerns a new invention which we're told could single-handedly turn the tide of the war -- a new bomb sight, the creation of Doctor Tobel, a brilliant Swiss scientist, who has decided to hand over his device to the British Government.And just as the Allies were fighting the Axis Powers, Holmes finds himself struggling against his greatest enemy, Professor Moriarty.Moriarty is, of course, working for Germany, for no immediately obvious reason other than the fact that they're the film's dual bad guys.

I love the interaction between Holmes and Watson.Yes, it's a huge exaggeration of the characters as originally written, but I can't fault its entertainment value.Right from the very beginning, they're bouncing fun lines off each other (almost entirely at Watson's expense).Holmes patiently explaining the plot to Watson, or neglecting to explain his disguise until Watson's makes a fool of himself to Scotland Yard, or the pair of them independently complaining about the other's untidiness.Utterly ticklish material and performed superbly by the actors.

And, of course, there's the great intangible that this film possesses in spades -- atmosphere.It's rare to see a Sherlock Holmes adaptation without a good menacing sense of atmosphere (it almost seems inherent in the format), but when you put that together with that certain mood of a good thriller which films of the 1940s seemed to produce effortlessly and you really have something.

Yes, there's something very iconic about seeing London's most famous address, "221B Baker Street", standing amid bomb wreckage, smashed buildings and piles of heavy sandbags.The humorous sequences I mentioned earlier are perfectly balanced with some strong noir-like set pieces: the smuggling of Dr. Tobel out of Zurich under the nose of the Gestapo, Holmes' disguised jaunt through Soho, the tracking of Moriarty to his lair.The dialog is delightfully smooth as well.You can see Basil Rathbone and Lionel Atwill (Prof. Moriarty) drinking in their lines like wine of the finest vintage, practically purring their "my dear Holmes" and "my dear Professor" to each other.

There are no DVD extras to speak of, although the digitally restored picture and sound go a long way towards making up for that.I did watch a few of the scenes with the closed captioning on and was shocked by how poor the transcription was.A lot of phrases seemed to be dropped from the captioning completely, which is unfortunately not unusual, but seemed particularly bad in this case.Numerous mistakes ("conceded" instead of "conceited", "We don't need your confounded submarine" rather than "We'll meet your...", etc) were very obvious, in many cases completely altering the meaning of sentences.It wrecks one of the films cleverest lines:"[It] was so simple that it fooled us.I was looking for something ingenious; this is ingenuous" is rendered as "[It] was so simple that it fooled us.I was looking for something ingenious; this is ingenious." Yes, I realize it's only one transposed letter, but it's sort of an important one.

I'm very glad this film still holds up for me, as it's always a huge disappointment when you revisit something you enjoyed as a child only to discover that you had absolutely no taste or discretion when you were eight.I'll be slowly working my way through the rest of the Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce films now that they're all released on DVD, taking in both movies that I've seen before and ones that I'm ignorant of.I can only hope that the ones I'm not experiencing for the first time are as fun for the adult as they were for the child. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

East Side Kids meet Bela Lugosi for the first time.
the East Side boys make more trouble again. Usually they are sent back to reform school. But this time they are put in a bus and taken to a small town. At a soda fountain shoppe, they hear on the radio that a "monster" killer is on the loose. The boys have aroom to sleep in at the camp. At a gas station, Bela Lugosi as "Nardo" (Dracula [1931]) comes to town with his midget assistant, "Luigi" (Angelo Rossitto). They are looking for the Billings Estate. The gas station attendent says no one has been there since the killings ten years ago. Later, the gas station attendant meets Dr. Von Grosch (Dennis Moore). He tells the doctor he knows who he is and that he is looking for the "monster" killer. The man up ahead is the monster killer. The gas staion attendent keeps the secret of Von Grosch being in town. The boys go roamin' and they come across the graveyard at the Billings Estate. They are taken into the estate and there they meet the killer. They must stay in this spooky manor overnight. They want to get back to the camp, but they can't leave Pee Wee (played by David Gorcey, Leo's brother) who is under a spell. This is one of the more entertaining and popular films of the series. Next film in he series is: MR. WISE GUY (1943). The East Side Kids "Spooks Run Wild", Donald Haines was in World War II. It is not known if he was Missing In Action or died.

BAD DVD
i bought this dvd [SPOOKS RUN WILD] and another [KID DYNAMITE] from alpha video and these dvd's would not play at all. i was very disappointed and will not buy any products from ALPHA again.

Excellent spook classic!
Once again the boys (East Side Kids/Bowery Boys/Dead End Kids) hit the target on the bullseye. I remember seeing Spooks Run Wild on late night T.V. when I was younger. I was waiting up to see the classic Cushing/Price/Lee (Hammer mostly) films that came on late on Friday nights (I believe it was Night Flight)....once upon a time. I didnt get what I expected, instead I got this comedy that cracked me up. It reminded me of The Three Stooges/Abbott & Costello/Little Rascals........with a spooky twist. I've always loved those old horror comedies.......the way they show fear is always a winner. Hopefully Roan Group (Yep, Lloyd Kaufman of Troma fame....Toxic Avenger for the Lamen) will re-release this one as well, like Ghosts On The Loose. It will be more expensive, however like all of the Roan/Troma releases it will be packed with quality & extras. Fun for the whole family!

Campy, harmless fun
This entry in the Eastside Kids series finds the boys at a country summer camp for inner-city troublemakers. One of them gets hurt and they wind up in a house "haunted" by Bela Lugosi.
Production values are low (typical Monogram) but the fun factor is high as Bela chases the boys around for 2 or 3 reels until the rather disappointing finale.
Best for fans of the Eastside Kids/Bowery Boys or Bela Lugosi but B-movie fans should also enjoy it.

Good poverty row comedy
Lugosi plays it straight and the Boys ham it up. Just what you'd xpect. Good fun ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Three times the Bela for Your Buck!
Man, there is just something about this cheap little flick. And that something is Bela Lugosi. Although he is essenially one character, that character plays 3 roles in the film. Part of the low-brow charm of BOWERY is that, at times, you feel like you're watching 3 different films. With that lean 61-minute running time, the action comes fast and the body count rises rapidly.

Bela certainly made better poverty-row films (Devil Bat, Invisible Ghost), but BOWERY is still pretty entertaining.

This is the 2nd release by the Lugosi Estate, and it's a keeper. The picture and sound quality are mostly top-notch (some of the exterior night scenes are pretty murky, but they probably didn't look that great to begin with). There's another audio commentary track by Bela Lugosi Jr. and genre critic Ted Newsome. You won't learn much about the movie, but Bela Jr. does have some great memories of his father to share. You also get another fun radio play starring Bela Sr., and 2 trailers for other Lugosi flicks.

All in all, a must-have for Lugosi fans. Let's hope his estate will make good on Bela Jr.'s promise to keep 'em coming.

Surprisingly Good Flick from Monogram!
Monogram Pictures were poverty-row quality, but here, as in a few other Lugosi movies, they make the most of their limited resources and even make a virtue out of them. I don't remember any other movie that captured the seedy, dusty atmosphere of the Bowery as this one. The plot is actually a very interesting one, with a psychology professor masquerading at night as a mission proprietor to front his third line, robbery and murder. Lugosi, in my opinion a vastly underrated and stereotyped actor, does a wonderful job in differentiating the three personae of Professor Brenner (aka Karl Wagner). His tenderness and affection for his wife are very convincingly portrayed; the only real and unexpected jolt is his murdering her in order to prevent the police from discovering his double life. Here is an example of the film's being a bit too short and not being able to fully deliniate the contradictions of the main character; otherwise, this is one of the most interesting interpretations that Bela Lugosi achieved onscreen. The ending is really frightening, as it is suddenly and swiftly presented to the viewer.

What's that smell in the basement?
Bowery at Midnight (1942) stars Bela Lugosi in one of his many 'poverty row' films, a time when Lugosi was on the outs with the major studios and subsequently worked with independent studios like Monogram and PRC. Directed by Wallace Fox (the back of the box mistakenly says Wallace 'Cox'), most known for his westerns, who also directed another one of Lugosi's low-end films called The Corpse Vanishes (1942).

Bela plays three roles in this film, a kindly soup kitchen operator on skid row, a psychology professor and loving husband, and finally a vicious crime lord (I kept wondering when this character found time to sleep).

Basically the plot runs that Bela runs a soup kitchen, enlisting the aid of various criminal elements that pass through to perform heists, jobs, scores, whatever, while maintaining a secret life as a educator...once an individual outlives his usefulness in Lugosi's crime organization, that individual is then eliminated, keeping turnover high and costs down. This also helped to keep Lugosi's activities secret. Also, if a henchman exhibited the slightest bit of treachery, he was gone...like all the way gone, if you know what I mean (I love how they would bury these poor fellows in the basement, and then put markers with their names, no less, showing where each one rested. Not the smartest move, in my opinion, but whatever). And that soup kitchen/criminal lair...I haven't seen that many secret doors in like...well...ever. How in the heck did they keep track of all of them?

Anyway, one of Bela's students, who is involved with Bela's female assistant at the soup kitchen, decides to do a paper on transients, unaware that his teacher is also the man in charge of the soup kitchen. He finds himself in dire trouble as he stumbles across Bela's alter ego, and soon the police are involved. There was an actor in the movie, Dave O'Brien, who plays a detective, which I recognized from somewhere, but couldn't place until I finally remembered he was also in the movie 'Reefer Madness' aka 'Tell Your Children' (1938).

Soon Bela's worlds begin to collide as the police close in, and he meets a suitable fate involving recently deceased criminals resurrected from the dead?! This movie has everything. For a cheapie little movie, I found much to like with the sets and decor. The makers of this movie may not have had much, but what they had, they used very well. A fine example of making the best of what you've got. Oh, and keep an eye out. About 17 minutes into the movie, you may notice a movie poster for one of Lugosi's other poverty row movies, made within the same year. The hour run time serves nicely to keep things moving as the pace rarely slows down.

This disc was released by Lugosi's Estate, and has many worthwhile features including a digitally remastered picture from 35mm film elements, commentary by film historian Ted Newsom and Bela Lugosi, Jr., a photo gallery, some trailers featuring Lugosi's other poverty row releases including one with the Bowery Boys, a wonderful mini movie poster insert, and there is even a radio episode called "Gasoline Cocktail" from some old time radio crime show. If you are interested in getting this movie on DVD, this is the one to get, rather than some of those cheaper releases floating around.

Cookieman108

Good Script . . . Excellent Bela
One item few fans know about Bela Lugosi is that, in his spare time, he was an excellent gourmet cook. Give him a few ingredients, a little time, and he could give the Iron Chef a run for his money. This philosophy also influenced Lugosi's films. Quite often he was called upon to make a decent meal from scattered leftovers. Sometimes his main ingredient would be a portion of ham, depending on the film involved. But, give him a good script and he shone like the sun breaking through on a cloudy day.

"Bowery at Midnight" gives Lugosi a chance to stretch his acting legs. He plays a character who uses three different guises during the course of the film. By day he is a respected professor of criminal psychology as the City University. In his spare time, he is a kindly do-gooder who runs a soup kitchen in the Bowery. But we soon learn this is a cover for his real persona, a snarling, ruthless crime boss who mistreats everyone who had the bad fortune to work for him. Work for this Lugosi at your own peril, for when he has decided you have lost your usefulness, he tosses you to his henchman doctor for disposal. Unknown to Bela, the doc, whom he has also badly misterated, gets revenge by transforming them into zombie-like creatures and keeps them in the mission's basement. When the police catch on, Bela goes to his mistreated employee for help and a place to hide. The doc is more than happy to oblige, leading Bela down the steps to the basement - and his doom at the hands of those he had previously cast aside.

Given the 61 minute running time, the script has to sacrifice characterization for action, but it keeps its continuity quite well and makes sense throughout the film. It's actually fun to see Lugosi in three different characters, going from the pompous, elitist professor of criminology to the kindly, caring social worker to the thoroughly nasty gang boss.

This is the second DVD in the "Bela Lugosi Presents" series and like the first, "The Devil Bat," it is loaded with wonderful extras. First, the picture quality is excellent, as it digitally remastered from a 35mm print. You will not find this quality in other DVD versions of this movie. Secondly, the commentary by Ted Newsom and Bela Lugosi, Jr., serves to enhance the viewing experience by filling us in on behind the scenes information on both the film and Bela's private life. A rare photo and poster gallery is included, as well as a collectable movie poster insert, giving a flavor of the times to the viewer. As if that wasn't enough, a few Lugosi trailers are thrown in as is, as an extra bonus, "Gasoline Cocktail," a radio drama starring none other than Bela himself. If you think his voice is exceptional in the movies, wait until you hear it on radio. Simply fabulous for Bela fans, and cinema fans in general.

I can only hope that Ted Newsom and Bela Lugosi, Jr. do not stop here. Having whetted our appetites with this feast for eyes and ears, we impatiently look forward to their next offering.

EXTRAS EXTRAS!!! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!
Finally a series of Lugosi films put out by the Bela Lugosi Estate. With commentary from Bela Jr and Ted Newsom, a crystal clear stills, lobby card and poster section from the Borst Archive. Perfectly designed and animated motion menus. Also added are some bonus trailers and a complete radio program. This is THE version to buy, quality is SUPERIOR!!! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

"I find a coffin much more comfortable than a bed"
This fun horror classic stars the great Bela Lugosi in one of his best roles! Don't expect the plot to make much sense since nothing is ever really explained. Bela plays a creepy doctor who raises orchids and gives them to virgin girls who are about to be married. When the brides smell them, they go into a comatose state and seem to be dead to everyone. Bela and his henchmen (which includes a dwarf played by Angelo Rossitti from the classic film "Freaks") then steal the bodies by posing as morgue workers with a hearse. Once Bela has the brides at his laboratory he removes some of their 'fluids', which he uses to keep his sick aging wife youthful looking (his wife is played by the great 40s scream queen Elizabeth Russell). Soon a spunky female 'Louis Lane' type reporter played by Luana Walters is on to Bela, and when she tries to investigate (with the help of a hapless doctor), she discovers that Bela and his wife like to sleep in coffins and other odd things. When she confronts Bela about the coffin beds, he calmly replies in one of his most memorable lines ever: "I find a coffin much more comfortable than a bed". Classic 1940s b-movie fun. See it!

Vintage Bela Lugosi doing what he does best
The only thing worse than being left standing at the altar is having your bride fall over dead in the middle of the service. As The Corpse Vanishes opens, that is exactly what is happening; even worse, the bride's corpses keep getting stolen. The cops are baffled, but hard-nosed female reporter Pat Hunter is determined to solve the mystery and make a name for herself in journalism. She follows her leads to the home of Dr. Lorenz (Lugosi) and winds up having the most terrifying night of her life. Lorenz has a peculiar staff-a rather annoying older servant and her two sons, one a midget and the other a seemingly mute and obviously dim-witted stooped-over fellow. Most strange of all, though, is Lorenz's ill-tempered wife. Of course, the Countess has reason to complain because she is constantly fighting old age and death. Lorenz has come up with a way to maintain his wife's youth and beauty; the only catch is that it requires the regular extraction of a certain amount of the essence of life from young girls. Why blushing brides are the specimens of choice is never really made clear. In any event, Pat struggles to find a way to trap the good doctor and convince her boss that she is telling the truth about the things she has discovered.

Interestingly, there are some definite similarities between this 1942 film and 1931's Dracula: Lugosi plays an evil man who must steal the life essence from beautiful young women in order to hold mortality at bay; Lorenz secretly enters the rooms of his guests during the night and stares down at them with the look Lugosi is famous for; Lorenz and his wife sleep in coffins; and the dim-witted, eternally slump-backed assistant (called Angel of all things) can be compared with Dracula's Renfield. The plot is rather weak in spots, but I love the nostalgic campiness of it (and, apparently, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 gang did too). I would rank this movie among the better horror movies of that golden era of cinematic fright. Lugosi fans will surely want to have The Corpse Vanishes in their video libraries as it features one of his best performances.

Please note that this review if for The Corpse Vanishes only, even though you may see it linked to a double feature release featuring a second Lugosi movie.

POOR OLD BELA
Horror icon Bela Lugosi kills virgin brides to extract gland fluids to keep his ancient wife alive. Sounds spooky! It's not. Lugosi plays a mad scientist who heads a burly gang that includes an ugly old hag, a malicious dwarf, and two goons. They shuffle around in this 1942 boring travesty. Midget actor Angelo Rossitto(a favorite in many John Barrymore classics) follows Lugosi around. To appreciate the "Great One", see 1932's "White Zombie(excellent DVD) or "The Black Cat". This minor cheapie will put you fast asleep....

The mad doctor is at it again.
Any number of Bela Lugosi's poverty row films would qualify for "The Best of the Worst" award. "The Corpse Vanishes" is better than average, but just slightly. The story is the typical lurid horror-comics stuff of the mad doctor gone berserk, again and again. The character names change, but Bela essentially plays the same role in the same manner in each film. This entry has the advantage of a good supporting cast. Beautiful ice queen Elizabeth Russell, Simone Simon's feline compatriot in "The Cat People," is the cruel Countess Lorenz. She requires frequent transfusions of body fluid from healthy young women to survive. Dr. Lorenz (Bela) concocts a bizarre plan to keep the fluid supply coming by murdering young brides at the altar. Lugosi's familiar dwarf costar, Angelo Rossitto, is Dr. Lorenz's homunculus partner in crime. The "stormy night in the terrible house" segment, as trite as it sounds, is the best part of this little thriller. People sneak around and creep the night away through secret passages to the strains of a plodding musical score. Check out the Lorenz's sleeping arrangements, and try to keep a straight face. If you feel deprived because you don't have a representative poverty row Bela Lugosi film in your personal video collection this movie is for you. The rest should quietly pass by. ;-)

The Corpse is disguised as a plot
Bela does his best to breathe some life into this film but unfortunately, it's dead on arrival! There is an occassional redeeming scene but the story line is just too weak for the film to stay afloat. Unless you're looking for a cure for insomnia avoid this stinker at all costs! ... Read more

Description

BASIL RATHBONE NIGEL BRUCE
In SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON
Digitally Restored in 35mm
The master detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back, preserved and digitally restored in 35mm to original condition by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. This newly restored version of the classic film includes the period war bond tag, studio logo and credits from its original theatrical release. Filled with ominous shadows and interesting camera angles, the visual beauty of the film in 35mm is stunning.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" inspired THE SECRET WEAPON. The wartime plot pits Sherlock Holmes once more against his nemesis, the villainously brilliant Professor Moriarty, who was believed dead but is now working for the Nazis. The Nazis have assigned Moriarty to kidnap Dr. Franz Tobel, the inventor of a new super bombsight.Sherlock Holmes outwits the enemy agents and escapes with Tobel and his precious invention. But despite elaborate precautions, the inventor later disappears before the process of manufacturing the bombsight is perfected.

Holmes and Watson must stop the Nazis from getting their hands on the new bombsight,wrapped in a code of dancing men. Using a variety of disguises - a Swiss inventor, the Lascar sailor Ram Singh, and an old German bookseller, Holmes puts his own life on the line in a race against the clock to prevent Moriarty from carrying out his evil plans. THE SECRET WEAPON is also the first of the films to introduce Dennis Hoey as Scotland Yard detective Inspector Lestrade.Preserved and restored in 35mm by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

It's Holmes Against Moriarty--and the Nazis!
Although the first two movies Basil Rathbone made as Sherlock Holmes ("The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes") were in the original Victorian setting, Hollywood subsequently decided that even Holmes could pitch in during the propaganda years of World War II. And so, he donned modern dress and rode about in fast cars in pursuit of Nazi collaborators, aided as ever by Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), who oddly enough was still wearing a suspiciously Edwardian collar.

"Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" is one such vehicle. Somewhat prophetically, the secret weapon is a type of super bomb and its inventor is a much-sought-after fellow. So Holmes goes over to the mainland to fetch him and bring him to the right side, England. While the inventor is very glad to be rescued from the Nazis by Holmes, for some inexplicable reason, he keeps leaving the flat, giving Basil Rathbone an opportunity to put on greasepaint and go scouring the wharves for this guy in cognito as a toughened seaman. That's actually the second disguise BR wears; before the movie's over, he'll indulge a few more times. Well, the upshot is that with all of his goings-about, the stupid inventor eventually gets kidnapped by Holmes' nemesis, Dr. Moriarty (Lionel Atwill), who of course puts him to the screws to get info out of him. Will Holmes get there in time? Since this review is being written in English not German, I think you can figure it out for yourself.

Rathbone does a pretty good job in his various incarnations; actually, what strikes me most about him aren't his disguises, but his rather unique coiffure when he's being just plain Holmes. It is a style where the locks around his temples are brushed forward, not back, to make him look as though he were just about to set his hair in curlers. I know he does sport this hairdo again in "SH in Washington", but sad to say, this attempt to make Sherlock Holmes a trendsetter in the world of hairstyles came to naught. Ah well, what he does well, he does well, and so after the culprits are rounded up, Holmes ends the piece by reciting from the "this blessed isle" speech of "Richard II", demonstrating once again that British pluck that did indeed forestall Nazi domination. Not great cinema, but fine for easy viewing.

Rathbone, gloriously brilliant as Sherlock Holmes
The second film in Universal's series of Sherlock Holmes adventures starring Basil Rathbone as the Great Detective and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" was one of several titles in the series to fall into the public domain, hence its availability over the years in numerous bargain bin editions of poor quality. Thanks to UCLA's restoration program, this title is now available in all its original black and white glory.

Like Universal's first entry in the series, this one drags Holmes out of his original Victorian era habitat to match wits with the Nazis. But those disappointed with the modernization gimmick should be happy to learn that Holmes' arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty is on hand, as well, this time in the person of the magnificent Lionel Atwill who brought his creepy elegance to some of the best films Universal made in the 40s.

The plot has little to do with "The Dancing Men," the Arthur Conan Doyle story referred to in the credits, and this film is neither as visually striking or as well-written as "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror," or most of the 10 films to come, but it has Rathbone, incadescently brilliant as the greatest master detective of them all, and that's enough to make it a winner.

Brian W. Fairbanks

This is NOT the UCLA restored version!!
Despite what several customers have written (one even chastising others for slamming this DVD "when it hasn't even been released yet") this is NOT THE RESTORED VERSION, this is the dupey, scratched, and horrid sounding transfer that's been around for several years. MPI, not Focus Film, is the distributor of the new restored versions of this series. That said, if you come across a used copy of this version cheap (and I mean CHEAP!!) it has a few nice extras not found on the MPI, like the re-issue trailer (ironically looking better than the feature itself on this disc), and a generous helping of Rathbone / Bruce radio shows that are fun. But for the feature itself the UCLA restoration is the ONLY way to go.

The Needle to the Last, eh Holmes?
It's one of the paradoxes of Basil Rathbone's wartime anti-Nazi Sherlock Holmes films (Voice of Terror, SH in Washington, and this one) that while the plots and settings are mostly terrible, he is so good in them. Despite a bizarre wind-swept hairstyle meant to make him look younger, he blazes through every scene with so much bite and attack that you hardly register how flimsy the plots are. Here he also has great acting rapport with Lionel Atwill, who makes a wonderfully repulsive Professor Moriarty -- a heavy lidded cockroach with nice hints of sadism and depravity (it may not have been acting, kids). At the climax, changed into a lab coat in order to drain Rathbone's blood "drop by drop," he's as over-the-top sinister as Seinfeld's arch-nemesis Newman. The movie itself is ancient kiddie matinee fare, but it benefits from director Roy William Neill's attention to staging and atmosphere. It also looks fairly sharp in this UCLA restoration -- don't even think of buying any other edition, all of them faded, choppy public-domain prints.

This Version will be better than Any previously available.
I am frustrated that reviews of past DVD releases of this title are listed under this upcoming restored version. This is ludicrous and laziness on the part of someone!!! How can a review be asking customers to not buy this edition when it hasn't even been released to the public yet!! Furthermore it slams the quality of an upcoming RESTORED VERSION. WAKE UP!!!!!
I am writing this pre-review to express my Great Expectations and excitement over the upcoming DVD release of the 14 Sherlock Holmes movies made by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
For those of us who have loved and worn out our VHS versions of these films, I am sure that I speak for many of us in expressing incredible anticipation and near shock that someone has finally recognized the need to release a "restored version" of these timeless classics.
We are told that they have been "Preserved and restored in 35mm by the UCLA Film and Television Archive." This is marvelous and I have already pre-ordered Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 from MPI Home Video.
I so hope that the entire 14 movies, are ultimately released in restored condition. Especially the rarest of them, "The Scarlet Claw" which has rarely been shown on televison and only been available on VHS sporadically.
To me and many others I know, Basil Rathbone is the definative Holmes. Not just because he looks alarmingly similar -as much as is humanly possible- to Sidney Pagets drawings of Holmes from the Strand Magazine illustrations, but mostly we love Rathbone because he portrayed the same Holmes that we as readers get through the buffer of Dr. Watson explaining away not magnifying Holmes' shortcomings.
Jeremy Brett chose to amplify every negative aspect of Holmes' personality that in the written versions Watson explained away. Rathbone's Holmes has been demeaned visciously over the past years and hopefully the respect and dignity that he gave his portrayals will be seen in all their accuracy and glory with these new digitally restored releases. ... these will have to be the best quality versions of these classics ever released...so for all of us who have cursed the incomprehensibly awful releases of these films over the years...our time has almost come. Show your support for this effort by ordering a restored version of American Film Histroy.
Much Thanks to UCLA, MPI, and Whoever was ultimately responsible for the idea of doing this!!!! ... Read more

Description

The Corpse Vanishes--Lorenz (Bela Lugosi) kills innocent women to keep his wife young by pumping their blood into her body. Perhaps the most horrific of Bela Lugosi's Monogram series, it is also the silliest in many ways, especially when the audience finds Bela sleeping in a coffin for no discernable reason. 1942 - USA - 64 min

The Devil Bat--Features Bela Lugosi as a chemist who plots an elaborate revenge scheme on his business partners, whom he feels have cheated him out of his share. To this end he creates giant mutant bats to kill rip them into shreds. 1941 - USA - 67 min - B&W ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Corpse and a Bat
In the Devil Bat, Dr. Carruthers (played by Bela Lugosi) raises oversize bats that are enlarged by a special electrical machine. When the company he works for becomes rich because of the perfumes and colognes he has developed, he seeks revenge with these large bats that he has trained to "hate" a particular shaving cologne. His revenge is against his employer and family but a reporter puts together the bats and cologne and douses it on Carruthers. One of the last scenes is a giant bat going after Carruthers.

In The Corpse Vanishes, Dr. Lorenz (played by Bela Lugosi) keeps his wife young by kidnapping young females brides and extracting glandular fluid from them and then uses the fluid for his wife. He does this by kidnapping young brides, using a special orchid that puts them in suspended animation. He keeps the brides in an underground vault until their "fluids" run out.

The Devil Bat and The Corpse Vanishes are not Bela's best work but I think most Bela Lugosi fans will enjoy these two.

The quality of the pictures on the DVD are not crisp - but there are times where some of the old movies need a little less quality to give them their flair.

Lugosi's best Poverty Row films on one disc!
First of all, you know whether or not these are "your" type of movies. They're cheap, short and have Bela Lugosi just as his star was beginning to fade. THE CORPSE VANISHES is a typical Mongram 40's programmer, but Bela's really pretty good in it. The real attraction here is THE DEVIL BAT. An unexpected dose of humor is sprinkled throughout the macabre events. Lugosi is perfect as Dr. Carruthers, fiendlishly plotting deaths with his giant mutated bats. And surely no other film in history has used shaving lotion for such a sinister purpose! Naturally, one wishes for more supplemental materials. But the picture quality (and for the most part, the sound) is up to the usual Roan standard of excellence. There are several other povery row Lugosi films available from Roan (The Invisible Ghost, Bowery at Midnight, etc.) but if you only buy ONE, this is the one to get.

Bela never looked better!
I must admit, I was sweating bullets when I brought this DVD home, I was convinced that there would be something wrong with it, either bad audio, bad video or both. I have both of these films on the digitally remastered versions of the "Bela Lugosi Collection" VHS tapes whose manufacturers name escapes me at the moment. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the picture and sound. And after seeing this DVD, I think it looks even better than the tapes, as well it should! No extras though, I was never big into the "extras" anyway, besides you can't expect many with films like these, but I still love 'em! My hat is off to the Roan Group...I know they've released quite a number of these films on DVD that the bigger studios won't touch, and I've passed them up a number of times, until now. So take my word for it, If you've held off on this DVD waiting for some sucker to "jump in" and write a crappy review, I hate to disappoint you. This is a pleasant surprise. So come on in, Bela fans, the water's fine!

Creaky old low-budget horror movie.
"Vampire Bat" is a Dracula movie without Dracula. Lionel Atwill plays the role of the resident good doctor/mad scientist who sends his mesmerized servant out for victims. The victims are drained of blood Atwill uses in his obscure experiments. Melvyn Douglas, in spite of his obvious American demeanor and manner of expression, has a German sounding name in the movie and plays the local inspector of police. Dwight Frye does well portraying a "Renfield" type madman who gets blamed initially for the mysterious vampire-like killings. Fay Wray is wasted as Atwill's lab assistant. There is a weak attempt at comedy relief via a goofy old woman who likes to pretend she's "doctor for a day" by diagnosing herself and others until she gets her just reward by means of a strong laxative. The atmosphere of the film is spooky; nice and dark and gloomy. Aside from the main characters the villagers all look and talk as authentic mid-Europeans (circa 1930). The real identity of the fiend is kept secret until later in the film. The film does a good job of creating an air of terror and suspense. All things considered, this little film is a good movie for Halloween or anytime when the winds howl in the mountains by night, the clock strikes midnight, and there is something scratching at your bedroom window. Well....we warned you! ... Read more

Description

128 minute double feature film DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good value DVD has varying quality.
I don't know that I would recomend Marengo as a quality DVD company, but this double feature from them is pretty good.
First one must consider that MONOGRAM PICTURES was a poverty row studio that rarely kept many negatives around. Most prints existing today were made from negatives struck from the studio's 1940s release prints. This means they are another generation away from the original negatives.

THE CORPSE VANISHES is the weaker of the two picture wise. It is soft and people's faces are a bit washed out. There are always film scratch lines present, but they are not very distracting. The film is clean of splices and the sound is clear. As of 2003, this is the best quality transfer available for this title, about the same as the ROAN copy.

THE INVISIBLE GHOST is much better. It is quite sharp with good contrast, and almost no scratches. The sound is even better. The title card is from a 1950s re-issue by Astor Pictures and that part looks grainy & dark. But don't let that dismay you, the actual movie is good. It is also similar to the ROAN copy.

If you are a fan of these low budget, erie atmosphere films, you will thoroughly enjoy this DVD!

Low-Budget Bela
Marengo Films has done a nice job with its Bela Lugosi double feature -- pairing two of the horror icon's better Monogram efforts, "The Invisible Ghost" (1941) and "The Corpse Vanishes" (1942). Though the print quality of "Corpse" is a notch below the sharpness of "Ghost," it remains superior to most public-domain dupes. Decent sound quality to boot. Neither Lugosi film is a classic, but you could do a lot worse when it comes to low-budget horror.

Invisible Ghost / Corpse Vanishes (DVD)
Bela Lugosi brought class even to second rate productions, and these are 2 of his best B movies. For lovers of "old-fashioned" horror, this dvd makes for a fun evening. Get it.

Bela Lugosi Classics
Being a huge fan of the work of the great Bela Lugosi, I was pleased to see this new arrival from Marengo Films, a new company to this genre. The Invisable Ghost from 1941 and The Corpse Vanishes from 1942 were films Bela made after his famous role in Dracula. In Ghost he is under the spell of his insane and domineering wife. Bela carries out a series of stranglings and is as always, super creepy. The Corpse Vanishes is another classic Lugosi film, Bela plays a crazy scientist that uses human blood to keep his dying wife alive. These two films are a great pairing and a must for Lugosi fans. I look forward to see other films released in this genre from Marengo. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

It's Holmes Against Moriarty--and the Nazis!
Although the first two movies Basil Rathbone made as Sherlock Holmes ("The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes") were in the original Victorian setting, Hollywood subsequently decided that even Holmes could pitch in during the propaganda years of World War II. And so, he donned modern dress and rode about in fast cars in pursuit of Nazi collaborators, aided as ever by Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), who oddly enough was still wearing a suspiciously Edwardian collar.

"Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" is one such vehicle. Somewhat prophetically, the secret weapon is a type of super bomb and its inventor is a much-sought-after fellow. So Holmes goes over to the mainland to fetch him and bring him to the right side, England. While the inventor is very glad to be rescued from the Nazis by Holmes, for some inexplicable reason, he keeps leaving the flat, giving Basil Rathbone an opportunity to put on greasepaint and go scouring the wharves for this guy in cognito as a toughened seaman. That's actually the second disguise BR wears; before the movie's over, he'll indulge a few more times. Well, the upshot is that with all of his goings-about, the stupid inventor eventually gets kidnapped by Holmes' nemesis, Dr. Moriarty (Lionel Atwill), who of course puts him to the screws to get info out of him. Will Holmes get there in time? Since this review is being written in English not German, I think you can figure it out for yourself.

Rathbone does a pretty good job in his various incarnations; actually, what strikes me most about him aren't his disguises, but his rather unique coiffure when he's being just plain Holmes. It is a style where the locks around his temples are brushed forward, not back, to make him look as though he were just about to set his hair in curlers. I know he does sport this hairdo again in "SH in Washington", but sad to say, this attempt to make Sherlock Holmes a trendsetter in the world of hairstyles came to naught. Ah well, what he does well, he does well, and so after the culprits are rounded up, Holmes ends the piece by reciting from the "this blessed isle" speech of "Richard II", demonstrating once again that British pluck that did indeed forestall Nazi domination. Not great cinema, but fine for easy viewing.

Rathbone, gloriously brilliant as Sherlock Holmes
The second film in Universal's series of Sherlock Holmes adventures starring Basil Rathbone as the Great Detective and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" was one of several titles in the series to fall into the public domain, hence its availability over the years in numerous bargain bin editions of poor quality. Thanks to UCLA's restoration program, this title is now available in all its original black and white glory.

Like Universal's first entry in the series, this one drags Holmes out of his original Victorian era habitat to match wits with the Nazis. But those disappointed with the modernization gimmick should be happy to learn that Holmes' arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty is on hand, as well, this time in the person of the magnificent Lionel Atwill who brought his creepy elegance to some of the best films Universal made in the 40s.

The plot has little to do with "The Dancing Men," the Arthur Conan Doyle story referred to in the credits, and this film is neither as visually striking or as well-written as "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror," or most of the 10 films to come, but it has Rathbone, incadescently brilliant as the greatest master detective of them all, and that's enough to make it a winner.

Brian W. Fairbanks

This is NOT the UCLA restored version!!
Despite what several customers have written (one even chastising others for slamming this DVD "when it hasn't even been released yet") this is NOT THE RESTORED VERSION, this is the dupey, scratched, and horrid sounding transfer that's been around for several years. MPI, not Focus Film, is the distributor of the new restored versions of this series. That said, if you come across a used copy of this version cheap (and I mean CHEAP!!) it has a few nice extras not found on the MPI, like the re-issue trailer (ironically looking better than the feature itself on this disc), and a generous helping of Rathbone / Bruce radio shows that are fun. But for the feature itself the UCLA restoration is the ONLY way to go.

The Needle to the Last, eh Holmes?
It's one of the paradoxes of Basil Rathbone's wartime anti-Nazi Sherlock Holmes films (Voice of Terror, SH in Washington, and this one) that while the plots and settings are mostly terrible, he is so good in them. Despite a bizarre wind-swept hairstyle meant to make him look younger, he blazes through every scene with so much bite and attack that you hardly register how flimsy the plots are. Here he also has great acting rapport with Lionel Atwill, who makes a wonderfully repulsive Professor Moriarty -- a heavy lidded cockroach with nice hints of sadism and depravity (it may not have been acting, kids). At the climax, changed into a lab coat in order to drain Rathbone's blood "drop by drop," he's as over-the-top sinister as Seinfeld's arch-nemesis Newman. The movie itself is ancient kiddie matinee fare, but it benefits from director Roy William Neill's attention to staging and atmosphere. It also looks fairly sharp in this UCLA restoration -- don't even think of buying any other edition, all of them faded, choppy public-domain prints.

This Version will be better than Any previously available.
I am frustrated that reviews of past DVD releases of this title are listed under this upcoming restored version. This is ludicrous and laziness on the part of someone!!! How can a review be asking customers to not buy this edition when it hasn't even been released to the public yet!! Furthermore it slams the quality of an upcoming RESTORED VERSION. WAKE UP!!!!!
I am writing this pre-review to express my Great Expectations