100 Years Of Horror
Picture: C
Sound: C Extras: D
Program: B
100 Years Of Horror,
hosted by Hammer great Christopher Lee, is a grand overview of the history of
horror in film. It spans from silent films such as Nosferatu (1922) and Phantom Of The
Opera (1925) to
more modern day films such as Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) and Mary Shelly's
Frankenstein (1994).
Maniacs, mad scientists, werewolves, demons, and dinosaurs are all given their
due as well as the classic horror monsters. There are no extras to this
DVD. It is an extra unto itself.
Writer/director Ted Newsom does a good job of
putting this chronology together. Fans will be interested to learn the
origin of the term "horror film", as well as how special effects
were first discovered. Even more notable are the rare interview
clips by some of the masters of the macabre including Boris Karloff, Bela
Lugosi, Vincent Price, and Peter Cushing. We get to see them as the men
they were, not just as the creatures we've come to know.
Famous horror directors John Carpenter and
Herschell Gordon Lewis, producer Roger Corman, writer Jimmy Sangster,
and many actors and actresses help to give insight into the
genre. Even an unlikely Hugh Hefner adds his input.
100 Years Of Horror doesn't
stop there. In one segment from one of Boris Karloff's home movies, we see
Frankenstein's monster in his actual color. Outtakes from Abbott
And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
let us see a more jovial side to our horror heroes. Even a
screen test by Edward Van Sloan, who plays Van Helsing in Dracula (1931), is included.
Despite my raves, this DVD does have some
drawbacks. Nearly two hours is not enough time to cover the subject
matter. I feel the silent films were not given as much
attention as they deserve in setting up the shape of things to come.
The program also does not adhere to a
timeline. This has its good and bad points. For those of you who
like to discount the older films, you need not skip the beginning to get to
your chosen viewing, but for those of us interested in the history, we do not
get to see the natural progression of things.
Lastly, the quality of the sound and the
picture leave more to be desired. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono has an
overall sound that seems low. The quality of the picture, with its
various aspect ratios and various color stocks (not to mention even various
black and white stocks) also leaves us wanting. Perhaps cleaner
prints of the film clips would have made for a more enjoyable experience.
Still, I would recommend this DVD to those interested in the history of Horror
in film.
- Michael
M. Burkett
