Dr_Gor Blog

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Dr_Gor — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:32:26 GMT

The 1939 version of "The Huchback of Notre Dame", starring Charles Laughton, is absolutely the BEST version of this story ever filmed. (I did not much care for the Lon Chaney silent version...) This is one of my favorite movies of all time. And, yes, this is considered by most people to be one of the classic Universal Horror Movies although you are correct in assuming that it is not really "horror" per se... This IS listed as one of my favorite Horror Movies in my Horror Movies 101 group. It is difficult to think of the tragic figure of Quasimodo as a "monster"... he is actually the HERO of the story! The "villain" is the evil Preist 'Frollo' who is The Hunchback's 'foster father' of sorts. Although this film takes great liberties with the original novel (one of my favorite books), as do all of the film versions of this story, the basic premise is still there ... It is the story of the beautiful gypsy girl 'Esmarelda' and all of the men who desire her... Quasimodo, Frollo and Gringoire the Poet... as well as the womanizing 'captain of the guards'... and it turns out that the latter is the one that SHE desires.... this is a very tragic story that is 'running over' with sexuall tension/energy and was pretty 'racy' for it's time.... The coolest parts of the movie are when 'The Hunchback' saves the day... more than once.... I would STRONGLY recomend this movie to ANYONE who wants to watch a good film...

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Zombie

Dr_Gor — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 21:26:30 GMT

I was 19 years old during the period of late '79- early 1980. And it is during that time that I wandered into a seedy, downtown Denver 'movie-house'. The only thing I knew about the movie I was about to see was the name on the marquee... "ZOMBIE"...

I was STUNNED! This Movie Was PHENOMENAL! Up to this point, the 'goriest' movies I had ever seen would be "Night Of The Living Dead" and "The Exorcist" ... (I had not yet seen "Dawn Of The Dead" which was released the year before...) ... and some B-movie Drive-In fare like "Last House On The Left" and "The Toolbox Murders" and "Driller Killer" and "The Drive-In Massacre" and, of course, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" ...

This movie (for me, at the time) outdid them ALL! From the FANTASTIC 'comic book' story line to the AMAZING, 'in your face'', "GORE FX"! ( "excuse me, Miss... you have something in your EYE ...") , This movie was great in EVERY way! At the time, I did not even know that this was an Italian Movie! (I did not pay any attention to the credits) ... And then, about a year later, I saw another Horror Movie that just 'blew me away'... "The Gates Of Hell". I didn't have a clue at the time that both of these movies were directed by the same insane genius!

It was a couple of years later when I began reading about Lucio Fulci in FANGORIA and GOREZONE and then I started collecting his movies! I have about 14 so far and they are ALL good! It seems that Mr. Fulci liked to include at least one really messy 'gore-scene' in each and every movie! (NOT that there is anything WRONG with that!) ... It is also at this time that I learned of OTHER Italian Horror Movie Directors! I will not go into all of them here because my dinner is ready! But, here are some names to ponder... D'Amato, Lenzi, Bava, Argento...

300

Dr_Gor — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 23:22:48 GMT

I loved this movie! Having never read the graphic novel version, I went into this movie with the knowledge I did have of the battle of Thermopalae... or however the **** you spell it... and what i I had read and heard about this movie in Fango and stuff and from people who saw it. I was expecting a 'comic book adaption' , which is fine with me, but they went a little over-the-top with the giant, armor-plated rhino and the giant elephants and the giant PERSIANS ! Other than that, though, this movie rocked! It is a GREAT, and somewhat TRUE, story of WARRIORS who stood their ground against overwhelming odds. I can somewhat relate to this - but enough of that - If you are a warrior at heart then this movie will make you stand up and pump your fist in the air and go "YAAH!"

If you liked "The 13th Warrior" or "The Magnificent 7" or "The Wild Bunch" or "The Warriors" or "Enter The Dragon" or "The Alamo" , then you will love this one....

So Bad It's Good...

Dr_Gor — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:04:01 GMT

I recently rewatched this childhood favorite if mine and I think I like it even more now! This is actually one of the BETTER of the B&W sci-fi/horror films of the late 50's- early 60's. Produced by Roger Corman on what is obviously a 'shoestring' budget, this was one of the more effective of these types of films. The acting was actually ABOVE the 'Junior-High-School-Play' level of most of these types of movies and the sets were quite convincing as well. Having visited the Florida Everglades and nieghboring swamps myself, I think the filmmakers did an excellent job of recreating these locations in a Hollywood studio. The underwater scenes were quite convincing and rather well filmed although the 'giant leeches' themselves were obviously 'stunt-divers' in rather fake looking 'leech' costumes, I cannot not help but feel that these men were taking a great risk to thier own personal safety to film these scenes! ( try to imagine swimming around underwater with SCUBA gear and wrapped inside a great big silly looking 'leech costume' that looks like it is made out of trash-bags with teeth and stuff glued to it!)...

I found it quite amusing that the 'giant leeches' kept the hot looking chick ALIVE in thier underwater cave so that they could keep giving her 'hickeys'...

The Granddaddy Of Them All...

Dr_Gor — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 00:17:00 GMT

This Movie, along with "Dracula (1931) - Details - Spout", set the standards by which ALL Horror Movies are judged to this day. The most Horrifying events imaginable taking place 'right before your eyes'. (as graphically as was permited, at the time)...

Mary Shelley's very dark, disturbing and complex novel is filtered down to it's basic Horror elements for this movie.... To GREAT effect. This movie works on all levels. The story, the sets, the lighting. the cinematography, the direction, The ACTORS... Man, this was great... Colin Clive as Dr. Frankenstein was incredible! ( "It's Alive... ALIVE!!!" )... and bringing back a couple of the actors from "DRACULA" (Dwight Frye and Edward Van Sloan), "FRANKENSTEIN" instantly became the penultimate Horror Movie...

Here is an interesting story... The 1931 Movie Version of "DRACULA" was actually written for the greatest Horror Movie star at that time... Lon Chaney Sr.! It was to be his first 'talkie'!! Unfortunately he died just before shooting was to commence, so they brought in the Hungarian actor who had played Dracula on stage, Bela Lugosi... Later that year, looking at the huge success of "DRACULA" , The company decided to go ahead with thier next big Horror Movie Project, "FRANKENSTEIN"... Now, here is where it gets interesting... Bela was offered the starring role, as 'The Monster', but he turned it down because he had no lines... the role then went to a 'bit-part' actor by the name of William Henry Pratt... later, and from then on, to be known as Boris Karloff... and a legend was born.

A few years later, Bela would actually play the part of "The Monster"... with no lines... in "Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman" !

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The Scariest Movie Ever Made...

Dr_Gor — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 21:59:57 GMT

I first saw this film in the theater on the first weekend of it's initial release in 1973.... I was 13 years old.... What I remember of that experience is this; The 'line' to get in stretched out of the theater and around the block, I waited in line for over an hour to see this movie... (and I didn't mind!) ... The 'pre-hype' surrounding this movie was incredible! The novel was a HUGE hit before the movie came out... EVERYBODY had read "The Exorcist" (including me) and was talking about it when, suddenly, it was anounced that a 'movie' was being made and everybody went nuts.... We were already scared before we even got into the theater!

The other thing I remember was this; The first moment I laid eyes on Linda Blair it WAS 'Love At First Sight' ! (I was 13...) ... And I could not believe the 'horrors' that poor girl was about to go through... It was, quite litterally, 'gut-wrenching' for me... I think I did not sleep at all that night, I was afraid my bed would start shaking...

William Friedkin instantly won a spot at the top of my 'favorite directors' list for creating this masterpiece and ALL of the actors were extraordinary. Although SOME of the 'special effects' were a bit 'cheesy' (the 'head spinning'), MOST of the FX were quite convincing!

Bottom line is this; "The Exorcist" is not only one of The Best Horror Movies ever made, it is one of The Best MOVIES ever made... They don't make them like that anymore...

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