EL CINE DE VAL LEWTON vol 1-2
Two Spanish box sets containing 5 films each. Really only four of them could be considered horror films but a few others have minor horror elements (other Val Lewton box sets don't include Mademoiselle Fifi).
They're mainly noir thrillers and there's two historical dramas. Lots of recurring actors between them, Boris Karloff and Simone Simon have three films each.
I think people really exaggerate the quality and sophistication of these films because there's some pretty silly stuff in some of them, they don't try very hard to make a lot of the characters seem French, German or Hispanic when they're supposed to be but they're mostly fairly enjoyable films and they look nice.
People tend to talk up the earlier films and I've heard some say the Jacques Tourneur films (the first three) are the only good ones but I don't agree at all, I prefer the later ones, Robert Wise directs some of them.
For some reason The Seventh Victim disc is extremely quiet.
THE CAT PEOPLE
The most famous and critically acclaimed of them. It's about a woman who possibly turns into a large dangerous cat when she becomes passionate in certain ways, it has its own little mythology. I like it fine but I think the Paul Schrader version is just as good but far too long.
I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE
Voodoo zombies on a Caribbean island, actually maybe just one of two zombies. The scenes in the tall grass are beautiful and quite atmospheric but I'm not that big on this film. I used to think the tall guy really had eyes like that in real life but viewing it recently it's obvious the eyes are fake.
THE LEOPARD MAN
Based on Black Alibi by Cornell Woolrich. A murder mystery involving an escaped leopard. This is the worst of the bunch. It has some good suspense scenes but it's really dopey in places: the fact that nobody puts much blame on the dancer for scaring the cat away, the leopard owner who becomes convinced he might be doing elaborate murders when he's drunk and some of the conversations about the crimes are ridiculous (especially the theory about when women put lipstick on). According to Wikipedia "It is one of the first American films to attempt an even remotely realistic portrayal of a serial killer".
THE SEVENTH VICTIM
A girl searching for her older sister who got involved with satanists. This is okay, the most noir-ish Lewton from the box sets and quite bleak but the portrayal of satanists seemed a bit daft to me.
THE GHOST SHIP
There are no ghosts, just an unstable captain of a ship. It's okay but apart from the extremely unconvincing scene when the captain convinces Russell Wade of his reasoning for leaving the ship anchor unsecured.
Lewton was sued for plagiarism and the film was not shown for decades.
THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE
Easily my favourite of the Val Lewton films and an odd gem. It's a very loose sequel that can stand by itself, a sometimes dreamlike family drama. The first time I saw this, the old woman telling the story of Sleepy Hollow spooked me. Simone Simon is adorable and hypnotic in this. Nice snowy scenes too. Beautiful film.
MADEMOISELLE FIFI
Based on Guy de Maupassant stories, set in occupied France during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. A propaganda film with most of the cast not bothering to sound French or German. Nice to look at and not too boring.
This from the TCM site..
"Simon, happy with her role and her co-workers, was in high spirits throughout filming. To provide the "oomph" that was expected of a sexy star, she wore false breasts for films and referred to them as "my eyes." It was reported that, just before each take, she would command with mock imperiousness, "Bring me my eyes!" Her performance in Mademoiselle Fifi is considered by some to be her best in an American film."
Mademoiselle Fifi
THE BODY SNATCHER
Karloff and Lugosi film, loosely based on "The Body Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson, about people who sell dead bodies to medical research. It's okay. Karloff reminded me a bit of Jeremy Irons, oddly.
ISLE OF THE DEAD
Set during the Balkan Wars 1912, the plague is everywhere, including the island a superstitious Karloff visits, which has a crypt, house and woods. Based on the Arnold Böcklin images but not as awesome as that sounds, although it's still a good setting but too much of the duration set in the house. Makes no sense that Ellen Drew is comfortable sleeping in the same room as the superstitious woman who threatens her.
It's one of the Lewton films I prefer because of the setting and a few of the scenes are pretty good.
BEDLAM
Based on William Hogarth's "A Rake's Progress" images. 1761 in London, Anna Lee is appalled by living conditions in an asylum, attempts to improve the situation and gets locked in there. It's one of the better films and has a few funny moments. Marred by a scene in which Anna Lee doesn't try that hard to avoid being locked in with a seemingly brutish man.