What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Wes

Just fresh from a screening of White Zombie, the first of a number of Bela Lugosi poverty row films I have lined up in preparation for reading Arthur Lenning's Lugosi biog The Immortal Count, and Gary Rhoads' No Traveler Returns: The Lost Years of Bela Lugosi. These Poverty Row films can be a grind to sit thru so I've put a call into the very knowledgeable folks over at the Classic Horror Film Board about what titles are best to track down before I dive into the books. If anyone here can recommend a title, preferably one of Lugosi's more obscure films, I'd be eternal grateful...

You've lost me Wes.

If the films are a grind to sit through why bother? Many Lugosi films aren't great but never a chore to watch.

Perhaps they aren't for you. I know it sounds like i'm being harsh, its not intended as an attack on you.

Where did you manage to see a screening of White Zombie? That must have been a great experience.

[bdc]

A lot of fun ones in there,Spooks and Ghosts are East Side Kids comedies of course and you have to like that sort of thing.

[Wes]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

You've lost me Wes.

If the films are a grind to sit through why bother? Many Lugosi films aren't great but never a chore to watch.

Perhaps they aren't for you. I know it sounds like i'm being harsh, its not intended as an attack on you.

Where did you manage to see a screening of White Zombie? That must have been a great experience.

Well Lugosi made a lot of films, and I don't have the time or the funds to see them all, so that's why a recommendation comes in handy. I'm not writing a thesis on the man, I just want to see a good selection of his work as this compliments reading the books, and I might discover a few gems along the way... I have the old Roan White Zombie DVD from 1999 which looks decent - a lot better than the scrappy public domain titles you see around. I like this film, it has lots of great atmosphere, and there are some nice similarities with Plague of the Zombies. The next Lugosi to see is The Devil Bat, which I sourced from the Internet Archive, and it looks pretty watchable...

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Wes

Well Lugosi made a lot of films, and I don't have the time or the funds to see them all, so that's why a recommendation comes in handy. I'm not writing a thesis on the man, I just want to see a good selection of his work as this compliments reading the books, and I might discover a few gems along the way... I have the old Roan White Zombie DVD from 1999 which looks decent - a lot better than the scrappy public domain titles you see around. I like this film, it has lots of great atmosphere, and there are some nice similarities with Plague of the Zombies. The next Lugosi to see is The Devil Bat, which I sourced from the Internet Archive, and it looks pretty watchable...

Now if you'd said that in the first place rather than "a grind to sit through".

It sounded originally like you'd seen WZ at the cinema.

[bdc]

The Devil Bat is ok,Lugosi is always fun to watch but it's "remake" The Flying Serpent (1946) is much better imho.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Wes

Well Lugosi made a lot of films, and I don't have the time or the funds to see them all, so that's why a recommendation comes in handy. I'm not writing a thesis on the man, I just want to see a good selection of his work as this compliments reading the books, and I might discover a few gems along the way... I have the old Roan White Zombie DVD from 1999 which looks decent - a lot better than the scrappy public domain titles you see around. I like this film, it has lots of great atmosphere, and there are some nice similarities with Plague of the Zombies. The next Lugosi to see is The Devil Bat, which I sourced from the Internet Archive, and it looks pretty watchable...

I really recommend The Black Cat (1934).

Lugosi is excellent as is Karloff. My favourite Universal monsters film.

[Wes]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Now if you'd said that in the first place rather than "a grind to sit through".

It sounded originally like you'd seen WZ at the cinema.

I wish ! Most of these will be seen on the laptop sadly, which is a pain. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the biography, Lugosi was a great talent and should have been a much bigger star than he was. Before White Zombie I watched him in a pretty good 1940 Horror/Crime hybrid called Black Friday, with Lugosi playing a gangster and he managed to inject considerable color into what might have been a dull, superfluous part...

Yeah, The Black Cat is great, only saw it last weekend (along with the other titles in Universal's Bela Lugosi Collection)

[bdc]

Sekirei - Season 01 (2008)

"Shy and awkward, but moral and caring late teenager Minato, after failing to get into college again, runs into Musubi, a girl his age who surprises him with her superhuman abilities. He's told by her that he's an ashikabi, a destined young man, meant to strengthen girls like her, a sekirei..."

Enjoyable scifi/harem anime which had me a bit confused at first, thanks to several subplots, but gradually became more and more suspenseful and engaging.
Fanservice with a plot...yes there's an abundance of naughtiness (thankfully little Kusano is not really involved) but it's well incorporated imho.

[trebor8273]

Invasions of the body snatchers remake

One of the few remakes that is actually better than the original(which is still great) fantastically shot with strange camera angles and wide shots adding to the sense of paranoia, distrust and loneliness. Some great acting and what other film can we say has mr Spock , jack Bauers dad and the fly! Highlights include the man face dog, cameo from Kevin McCarty and never has someone pointing been so disturbing. Another great arrow restoration. Wonder if arrow will bring us the original. 9.5/10

Now watch spirits of the dead, which Im enjoying more than I thought I would.

[nosferatu42]

Just watched Ben Wheatley's 'Sightseers' not gonna say much coz everyones probably heard of it,except that i really enjoyed this british black comedy about a sightseeing holiday that turns into a killing spree.
recommended 8/10.