Category: Z-View

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) / Z-View

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The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

Director:  Robert Fuest

Screenplay:  James Whiton, William Goldstein

Starring:  Vincent Price, Joseph Cotton, Virginia North and Terry-Thomas

Tagline: Dr. Phibes has great vibes!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Dr. Anton Phibes (Price) is out for revenge.  When Phibes learned his wife was in a terrible auto accident, he jumped in his car and raced to get to her.  Sadly, Phibes was also involved in a wreck.  Meanwhile, Dr. Phibes’ wife died on the operating table.

Four years later, disfigured due to his accident, Dr. Phibes is ready to extract his revenge on the doctors who failed to save his wife.  Phibes plots to kill each based on one of the Ten Plagues of Egypt.  After the third doctor is murdered, the police figure out Dr. Phibes is the killer.  Always a step behind the insane Dr. Phibes, the police continue to search for clues as the bodies pile up.

The Abominable Dr. Phibes is supposed to be a dark comedy, but there aren’t any real laughs.  Dr. Phibes often kills his victims using elaborate Rube Goldbergesque contraptions.  In between murders he spends time dancing with his mute assistant with music provided by his large wind-up animatrons.  The advertising for Dr. Phibes – “Love Means Never Having to Say You’re Ugly” – “Dr. Phibes has great vibes” – indicates they weren’t sure how to sell the film to the public.  Once you’ve seen the film, that is understandable.

The Abominable Dr. Phibes isn’t a great film or a bad film.  It’s a strange film.  For that reason The Abominable Dr. Phibes rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The Takedown” (2022) / Z-View

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The Takedown (2022)

Director:  Louis Leterrier

Screenplay:  Stéphane Kazandjian

Starring:  Omar Sy and Laurent Lafitte 

Tagline: Two Cops. One Case. No Clue.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Ousmane Diakhité (Sy) and François Monge (Lafitte) are two cops who years ago worked together.  Their careers took different paths, but a case has brought them together again.  Half a body was found on a train!  Although they have different methods,  Diakhité and Monge are going to have to make things work to solve the case!

The Takedown is full of bad jokes and forced humor.  I tried to make it through the movie.  When they chased a suspect into a bumper car rink, and the suspect jumped in a bumper car to make his getaway, I thought this cannot get any worse.  Then one of the cops used his police ID to commandeer a bumper car and give chase.  If this is your kind of humor, you’ll like The Takedown better than me.  Look at the photo below, if that makes you laugh, then add a couple of stars to my rating to get yours.  As for me, The Takedown gets 1 of 5 stars.

House of Wax (1953) / Z-View

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House of Wax (1953)

Director:  André De Toth

Screenplay:  Crane Wilbur based on The Wax Works by Charles S. Belden

Starring:  Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones, Roy Roberts and Charles Bronson (as Charles Buchinsky).

Tagline: UNLIKE ANYTHING YOU’VE SEEN BEFORE!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Henry Jarrod (Price) is a skilled sculptor who creates life-like wax figures of famous people from history.  Jarrod’s business partner, Matthew Burke (Roberts) feels their wax museum would do better business if Jarrod sculpted scenes of murderers and their victims.  Jarrod refuses. So for the insurance, Burke sets the museum on fire.  He douses Jarrod with kerosene and leaves him to burn alive!

Months later a horribly disfigured man murders Burke.  Coincidently (?), Henry Jarrod reappears.  Although the fire didn’t disfigure his face or kill him, Jarrod is confined to a wheelchair.  His burned hands are no longer useful.   Jarrod plans to create a new wax museum with the help of his assistant, Igor (Bronson) and some of his art students.  When Burke’s fiancé is murdered by a disfigured man, the police begin looking for a serial killer.  And isn’t it strange that Jarrod’s new figures look amazingly like women who have recently been killed?

The disfigured man has his sights on more victims… will the police discover his identity in time to stop him?

House of Wax was originally presented in 3D, so there are some scenes specifically to take advantage of the process.  This is one of Vincent Price’s most famous roles and rightly so.  Carolyn Jones is a standout in one of her earliest roles.  Charles Bronson is effective as Igor, Price’s deaf/mute assistant.

House of Wax is a reworking of 1933’s Mystery at the Wax Museum (which is also worth a watch).  Interestingly enough, the success of the 1953 film, gave Warner Bros. the idea to create a weekly television series involving bizarre murders solved by a trio of amateur detectives who own a wax museum.  A pilot was filmed, but rejected as too intense for television.  The pilot was then expanded into a full length feature, titled Chamber of Horrors and released to theaters!

House of Wax rates 4 of 5 stars.

Murder in Greasepaint: A Rock Cobbler Case by Whiskey Leavins / Z-View

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Murder in Greasepaint: A Rock Cobbler Case by Whiskey Leavins

Trade Paperback: 242 pages
Publisher: Independently published (March 30, 2022)

First sentences…

“STOP IT! We’re not clowning around here. Just put it down, why don’t you?”  I used my best cop voice.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

The first thing you notice with Murder in Greasepaint is another very cool painted cover by Rafael Andres.  Andres also did the cover to Leavins’ first book, The Devil’s Own Piss.  I’m happy to see this partnership continue.

Rock Cobbler is a detective with the Santa Lacrimosa PD.  An apparent suicide at the local clown college, gets Cobbler’s number called.  What looks to be an open and shut case turns out to be murder.  Rob Sofritas aka Mr. Rubadubdub was tortured, stabbed and then thrown from his dorm window.

Sofritas was well-liked and had a bright future in clowning.  Did jealousy lead to Sofritas’ murder?   He also came from money.  Blackmail gone wrong? Then there’s the nasty rumor about Sofritas’ affiliation with a clown faction and their legendary fights to gain control of an artifact that supposedly gives power to those who posses it. Did Softitas have the item?

With so many leads, Cobbler seeks the assistance of Professor Wiggles aka Corine D’Ambrosia.  From their first encounter, Cobbler finds himself attracted to her.  She’s beautiful, smart and also a suspect.  D’Ambrosia may have nothing to do with the murder, or she may be setting Cobbler up for a fatal pratfall.  One thing’s for sure, clowning ain’t no joke.

Hat’s off to Whiskey Leavins for finding the perfect balance of suspense and humor.  While we meet many colorful characters, they’re believable because of the way Leavins presents them.  The situations are humorous and sometimes silly, but we never lose sight that the danger is real.  I was especially impressed with the exchanges between Cobber and D’Ambrosia.  They reminded me of the flirting patter we’d get in an old Bogart/Bacall film.  Also kudos to Leavins for bringing back three characters from The Devil’s Own Piss.

Whiskey Leavins has another winner.  This is his second novel in a row that has earned my top rating.  I hope he goes for a trifecta.    Murder in Greasepaint earns 5 of 5 stars.

Rating:

Murder in Greasepaint Trade Paperback

Murder in Greasepaint Kindle

Tarzan of the Apes (1918) / Z-View

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Tarzan of the Apes (1918)

Director: Scott Sidney

Screenplay:  Fred Miller and Lois Weber based on the novel Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Starring:  Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey and Gordon Griffith.

Tagline:  Tarzan did not know why he caressed her… He had never seen a white woman before!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Tarzan of the Apes is the first movie appearance of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ iconic character.  The film’s popularity led to three sequels:  The Romance of Tarzan (1918), The Son of Tarzan (1920), and The Adventures of Tarzan (1921).

Tarzan of the Apes is a fairly straightforward retelling of the novel.  After a mutiny, John and Alice Clayton are marooned in Africa.  Soon Alice gives birth to a son. Both parents die shortly after the child is born.  Kayla, an ape, raises the baby as her own.  The boy grows to adulthood among the apes. 

Years later another survivor of the mutiny spreads word that the Claytons survived.  An expedition is sent to Africa to locate them, but instead they find Tarzan of the Apes!  When Jane, a member of the expedition, is captured by natives, it is up to Tarzan to save her.

Tarzan of the Apes consists of iconic scenes from the novel which covers decades,  Gordon Griffith plays Tarzan as a young boy.  So technically, Griffith is the first person to play Tarzan!  Take that, trivia buffs.  Elmo Lincoln plays the adult Tarzan.  His Tarzan is a strongman with a headband.  Having only seen stills from the movie before, I was surprised at how quickly I adjusted to Lincoln’s portrayal of the Ape Man.   Although Enid Markey had a long acting career, she doesn’t have much to do here but scream, faint and look lovingly at Tarzan.

Tarzan of the Apes suffers from the actors in (poorly designed) monkey suits playing the apes.  The lion that Tarzan fights doesn’t look overly threatening.  Keep in mind that audiences of the day had never experienced better effects.  With that said, I’ve always enjoyed the different adaptations of Tarzan – movies, tv shows, comics, cartoons, etc.  I’m glad I finally got to see the 1918 Tarzan of the Apes.  It gets 3 of 5 stars.

“Mr. Wu” (1929) Starring Lon Chaney! / Z-View

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Mr. Wu (1929)

Director:  William Nigh

Screenplay:  Adapted by Lorna Moon, Titles by Lotta Woods, based on the play by Maurice Vernon and Harold Owen, from the book by Louise Jordan Miln

Starring:  Lon Chaney, Renée Adorée, Ralph Forbes, Louise Dresser  and Anna May Wong 

Tagline: SHE WAS GUILTY OF LOVE AND THE UNWRITTEN CODE OF THE EAST CRIED FOR VENGEANCE!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Mr. Wu (Chaney) is a wealthy and powerful man raised to follow the ancient traditions of China.  Although he is a traditionalist, Wu knows “the West is coming to the East.”  To that end, Mr. Wu interacts with diplomats from other countries.  That is how Wu’s adult daughter, Nang Ping (Adorée) meets and begins secretly seeing Basil Gregory (Forbes), the son of a British diplomat.

Nang Ping becomes pregnant at the same time she learns that Basil is about to return to England.  A gardener learns of Nang Ping’s pregnancy and informs Mr. Wu.  Wu is despondent, torn between love for his daughter and what tradition requires of a father whose daughter has dishonored the family.  Mr. Wu will comply with tradition and then extract revenge on the Diplomat’s family!

Lon Chaney plays two roles in this silent film.  Chaney created his own makeup making him unrecognizable as both Grandfather Wu (100 year old man) and Mr. Wu.  Mr. Wu provides an excellent example of why Lon Chaney is my favorite silent movie star.  He plays a full range of emotions and they all come alive through his facial expressions.  Anna May Wong appears in just a few scenes but she shines.  Renée Adorée is okay as Mr. Wu’s daughter, but it’s interesting to think what Wong would have done in the role.

Mr. Wu’s plan to extract vengeance on the diplomat’s family forces an impossible decision and a surprising conclusion to the film.  Mr. Wu rates 4 of 5 stars

“The Marksman” (2021) / Z-View

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The Marksman (2021)

Director: Robert Lorenz

Screenplay:  Robert Lorenz, Chris Charles, Danny Kravitz

Starring:  Liam Neeson, Jacob Perez, Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba and Teresa Ruiz.

Tagline:   Justice comes down to him.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Jim (Neeson) is a rancher living on the Arizona / Mexico border.  Jim should be living the American dream, but life has been rough.  Recently, the woman he loved died.  The economy is tanking and Jim may lose his ranch.  Jim served his country as a marine and still loves it, but he needs to catch a break.

Instead Jim catches a woman (Ruiz) and her son (Perez) illegally crossing into the US through his land.  Jim calls the border patrol as vehicles speed to the Mexican side of the fence.  Several rough-looking cartel thugs demand the return of the woman and her son.  When Jim refuses, a shootout ensues.  Jim kills the cartel boss’ brother, but the boy’s mother is wounded.  Jim escapes with the mother and child.  The mother has been fatally wounded but before she dies, she gets Jim to agree to get her son safely to a relative in Chicago.

Jim turns the boy over to the border patrol telling them about the kid’s family in Chicago.  When Jim learns the cartel thugs have made it across the border and the boy is going to be turned over to them, Jim escapes with the boy.  With the police and cartel after them, Jim is determined to get the boy to his family no matter the cost.

The Marksman is an excellent vehicle for Neeson.  He is convincing as the older rancher who believed in a system that has let him down.  It’s no surprise that Neeson can play a man who can handle tough situations.  Hats off to Jacob Perez as the kid.  He’s in almost every scene and holds his own.  Katheryn Winnick is wasted in a role that gives her little to do.  Robert Lorenz’s direction is solid but not flashy.  His time as 2nd Unit Director for Clint Eastwood has paid off.

The Marksman is full of action and suspense.  It would have rated higher except for a few choices near the end of the movie.  The decision that Jim and the kid make in regard to cartel money doesn’t ring true.  The same with the final showdown with the cartel thugs.  Not all movies have to have a happy ending, but man, Jim just can’t catch a break.

The Marksman rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Deep House” (2021) / Z-View

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The Deep House (2021)

Director:  Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury

Screenplay:  Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury, Julien David, Rachel Parker

Starring:  Camille Rowe, James Jagger and Eric Savin.

Tagline:  None..

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Tina (Rowe) and Ben (Jagger) are an engaged couple looking for adventure.  They explore haunted locations for Ben’s social media.  While in France they learn of an old insane asylum at the bottom of a lake.  Of course they decide to check it out.

When Tina and Ben arrive at the location, they’re disappointed to discover the lake has become a tourist hot spot.  Ben strikes up a conversation with a local.  The man (Savin) says he can knows of an isolated area that contains a mansion perfectly preserved at the bottom of the lake.  Tina and Ben agree to the man’s price and he takes them there.

At the bottom of the lake, Tina and Ben find the mansion.  The place is creepy enough on the outside and once inside strange things start happening.  They hear scary noises and what sounds like muffled voices.  Do they leave?  Of course not.  They go deeper into the house and discover photos of missing children, satanic symbols and scratches on the inside of the front door.  Do they return to the surface?  Nope.  Then they find a huge crucifix holding a door closed.  Time to go, now?  Naw, let’s move the cross and go downstairs.

The House Below has a several creepy scenes and a few scares.  Since we don’t know much about the characters, we’re not as vested in their survival as we could be.  Some things happen that are attributed to ghosts, but the ghosts must be about as smart as our leads..  The ending is supposed to be shocking (and it may surprise you), but it’s just another example of a character’s stupid choice.

The Deep House rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Invaders from Mars (1986)” / Z-View

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Invaders from Mars (1986)

Director:  Tobe Hooper

Screenplay: Dan O’Bannon, Don Jakoby based on a screenplay for the 1953 film by Richard Blake

Starring:  Karen Black, Hunter Carson, Timothy Bottoms, Laraine Newman, Louise Fletcher and Jimmy Hunt.

Tagline: He knows they’re here.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

One night young David Gardner (Carson) wakes to see a spaceship landing beyond the hill behind his house.  He wakes his parents (Bottoms, Newman), they come to his window, but everything seems normal.  The next day the boy discovers that his teacher (Fletcher) and one of his classmates have become possessed by aliens.

Of course no one believes him… except the school nurse (Black).  Now it is up to the young boy and the school nurse to save the world.

Invaders from Mars is not a good movie. I kept watching trying to figure out how much was a wink at the original 1953 film and how much was just an updated misfire.

If you take Invaders from Mars as a dream the boy had, it kind of makes more sense.  It explains how the kid is the real star of the film and why he has more brains than the adults, including military leaders.  It also explains the goofy (and far from scary) aliens.  It doesn’t explain the famous final scene though.

Invaders from Mars has good actors that don’t prove it with this movie.  Hunter Carson is Karen Black’s son and maybe Tobe Hooper got a two-fer;  Black would do the movie if her son got to play the kid.  Sadly, all poor Carson gets to do is repeatedly look scared and run flailing his arms.  Louise Fletcher’s most memorable scene is when she turns around with a frog hanging from her mouth.  I do applaud that Jimmy Hunt (who played the kid in the original film) is brought back to play a small role in this remake.

Invaders from Mars is one of those rare movies that I make it all the way through and then decide, it’s not for me.  Invaders from Mars rates 1 of 5 stars.

HELL CHOSE ME by Angel Luis Colón / Z-View

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Hell Chose Me by Angel Luis Colón

240 pages
Publisher: ‎ Down & Out Books (February 2, 2019)

First sentence…

Charlie Ryan’s head cracks against the bar top with a satisfying thud and snaps back up like a rubber ball – blood gushing from the shiny new gash at the bridge of his nose.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Bryan Walsh is a hit man.  Which is a strange profession for someone with a conscience.  Walsh justifies his kills by saying, “The bad choices his targets made put them in his sights.”  Walsh uses the contract money to provide life support for his comatose brother.  The medical bills are crushing.

Each hit pushes Walsh further to the edge,  After each kill, Walsh is visited by his victim’s ghost.  The ghosts fade in and out, haunting Walsh.  Is his mind playing tricks or are the ghosts are real?

When his contact for a hit lowballs him,  Walsh thinks something’s up… or maybe he’s just paranoid.  Then he’s immediately offered another job (violating the rule to never work back to back hits).  Walsh is sure something’s not right,  but he needs the money so…  

It was a simple hit until someone unexpected showed up.  Now Walsh is on the run with the knowledge that he and his brother are marked for death.  Unsure of who he can trust, Walsh must figure out why things went south and who he needs to kill to fix them.

Angel Luis Colón has created an interesting character in Bryan Walsh.  He’s far from the genre hitman.  I liked the supernatural aspect of Walsh interacting with the ghosts of those he’s killed.  Was it his mind playing tricks?  Walsh has an interesting backstory and we see how his decisions led to his current situation (just as he blamed his targets for their decisions putting them in his path).  This was my first book by Angel Luis Colón, but it won’t be my last.

Hell Chose Me rates 4 of 5 stars.


Hell Chose Me Trade Paperback
Hell Chose Me Kindle

“Endangered Species” (2021) / Z-View

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Endangered Species (2021)

Director:  M.J. Bassett

Screenplay:  M.J. Bassett, Isabel Bassett based on a story by Paul Chronnell

Starring: Rebecca Romijn, Philip Winchester, Isabel Bassett, Michael Johnston, Chris Fisher and Jerry O’Connell.

Tagline:  Far from home. Far from safety. Far from over.  (“Far from Over!”  Cue Frank Stallone! )

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Jack (Winchester) and Lauren (Romijn) take their son (Johnston), daughter (Bassett) and her boyfriend (Fisher) on a long-planned dream vacation to a wilderness park in Kenya.  Looking to get close to wild animals, the group leaves without filling out proper paperwork or getting guides,  They then venture off-road into the Kenyan wilderness.  When their vehicle is totaled by an irate rhino, things become desperate.  Without food, water and with a pack of hyenas closing in, their chances of survival are slim.  Things are about to get worse.

Endangered Species is irritating.  The characters do nothing but argue and make stupid decisions. They leave the camp without letting anyone know.  They go on a “safari” drive without a guide.  They leave the designated road and travel into the wilderness.  They don’t bring enough water and the water they do bring is in glass bottles which easily break.  They decide to get closer to a wild rhino.  They let someone who doesn’t know how to drive, take them to the rhino.  Even the poachers who capture the family are stupid.  Like bad James Bond villains, they tell the family that they are going to kill them. Then they leave the family unattended so they can drink around the campfire.  What?

I made it through Endangered Species and it has a couple of scenes that work. I’ll give it the benefit of my kind heart (or am I, like everyone in the movie, also making a stupid decision) by rating it 2 of 5 stars.

“The Horde” (2016) / Z-View

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The Horde (2016)

Director:  Jared Cohn

Screenplay:  Paul Logan

Starring:  Paul Logan, Tiffany Brouwer, Sydney Sweeney, Nestor Serrano, Vernon Wells, Bill Moseley, Costas Mandylor, Thomas Ochoa and Don Wilson.

Tagline: Fight back or die.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

John Crenshaw (Logan), an ex-Navy SEAL accompanies his girlfriend (Brouwer) and some of her photography students into the deep woods for a class assignment.  When the group is attacked by a family of inbred mutants, it will be up to Crenshaw to save them.

The Horde wants badly to be  Rambo Meets The Hills Have Eyes.  That would seem to be an achievable goal.  They’ve got a star who is believable when it comes to fight scenes.  They have several actors known for their work in horror films.  The plot is simple.  It takes place in the woods at night; sets shouldn’t be a problem.  So what went wrong?

Everything is so bad.  Navy SEAL tough guy at a loss for words with his girl because he’s so in love.  Spoiled, rich student who insults everyone, but is still part of the group.  Two students in the back seat who make-out for the entire hours long trip to the deep woods — with their teacher fully aware.  A female student falling for one of the male students on the trip and casually discussing sexual advice with her teacher.   They’ve been driving for hours and in the background it looks like they are still in the neighborhood.  The dialogue is terrible.  The acting only slightly better.  (Thomas Ochoa is the exception — he is funny/irritating/believable as the spoiled rich brat.)

Fans of low-budget horror/action may like The Horde.  It just wasn’t for me.  The Horde rates 1 of 5 stars

“10 Minutes Gone” Starring Bruce Willis and Michael Chiklis (2019) / Z-View

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10 MInutes Gone (2019)

Director:  Brian A. Miller

Writers:  Kelvin Mao, Jeff Jingle

Starring:  Bruce Willis, Michael Chiklis and Meadow Williams.

Tagline:  Keep your enemies close.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Rex (Willis) is a mastermind who brings together a crew of thieves to rob a bank.  When the robbery goes sideways, it’s every man for himself.  The robbery team make their escape going separate ways.  As Frank (Chiklis) and his brother head down an alley to their getaway car, someone jumps from the shadows and knocks Frank unconscious.  Ten minutes later Frank wakes up to find his brother has been killed.

When Rex learns that the robbery is a bust, he brings in a professional killer to take out anyone with knowledge that could lead to him.  Frank knows that time is running out. He needs to find who killed his brother and sabotaged the heist.

As I watched 10 Minutes Gone, it was tough to get through Bruce Willis’ scenes knowing what he has been dealing with in regard to his health.  Willis speaks one or two lines at most in his scenes and then the camera cuts away.  Michael Chiklis is always good, but even Chiklis isn’t enough to raise this film from an “OK” rating.  It’s worth reading the IMDB trivia on 10 Minutes Gone to understand why it wasn’t better.

10 Minutes Gone rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Darc” (2018) / Z-View

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Darc (2018)

Director:  Julius R. Nasso

Writers:  Tony Schiena, Dennis Venter

Starring:  Tony Schiena, Armand Assante and Shô Ikushima.

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

An Interpol agent named Lafique (Assante) arranges for the early release of a convict known as Darc (Schiena). Lafique then recruits Darc to bring down a Yakuza human trafficking ring. When Darc was a small boy he witnessed the leader of the Yakuza gang kill his mother.  Darc will use all of his martial arts skills in an attempt to avenge his mother and bring down the gang… but will they be enough?

Shaky camera work on several of the fights diminish their effectiveness.  Schiena comes off as a cross between Karl Urban (a good thing) and early Steven Seagal (used to be a good thing).  It would be interesting to see him in a better film.  It’s always good to see Armand Assante.  I wish the movie was as good as the poster.

Darc rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (1942) / Z-View

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The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

Director:  Erle C. Kenton

Writers:  Scott Darling (screenplay), Eric Taylor (original story)

Starring:  Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr., Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers and Colin Clive.

Tagline:  The King of all Monsters strikes again! No chains can hold him! No tomb can seal him in!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Ygor (Lugosi) discovers Frankenstein’s monster (Chaney) buried under rubble of Dr. Frankenstein’s castle. Ygor and the monster journey to find Dr. Frankenstein’s son, Ludwig (Hardwicke), who is also a doctor. When they arrive in Ludwig’s town, the monster befriends a young girl.  Townspeople fear the monster is going to hurt the child and attack the monster.  Two villagers are killed before Ygor and the monster escape.

Ygor wants Ludwig Frankenstein to use his father’s notes and put Ygor’s brain in the monster.  While Ludwig considers this, he is visited by his father’s ghost (Ha! THAT explains the title) who says to find a good brain for the monster.  As villagers search for the monster, Ludwig prepares to operate, but whose brain will he use?  And what will be the result?

I have many fun memories of watching The Ghost of Frankenstein with my buddy late at night on Sammy Terry’s Nightmare Theater.  It’s a fun movie for kids.  You have Bela Lugosi (Dracula!) as Ygor and Lon Chaney, Jr. (Wolfman!) as the Monster.  You get the monster fighting villagers on a rooftop, chained in a courtroom (What?) and breaking free, plus the mandatory laboratory scene with electrical arcs and rioting villagers.  What’s not to like?

If you see The Ghost of Frankenstein as an adult for the first time, your mileage may vary quite a bit from mine.  I still enjoy The Ghost of Frankenstein even though we have Ygor and the monster as friends. They were bitter enemies before.  Chaney plays the monster as if it is blind, which explains why the monster’s eyes are always closed and it walks with arms outstretched.  This is never really explained in the movie. The Ghost of Frankenstein isn’t as good as Frankenstein or The Bride of Frankenstein (or even Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein) but I like it well enough to give it 3 of 5 stars.