Author Archives: chipkaufmann

Although my true field of interest remains the silent film (see my other reviews), I just cannot pass up the opportunity to say something about this movie which has been one of my favorites for many years. I first saw it on television back in the 1960’s and it has been with me ever since.Continue reading “THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS Is Still Brutal After 60 Years”

Like so many early 1970s British horror movies, I first saw BURKE & HARE at a drive-in as part of a double or triple bill. I don’t remember what else was showing that night but this was the movie that I came to see and it wasn’t the first feature on the program. I knewContinue reading “BURKE & HARE (1971): Two Very Different Movies Rolled Into One”

THE DOCTOR & THE DEVILS is one of the best examples of a movie that I didn’t appreciate the first time I saw it. The fact that the original script is by Dylan Thomas and that it was directed by Freddie Francis, celebrated cinematographer (THE INNOCENTS, THE ELEPHANT MAN) and occasional mainstream horror film directorContinue reading “THE DOCTOR & THE DEVILS: Literal Version Of Dylan Thomas’ Burke & Hare Story Isn’t For Horror Fans”

19th century Edinburgh grave robbers Burke & Hare have been the subject of at least 4 films prior to this one (5 if you count Val Lewton’s THE BODY SNATCHER (1945) which has the same setting and plotline but only one grave robber). 1) THE GREED OF WILLIAM HART aka HORROR MANIACS (1948) with theContinue reading “BURKE & HARE (2010) Is Uneven At Best”

I first saw THE GREEN MAN when it was broadcast back in 1992 on A&E when it really stood for Arts & Entertainment. I’m always on the lookout for a good ghost story movie. I’ll take it over your average horror film any day of the week. This one is more than just a goodContinue reading “THE GREEN MAN (1990): A Ghost Story And A Lot More”

I first saw THE UNINVITED on television back in the early 1960s. I was home from school and saw it on the early morning movie (in the first 2 decades of TV they used to show old movies all the time). I was just beginning to develop my love of classic supernatural horror and thisContinue reading “THE UNINVITED (1944): Classic Hollywood Ghost Story With A Real Ghost For A Change”

THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE is a remarkable little black and white film that scores on a number of levels. The sci-fi angle about a machine that can duplicate matter is strongly reminiscent of THE FLY although this is 5 years earlier. The lab scenes involving the machine are imaginatively handled for the time and showContinue reading “THE FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE (1954): Early Hammer Films Sci-Fi Entry Shines”

…has a lot going for it, if you are willing to take it on its own terms. Like Gaston Leroux’s original novel, the 1943 film with Claude Rains, and the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, this version emphasises the tragic love story angle not the horror one. It should be noted that the original Lon ChaneyContinue reading “PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1962): Much Maligned Hammer Version…”

No redeeming qualities is how you would describe the character of Baron Frankenstein in this 5th entry in the series and that takes it down in my estimation. This is a return to the original characterization in 1957’s THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN after years of Peter Cushing gradually developing the character into the role ofContinue reading “FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED (1969) Has Few Redeeming Qualities”

1973’s FRANKENSTEIN & THE MONSTER FROM HELL is the final installment in Hammer’s long running FRANKENSTEIN series which created a revolution in horror films back in 1957 by introducing color with THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Between these two titles were 5 other films ranging from first class (1967’s FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN – the title beingContinue reading “FRANKENSTEIN & THE MONSTER FROM HELL (1974): The End Of The Line”