Author Archives: chipkaufmann

I first saw THE MUTATIONS in the early 1970s. Imagine an updated color version of Tod Browning’s FREAKS that borrows its principal plot device from H. G. Wells’ THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU. Add more than a touch of David Cronenberg style body horror (three years before Cronenberg’s first movie) then combine it with theContinue reading “THE MUTATIONS: This Update of Tod Browning’s FREAKS Is Visually Stunning”

As an aficionado of silent films, it’s amazing the impact that a restored print can have on the viewing experience. The same is true of regular movies as well, including a low budget drive-in special like this one. Throw in the fact that this was the debut feature of the tragically short lived British filmmakerContinue reading “THE SHE BEAST Was Michael Reeves First Film Effort”

If anyone ought to be able to turn out a decent, relatively faithful cinematic adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story, then it should be an outfit that calls itself the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society and that is precisely what they have done. In fact this is their second film effort following on the heels ofContinue reading “THE WHISPERER IN DARKNESS: Sincere & Effective Low Budget H.P. Lovecraft Adaptation”

There were so many horror films that I first saw at drive-ins in the 1970s, that one needed to be rather special in order for me to remember it. THE ASPHYX certainly qualifies for it contains one of the most original screenplays that I’ve ever encountered in a horror movie. The idea sounds like somethingContinue reading “THE ASPHYX: A Horror Movie For The DOWNTON ABBEY Set”

I am old enough to have seen the original TV series the first time around and while I remember it fondly, it was definitely a product of its time. What makes this film so enjoyable for me is that it is not merely trying to copy the old series but to reinvent it. Ralph FiennesContinue reading “THE AVENGERS (1998): Post TV And Before The Marvel Universe”

The lure of gold and the consequences of greed have been a mainstay in literature since THE CANTERBURY TALES and in feature films since the Rudolph Valentino vehicle THE CONQUERING POWER in 1921. Along the way such movies as GREED (1923),TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1947), LUST FOR GOLD (1949), and GOLD (1974) have dealtContinue reading “MOTHER LODE (1982): The Lure Of Gold”

…SPHINX! Sorry, I just couldn’t resist that groaner of a punch line which is paraphrased from an old BEANY & CECIL cartoon. But it’s true. This movie had the potential to be really good but it falls flat on a number of levels. Director Franklin J. Schaffner began his career with THE STRIPPER, reached highContinue reading “SPHINX (1981): The Trouble With This Movie Is It…”

A decidedly odd combination to be sure but that was my impression after seeing this atypical Charles Bronson Western again after more than 30 years (I first saw it on its original release in 1977). The supernatural elements of the story along with the unreal reality of some of the lighting and use of colorContinue reading “THE WHITE BUFFALO: Hammer Films Meets D.W. Griffith In A Western Setting”

When this film first appeared in 1984 there were howls of protest from practically everyone in the film community especially those who were silent film aficionados. The idea of combining contemporary pop music with a silent film classic was sacrilege. Once the furor died down and the film became available on VHS, it developed quiteContinue reading “METROPOLIS : Giorgio Moroder’s 1984 Version Finally Goes Digital”

What an intriguing idea. Take several well known directors used to working with today’s state of the art equipment and see what they can do with the first practical motion picture camera. And to make it more of a challenge, give them less than a minute to work with. The results are naturally uneven. HowContinue reading “LUMIERE & COMPANY: Less Is More”