Karloff is executed in an electric chair for a crime he did not commit. The only witnesses who can prove his innocence are (surprise) scientists who are on the verge of finding a way of bringing people back to life.
Lots of electric hi volt arc and great 30's era lab equipment in the resurrection scene. After he awakens, he has a lovely white offset stripe through his hair. His look as the resurrected man is subtle, haunting, and effective.
Karloff stalks and kills the men who framed him. The film has an interesting balance of light chit chat & wise talking gangsters with very dark and genuinely suspenseful death scenes. Karloff slowly walks towards to men and asks over and over, why did you have me killed, and in their fear they stumble out of windows, in front of trains, and accidentally shoot themselves. Karloff's death stare and sucked in face (he took out his false teeth to hollow out his cheeks - to great effect) scare the bejezus out of the gangsters.
Interesting and unique lighting techniques are used in this film as well, notably when Karloff is giving a piano recital and giving the evil eye to the men in the audience responsible for his death. One by one his eye travels from one to the other and they are illuminated in an eerie glow as the background light fades.
Another key shot is of the female lead - her white medical tunic and head piece appear luminescent and glowing in the silvery black and white film. Her face and the background fill somehow darkens with a subtle change of light while her clothes seem to glow even more. The photographer must have known exactly what effect the slight reduction of light would have in the exposure of the film. It's a very delicate and impressive balance. It's pronounced enough to compare it to the effect used for the costumes in Tron. The contrast of luminous angular shapes compared to the darkened exposed skin captivates me, and I find myself wanting to replicate it into a project of my own.
See the lighting effect here - move ahead to the 2:02 mark.
Boris pulls it off with his great magneticism and superb voice.
The movie takes a strange twist towards the middle where he imprisons several people in his house and tells them over a loudspeaker that he intends to kill them off one at a time every fifteen minutes.
Check out some great Karloff photos here.
My first night DJing at a new club. Had an outstanding night with lots of rewarding feedback. Looking forward to building the night as a staple of quality rock and soul in this godforsaken town.
Stay tuned for halloween mix very soon, just need to slice and dice into tracks.
Cheers
Dj Dinobyte.
Val Lewton.
The mute sailor sharpening his knife.
Loose hook, anchor chain scenes.
Gripping knife fight.
Talky at points.
Same sweet voiced Caribbean singer from I Walked with a Zombie.
Great atmosphere and genuine psychological suspense. Intense script, Val Lewton really worked hard on his films. RKO Radio pictures has a major laurel on it's crown with this one. Film students take note... for the sake of quality cinema goddamn it...
1lb ground beef at least 15% fat
3 limes (juice and pulp)
1/2 white onion
Cilantro
1/2 large red bell pepper
2 Jalapenos
1 Serrano
1 Habanero
Rooster Sauce
Sea Salt
Red Pepper Flakes
Finely dice all vegetables. Saute Onions red pepper flakes in a small amount of oil. Add jalapenos. Add ground beef. Cook & remove contents, but leave liquid in pan. Add remaining ingredients (not the cilantro) and cook well. When well done return meat to pan. Add cilantro and lime juice & pulp. Stir well. Add rooster sauce and salt to taste.
Heat Corn tortillas in a small amount of oil.
Garnish with cilantro leaves. I also add prepped fajita veggies and sour cream. No cheese please.
Awkward slapstick Polanski film with moments of beauty and humor. Otherwise, kind of tiresome. Strong start but laspes quickly. Some outstanding camera work. Consistent and utter failure on the part of the protagonists frustrates me to no end. Beautiful shot of vampire on cannon fortification. Polanski's odd sexual humor. Sharon Tate looks great as a red headed Transylvanian village girl.
Written, directed, & starring Polanski.1967.
