STORM OVER THE PACIFIC

 

STORM OVER THE PACIFIC is a 1960 Japanese film, produced by Toho Studios, that covers the Pacific theater in World War II from Pearl Harbor to the Battle of Midway. 

Toho is of course best known for their Godzilla series, and other science-fiction and monster movies, but they also made several historical & military epics. STORM OVER THE PACIFIC gives a viewpoint from the other side, so to speak, at least for English-speaking audiences. 

The movie begins with the Japanese fleet sailing to Hawaii to begin the attack on Pearl Harbor, with the focus on a young navigator-bombardier named Lt. Kitami (Yosuke Natsuki). The surprise raid is successful, and through Kitami's narration and a series of montages, the viewer learns about the Japanese military dominating in the Western Pacific. Kitami gets leave to marry his hometown sweetheart, but on the day of the ceremony he's called back to his ship, the aircraft carrier Hiryu. The Hiryu is to be part of a large force that will be sent out to attack and invade Midway Island, in the hopes of bringing out the American fleet so it can be destroyed. In the battle the Japanese fleet is devastated, with Kitami barely surviving the sinking of his carrier. Back home recuperating, Kitami realizes that the Japanese authorities are not letting the public know about the massive losses suffered at Midway. His enthusiasm dampened, Kitami goes off on another mission, his future uncertain. 

STORM OVER THE PACIFIC will be a treat for WWII buffs--just make sure you find the original unedited Japanese version of this film, which is available on the Internet Archive. (The movie was edited, dubbed, and released in the U.S. with the title I BOMBED PEARL HARBOR.) The film portrays events in a matter-of-fact manner--there's no grandstanding or angry attitudes. Kitami is a likable fellow who is proud to serve his country, but he's not filled with rage against any enemy. After his marriage, he even questions the idea of his life being sworn to the Emperor. 

Armchair historians will appreciate the fact that the movie highlights the strategic and tactical decisions (and mistakes) made by the Japanese navy during the period after Pearl Harbor. At one point Admiral Yamaguchi (played by the legendary Toshiro Mifune) discusses with Admiral Yamamoto why Japan must inflict as much damage to America in as short a time as possible, in order to bring about a quick end to the war. The reason for this is that Japan does not have the supplies and the infrastructure to survive a long campaign--something the officers in this story know all too well. While STORM OVER THE PACIFIC presents the early successes of the Japanese in WWII, there's also a sense of foreboding. (Toshiro Mifune would go on to play Yamamoto multiple times.) 

If you are a fan of Toho's Godzilla series, STORM OVER THE PACIFIC features plenty of familiar names and faces, such as actors Takashi Shimura, Jun Tazaki, and Akihiko Hirata. The producer of the film was Tomoyuki Tanaka, the man who instigated the Godzilla series, and the battle sequences, which contain plenty of models and miniatures, were overseen by FX master Eiji Tsuburaya. There are some that will never get used to models in a movie like this, but for me I personally find them much more watchable than CGI. (Besides, there's no way Toho could have made a film like this without the use of models.) A large sunken pool was constructed on the Toho lot to film the battle scenes of STORM OVER THE PACIFIC, and this construct was used for almost every Kaiju movie the studio made thereafter. (Battle footage from STORM OVER THE PACIFIC was used for TORA, TORA, TORA and MIDWAY.) 

STORM OVER THE PACIFIC is a very well-made war picture, and it at times even winds up being more realistic than most American WWII movies. 

FOCUS ON LOUISE BROOKS On Blu-ray From Flicker Alley

 

For this Region Free Blu-ray Flicker Alley and the San Francisco Film Preserve have gathered together clips and fragments from four different films featuring Louise Brooks. 

In a number of ways Louise Brooks is the equivalent to Marilyn Monroe and James Dean in that her image and legends about her personal life have had far more impact than any of her movie performances. FOCUS ON LOUISE BROOKS gives an example of how hard it is to get an appreciation for Brooks' early acting career. Of the four films covered on this disc, none of them presently survive in a complete form....and Brooks is not the main star in any of them. Nevertheless, she still manages to have a striking onscreen charisma, even in these short clips. 

This Blu-ray has trailers and a few test shots (some in early color) from THE AMERICAN VENUS, in which Brooks got her first onscreen credit. About 20 minutes exist from NOW WE'RE IN THE AIR, a silly WWI comedy starring Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton. The publicity stills that Brooks posed for (see the one used for the disc case above) are more familiar than anything in the actual movie. Brooks actually had a dual role as twins, but the footage that exists only shows her as one of the ladies. 

About thirty minutes exist of JUST ANOTHER BLONDE, a romantic comedy in which Brooks plays the second female lead to Dorothy Mackaill. 

The main feature on this disc is THE STREET OF FORGOTTEN MEN, a 1925 production which contains Louise Brooks' screen debut. This film exists almost in its entirety, except for the second reel, which has been recreated with stills and excerpts from a copy of the script. THE STREET OF FORGOTTEN MEN is a melodrama concerning a group of characters from the Bowery section of New York City in the early 1900s who pretend to be disabled and down and out so that they can make a living as professional beggars. The most successful of this group is a man called "Easy Money Charley" (Percy Marmont) who has a secret life in which he raises an orphan (Mary Brian) in the suburbs away from his underhanded activities. Charley's ward falls in love with an upper-class lawyer (Neil Hamilton), and the fake vagabond goes to great lengths to make sure her past and her association with him is not known. The movie has a major Lon Chaney/Tod Browning vibe to it, and it is well-directed by Herbert Brenon. 

Brooks has a very small part toward the end of THE STREET OF FORGOTTEN MEN--she plays the female companion of the story's heavy--but she still makes a big impression. Her freshness and modern looks make her appear to be a visitor from another planet when compared to the disreputable denizens who surround her in the very short time she is in front of the camera. 

FOCUS ON LOUISE BROOKS may not actually have much footage of Brooks, but it has plenty of extras to compensate. It comes with a 16-page illustrated booklet, with articles on the films covered on the disc by Brooks expert Thomas Gladysz, and notes on what it took to restore this footage by Robert Byrne. The booklet also has info on the two men who provided original music for the footage on the disc, Wayne Barker and Stephen Horne. For each collection of footage on this disc, extensive text notes appear that detail the restoration involved for it. 

The disc also has a featurette that runs about a half hour long called "Looking at Lulu", in which film historian Pamela Hutchinson gives a concise examination of Brooks's life and acting career. Hutchinson also provides a fine audio commentary for THE STREET OF FORGOTTEN MEN. 

Thomas Gladysz, Robert Byrne, and Kathy Rose O'Regan also do audio commentaries on the rest of the footage, and they detail Brooks' work on each film and the restoration process for each of them. There's also an extensive image gallery, and the disc sleeve is reversible. If one orders this disc direct from Flicker Alley, it comes in a special slipcase (see below). 

There really isn't all that much footage of Louise Brooks on this disc, but once again her image takes center stage throughout it. A lot of time and effort went into the restoration of the footage included here, and while it is not extensive, it's enough to show that Louise Brooks could project a notable screen presence with very little to do. Perhaps Flicker Alley has plans for more Louise Brooks-related product, since there are still a few of her films that still exist and have not had a major home video release. 

 

THE WITCH'S CURSE

 

Yesterday I wrote a blog post concerning the magnificent restoration of Riccardo Freda's THE GHOST by Severin. A number of extras on the Blu-ray for THE GHOST mention another film directed by Riccardo Freda that contains some Gothic elements: THE WITCH'S CURSE, originally known in Italian as MACISTE ALL'INFERNO. I decided to seek out this film. 

A number of streaming and internet sites have the American version of THE WITCH'S CURSE, an edited, non-widescreen edition that is in poor shape. Luckily, I was able to find the full original Italian version, in its proper aspect ratio and with excellent visual quality. This version has an Italian voice track, but I was able to use English closed-captioning. 

As one can discover from the original Italian title, THE WITCH'S CURSE is actually an entry in the very long-running series of movies that feature the legendary character Maciste. This fellow, a demigod of great strength and ability, was introduced way back in the silent era. Maciste is usually lumped into the same category with Hercules, Samson, Goliath, and other sword & sandal characters, but the Maciste films stick out by putting the lead character in all sorts of time frames and situations. A number of Maciste films wound up being shown in America, or on TV, and the character was usually renamed Hercules or some other mythical hero. 

THE WITCH'S CURSE is a prime example of Maciste's penchant for showing up at just about any time and any place. The story begins in 1522, Scotland, where a witch is being burned at the stake. The witch naturally places a curse on the local countryside (this sequence easily brings to mind the openings of Bava's BLACK SUNDAY and THE CITY OF THE DEAD). A hundred years later, a descendant of the witch, a young woman, has arrived at the local village along with her newly-wedded husband. The husband has decided to stay at the abandoned castle of his wife's family. This, along with an outbreak of demonic possession, causes the villagers to go berserk, grab their pitchforks and torches, storm the castle, and demand that the young newlyweds be punished as witches. Suddenly, Maciste (Kirk Morris) rides into the fray, and rescues the young couple from the mob. 

There is absolutely no explanation why Maciste just happens to ride in on a horse, nor why he is only wearing a loincloth and sandals, as if he is still living in ancient times. He seems to immediately assess and understand the situation, and this is never explained either. Later in the film Maciste explains that he travels the world bringing help to those who need it, as if he's some sort of divine intervention. 

No one in the Scottish village seems to question why Maciste is there (one would think the superstitious villagers would automatically perceive the mighty being as a supernatural threat). While the witch's descendant is held for trial, Maciste is led by a sympathetic town official to the tree that grows on the spot that the witch was burned. Maciste upends the tree, and discovers underneath it a portal which leads to the underworld. Maciste enters, hoping to find the witch and destroy her, thereby saving the young couple. 

What follows is a very long sequence detailing Maciste's adventures in Hell. The muscleman battles a lion, snakes, a giant, and an eagle, and he also comes upon hundreds of condemned souls writhing in pain due to various tortures (this scene presents a striking tableau, to say the least.) Maciste also comes across a voluptuous blond maiden (Helene Chanel) who offers to help him on his quest. (If you think there's more to this maiden than meets the eye, you're right.) 

At this point I have to mention that THE WITCH'S CURSE bears a great resemblance to Mario Bava's HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD, which had been made the year before. Italian genre cinema has a long history of being influenced by (and imitating) other films, so this isn't surprising, especially when one knows that Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava had worked together multiple times. HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD is a much more entertaining film than THE WITCH'S CURSE--Bava brings much more flair and panache to this type of story than Freda does. 

Maciste does eventually find the witch and overcome her. (I won't give away how he does so, but it is rather creative for this type of story.) This causes the young couple back in Scotland to be saved at literally the last second, and Maciste rides off to further adventures. 

Among English-speaking film buffs, Riccardo Freda is best known for his two Gothic films starring Barbara Steele and his collaborations with Mario Bava, but he had a long and fruitful directorial career that dealt with all sorts of genres. Freda made a number of historical costume adventures, and this is reflected in the Scottish sequences of THE WITCH'S CURSE. The middle part of the story, Maciste's journey to Hell, feels as if it is a different movie altogether, which makes me wonder if the strongman was added to an already existing script. As I've stated before, Freda's style here isn't as showy as Mario Bava's would have been, but his version of Hell (filmed inside an actual location, the Castellana Caves) is still memorable. 

Despite his acting name, Kirk Morris was an Italian, born Adriano Bellini. He also was very young when THE WITCH'S CURSE was made (internet sources state he was born in 1942) and he certainly looks it. His Maciste has almost no dialogue (which is probably just as well), but Morris does have a stalwart physical presence, and it appears he did a majority of his own stunts. THE WITCH'S CURSE doesn't have a major supporting presence like Christopher Lee was in HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD, but Helene Chanel does provide plenty of Eurobabe eye candy. 

THE WITCH'S CURSE is a very good bizarre adventure, but it winds up feeling like two different movies mixed together. Maciste's tribulations in Hell take up so much running time that one even starts to forget why he went there in the first place. (The length of this sequence is extended by a dazed Maciste staring into an enchanted pool and seeing scenes from his past movies.) If you do seek out THE WITCH'S CURSE, try to find the original Italian version--it will give you more of an appreciation of Riccardo Freda's film making talents. I'm going to try and view more of Freda's historical adventures. 

THE GHOST (1963) On Blu-ray From Severin

 

For years, classic horror film fans such as myself have been begging for a major restoration and home video release of THE GHOST (original Italian title LO SPETTRO), the 1963 Gothic melodrama from director Riccardo Freda. The fact that THE GHOST also starred the iconic Barbara Steele made the film's status even more important for film geeks. The Severin company has come through by backing a restoration of the movie themselves and presenting it on a 4K/Blu-ray four-disc set stuffed with extras. 

Putting all the bells & whistles on the set aside for the moment, this restoration of THE GHOST is a major achievement. Up until now the film could easily be accessed on YouTube or various streaming sites, but the movie's color scheme was faded, and the overall visual quality was murky and flat. Severin's THE GHOST is much brighter and livelier, with bold colors and an increased sharpness that brings out the costumes and production design. THE GHOST didn't have a large budget, but it certainly doesn't look cheap, especially on this new Blu-ray. 

THE GHOST is a follow-up to Riccardo Freda's THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK, but it is not a sequel to that film, despite the fact that it features another Dr. Hichcock who also happens to be married to a woman played by Barbara Steele. (I like to think that the two Dr. Hichcocks are cousins--they certainly have the same taste in women.) The Dr. Hichcock of THE GHOST (Elio Jotta) is wheelchair-bound, and the only thing keeping him alive is a poisonous concoction of his own creation. Hichcock is administered the antidote to this potion by a handsome young doctor named Charles (Peter Baldwin), who is carrying on an affair with Hichcock's much younger wife Margaret (Barbara Steele). Mrs. Hichcock convinces Charles to do her husband in, which he does, and the duo assume that Margaret will now inherit her husband's vast wealth. But the money cannot be found, and as the devious couple search all over the Hichcock estate for it, they start to turn on one another. They also experience various manifestations that make them wonder if Dr. Hichcock is still alive or has come back as a vengeful spirit. Charles and Margaret are also constantly watched by Hichcock's baleful maid (Harriet White Medin). In the end, Hichcock, Margaret, Charles, and the maid all get what they deserve, but not what each of them wanted. 

THE GHOST is a much more slower-paced and somber film than THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK. THE GHOST has only four major characters, and nearly the entire film takes place inside the vast Hichcock manor. This still gives Riccardo Freda plenty of chances to indulge in a heavy Gothic atmosphere, and to wallow in the cruel beauty of Barbara Steele. THE GHOST is one of the great Italian Gothics, with one very nasty scene of violence and an extremely ironic twist ending. 

Sevrerin's version of THE GHOST on this set is provided with English and Italian voice tracks, along with English subtitles. The Blu-ray on this set is Region Free. The set has a special slipcover (see photo above). The movie is presented on a 4K disc and a Blu-ray disc. 

As for the extras, there's plenty of them. The Blu-ray disc with the actual movie also has a number of programs. "Til Death Returns" is a 22 minute talk with Italian film historian Roberto Curti, who goes into the making of THE GHOST, and also discusses the career of Riccardo Freda. "Give Up The Ghost" is a 28 minute featurette narrated by Tim Lucas. Lucas examines the film's elements and compares its links to THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK. "Wounds of Deceit" is a rambling essay on the movie, running about 11 minutes and narrated by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. 

The movie disc also has footage from special showings of THE GHOST at movie festivals in Venice and Paris in 2025. This footage is enlivened by the appearance of Barbara Steele herself, who comes off as very hale, hearty, and quite articulate. For years Steele had the reputation of being indifferent or even hostile to her horror film past, but in this footage she seems to have finally appreciated or at least accepted it. (I'm sure the folks at Severin went out of their way to give her the grand treatment as well.) 

There's also an audio interview with Barbara Steele that runs about 40 minutes (it is set up to run along with the film). I don't know the circumstances of the interview, or when it was recorded, but it sounds as if it was done recently--I assume it happened in conjunction with the festival showings of the restoration of THE GHOST. Once again Steele seems more than happy to discuss her horror film past, and she even goes into her own personal life as well. The movie disc also has a new audio commentary by Kat Ellinger, which I haven't listened to yet. American and Italian trailers for the film are included, and the Italian one is of particular interest, since it has footage that is not in the existing version of the movie.  

The third disc on this set contains an 80 minute documentary on 1960s Italian Gothic horror films entitled EXECUTIONERS, MASKS, SECRETS. It is an Italian production, with English subtitles. It's a decent look at this genre, with Italian and French critics discussing the main elements of the Italian Gothic. Barbara Steele appears in this as well, and she even speaks Italian! The documentary has footage from a number of films, but it's obvious that rights issues limited what could be shown. Those who do not know much about Italian Gothic cinema will probably enjoy this picture the most. 

The fourth disc is a CD, and it contains film music from composer Francesco De Masi, including most of his score for THE GHOST. It also has De Masi's music from three other films, which are not Gothics....as a matter of fact, they're movies I haven't even heard of. The music is in stereo, and there's about 70 minutes of it. The disc case contains a card which has a track listing for the CD on one side, and the other has a photo which is probably the ultimate definition of Barbara Steele's career in horror films (see below). 

When I was a teenager back in the 1980s, seeing any of Barbara Steele's horror films was almost impossible. Image Entertainment's special edition DVD of BLACK SUNDAY was almost the equivalent of the Holy Grail. Now with Severin's incredible restoration and release of THE GHOST, every single one of Barbara Steele's Italian Gothics is available officially on Blu-ray. Severin's special edition of THE GHOST was supposed to show up before the end of 2025, and if it had, it would have easily topped my "best of the year" Blu-ray list. It'll certainly be on my 2026 list. Even if there wasn't any enticing extras, the magnificent restoration of THE GHOST alone would deserve fulsome praise. Any fan of Gothic horror cinema needs this Blu-ray. (For those who are put off by the four-disc set's price, or feel that they don't need all the extras, it appears that a standard edition Blu-ray of THE GHOST will be coming from Severin in the future.) 

WEEKEND OF A CHAMPION

 

I had never heard of this film, or even knew of its existence, until I saw it being offered for sale on DVD in the updated Edward R. Hamilton catalog. It is a documentary detailing Formula One racing legend Jackie Stewart's quest to win the Monaco Grand Prix in May of 1971. 

What really piqued my interest in this DVD was the pairing of Jackie Stewart with Roman Polanski, a truly bizarre coupling. Polanski really was a racing fan at the time (Formula One has a far more glamorous and glitzy reputation than the likes of NASCAR does), and he wanted to showcase Stewart, who was a friend, in a film that would detail his routine during a major event. 

Polanski produced the film, but he hired documentary veteran Frank Simon to direct it. The result is a fascinating look at a world and a time long gone, especially from a racing standpoint. 

Polanski accompanies Stewart as he qualifies and competes at Monte Carlo, but for the most part he stays out of the way and doesn't hog the camera. The racing footage is impressive--F1 geeks will lap it up. The only real drama that the movie has is the rainy weather, which creates problems for Stewart and his crew. The actual race winds up being somewhat anticlimactic, in that Stewart wins rather handily. 

As for Stewart himself, he comes off as even-keeled, focused, and very articulate about his profession and what it takes to be a champion driver. Stewart retired from competitive racing in 1973, and my knowledge of him comes from his time as a TV racing commentator. What made Stewart such an effective commentator is that he had an innate ability to explain all the details of auto racing and do it in a way that even someone who knew nothing about cars could understand what was going on. Stewart shows that ability already in this film, as he explains to Polanski just what it takes to drive a tricky road course like Monte Carlo.  

We do get to see a bit of the exotic allure of Monaco (Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier show up at the trophy ceremony) but the film mostly sticks to the race, and the preparations for it. 

This version of the film has an 2012 afterword in which Stewart and Polanski, while sitting in the same hotel suite Jackie stayed in during the 1971 race, look back on the film and how much F1 has changed. 

WEEKEND OF A CHAMPION will get attention just from the idea of Jackie Stewart hanging out with Roman Polanski, but it winds up being a fine documentary that racing fans will certainly enjoy. I think there's enough here, even from a nostalgia standpoint alone, to interest even those who have no idea what Formula One is. 

IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK

This month Turner Classic Movies is featuring one of my favorites, Jean Arthur. This gives me the opportunity to view some of her films that are new to me, including IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK, a 1935 light comedy made by Columbia and directed by William Seiter. 

IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK is best known today for its being advertised as a Frank Capra production in England, and causing a rift between Capra (who had nothing to do with the making of the film) and Columbia head Harry Cohn. The actual movie isn't in the Capra class, nor is it one of the better screwball comedies of the period. Despite this, it is a nice little feature that provides a diverting enough 70 minutes. 

Herbert Marshall plays James Buchanan (not the 15th U.S. President), the head of a large automobile company. Buchanan is fed up with his board members opposing his views about more modern auto design, and he's not altogether looking forward to his upcoming marriage to a snooty socialite. The auto magnate decides to take a walk in the park, and he encounters a young woman named Joan (Jean Arthur) leafing through the want-ads while sitting on a bench. Joan immediately assumes that Buchanan is also out of work, since it's the middle of the day. The young lady discovers an ad for a butler and cook, and she convinces--or more accurately browbeats--James to go along with her so she can obtain the cook position. The duo wind up getting hired, and their employer happens to be a gangster named Rossini (Leo Carrillo). 

While James and Joan try to convince Rossini they are the perfect servants, and a married couple as well, the two start to fall for one another. Rossini starts to fall for Joan himself, while James tries to keep up with his "real" life while hiding it from Joan. As expected, all the various complications come together at the end. 

Needless to say, one can venture from the above plot description that IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK has plenty of story elements for a short feature. There might be too many story elements--at one point Joan takes some of Jim's auto designs and tries to show them to the executive of another car company, leading to the poor woman being accused of stealing the designs. The capable William Seiter handles all the plot developments efficiently, but one feels a Capra or a Mitchell Leisen might have gotten more out of the proceedings. IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK is more amusing than flat out funny--it's not as frantic or energetic as most screwball comedies. 

Perhaps the low-key nature of the film is due to its leading man. The distinguished Herbert Marshall seems somewhat out of place in this type of movie, but he does work well with Jean Arthur. Jean does a fine job, but her character isn't what one would call a "screwball girl"--she's just a woman trying to get a decent job. (When Joan discovers that she could easily enter into a relationship with Rossini and get whatever luxuries she wanted, she still doesn't hesitate to fend off his advances.) 

Jean Arthur and Leo Carrillo in IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK

Leo Carrillo goes all out with the role of Rossini, making him one of those blustery, malaprop-spouting funny foreigner types that Classic Hollywood loved so much. Carrillo is backed by Lionel Stander as Flash, Rossini's right-hand man. Carrillo and Stander bring plenty of life to the movie but one couldn't believe these guys could pull off a robbery at a hot dog stand, let alone be powerful gangsters. 

One another thing that keeps IF YOU COULD ONLY COOK from being a top comedy is that it lacks the supporting cast and the little details a director like Capra or Preston Sturges would bring to this type of material. But maybe I'm being too hard on it. It's a pleasant enough film, it certainly isn't terrible....but I can't help wondering how it would have been with a different leading man and a different director. 

FRANKENSTEIN (2025)

 

I don't have Netflix, but this new adaptation of Mary Shelley's story was shown at the Browning Cinema on the campus of the University of Notre Dame this weekend. Writer-director Guillermo del Toro's take on the famous tale is extravagantly made, but it lacks a certain.....spark??

Del Toro goes overboard on the technical aspects--the costumes, the sets, the cinematography are all ravishing. Just about every shot seems set up to look like a painting--it's as if del Toro was trying to make a horror version of BARRY LYNDON. This movie looks great on the big screen, but there's a human element missing (which is ironic, considering the story). 

Oscar Isaac gives a very annoying performance as Baron Frankenstein, who comes off here as an arrogant hypocrite. Isaac's posturing can't match up to one single intense gaze from the likes of Peter Cushing or Colin Clive. Jacob Elordi fares better as the creature, who not only is the hero of this film, he's also the romantic hero. This monster is also something of a comic book mutant, flinging people around as if they were toys and having incredible regenerative powers. Elordi is helped by a monster-makeup design by Mike Hill that above all has the advantage of being unique. 

Christoph Waltz does his usual Christoph Waltz act (he would have been a lot more watchable than Isaac as the Baron), while Mia Goth's Elizabeth is hampered by having to wear some outlandish clothes that overwhelm her character. 

The del Toro FRANKENSTEIN has a running time of two and a half hours, and it drags plenty, especially with all the ponderous dialogue about the meaning of life and death. Perhaps I'm the wrong person to sum it up--I've seen just about every Frankenstein movie ever made, so a lot that del Toro presents felt like "been here, seen that" to me. A person who doesn't have much experience with cinematic Gothic horror might appreciate it more. 

The one major thing I thought after seeing the del Toro FRANKENSTEIN is that filmmakers like James Whale and Terence Fisher were much more efficiently able to get to the meaning of Mary Shelley's story with much smaller budgets and much smaller running times. 

THE HANDS OF ORLAC (1960) On Blu-ray From Severin

 

Severin's THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 3 Blu-ray set includes THE HANDS OF ORLAC, an English-French co-production that was the third movie adaptation of Maurice Renard's novel concerning a concert pianist who receives a new pair of hands after a near-fatal accident. 

This THE HANDS OF ORLAC, made in 1960, actually has two different versions--one in French, and one in English. The French version runs about ten minutes longer, and in my opinion it is a better film than the English version. The thing is, each version contains scenes, dialogue, and actors that the other version doesn't have....which means that for one to get a full appreciation of the entire production, one needs to see both versions. Thankfully, Severin has included both cuts on this Blu-ray, with English subtitles available for the French version. The storyline is basically the same in both cuts, but there are some important differences. 

Mel Ferrer plays the title role of Stephen Orlac, with French actress Lucile Saint-Simon as his wife Louise. Both performers are somewhat stiff and detached in the English version, but they have a bit more vitality in the French cut. Christopher Lee plays Nero, a shifty stage magician who finds out about Orlac's situation and attempts to use this info for blackmail. Nero becomes more and more bonkers as the movie goes along, and Lee plays him to the hilt (this is one of the few characters in Lee's movie career that was truly nuts). Lee, along with Dany Carrel (who plays Nero's sexy assistant), totally overwhelms Ferrer and Saint-Simon. 

Edmond T. Greville, who co-wrote and directed the film, tries to give this version of ORLAC a more realistic feel, with black & white photography and several scenes set in the south of France, but the movie doesn't really come alive until Lee shows up. This ORLAC does have plenty of British character actors familiar to movie geeks, such as Felix Aylmer, Donald Wolfit, and Donald Pleasence. David Peel, who starred in THE BRIDES OF DRACULA, is onscreen for literally only seconds, and Janina Faye (who played the child in HORROR OF DRACULA) also appears. The strange thing about Faye's scene is it does not make the English cut, even though her name is in the opening credits, but it is in the French cut, where her name is not in the credits! 

As stated before, both versions of THE HANDS OF ORLAC are included on this Region Free disc. Both versions are uncut, and they both have excellent black & white visual quality (I would say the French cut looks a bit better overall). 

The extras include an original trailer, and a short featurette which presents how some of the French locations used in the movie look today. (The hotel that Ferrer's and Lee's characters stayed in is still around, and it is still in operation.) A program which runs about a half-hour has a Frenchwoman named Fleur Hopkins-Loferon discussing the life and work of Maurice Renard. 

The main extra is a new audio commentary with Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons. The duo are always worth listening to, and they discuss (or more accurately try to understand) the differences between the English and French cuts. They also go into Christopher Lee's performance, and they bring up the other versions of the Orlac story. 

Some have complained that most of the films included in Severin's Christopher Lee Eurocrypt sets have the actor in supporting roles. This is true, but the 1960 THE HANDS OF ORLAC has one of Lee's most outlandish characterizations--this certainly isn't one of his intimidating upper class types. (Lee gets more dialogue in this film than he does in a lot of his other performances put together.). Lee also performs in English and French (as does Mel Ferrer), showing his versatility with language and infection. 

The 1960 THE HANDS OF ORLAC isn't as good as the silent version starring Conrad Veidt, or the 1935 MGM version titled MAD LOVE, which truly is a mad movie. It does give Christopher Lee a chance to stretch his talents, and it does have a fine supporting cast. What makes this release stand out is that Severin has provided both the English and the French versions of the film. 

THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG On Blu-ray From Severin

 

The first film I will be examining from Severin's THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 3 set is THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG, a 1963 Italian Gothic directed by Antonio Margheriti. Severin presents the film on two discs, one 4K and the other Blu-ray. 

Christopher Lee doesn't have a very big role in this picture, which might disappoint some, but overall the movie is a prime Sixties Euro Gothic with some nasty and unusual elements. The film's pre-title sequence, which features a nightgown-clad lovely (Rossana Podesta) wandering around a large domicile in the middle of the night, coming upon a torture chamber, and making a horrific discovery within, makes the viewer believe that the story is set hundreds of years ago. But then a jazzy Krimi-style musical passage bursts in (courtesy of composer Riz Ortolani) and we realize this movie is set in contemporary times. The damsel in the nightgown is Mary, a newlywed who has moved with her husband Max Hunter (Georges Riviere) to his family's ancestral castle in Germany. Said castle is being haunted by someone who has taken on the persona of "The Punisher" (not the Marvel character), an ancestor of Max's who was proficient in torture and murder. The confused and frightened Mary doesn't know who to trust, whether it be her mysterious acting husband, the intimidating head maid, or the disfigured caretaker Erich (Christopher Lee). The key to the Punisher's real identity can be found during the last years of World War II, when Max's father, a general, was involved in the plot to assassinate Hitler. 

THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG goes against the Italian Gothic grain by being in color, and by its rather gruesome gore effects. (The virgin of the title refers to a torture device.) The Punisher carries out some particularly horrid crimes, but even more disturbing is the black & white sequence which shows how the fiend himself was tortured and disfigured by the Nazis. (This sequence has a "found footage" style to it that is decades ahead of its time.) For almost the entire film Rossana Podesta, along with the audience, doesn't know what is going on (and she's also wearing that nightgown for almost the entire film as well). The final  revelations bring a real-world jolt to the proceedings, with the Nuremberg of the title having a portentous double meaning. 

As for Christopher Lee, despite his scarred visage, he's not as menacing as one would think. His Erich is a broken man, ruined mentally as well as physically, and Lee effortlessly shows this without much dialogue (his voice was unfortunately dubbed). 

THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG (released theatrically in the U.S as HORROR CASTLE) gets its HD premiere through this Severin release. (The Blu-ray disc is Region A.) I don't have a 4K player, but the Blu-ray is a great presentation. Visually Antonio Margheriti wasn't on the same level as Mario Bava, but the disc features a fine looking film, with very deep reds. This is the uncut version of NUREMBERG, with the Italian credits. Both the original Italian and English voice tracks are included. 

The extras include a four-minute vintage interview with Antonio Margheriti, and a 20 minute program that features Fabio Melelli. This program also has audio of Margheriti, and an appearance by screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi (who manages to show up on the extras of just about every Italian Gothic Blu-ray ever released), but honestly it doesn't go much into the production of THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG. There's also an original Italian trailer. 

The most important extra is a brand new audio commentary by Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson. Both these men are Euro Gothic experts, and their opinions are always welcome on discs like this. The duo provide a lively, engaging talk, which covers such topics as Antonio Margheriti's directorial style, Christopher Lee's preference for short (as opposed to small) roles, and the WWII subplot that makes THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG stand out. They also discuss the "Beautiful woman wandering around in a nightgown holding a candelabra" trope that is so prevalent in the Italian Gothic. 

Just about every notable Italian Gothic film from the 1960s has been given a high-end HD deluxe home video presentation recently, and, thanks to Severin, THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG finally joins the list. This is the true highlight of the latest Christopher Lee Eurocrypt set. I have a feeling that Severin will eventually release THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG individually. 

THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 3 On Blu-ray From Severin

 

Severin once again delves into the voluminous career of screen legend Sir Christopher Lee with THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 3, a massive set featuring six movies. 

This set arrived earlier this week, and I've barely been able to wade into it. I'll be writing blog posts on some of the individual films eventually, but for now I'll give a brief summation of what the set entails. 

The movies contained herein are BEAT GIRL, a late 1950s juvenile delinquency tale with Lee as a predatory strip joint proprietor, along with THE HANDS OF ORLAC, the third version of Maurice Renard's story of a famed pianist who suffers a gruesome hand transplant. Lee plays a shady blackmailer in this one. 

Also included are two family-friendly features: ARABIAN ADVENTURE, a late 1970s sword & sorcery fairy tale with Lee as a powerful wizard, and A FEAST AT MIDNIGHT, a mid-1980s lighthearted story about an outcast at a British boys boarding school. Lee portrays an intimidating teacher. 

The title in this set which has been getting the biggest buzz is the 1963 Italian Gothic THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG, which is making its HD home video debut. Severin has included 4K and Blu-ray discs of the film, which has Lee as a mysterious disfigured servant. 

Finally, the set contains a full-length recent documentary entitled THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE. This is a picture I have not seen, and I'm particularly enthused to view it. 

As usual with Severin, each title gets plenty of extras, including audio commentaries. There are two different versions of  BEAT GIRL and THE HANDS OF ORLAC. 

The most notable extra is a booklet, written by English Gothic historian Jonathan Rigby, that clocks in at 142 pages! The booklet, which is fully illustrated with various stills of Lee throughout his career, is titled CHRISTOPHER LEE: EIGHT DECADES OF A DARK HORSE. The "Dark Horse" element has a double meaning: dark horse as in not much was expected of Lee's acting career, and in the sense that Lee made his reputation playing dark, dastardly characters. Each of the three Christopher Lee Blu-ray sets from Severin has an extensive booklet written by Rigby, and one would think that the author (who also wrote an excellent biography of the actor) doesn't have much left to say about his subject. Rigby however still manages to bring perceptive analysis and insight into Lee the man and Lee the performer. (I also think Severin is passing up a major marketing opportunity by not reprinting these booklets in full-size hardback editions.) 

I've noticed some fan internet sniping about the titles included in this set. One has to factor in that nearly all the more famous of Lee's screen appearances have been already released on home video multiple times. These sets are designed more for the serious film geek. Independent companies like Severin can't just pick and choose what titles they do release, and I personally would much rather purchase a lesser-known film that hasn't been given a high-class release instead of a movie I've bought over and over again. If you're not a major Christopher Lee fan, you're not going to splurge for this set anyway. 

For those that are so inclined to splurge, I highly recommend you do so. These Eurocrypt Lee sets are incredible presentations, and considering the depth and scope of Lee's amazing acting career, I wouldn't be surprised if Severin has more goodies in store for us in the future. 

THE SECRET OF THE CHINESE CARNATION

 

Another Krimi?? Yes, this is the final film of a series of features supposedly based on the works of Louis Weinert-Wilton, the others being THE CARPET OF HORROR, THE WHITE SPIDER, and THE SECRET OF THE BLACK WIDOW. 

Released in 1964, THE SECRET OF THE CHINESE CARNATION (original title DAS GEHEIMNIS DER CHINESISCHEN NELKE) sticks out from most of the Krimis in a number of ways. The film was shot in Prague instead of Germany, the story has more of a Eurospy feel, and there are not as many familiar names among the cast & crew. 

The story, as usual for a Krimi set in London, concerns a professor who has created a formula that will basically put the petroleum industry out of business. Nearly everyone in the film is after it, but the main culprits are based at a Chinese nightclub. Of course the professor has a young and attractive niece (Olga Schoberova) who gets caught up in the chase. Her bodyguard Donald Ramsey (Brad Harris) takes it upon himself to protect the formula and find out who murdered the professor. 

THE SECRET OF THE CHINESE CARNATION is a lower-level Krimi, with more talk than action. There is a fight sequence inside the Chinese club, but it goes on far too long, apparently to lengthen the running time. A climatic car chase is enlivened by the fact that the vehicles involved have bombs attached to them that are set to go off when the autos exceed 80 mph, but even that is hampered by some very obvious back-projection. 

Brad Harris, an American stuntman who found work in Europe during the 1960s, is a rather unusual leading man for a Krimi (he's more brawn than brains). His character's relationship with Olga Schoberova almost has a screwball comedy aspect to it--early in the film he spanks her after she tells him she wants to go skinny-dipping (which she proceeds to do). Harris and Schoberova would later marry, and the Czech actress would also go on to change her moniker to Olinka Berova and play the lead role in Hammer's THE VENGEANCE OF SHE. (Hammer tried to publicize her as a brand new star, but the hype didn't take.) Harris and Schoberova are certainly not on the same level as Joachim Fuchsberger and Karin Dor, but they do provide something of a change of pace when it comes to Krimi protagonists. 

THE SECRET OF THE CHINESE CARNATION does feature Klaus Kinski, and he does have a bit more to do than usual as the main thug after the formula. Kinski's character, Speranzo, is working for a sultry Eurasian played by Dominique Boschero who runs the club. Boschero does make an impression, but she isn't given enough to do--the story would have been much better if it had focused more on her and Kinski. 

This movie was directed by one Rudolf Zehetgruber, and at times it comes off like a 1930s-40s B gangster picture (almost every male in the film wears a dark suit and a fedora, except for Brad Harris). There were so many Krimis being cranked out by this time that plenty of them were nothing more than cheap imitations, and THE SECRET OF THE CHINESE CARNATION fits into this category. Hammer fans may want to check it out to see the future Olinka Berova actually give a real performance, while others will at least enjoy the antics of Klaus Kinski and Dominique Boschero. 

THE SECRET OF THE BLACK WIDOW

 

This is another German Krimi feature, one of the dozens made in the early 1960s. It's part of a series of films supposedly based on the works of mystery writer Louis Weinert-Wilton, following up THE CARPET OF HORROR and THE WHITE SPIDER. 

THE SECRET OF THE BLACK WIDOW (original title DAS GEHEIMNIS DER SCHWARZEN WITWE) has a cast (Karin Dor, Klaus Kinski, Werner Peters, Doris Kirchner, Eddi Arent) and crew (director F. J. Gottlieb, music composer Martin Bottcher) that were old hands when it came to the Krimi genre. Despite that, the movie is somewhat humdrum at times, running about 100 minutes. 

Once again, a series of bizarre murders is being perpetrated. The victims are killed by a poison projectile attached to a black rubber spider, and they all were members of an expedition that went to Mexico twenty years ago. The surviving members are now rich businessmen based in London, and they are all major suspects, since whoever survives comes into possession of the Aztec treasure the group smuggled out of Mexico. Another major suspect is Clarisse (Karin Dor), the daughter of the man who didn't come back from the expedition. 

The leading male character in this Krimi is not a Scotland Yard inspector--it's a reporter named Wellby (O.W. Fischer) who happens to work for a newspaper run by one of the members of the expedition. Fischer gives a very off-putting performance--his Wellby is a pain in the neck who is constantly sipping from a whiskey flask, and he seems more interested in annoying people than solving the mystery. 

Wellby also has a (not surprisingly) interest in Clarisse, which means that poor Karin Dor has to fend off the advances of another Krimi leading man. Dor is a bit more involved in the story due to her character's connection with the murders, but you have to wonder if she was tired of these damsel in distress roles. 

Karin Dor in THE SECRET OF THE BLACK WIDOW

Klaus Kinski shows up about every ten minutes or so, and even though he's dressed like a British civil servant, he still gives off a creepy vibe....but the movie doesn't take advantage of his unique presence. The same can also be said for Eddi Arent, who as usual does the cowardly comic relief character. It's as if Kinski and Arent were put into the production because it was a Krimi, and they're supposed to be in it. 

THE SECRET OF THE BLACK WIDOW could have used some sharper editing--it goes on far too long, and a number of scenes seem superfluous, such as a sequence where Wellby takes Clarisse to a nightclub and they watch a emotionless torch singer belt out a song about....a black widow. There's also a mediocre car chase that won't excite anybody. Many sources state that this film was made in Spain, or at least part of it was. Wherever the locations were, they lack the expressionistic and seedy ambiance of the best Krimis. 

Fans of the Krimi genre will want to view THE SECRET OF THE BLACK WIDOW for the cast alone, but don't expect much out of it.