100 Years of Horror

100 Years of Horror

• Horror is a genre that commands loyalty and devotion from its millions of fans crossways the globe, and this documentary pays warm testimony to the films that go bump in the night. An eclectic array of stars are on hand to wax lyrical about their favorite horror moments, including Robert De Niro and Charlton Heston, while Christopher Lee hosts. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES Ratin

This frightfully fascinating five-DVD set chronicles the history of motion picture horror from the primeval experimental chillers through the unforgettable “golden age of motion picture monsters” and on through today’s graphic horror films in 26 horrific, half-hour shows. Hosted by Christopher Lee, the screen’s legendary King of Horror, the series features appearances by Robert De Niro, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hugh Hefner, Charlton Heston, Kenneth Branagh, Joe Dante, and many more.

Also featured are rare interviews with Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, and Claude Rains. Included as a special bonus are never-before-seen interviews with the friends and families of the legendary obloquy of horror such as Bela Lugosi, Jr.; Boris Karloff’s daughter, Sarah Karloff; Claude Rains’ daughter, Jessica Rains, and more.

The collection also includes chilling scenes from such classics as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, The Phantom Of The Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Creature From The Black Lagoon, and The Invasion of the Body Snatchers as well as more current chillers such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Halloween, Poltergeist, and The Haunting. Plus home movies from the sets of horror classics, outtakes, screen tests, previously “lost” films, and other exciting surprises. Easily the most interesting and informative horror chronology ever assembled.

DISC ONE

Dracula and His Disciples – There’s more to Dracula than just Bela Lugosi, as the cinema’s various incarnations of the carnal count are examined.

Blood-Drinking Beings – Dracula wasn’t the only blood-sucker immortalized on film. Here is some of his “competition.”

Frankenstein’s Friends – Karloff’s career was defined by his sympathetic portrayal of “the monster,” but others took on this challenging role over the years. This fascinating installment tells the story behind Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s timeless tale.

Baron Frankenstein – Hammer Films “reanimated” the Frankenstein franchise in the 1950s with its terrifying teaming of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee as physician and “patient.” Take a look at how this classic story changed in the ’50s, ’60s – and beyond.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of good and evil has been a filmic favorite since primeval silent days. Various portrayals of the dual physician are examined.

DISC TWO

Werewolves – Of course there’s Lon Chaney Jr. as The Wolf Man, but other films have featured werewolves in surprising ways over the years.

Bela Lugosi – Lugosi was much more than Count Dracula, as you’ll see in this fascinating salute to this complex Hungarian actor.

Boris histrion – Perhaps horror’s greatest star, Karloff, of course, played the Frankenstein monster. But there’s so much more to tell. Here’s an affectionate look at this cultured Englishman.

Ghosts – Nothing like a good ghost story – except a century’s worth of films filled with more ghost stories!

Phantoms – Lon Chaney Sr. was the original Phantom of the Opera, but there have been other notable portrayals – and other notable phantoms!

DISC THREE

Witches – Witches have been a favorite of sprite tales – and fright films – for centuries. Here’s a wicked look at a coven’s worth of portrayals.

Demons – More than just the Devil (although The Prince of Darkness has certainly figured into quite a few motion pictures), demons have been a mainstay of horror films since the silent days.

Mutants – Abominable snowmen, mole people, creatures from black lagoons. All these half-human/half-beast “hybrids” are here – and more!

Freaks – Horror films have been peppered with people who didn’t need makeup and were actually born disfigured, most notably in the film Freaks. Take a look at those who managed to turn their misfortune into something of a career.

Scream Queens – King Kong’s Fay Wray is probably the most famous scream queen of the horror genre, but you’ll be surprised to see who else prefabricated the list!

DISC FOUR

Girl Ghouls – Men didn’t have a lock on the horror movie. There were plenty of frightful females to go around, as you’ll see in this salute to demonic dames.

Maniacs – Ax-murderers, chainsaw-wielding madmen, serial killers, cannibals – they’re all here – and more!

Gory Gimmicks – An affectionate salute to the great showmen of yesteryear who figured out all sorts of gory gimmicks to keep audiences glued to their seats – and away from their television sets!

Sorcerers – A holdover from ancient tales, sorcerers have long fascinated motion picture audiences with their powerful use of black illusion to achieve their evil goals.

Aliens – Creatures from “out there” have captured the imagination of everyone from H.G. Wells to Steven Spielberg. Here’s a look at some out-of-this-world intergalactic beings.

DISC FIVE

Mummies – Karloff’s parchment-skin portrayal of Imhotep set the standard for mummy movies, but many others have gotten “wrapped up” in their work over the years, as you’ll see.

Zombies – The travel dead have been a mainstay of horror films for decades. Even though usually confined to the West Indies, Hollywood has prefabricated sure audiences will fear zombies anywhere and everywhere.

Mad Physicians – How many times did histrion and Lugosi play angry doctors? (And what were they angry at?) Many horror legends have taken their turn playing sinister scientists and frightful physicians, as you’ll see.

Man-Made Monsters – Frankenstein is probably the most famous example of a man-made monster, but a great many other creepy creations have been fashioned by men, either by happening or on purpose, as this fun-filled episode illustrates.

Giants – Another intent borrowed from the world of sprite tales, giants have been found in stories from Jack and the Beanstalk to Jack the Giant Killer and beyond.

Dinosaurs – Long before Jurassic Park, dinosaurs roamed thru a variety of horror films, going all the way back to The Lost World in 1925.

Total Running Time: Approx. 676 mins.”What frightens me is not so much the obvious monster. What frightens me is the unknown, the fear that my mind is not in control, that there is something out there that nobody knows about.” So states Roger Corman, king of the B picture, helping to set the tone for this richly detailed survey of the horror film. Introduced and hosted by veteran horror person Christopher Lee, and written and directed by Ted Newsom (the director of Ed Wood–Look Back in Angora), this documentary is clearly a fag of love. There is on view a “blood feast” of film clips and sometimes priceless interviews with filmmakers. As our host, Christopher Lee offers up funny anecdotes about his days at Hammer Studios; you might be interested in knowing why being The Mummy was a literal pain. Exploitation film director Herschell G. Lewis is hilarious on why you shouldn’t worry about opening gory films in Peoria, and how the censor board was stymied by the bloodiest of films. And John Carpenter tells how Suspiria director Dario Argento worked from his dreams like Luis Bunuel. Notably missing is any mention of Stephen King, Brian De Palma, or Sam Raimi. Raimi alone could have been the focus of a whole section devoted to the influence of H.P. Lovecraft on modern horror films. Also, the filmmakers seem less interested in the sections on science fiction for some reason, despite critics’ estimates that half of all science fiction films start clearly in the horror genre. Nevertheless, the interviews and film clips make this disc worth the price of admission. –Jim Gay

List Price: $ 19.98

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