Rate It
|
||||||||||||||||
Rating Averages
My Friends |
Not rated. () |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
All Flixster |
(252) |
144 |
866 |
Female |
(88) |
50 |
304 |
Male |
(163) |
94 |
562 |
More Like This
If you liked this, then you'll also probably like...
Got another recommendation for someone who liked this movie? Add it to the list!
Got an opinion? Use the buttons to vote on all the suggestions people have added.
If lots of people vote, the best suggestions will rise to the top.
| Spider Baby, or The Maddest Story Ever Told (... (100%) |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| The Cat and the Canary (0%) |
|
|
Plot:
James Whale, who had audiences shivering in their boots the year before with the gothic classic Frankenstein, took a baroque twist in this strange and sly haunted-house comedy. Boris Karloff to...( read more 
)
Meet Other Fans
ONLINE NOW
Recent Reviews
-
MCT:June 9, 2008
A dark and stormy night. Car breaks down in the Welsh countryside, and the occupants take refuge in a large creepy house.
There, they meet more improbable refugees, a hyperactive poofter and a mute butler (Karloff). A comedy of manners ensues, and weirdness builds throughout the night to a frenetic, eerie, and indescribable crescendo. -
MCT:May 11, 2008A suberb spooky film from James Whale, the director of Frankenstein (1931) and Bride Of Frankenstein.
-
MCT:January 8, 2007Absolutely brilliant horror/comedy from the great James Whale. Karloff, Laughton, Bond and Stuart are all great but it's Ernest Thelsiger who steals every scene he's in. Deliciously odd and funny, his character adds much to the film. The atmosphere has to be noted as well with the monochrome images complementing the dark tone of the script. Highly recommended to those who enjoy the Universal horror cycle (and fans of older horror films in general.)
-
MCT:December 31, 2006
James Whale directs with an emphasis heavy on the atmosphere and with kick arse witty dialogue despite it's age, this film is awesome! Karloff is cast as a dumb but agressive butler to one of the strangest households in cinema history. Recommended!
-
MCT:October 17, 2006James Whale's "The Old Dark House," released a year after "Frankenstein" but a year before "The Invisible Man," found the prolific filmmaker in a playful mood. Temporarily turning his back on the straight macabre elements that brought him his greatest fame, Whale instead chose to send up both the horror genre and himself in this dark comedy about one of the most bizarre households ever captured on celluloid. Think "The Addams Family," with David Lynch directing.
The story itself is pretty standard stuff -- three travelers get stranded in the English countryside after a torrential rainstorm washes out the road, forcing them to take shelter at a creepy gothic mansion. Immediately things get interesting when the door is answered by the mute figure of Boris Karloff, who allows the trio inside to meet his employers, a strange family headed up by a positively delightful 102-year-old patriarch (played without a hint of irony by a woman in a fake beard) and his overprotective daughter, the latter of whom spends most of the film reminding the interlopers that there are no beds available for them.
The first thing you'll notice about "The Old Dark House" is how damn funny it is. I shamefully put off watching this film for ages, sure that it would be little more than an anachronistic throwback to the cornball schlock of a bygone era... and yet, the fact that this is *exactly* what the movie delivers is what makes it so endearing. "The Old Dark House" is one of the most entertaining films I've seen in months, filled as it is with (intentionally) hilarious dialogue, gleefully campy performances, and a wicked sense of mischief that never dissipates. Indeed, Whale even opens the picture with a special "Producer's Note," reassuring audiences that yes, the "Karloff" in this film is indeed the same gentleman who played the Monster in the previous year's "Frankenstein," lest viewers be distracted by this burning question as they're watching. It's a masterstroke which which to open the movie, setting the proper tone while poking good-natured fun at the very concepts of celebrity and stardom.
Special mention must also be made of the glorious black and white cinematography by frequent Whale collaborator Arthur Edeson (who would later go on to shoot "Casablanca" for Michael Curtiz). The photography here does not so much illustrate the story so much as envelop the viewer. One of the things the movie does best is play its visuals totally straight; even though the tone of the film is satirical, it's shot like a "real" horror movie, with deep shadows, off-kilter camera angles, and distinct pools of light and darkness. Viewers who believe that color is inherently superior to black and white would be well-advised to spend some time getting lost in the majestic cinematography and composition of this comedic gothic masterpiece.
Kino's DVD edition of "The Old Dark House" presents the film in a fair transfer that reveals moderate damage to the source print, but considering the movie was believed lost for many years (with the only existing print literally found decomposing on a shelf), this is not surprising. The real joy, of course, is that it has survived at all, and Kino has expended considerable effort in getting the movie to look even this good. Special features include separate audio commentary tracks with actress Gloria Stuart and a James Whale expert. There is also an interesting interview with Curtis Harrington, a personal friend of the eccentric director who single-handedly brought about the film's rediscovery and restoration.
Highly recommended. -
MCT:April 11, 2006
Classic 'it was a dark and stormy night' gothic horror movie. Great directing and acting and marvelous touches of black humour.
My Friends Said...
The Old Dark House Recent Reviews
Register or sign-in to see your friends' reviews !
Comments
This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "The Old Dark House" !
