The Curse of Frankenstein (Terence Fisher, 1957)

I love this movie and it was shocking how many details I had forgotten about. So glad I rewatched it, as it’s even more amazing than I remembered.

They retell the story and it’s really full-on, not only the colours and costumes but the concept, too: they go all the way to make the doctor seem as morally abominable as his creation is ‘ugly’ and they even add an affair with his maid. Good to see Cushing as a baddie, too.

All this amongst great scenes full of eyeballs and machines. The science-porn might be my favourite bit in this movie, especially the huge tank in which they put the specimens to be revived. Such a landmark! I am not saying that this is the first film to use it, but it’s definitely the main reference for me. So nice that they keep some of the original details, too, like the blind man and the child (a boy, this time), but they deprive the poor monster from the fairy tale aura that surrounds James Whale’s incarnation: this is all gruesome, there is no room for sentimentality in this film!

I love movies that make me feel as excited as a wee kid. Thank you, Mr Fisher, and thank you Cushing and Lee, of course; but, most of all, thank you Ms Shelley.

Rating: 8.5/10

The Mummy (Terence Fisher, 1959)

After the first disappointment when I realised that what was available to watch on BBC iPlayer wasn’t the 1932 Universal movie with Karloff but the 1959 Hammer one with Christopher Lee, I prepared myself for some awesomeness.

I must say I do love the muddy mummy and the actual idea of the background story with the priest in love with the Egyptian princess. However, most of the flashback scenes feel rather dull, I much prefer the bits with Cushing on screen, even when they are nothing more than successive attacks.

Anyway, not my favourite Lee/Cushing bromance, but it has rather nice bits, especially everything to do with the actual mummy.

Rating: 7/10

Dracula (Terence Fisher, 1958)

There is not much to say about this, really, apart from highlighting that it is still as awesome as the first time I watched it. I love the Lee-Cushing combo and I love Hammer, so this is always a treat. The story is only inspired on the Bram Stoker book, so if you are looking for a faithful adaptation this is not your film: Jonathan Harker knows about the count’s shenanigans from the beginning and is there to kill him, the characters of Lucy and Mina are merged into one (Lucy)… and Mina appears as a random sister in law, Many things are different from the original source, but it doesn’t matter. This film is love; love for the character, the myth and the genre.

It’s also visually stunning, with really cool special effects and some camp performances (the uncle is hilarious). On top of all that I want every single piece of furniture that appears on the movie: amazing design!

Anyway, watch it. Rewatch it. It’s always a good time to do it.

Rating: 9/10

the woman in black (james watkins, 2012)

let’s start by saying that this is nowhere near as good as the book or the play. however, as a film in itself is not that bad. hammer really gets its sets and locations right. the house is amazing, and so is the marshland. i loved that scene when they recover the body. all that mud and how they managed to infuse it with a very classic hammery feeling, a kind of ‘indoorsy outdoors’; i love it. and so many creepy toys and stuffed animals! i certainly want the wee monkey with the maracas.

on top of all that, there are some very spooky moments that actually made jump on my seat (particularly the scene with the crow’s nest at the beginning and the one with the windowpane towards the end).

the acting was ok, but i had issues with daniel radcliffe. he looked too young for my liking; i never believed him as a father (but i admit that might be because i can’t picture him portraying anything other than ‘the-boy-who-lived’).

i kind of liked the change in ending, too (i loved how cynical it is), but i hated the cheesy final scene with all my guts .

all in all, much better than i expected. well worth a watch if you like ghost stories. however, if you are a hardcore susan hill fan, you must watch it with an open mind, i warn you!

Rating: 7/10