Dracula (1931).

The Scoop:
What would Halloween be without the king of the vampires?

An iconic milestone of horror cinema, "Dracula" made Bela Lugosi a star, made Universal Studios a mint and established the archetypes for all vampire movies to follow.

The script, by Garrett Fort, is a loose adaptation of the immensely popular Hamilton Deane/John L. Balderson play, which in turn was a loose adaptation of the classic Bram Stoker novel. The end result bares little relation to the source material, but that's beside the point. What makes this film a legend is Lugosi's threatening, sexually-charged performance as the undead Transylvanian count who wants to move to London to continue his bloodthirsty ways. Lugosi reprises his performance from the play here, as does Edward Van Sloan, who plays Dr. Van Helsing.

This film marked the high point of Lugosi's career (in only his first American movie) and would dominate his psyche for the rest of his life. It also (along with Boris Karloff's performance in "Frankenstein" that same year) firmly injected the horror genre into the modern consciousness.

Despite its legendary reputation, though, "Dracula" has sequences that are as stagey and talkative as any creaky melodrama of the period. It is considered the crowning achievement of director Tod Browning's career, although it is reported that his drinking problem got so out of hand during the shoot that cinematographer Karl Freund had to step in to do much of the direction. This is evinced best by the contrasts in quality between the moody, gothic atmospherics of the Transylvanian scenes (attributed to Freund) and the stodginess of the London scenes (attributed to Browning). By this point, all of Browning's best work was behind him, left behind in the silent film era, while Freund would go on to be a successful genre director in his own right.

Despite its flaws (armadillos, anyone?), "Dracula" remains a landmark of the genre and a must-see for any serious film fan.

Best Line:
Either "I never drink... wine," or, "The children of the night -- what music they make!"

Side Note:
In spite of being a runaway success and matinee idol for starring in the stage version, Lugosi was the last choice to play the role of the bloodsucking count on film. The producers and other studio executives thought Lugosi did not have the star quality to carry the movie and went through several alternatives, thoroughly ignoring Lugosi's active petitioning for the role. The actor who was finally chosen to play Dracula was Browning's frequent collaborator, the great Lon Chaney, who died just before filming began. When the other contenders weren't available on such short notice, Lugosi was finally given the role simply to keep the production on schedule. Despite playing the title character, Universal wound up paying him only half of what they paid the other principal actors.

Companion Viewing:
"Dracula (Spanish Version)" (1931) and "Frankenstein" (1931).

Links:
IMDb.
The Broadway production, from the Internet Broadway Database.
Bram Stoker's novel.

Take a Look:
Dracula's entrance -- keep your eyes peeled for those famously anachronistic armadillos:


Dracula vs. Van Helsing:


Some scenes that feature the reissue score by Philip Glass:

The Undying Monster (1942).

The Scoop:
Excellent photography highlights this bite-size British thriller, which moves briskly through its too-short 60 minutes.

Scotland Yard investigators use modern forensic techniques to examine the legends of centuries worth of supernatural killings at an isolated English manor, which may or may not be caused by an ancient family curse. In addition to the creepy atmosphere, there are strong performances from the entire cast (led by James Ellison, Heather Angel and John Howard) and the odd burst of dry humor. John Brahm's direction is brisk and tight, working from a script by Lillie Hayward and Michael Jacoby, who adapted the novel by Jessie Douglas Kerriush. Although some of the plot elements owe an obvious debt to "The Wolf Man" and "The Hound of the Baskervilles," they are not merely derivative and are used here to good effect.

Highly recommended, this is an A-list film in B-movie clothing.

Best Line:
The last line -- I won't spoil it for you.

Side Note:
Brahm became more commercially successful after coming to Hollywood and working in television. He's best known for working on episodes of "The Twilight Zone," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." and "The Outer Limits."

Companion Viewing:
"The Wolf Man" (1941) and "Sleepy Hollow" (2000).

Links:
IMDb.
The Missing Link.
Horror-Wood.
The Grim Cellar.

Take a Look:
The trailer:

Summer of Sam (1999).

The Scoop:
Spike Lee's take on the Son of Sam killings in New York during 1976 and 1977 is a welcome stretch for him, but ultimately a let-down.

It's an interesting concept -- a study of how the lives of a young Bronx couple, Vinny (John Leguizamo) and Dionna (Mira Sorvino), and their neighbors are affected by David Berkowitz's notorious killing spree, as well as the other noteworthy events in New York during the summer of '77 (including the popularity of disco, the emergence of punk rock, the record-setting heatwave and the great blackout). Lee commits his usual sin of over-reaching here, including so many different plot elements that the film becomes long and tedious. The core story, though, has potential and Leguizamo and Sorvino both give first-rate performances.

To Lee's credit, he tried to move out of his usual urban African-American milieu here. It does not always work to great effect, though, particularly in his treatment of the punk rock scene, which he obviously doesn't quite understand. His biggest flop, though, is the scene in which he tries to get into Berkowitz's head -- resulting in a talking dog on screen. Talk about a misstep.

Still, Lee is the type of visionary director whose missteps are interesting missteps, and be working outside of his comfort zone here he was able to flex his creative muscles for later projects like "25th Hour" and "Miracle at St. Anna" that show more maturity.

Best Line:
For pure camp value, how can you beat a dog chanting, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"?

Side Note:
David Berkowitz is still serving his life term in prison, but has since become a born-again Christian. He now has a personal website to share his ministry.

Companion Viewing:
"NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell" (2007), "Last Days of Disco" (1998) and "Clockers" (1995).

Links:
IMDb.
LazyDork drinking game.

Take a Look:
Just another night in the life of Vinny and Dionna:


"Saturday Night Fever," this ain't:


The fucking short version:


An episode of "Charlie Rose" featuring interviews with Lee and some of the stars:

Safe at Home! (1962).

The Scoop:
It's World Series time again, which is an ideal time for dusting off this little curio. The New York Yankees may not have made the playoffs this year, but with the Tampa Bay Rays going on their remarkable run, Florida baseball is getting its due. And the Florida locations (shot in and around Fort Lauderdale) provide a strong background for "Safe at Home!"

Wooden acting abounds in this little morality play about a Florida boy (Bryan Russell) who deals with the arrival of his widowed father's new girlfriend by lying to his Little League teammates about knowing New York Yankee greats Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. So, he has to travel to the Yankees' spring training camp to get the guys to back him up.

Roger and the Mick are better ballplayers than actors, of course, but at least they (along with teammate Whitey Ford and manager Ralph Houk) manage not to embarrass themselves too much. Along the way, we learn that lying is bad and that the power of baseball can conquer just about everything.

This is a modest, cheesy little film that has a lot to love, even in its inadequacies.

Best Line:
"There's that kid again! He's followin' us! He must be a spook!"

Side Note:
The script was co-written by Robert Dillon – the auteur behind "Muscle Beach Party" (1964) and "X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes" (1963) – and Steven Ritch, a veteran actor in many TV Westerns.

Companion Viewing:
"Headin' Home" (1920) and "Kill the Umpire" (1950).

Links:
IMDb.
IFC.com.

Take a Look:
The trailer:

Metapost: Desuko World Domination Continues.

I'm pleased to announce that I've been accepted as a contributor over at the PCL LinkDump. Head on over there to see what great stuff everyone on the PCL crew has to offer. I'll be making regular posts over there, but don't worry -- my posting schedule here won't change. Pretty soon you'll have more Desuko than you can handle!

Rush Hour (1998).

The Scoop:
It may be saddled with a predictable plot, silly fish-out-of-water jokes and a tone overly reminiscent of the "Lethal Weapon" movies (particularly the fourth one), but "Rush Hour" still manages to slide by on the combined charm of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Chan's incredible stunt work and Tucker's hilarious motor mouth have both been put to better use in other movies, but they still work well together and have fun showing off what they do best.

Basically, the plot (courtesy of director Brett Ratner and screenwriters Ross LaManna and Jim Kouf) is this -- a fast-talking LAPD cop teams up with a Hong Kong detective to find the kidnapped daughter of the Chinese consulate. The rest is filler and fluff and gags, but at least they are kept light and entertaining.

There are far, far worse ways to spend an hour and a half. Like watching any of the useless sequels, for instance.

Best Bit:
The in-car singalong by Julia Hsu, who plays the little girl who gets kidnapped. I don't know why I love it so much, but I do.

Side Note:
Jeff Nathanson, the screenwriter extraordinaire behind the turdbucket "Speed 2: Cruise Control" (1997) is also an uncredited writer here.

Companion Viewing:
"Lethal Weapon 4" (1998) and "Rush Hour 2" (2001).

Links:
IMDb.

Take a Look:
Sing it, girl!


Hey, guess what? One's black! One's Asian! It's wacky!


And of course, the obligatory fight scene:

Shadow of the Vampire (2000).

The Scoop:
Director E. Elias Merhige's and writer Steven Katz's film is a provocative, yet highly fictionalized, account of the creation of the landmark horror classic "Nosferatu."

John Malkovich plays German director F.W. Murnau as a tempermental, single-minded genuis and Willem Dafoe is his mysterious star Max Schreck. The script's conceit is that Schreck was a real vampire, not just an actor lost in his role (as was the case in real life). There are faithful recreations of several of the sequences and settings of "Nosferatu," with many given an extra supernatural twist by the fact of Schreck's vampirism.

All this makes "Shadow of the Vampire" a hard film to categorize -- too fanciful for a biopic and too grounded in reality for a supernatural thriller -- but an enjoyment nonetheless.

There are good performances all around from a cast that includes Udo Kier, Catherine McCormack, Cary Elwes and Eddie Izzard. And extra kudos go to the gang of Pauline Fowler, Jamie Iovine, Amber Sibley, David Stoneman and Julian Murray for their Oscar-nominated makeup job on Dafoe.

Best Line:
"If it's not in frame, it doesn't exist!"

Side Note:
The real life Max Schreck was a veteran German stage actor and although "Nosferatu" was his film debut, he went on to make more than 20 other movies before his all-too-human death by heart attack in 1936, at the age of 57.

Companion Viewing:
"Nosferatu" (1921) and "Gods and Monsters" (1997).

Links:
IMDb.
Official site.
Dave's Other Movie Log.

Take a Look:
The trailer:


Filming the ship sequence:

The Phantom Planet (1961).

The Scoop:
In the fantastically futuristic world of 1980, a miniature planet roams the Solar System at will, capturing Earth's exploratory rockets. The studly Capt. Chapman (Dean Fredericks) is sent to investigate, and winds up on the planet, shrunk down in size to visit with its tiny inhabitants. Turns out they're at war with a race of dog-faced aliens, who are also very small. Chapman helps them win their war, and along the way cures a mute girl (Colleen Gray). All in a day's work!

This bit of B-movie fluff from director William Marshall (and a large posse of screenwriters and producers) is certainly odd, but the novelty value alone isn't enough to make its 82 minutes exactly fly by. "The Phantom Planet" is best in small doses. (And yes, this is where that crappy band got its name.)

Best Line:
"You know, Captain, every year of my life I grow more and more convinced that the wisest and the best is to fix our attention on the good and the beautiful. If you just take the time to look at it."

Side Note:
Under the mask of the captured dog alien is none other than Richard Kiel, best known as Bond villain Jaws. As if that wasn't enough, the leader of the tiny aliens is played by aging silent film star Francis X. Bushman, who is a long way from his "Ben Hur" days.

Companion Viewing:
"Fire Maidens From Outer Space" (1956).

Links:
IMDb.
Music from the Monster Movies, 1950-1969.
io9.

Take a Look:
The hilariously overwrought trailer:


The full movie, courtesy of the Internet Archive:

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963).

The Scoop:
This has to be a one-of-a-kind film -- the world's only epic comedy. At a time when American cinema was overflowing with lavish historical and biblical epics (complete with overtures, intermissions, exit music, casts of thousands -- and gargantuan running times), it shouldn't be too surprising that someone tried to use the formula on a slapstick comedy. And it shouldn't be too surprising that the trend never really caught on.

The story concerns an ever-widening circle of strangers in a race to find a fortune "buried under a big W." But this paper-thin plot is really just an excuse to string together a seemingly endless array of kitschy sight gags and pratfalls. The film is filled with just about every familiar face producer/director Stanley Kramer could lay his hands on. While some of them are a treat (specifically Spencer Tracy and Buster Keaton), most of them just get lost in the shuffle. Among the parade of stars are Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Sid Caesar, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas, Edie Adams, Peter Falk, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Joe E. Brown, Jim Backus, Don Knotts, the Three Stooges, Jimmy Durante.... Need I go on?

Although there are some good gags, they get absolutely deadening after being pounded into the viewer's skull for more than three hours straight -- not counting, of course, the obligatory intermission. (The director's cut, which no longer survives, was apparently even longer.) And, frankly, just a mere five minutes of Ethel Merman is enough to make a sane man kill. Even the title is a mouthful when used in casual conversation. In the end, it's a whole lot of manic energy expended on a whole lot of nothing.

Best Bit:
I'm not sure there is a best bit, but if you're looking for something definitive, it probably would have to be some form of scream. There's a lot of screaming and yelling in this movie, mostly by Ethel Merman.

Side Note:
The film was the first to be shot in the "single camera" Cinerama format. (Previously, three cameras were needed to shoot Cinerama films.) Its premiere opened the landmark Cinerama Dome theater in Hollywood, which is still in operation today.

Companion Viewing:
"1941" (1979).

Links:
IMDb.
DVD Savant.
Retroland.

Take a Look:
The trailer:


This clips comes from the midpoint of the movie, where we get to check in with what wacky predicaments everyone's gotten themselves into!


Everybody get on board the fire engine!


Putting it in Spanish doesn't make it any more entertaining:

In the Company of Men (1997).

The Scoop:
Writer/director Neil LaBute is becoming one of cinema's most astute chroniclers of the social estrangement of white males, and this, his debut feature, contains the seeds that would flower in his later work.

Two young business executives (Aaron Eckhart and Matt Malloy) who are both having relationship trouble decide to vent their frustrations on an extended business trip by intentionally seducing and then destroying the emotions of an insecure woman. The subject they find is a deaf secretary in their office (Stacy Edwards) and things wind up being stickier than they ever intended.

Despite a few slow parts, this is a scathing portrayal of misogyny and rampant, misplaced testosterone. Sharp, but not for the faint of heart.

Best Bit:
The entire "He's a prick" scene.

Side Note:
The screen if full of people pulling double duty. In addition to Malloy also serving as executive producer, most of the actors used in the bit and extra parts were members of the crew.

Companion Viewing:
"Your Friends and Neighbors" (1998).

Links:
IMDb.
Urban Cinefile.

Take a Look:
The trailer: