The Body Snatcher is a story in the vein of Dr. Knox and Burke and Hare. In this variation Henry Daniell plays Dr. MacFarlane, an ex student of Knox, who is tormented by his own graverobber John Gray (Boris Karloff) who keeps MacFarlane in check with a few secrets about his past. Young medical student Donald Fettes (Russell Wade) has recently come under MacFarlane guidance and seeks to become an honest and capable doctor himself. His bedside manner is already tops as he manages to get a crippled girl to open up to him about his pains in ways that MacFarlane could not. MacFarlane diagnoses the girl and feels he know what it would take to give her back the gift of movement but he is unwilling to perform the surgery himsef as he no longer is a practicing surgeon but is instead now a full time teacher.

Donald is upset with this decision and hopes that he can convince MacFarlane to change his mind. He’s also growing concerned with some of the doctor’s methods. While MacFarlane has no issues dealing with Gray and his grave robbing Donald doesn’t have the stomache for this kind of activity. Dr. MacFarlane also has a snooping servent Joseph (Bela Lugosi) that is looking for a way to benefit financially from the doctor’s shady dealings. It seems the only person that can really control MacFarlane’s activities is Gray who makes the doctor agree to help the little girl. When MacFarlane refuses Donald takes it upon himself to work with Gray and get the necessary tools to perform the surgery. Unfortunately for Donald, Gray is a calculating individual who finds a way to mix up Donald within his activities in such a way that he too can have his fingers around Donald’s throat for years to come. Ultimately how long can this body snatching continues before the wrong person is snatched or the wrong question is asked.

The Body Snatcher is a fantastic film and a highlight for Karloff’s career. It also has the added bonus of featuring the last film with both Karloff and Lugosi and while it’s obvious that the two are no longer even close to the same level when it comes to fame the scene in which the two interract is a solid piece of acting and it shows the great chemistry the two had together for years. Henry Danielle also gives a quality performance and the rest of the cast handles their material well. Grave robbing for science is a sub-genre that has been done many times through cinema history but rarely as well as in The Body Snatcher. 4.5 out of 5.

I Walked with a Zombie is the story of Betsy Connell (Frances Dee) who has been hired to travel to the West Indies to work in the Rand household as a nurse. Along the way she meets family friend Paul Holland (Tom Conway) a man with a tragic sense about him that warns her that while things in the West Indies might look beautiful on the surface it is a dead place and that soon she will see no beauty in it. When she enters the Rand home she meets Wesley Rand (James Ellison) and the woman that is the main reason they need a nurder, his wife, Mrs. Rand (Edith Barrett).

As the story progresses Betsy will learn that little in the West Indies is what it seems. The customs and beliefs of the people are steeped in traditions and voodoo. Soon she is learning that everyone in town knows all about the Rand household and Mrs. Rand’s condition. They believe that the only cure for her would be delivered by a voodoo priest. Wesley is in the process of developing a drinking problem and Paul Holland seems more interested in getting to know Betsy better than he is helping his friend. As things turn weirder Betsy can’t help but notice the bizarre behavior of Mrs. Rand. Could there really be truth to the voodoo everyone on the island believes in and are there really zombies?

I Walked with a Zombie is another good Val Lewton production that succeeds on most every level. It is filled with atmosphere and the cast all performs their parts well. Frances Dee is a standout and her character is well written to include many layers as she becomes more and more steeped in the beliefs of the people. Tom Conway as usual is excellent, it’s only a shame that he wasn’t given more to do in more movies. A solid effort. 3.5 out of 5.

The Curse of the Cat People takes place only a few years after the original film ends. Oliver Reed (Kent Smith) has now married Alice (Jane Randolph) and together they are raising a young daughter named Amy (Ann Carter). Oliver is determined that Amy live a happy and normal life but she seems to prefer a fantasy world and the other children find her strange and don’t enjoy their time with her though family friend and teacher Miss Callahan (Eve March) encourages them all to get along. Amy is having a birthday party but she failed to mail the invitation instead placing them into a hollow tree. The parents along with the Reed’s butler/cool Edward (Sir Lancelot) do their best to throw a party for Amy who wishes that she could be the kind of good girl her dad wants.

The next day she makes her best effort to play with the other children but they’re upset with her because they feel as if she purposely did not invite them to her party. She chases them and finds herself by an old house where a voice speaks out to her. Amy approaches the home and a ring is thrown to her. When she arrives home Edward explains that the ring might be a wishing ring and that if she wore it and twisted it and wished hard it might come through. Sheepishly Amy goes to tell her father that she failed to be the good girl her dad wanted. He scolds her for lieing to her about a strange voice and when Alice enters the room she complains that Oliver didn’t even bother hearing the child out. They have a brief argument which upsets Amy, she hates to see her parents fight.

She goes outside and decides that she will use the ring. She makes a wish for a dream and suddenly she seems like a much happier person and spends so much time outside playing that it seems her fantasy world is gone. Her new friend however is none other than the ghost of Irena Reed (Simone Simon) who lets her know that she must keep their friendship secret. However, when Amy sees a photo of Oliver and Irena she let’s it slip she that knows Irena as well. Oliver becomes concerned, is Amy’s fantasy world somehow real, and has Irena somehow found a way back into his life?

The Curse of the Cat People is a good film just not as good as Cat People. Simone Simon turns in a great and eerie performance as Irena. Ann Carter as Amy turns in a fantastic children’s performance, I don’t know what it is but it seems that horror brings out the best in kid’s performances. Kent Smith however doesn’t do a terribly good job. It’s not all his fault, the script for his character is weak. Let’s just say he’s not going to win any father of the year awards. 3 out of 5.

Cat People revolves around the relationship of the mysterious Irena Reed (Simone Simon) and Oliver Reed (Kent Smith). After a whilwind courtship the two find themselves married and while they enjoy each other’s company their marriage is cold in the bedroom. The two profess love for one another but Irena is convinced that an ancient legend about catwomen from her town has affected her. She believes that if she allows Oliver to kiss her she will turn into a cat with a desire to kill.

This coldness is pushing Oliver to become closer to his coworker Alice Moore (Jane Randolph) who is sympathetic to Oliver’s problem. Irena is afraid that all of this is making her slowly lose her mind and the couple decide that she should visit a psychiatrist, the best that Oliver can find. When Irena visits Dr. Judd (Tom Conway) she is dismissive of his advice. Naturally he doesn’t believe that she actually has the ability to turn into a cat and she feels that he is treating her like a child belittling her.

Irena decides she will not return to Judd and becomes furious when she discovers that it was Alice that recommended him. She doesn’t want their marital problems discussed with other people, especially not Alice who obvisouly has a thing for Oliver. All of this bickering at home is just making Alice and Oliver closer and soon Irena turns jealous stalking Alice in a threatening manner, possibly in catform. Is Irena really crazy or could these legends of cat people have some basis in reality, and if she is really a cat person can anyone from her patient husband to the underhanded Dr. Judd actually help her in the end.

Cat People is a fantastic movie that has some of the most intense suspense in film history. The scene of Alice being stalked down a road and the scene between Alice and Irena at a swimming pool are creepy and very effective. All of the performances are strong but especially Simone Simon whose accent adds to her mystery. It’s an unusual film that relies on the unseen to provide legitimate scares and thrills. 4.5 out of 5.

When student Mary Gibson (Kim Hunter) learns that her sister Jacqueline (Jean Brooks) is missing she makes the decision to leave school and attempt to find her. When she arrives she finds that not only is Jacqueline not at the factory she owns and that she no longer even owns it having sold it to a long time employee. To make matters worse nobody seems to even know where Jacqueline has gone. A friend seems to recall seeing her at a particular restaurant. Soon she has found where Jacqueline has rented a room and while she pays the rent every month she doesn’t really stay there. Mary begs to see inside the room and they find the shocking site of a lone chair in the middle of the room with a noose hanging above it.

Her investigation leads her into the many secrets of Jacqueline’s life including a husband Gregory Ward (Hugh Beaumont), her psychiatrist Dr. Judd (Tom Conway), and a connection to a cultish group which might be satan worshipers. All the while she is becoming connected to poet Jason Hoag (Erford Gage) who is willing to help and support her on her journey. It seems the devil worshipping cult has several powerful members and that they have felt betrayed by Jacqueline making their normally peaceful motives much more sinister.

The Seventh Victim is a solid thriller that benefits from many strong performances. Kim Hunter receives an introducing credit and for someone with so little experience in film acting she does a solid job as the films anchor. Tom Conway is always a joy to watch and he is the perfect fit for Val Lewton films. Another Val Lewton regular, Elizabeth Russell, has a small but very powerful part as a dieing woman who wants to live providing fantastic juxtaposition wiith Jacqueline who is a healthy woman who wants to die. A fantastic and atmospheric movie. 3.5 out of 5.

Bedlam is the story of Master George Sims (Boris Karloff) who runs the local asylum. For years he has run the location virtually unchecked always looking for a way to cut a corner and pad his pockets both through misuse of funds and selling favors to the wealthy. All of this is about to change when Nell Bowen (Anna Lee), sweetheart of the pompous and powerful Lord Mortimer (Billy House), finds that she can’t help but be sympathetic to the insane people under his care. She attempts to be callous and to not care for these people but her heart is too pure.

Sims throws a party for many of those within the power structure where his loonies will perform for them. When one of them playing the gilded boy dies everybody but Nell finds it humorous but she can take it no longer. She appeals to Lord Mortimer letting him know that the squalor and poor treatment simply can’t be allowed any longer and money must be allocated to help these individuals. Mortimer lets Sims know this and Sims is as always gracious treating it as a fantastic idea, ultimately Sims points out to Mortimer that this will of course require much higher taxes and with his many properties he’ll be one of the hardest hits. Mortimer instantly back peddles and soon Nell and him are no longer together.

Outraged that Nell would stand up to him he takes away her furniture and the gifts he has given her over the years assuming she’ll come back begging, but instead she becomes less interested in him. Soon Sims puts the bug into Mortimer’s ear that he simply needs to say the word and Nell can be harshly punished for her disrespect. It takes some convincing but soon Nell is under Sims control locked in the asylum. However, she is a strong spirit and manages to make the place a cleaner better existence for everyone in their and manages to pull some political strings that could lead to her being released. Sims can’t lose control or his beloved institution but with the inmates now cleaner and more empowered can he really stay on top of things forever.

Bedlam is a strong and often brutal depiction of the squalor that the insane and sometimes sane enemies of the elite were often forced to live in. The attitude of Sims towards the inmates is particularly cruel. There are hints of torture, experimentation, and even molestation. Karloff is strong in the role and Anna Lee also gives a strong performance. What might be descrived as the Val Lewton style isn’t in full effect in this film, but his influence is still something that can be felt. A solid film. 3.5 out of 5.

Isle of the Dead is a film steeped in atmosphere. In it Boris Karloff plays General Nikolas Pherides who is currently involved with the first Balkan war. While visiting one of the smaller villagers word of plague breaks out and the people at the inn where he is are quarantined and he will not allow them to leave. If the plague was not bad enough it seems these superstitious individuals believe that a sickly young woman is accused of being a vorvolakas. It seems that is a vampire like creature that rises by night, drinks blood, and returns refreshed.

Tempers flair as the superstitious, the scientific, and the military collide. Are these dead bodies drained of their color plague victims or are they actually the victims of a mythical blood sucker. And ultimately as the body count rises will General Pherides lose both his control and his mind and will the real cause of death ever be determined.

This is exactly the kind of film that Val Lewton excelled at and were this to be directed by most anyone else it likely would have turned into something along the lines of one of the weaker Karloff vehicles. Karloff seems to enjoy the role and it must have been nice playing something other than a mad scientist. The supporting cast all handles their material well with few real standouts. Ultimately not the best Val Lewton film but it is a solid piece featuring heavy atmosphere and another good Boris Karloff performance. 2.5 out of 5.

This is largely because rather than utilize a flashback device to setup the plot the first ten minutes or so are really just a condensced version bringing only Ash (Bruce Campbell) and Linda (Denise Bixler) to the cabin in the woods. As would happen in the first film Ash would play a recording on a reel to reel and it wouldn’t be long before the woods were becoming a force of their own and the untold evil manages to overcome Linda. In desperation Ash is forced to kill her and decapitates her. Like a good boyfriend he burries her but like a bad spirit she won’t stay down and does a great little stop motion dance taunting her would be lover. Eventually the evil manages to overpower Ash’s hand so it must be removed. Ash can only hold out so long and briefly becomes demon possessed but is saved by the daylight. After a night like that he lays passed out all day and must find refuge in the cabin again, not exactly excited about another night in this place.

This time he won’t be alone as a pair of archeologists Annie Knowby (Sarah Berry) and Jake (Dan Hicks) arrive with their redneck guides Ed (Richard Domeier) and Bobbie Jo (Kassie Wesley) with them. Initially Ash is seen as a threat and is locked in the cellar. However, the tape tells them of the story of Professor Knowby who was translating the book. He confesses to having released the evil himself and that he was forced to kill his wife Henrietta and burying her in the cellar. Now things pick up as Henrietta has released herself from her shallow grave and sets her sights on Ash who barely escapes the cellar alive. Now starts the thrill ride of a movie that largely follows the model established in the first film. The evil is a powerful force and it is determined to destroy everyone in this cabin. Luckily Ash has some experience and while he might not be the most capable guy in many areas of life, especially choosing gifts for girlfriends, there is one things he’s good at, fighting the dead.

Armed with a chainsaw adapted to fit over his stump, a sawed of shotgun, and Annie Knowby’s knowledge of the book it’s time for a showdown. Groovy.

Evil Dead II is a fantastic film that is worth watching again and again. It has aged very well and many of the effects are still very strong today. Bruce Campbell’s performance improves incredibly over the first film, it’s almost hard to imagine he’s the same actor. The rest of the performances are also more than adequate. Sam Raimi’s direction is strong once again and it plays directly into the third film, Army of Darkness. A fantastic and thrilling film. 4 out of 5.