Svengoolie tonight: The Raven!

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Pax Christi!

Tonight’s Svengoolie movie: The Raven (1935)!

We get Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, and torture devices (ew…), but I don’t remember much more about this flick, tho’ we know we get Sven silliness!

10 p.m. Eastern on MeTV.

Let’s check it out! And check out the group, Svengoolie fans (link below).

God bless, and save us from mean people!
 
svid2 said:
Pax Christi!

Tonight’s Svengoolie movie: The Raven (1935)!

We get Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, and torture devices (ew…), but I don’t remember much more about this flick, tho’ we know we get Sven silliness!

10 p.m. Eastern on MeTV.

Let’s check it out! And check out the group, Svengoolie fans (link below).

God bless, and save us from mean people!
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This must be the original. I recall The Raven (1963) with Vincent Price and Peter Lorre. Good stuff! And then there’s the modern remake, which I haven’t seen. I don’t remember the Karloff and Lugosi version at all, so I’ll be watching. Thanks!
 
Sounds good. Not sure I can watch though - it is UFC fight night. Might be movie night for my son and grandson after that. I forgot what time it comes on in the west.
 
Isn’t Vincent Price also in this one? I remember the plot was a bit weak, but it was great fun. I think Peter Lorre played in it as well.
 
Pax Christi!

This is the original, 1935. There was a 1963 The Raven with Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Karloff. Also 2006 and 2012 saw films released with the same title; ignore them.

God bless.
 
I actually own a copy of this on VHS. I also have a copies of Lugosi and Karloff in “The Black Cat” and “The Body Snatchers” although Lugosi has a very small role in the last one.
By today’s standards, many of the old black and white horror films are rather dull and slow, but for the sake of nostalgia, YES I DO enjoy watching them. “The Bride of Frankenstein” and the Fredric March version of “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” are among my favorites of the genre. In fact if anybody knows where I can watch a copy of “Supernatural” in its entirety (starring Carole Lombard), i would appreciate it.
 
Cynical_Realist said:
I actually own a copy of this on VHS. I also have a copies of Lugosi and Karloff in “The Black Cat” and “The Body Snatchers” although Lugosi has a very small role in the last one.
By today’s standards, many of the old black and white horror films are rather dull and slow, but for the sake of nostalgia, YES I DO enjoy watching them. “The Bride of Frankenstein” and the Fredric March version of “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” are among my favorites of the genre. In fact if anybody knows where I can watch a copy of “Supernatural” in its entirety (starring Carole Lombard), i would appreciate it.
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What is Supernatural about with Lombard. Never heard of it.
 
7_Sorrows said:
Have you seen it? Was it scary?
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Have I seen it? No. Is it scary? I somehow doubt it. Horror movies from that are era are, in my opinion, not really scary. The best they can be is enjoyable or atmospheric. For example, films like “Nosferatu” (1922) Phantom of the Opera" (1925) Frankenstein (1931) Dracula (1931) Freaks (1932) The Old Dark House (1933) The Mummy (1933) The Wolfman (1941) and of course King Kong (1933) are considered classics in their own right, but I wouldn’t call any of them “scary” as in they frightened me when I watched them. Nonetheless they are very atmospheric and successful in creating a mood, although some of them are rather slow and dull by today’s standards (Lugosi’s version of “Dracula”–Karloff’s version of “The Mummy”-- and the James Whale film “The Old Dark House”). "Freaks is an interesting film, and it was banned in Britain for many years because it was considered so shocking for its time, but most contemporary audiences would look at it as an oddity rather than a horror film.

One silent film that does standout is the Lon Chaney, Sr. classic “The Unknown” from 1927. While it’s not a horror movie per se,it IS a macabre character study, and although the climactic scene at the end is rather disappointing, the rising action leading up to it STILL generates suspense and tension while it’s happening. My wife actually watched it with her hands covering her eyes, saying “They CAN’T show it happening! There was no CGI back then” :eek:

Even later favorites like “Creature From The Black Lagoon” “It Came From Outer Space”
“Them” “The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms” and my personal favorite: the original “Invasion Of The Body Snatchers” are NOT scary either, but they are FUN to watch.

We both enjoyed “Diabolique” and while that didn’t scare me, I certainly was glued to my seat the entire time trying to figure out what exactly was going on, and YES that climactic scene at the end was incredibly intense and atmospheric.
 
Cynical_Realist said:
Have I seen it? No. Is it scary? I somehow doubt it. Horror movies from that are era are, in my opinion, not really scary. The best they can be is enjoyable or atmospheric. For example, films like “Nosferatu” (1922) Phantom of the Opera" (1925) Frankenstein (1931) Dracula (1931) Freaks (1932) The Old Dark House (1933) The Mummy (1933) The Wolfman (1941) and of course King Kong (1933) are considered classics in their own right, but I wouldn’t call any of them “scary” as in they frightened me when I watched them. Nonetheless they are very atmospheric and successful in creating a mood, although some of them are rather slow and dull by today’s standards (Lugosi’s version of “Dracula”–Karloff’s version of “The Mummy”-- and the James Whale film “The Old Dark House”). "Freaks is an interesting film, and it was banned in Britain for many years because it was considered so shocking for its time, but most contemporary audiences would look at it as an oddity rather than a horror film.

One silent film that does standout is the Lon Chaney, Sr. classic “The Unknown” from 1927. While it’s not a horror movie per se,it IS a macabre character study, and although the climactic scene at the end is rather disappointing, the rising action leading up to it STILL generates suspense and tension while it’s happening. My wife actually watched it with her hands covering her eyes, saying “They CAN’T show it happening! There was no CGI back then” :eek:

Even later favorites like “Creature From The Black Lagoon” “It Came From Outer Space”
“Them” “The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms” and my personal favorite: the original “Invasion Of The Body Snatchers” are NOT scary either, but they are FUN to watch.

We both enjoyed “Diabolique” and while that didn’t scare me, I certainly was glued to my seat the entire time trying to figure out what exactly was going on, and YES that climactic scene at the end was incredibly intense and atmospheric.
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“Freaks” is, as I recall, terribly politically incorrect though not when it was made. In fact, there are so many horror and sci-fi movies that display physically disabled or disfigured people as evil or mean.

I also love the original “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” It is tense and exciting from start to finish. “Diabolique” requires too much effort for this film genre. Do you also like the original “The Thing from Another World”?
 
meltzerboy said:
“Freaks” is, as I recall, terribly politically incorrect though not when it was made. In fact, there are so many horror and sci-fi movies that display physically disabled or disfigured people as evil or mean.

I also love the original “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” It is tense and exciting from start to finish. “Diabolique” requires too much effort for this film genre. Do you also like the original “The Thing from Another World”?
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The Howard Hawks version of “The Thing” is a fun movie, but again, I wouldn’t call it scary.

You are correct that “Freaks” is politically incorrect by today’s standards and that so many horror and sci-fi movies portray disfigured people as evil and mean, but THAT is the beauty of “Freaks” (and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” for that matter)! The “Freaks” were the undisputed HEROES of that movie, and the beautiful people (the strong man and Olga the trapeze artist) were the evil nasty villains. The fact that the Freaks were the “good guys” is probably what so many audiences found disturbing back in the day, along with the fact that Tod Browning used real-life circus freaks that he saw as truly human and beautiful people rather than as frightening and evil monsters. I generally spit on political correctness, and in this case, if audiences would keep an open mind, the movie “Freaks” is actually a case FOR treating such people with love and kindness rather than shunning them.

The original “Invasion Of The Body Snatchers” has that underlying tension and creepiness that is still effective today, and for a Grade B movie it is actually very intense.

So what movies did I find scary?

The original version of “The Omen” got me, especially that scene in the graveyard with all the rottweilers.

“Dead & Buried” Yes it’s violent and twisted, but it has a twist at the end that has been blatantly ripped off by other more popular movies over the years, but THIS ONE did it FIRST! The scene where the unsuspecting family comes to town is especially intense.

Two Twilight Episodes: “Bomb Shelter” The title says it all.
“Third Planet From The Sun” The performance by Edward Andrews as the villain is truly one of the most unnerving characters in the history of television. The tension in both of these episodes was mind-boggling.

I’ll throw in the tennis match/train ride sequence from Hitchcock’s “Strangers On A Train” as well as the singing of Leaning On The Everlasting Arms duet between Lillian Gish and Robert Mitchum in “Night Of The Hunter”—both very unnerving scenes.
 
Cynical_Realist said:
The Howard Hawks version of “The Thing” is a fun movie, but again, I wouldn’t call it scary.

You are correct that “Freaks” is politically incorrect by today’s standards and that so many horror and sci-fi movies portray disfigured people as evil and mean, but THAT is the beauty of “Freaks” (and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” for that matter)! The “Freaks” were the undisputed HEROES of that movie, and the beautiful people (the strong man and Olga the trapeze artist) were the evil nasty villains. The fact that the Freaks were the “good guys” is probably what so many audiences found disturbing back in the day, along with the fact that Tod Browning used real-life circus freaks that he saw as truly human and beautiful people rather than as frightening and evil monsters. I generally spit on political correctness, and in this case, if audiences would keep an open mind, the movie “Freaks” is actually a case FOR treating such people with love and kindness rather than shunning them.

The original “Invasion Of The Body Snatchers” has that underlying tension and creepiness that is still effective today, and for a Grade B movie it is actually very intense.

So what movies did I find scary?

The original version of “The Omen” got me, especially that scene in the graveyard with all the rottweilers.

“Dead & Buried” Yes it’s violent and twisted, but it has a twist at the end that has been blatantly ripped off by other more popular movies over the years, but THIS ONE did it FIRST! The scene where the unsuspecting family comes to town is especially intense.

Two Twilight Episodes: “Bomb Shelter” The title says it all.
“Third Planet From The Sun” The performance by Edward Andrews as the villain is truly one of the most unnerving characters in the history of television. The tension in both of these episodes was mind-boggling.

I’ll throw in the tennis match/train ride sequence from Hitchcock’s “Strangers On A Train” as well as the singing of Leaning On The Everlasting Arms duet between Lillian Gish and Robert Mitchum in “Night Of The Hunter”—both very unnerving scenes.
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I agree with you about PC: it can and has been overdone, as Jerry Seinfeld noted. I hardly remember that the “freaks” were the good guys since I saw the movie so long ago and may have misinterpreted it at the time. I was also scared (and scarred?) watching it.

I can tell we have very similar taste in movies. I love Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train.” One can see the master’s hand at work throughout the whole film. And don’t get me started on “The Twilight Zone”; I still watch the TZ marathons twice a year and have “The TZ Companion” on my night table.
 
meltzerboy said:
I agree with you about PC: it can and has been overdone, as Jerry Seinfeld noted. I hardly remember that the “freaks” were the good guys since I saw the movie so long ago and may have misinterpreted it at the time. I was also scared (and scarred?) watching it.

I can tell we have very similar taste in movies. I love Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train.” One can see the master’s hand at work throughout the whole film. And don’t get me started on “The Twilight Zone”; I still watch the TZ marathons twice a year and have “The TZ Companion” on my night table.
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If you saw “Freaks” as a youth, then yeah I could understand why you might have interpreted the movie that way. If you get the chance, watch it as an adult and see if you have a different understanding about it.

It’s always a pleasure to have a dialogue with somebody who has the same appreciation for the old movies.

Now that I think about it, I wish Frank Capra’s version of “Arsenic & Old Lace” had the original ending that the play has instead of the sanitized version for the big screen.
 
I saw ‘the Raven.’ Not so much scary as macabre. Quite a departure from anything based on Poe. It was fun to see two giants of classic horror playing opposite each other.
 
svid2 said:
Pax Christi!

This is the original, 1935. There was a 1963 The Raven with Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Karloff. Also 2006 and 2012 saw films released with the same title; ignore them.

God bless.
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I like the Vincent Price version of The Raven.

In addition to Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff it features an unknown actor named Jack Nicholson.
 
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