The book is excellent.

What I found most interesting about the movie was that the children were not really evil, just extremly dangerous. They used their powers to make people kill themselves in violent ways but they only did it whenever they felt threatened. They were simply trying to protect their own species.

Haven't seen SWEENY TODD yet...

CHANDU THE MAGICIAN (1932)>>>>>>SPOILERS>>>>>>>>>>>

Wasn't really crazy about this, but watching with the great Greg Mank commentary made me appreciate it more. real good Kenneth Strickfadden machinery and really decent special effects as well for the time.
The story is quite silly-for God only knows what reason, Chandu's brother builds a Death Ray::shocked:: and is kidnapped by Roxor (played to the hilt by Bela Lugosi) on how to use it for World Domination. Edmond Lowe is sort of dull as Chandu (a lot like DR Strange), but Irene Ware (THE RAVEN 1935) is OK and a rather racy scene at the slave market with Chandu's niece!
Really a Popcorn movie, although in hindsight, when Roxor has the DR, he emotes in loving detail of what will happen to the cities He uses it on, it's actually kind of frightening. It almost foreshadows Hitler's mannerisms and how he had no qualms in leveling cities/populations. ***

The Invisible Man, 1933. 9/10

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THE UNKNOWN (1927). Silent movies can be difficult to get through as they require more attention, but don't count them out as the payoff can be so good. This is an incredibly perverse little film about the things a man will do for love and actually, quite disturbing. Lon Chaney nails it again. ***1/2

Blood and Black Lace, 1964. 7/10

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Some nice lighting/cinematography in this.

Man, Claude Rains is criminally overlooked. He was perfect in that role, and even had a great turn as the Phantom in the 1943 version ( which I’m going to watch now ), as well as opposite Lon Chaney Jr. in the Wolf Man.

Also, I’d like to see a new version or update to the invisible man. Could do some really interesting things with current technology, I think Verhoeven’s Hollow Man was the last legit attempt at an update to the story. We’re overdue.

... Just hope they don’t do what they did to the Mummy ( shudders )

What did you think of Verhoeven’s Hollow Man? That was with Kevin Bacon, I believe.

I remember seeing the original INvisible Man, and Claude Rains was scaring me just sitting at his table talking. He was completely convincing as an angry, condescending, evil, crazy man.

Laura (1944)
8/10

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In this film noir drama, a Manhattan police detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the murder of a beautiful, well liked, successful, socialite, Laura Hunt (Dana Andrews), by interviewing her arrogant, older, controlling mentor, columnist Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb) and the man Waldo despises, Laura's playboy fiancee Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price).

Rather than being a hard boiled film noir crime picture, it's served sunny-side-up as a deep drama of depthful unique characters whose own interests and motivations are peeled away like onions, slow cooking a dish you're invested in.

However it's not without its deficits. We know Waldo well, but emotions are dry when it comes to the starch-shirted feelings of Detective McPherson and charitable Laura. The movie plays more a well-told mystery than a thriller, with suspense of intention, not of action.

Laura (1944) won the Oscar for Best Black-and-White Cinematography for Joseph LaShelle, Nominated Best Director for Otto Preminger, and Nominated Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Clifton Webb.