Watched this a couple of nights ago...pretty good, but found it overrated, although it makes a telling case of how hellish a child's world can be with unhelpful adult figures around. Rachel is the closest thing to a savior for John and Pearl. ***

Black Sunday / Mask of Satan (1960)

Love me some Bava.

Bava! Love his work too. Black Sunday may be my favorite of his many great flicks.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
5/10

Successful box office film in 1962. Academy Award nominations for Costume, Sound, Black and White Cinematography, Best Supporting Role for Victor Buono, and Best Actress for Bette Davis. Davis does an excellent full-tilt job as a mean, dilutional, elderly sister.

The plot is truly ridiculous. The character creations and motivations, revealed at the end, are absurdly unsatisfying. I found it subpar as suspense. The black humor was shallow and unrooted as compared to Arsenic and Old Lace. The meanness of Bette Davis' character floated without purpose or satisfaction, blunting the sting. I didn't enjoy the film... worse than a wacko without a cause, but also without any fun.

Have to agree with You on this..it hasn't aged well at all. This was a movie I was forbidden to watch as a little one by Mom as it was "...a horrible movie!". Finally saw it when I was 16 and found it more amusing than anything else. The book by Henry Farrell is MUCH better.

FRANKENSTEIN (1931). Was listening to the Rudy Belmer commentary and still marveling how much zip this has for an early talkie and how good Colin Clive, Boris Karloff and Dwight Frye are-how cruel Fritz is! He's probably the most responsible for the monster's anti-social nature. ****1/2

THE BLUE BIRD (1940). Finally saw this based on Sculpt's mention and while Shirley Temple had definite screen presence, way too cutesy in parts and a LOT borrowed from A CHRISTMAS CAROL and THE WIZARD OF OZ. Nice seeing Nigel bruce and Gale Sondergaard though. **

THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE (1959). Silly, but fun little flick with tough Dame Beverly Garland trying to find her husband in the steamy Bayous. Good support by Freida Inescourt (THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE) and George Macready (PATHS OF GLORY, GILDA and COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE). However, nothing can top Lon Chaney Jr's hammy and boisterous overacting as a drunken Hooked Cajun. Also, dig the Doctors mode of transportation...I sure would like one of those! ***

Time of their Lives
An Abbott and Costello movie where Costello plays a ghost from the Revolutionary War. It's a cute film, I enjoyed it enough. I would've liked to have seen it stay in the same time period and take a bit of a different route, but it had a good ending and it was cute. When Bud and Lou are involved I can't complain. Still no "Meets Frankenstein", but I recommend it.

Love that one! Goes without saying Lon was my favorite. ::big grin::

DOCTOR OF DOOM (1962). Cheesy, campy and silly , but so much damn fun! A Mad Doctor, Half Man/Half Ape creature and two gorgeous Women wrestlers (especially Lorena Velaquez::love::::love::) are all in the mix. A true highlight of early 60's Mexi-Movies. ***1/2

Alligator People
Man Made Monster
Son of Dracula
The Wolfman

Had a Lon-a-thon on the 44th anniversary of his passing.