Customer Reviews

100 Years of Horror

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"call them fantasy films...but please don't call them horror" is one of the lines given by the host, Christopher Lee, jokingly looking in utter disgust that the public would call these films 'horror'. his performance is hilarious because of his sophisticated and always serious approach to acting and yet he's offering a self-parody much in the tradition of Vincent Price. although he doesn't go over-the-top, Lee's participation/narration was vital for this program's legitimacy. clips of horror and Sci-Fi films are shown throughout...there's also clips of interviews with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Roger Corman among others...the so-called drive-in horror titans of the '60s are also spotlighted: American International and Hammer, the two companies that were responsible for 90% of the horror output in the '50s, '60s, and early '70s. this is a great look at horror films and Lee's commanding voice and screen appearances keep it from being too tedious, as it may have been had a contemporary hot shot with little to no affiliation with the genre narrated the show.

I saw the DVD version of this video and, being a horror film buff, found it very entertaining. The problem with documentaries like these, however, is that they do tend to get sort of dated in just a few years (e.g. although fairly recent films such as Bram Stoker's Dracula, Jurrasic Park and Wolf were discussed, more recent films such as the Mummy remake were not) especially in this genre wherein advances in make-up and special effects play an important role. Still, I would recommend this series to any serious horror film afficionado. Unlike many documentaries which seem to be made up of 90% interviews and 10% (movie) scenes, this is composed primarily of scenes with Christopher Lee's voice-over, interspersed with a few interviews. Notable highlights include hilarious outtakes from the film Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein as well as footage from obscure movies such as the 1960 version of Lost World. There are also interviews with John Carpenter, Peter Cushing and Claude Rains. I found this very enjoyable, although I'm giving just 4 stars for the DVD version since the sound quality was not very good for this medium (for VHS I'd probably let it off with 5 stars).

Christopher Lee is delightful as the host of this program, which explores pretty much every aspect of the horror movie, from the nineteen twenties to the early nineties. His anecdotal stories and whitty narration keeps things moving along at a splendid pace. The material itself is top-notch, featuring interviews with everyone from John Carpenter, to Dick Miller, to Roger Corman, to Ray Bradbury, to Richard Matheson, to Robert De Niro, to Vincent Price, to Hugh Hefner (those are obviously my personal favorites; there are many, many more interviewees whom you'll know). The program deals with all aspects of the horror genre in cinema, from sections devoted entirely to Bela Legosi and Boris Karloff, to a survey of the roles of women, to detailed histories of certain monsters, to the use of subliminal advertising (Lee's comment: "As you can see, subliminal advertisements DO have an effect--they are very annoying"). If it CAN be discussed, it IS discussed (with the exception of creature features; no "Jaws" here, except for a very brief nautical clip not attributed to the film). True, more time could've been devoted to Stephen King, Brian DePalma, and a few others (though they are mentioned here and there), but this the most thorough account of the genre I have come across yet. Not only is it detailed, but it's ENTERTAINING; I wasn't once bored, despite frequent repitition of scenes and commentary.

Let me explain the four stars. I dropped a star for one reason only: this DVD collection is poorly edited. Sometimes, when a segment ends, Christopher Lee gets cut off mid-sentence. At other times, the screen is split (i.e., it is not formatted to "fit this screen"). These are trivial things, however; don't worry, you'll still enjoy this unique, superb, and purely enjoyable survey of cinema's scariest and best.

I don't know where this series originally appeared, but its safe to assume it was not initially made for US consumption. The 5 disc set is actually 26 half-hour long episodes. Each episode features a specific topic such as vampires, mad scientists, the Frankenstein monster, et al. I was surprised the transfer wasn't better since this project is only 10 years old (The copyright says 1996).

The series spends more time on the roots of the subject in the episode. That is to say the zombie episode focuses on White Zombie but barely foot notes a classic like Dawn Of The Dead. This could be because the research on this multi-part documentary seems to peter out around 1985. Or maybe the producers believed the meat of the meal was in the creation of the genre topic and not in the recent trends.

The true genius of this series is the fact that it draws its visual representations from the movie trailers and not clips from the movie itself. For those who don't know, it is much easier to go to a "trailer house" and buy the rights to use their pre-movie trailers and TV commercials library then to negotiate with each studio for those impact clips that cost an arm and a leg. As a result of doing this "on the cheap", we get to see the campaigns of how these movies were marketed to their audience. I find it a fascinating look at how they advertised a movie like Night Of The Living Dead then have to watch the same old archival clips you've seen on a dozen other retrospectives.

My only complaint is that you have to manually select each episode and each episode has a synopsis screen which you have to thumb your way back through to get back to the main screen to get to the next episode. There is no "Play All" feature and it gets a little irritating. However, its nice to know Passport Video corrected this oversight with their future offerings like A Century Of Science Fiction documentary.

So, if you want approximately 13 hours of easily portioned horror then this is the documentary for you. Besides, it is more than reasonably priced for a 5 disc set (Although the actual DVD case has a funky storage system which leads me back to the non-US comsumption theory).

I have been a fan of horror films for over fifty years and own hundreds of films on VHS, DVD and Laserdisc, but even so, this is a fascinating series. Christopher Lee's comments only add to the fun. Virtually every aspect of the horror films is explored here, with excellent film clips, coming attractions and stills. I also liked the way the major stars of the genre were covered. If you have any interest in the horror film, this should be a part of your collection.

The problem with french fries is that you know they're not good for you, but once you start eating them, you just can't stop. 100 Years of Horror may not add to your cholesterol level, but it has its own set of issues. Nonetheless, it's fun to watch and each of the 26 episodes represents just a bite-sized portion of time (roughly 25 minutes), so it is a nice visual snack.

This collection of five discs is hosted by Christopher Lee who is a decent narrator who can add bits of his own knowledge about the horror film industry. Each episode features a different topic, such as witches, mummies, zombies, vampires and werewolves, as well as a couple segments on Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.

There are definitely problems, however. To start with, the length of the complete set is closer to 650 minutes than the stated 750. The episodes seem cobbled together from some other larger episodes; only around half have closing credits, and even those merely repeat the same credits over and over. And speaking of repeating, Lee has a tendency to repeat the same line in different episodes, which is probably due to the writer more than Lee himself. (One example is when he says that the only thing more inconsequential than a film's budget is the amount of critical praise it received.)

There are lots of film clips, but they are taken primarily from public domain movie trailers and only occasionally from the films themselves. While we do get some rare footage, it does tend to be shown in multiple episodes (such as the rare color film of Karloff in his Monster get-up). There are also plenty of omissions that most horror fans will catch: for example, how can the Mad Doctors episode discuss The Island of Dr. Moreau without mentioning its classic predecessor, Island of Lost Souls? Then there are some interviews and anecdotes that seem to be rambling filler more than actually useful fare.

For all my criticism of this set, however, I still enjoyed it overall. Partially, this was because of Christopher Lee, but also because it does give a chance to see clips from some older, more obscure horror movies. Despite the flaws, each segment is an entertaining bit of viewing, and like those french fries, you rarely eat just one. And like the fries, it might be better to skip this one altogether, but if you start watching, it'll be hard to stop.

"100 Years of Horror" is a fun series of documentaries, but strictly for fans of the old black-and-white Universal monsters series or the later Hammer horror. And we aren't just talking the classics here; the documentary spends just as much time on obscure B and C movies as they do on the certified gold standards.

Originally released on VHS in 1996, "100 Years of Horror" was directed by Ted Newsom, who also created the infamous Ed Wood documentary Ed Wood - Look Back in Angora as well as Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Like most of Newsom's documentaries, "100 Years of Horror" relies heavily on public domain stock footage and trailers.

With a combined run time of almost twelve hours, there are twenty-one chapters in total spread across four DVDs. Each chapter runs around twenty-five minutes, give or take, and focuses on a single topic. The Universal horror trio of Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff are featured heavily, along with such random topics as "Gory Gimmicks," "Blood-Drinking Beings," and "Girl Ghouls."

This is by no means an exhaustive or authoritative documentary. Newsom was limited to covering only the films and actors he was able to get access to. The "100 Years" also refers purely to Western filmmaking, and you won't find references to the long tradition of Japanese horror film making like the 1953 Ugetsu much less more modern fare. However, as a happy by-product many actors and actresses from the lesser-known horror films get interviewed, providing insight into the film industry during the Golden Age of horror.

That means you get to here the perspectives of people like Herschell Gordon Lewis (Monster a Go-Go), Brink Stevens (Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity) and Beverly Garland (Not of This Earth) along with famous figures like Roger Corman and Vincent Price. I really enjoyed hearing the stories from those folks who rarely get camera time. Host Christopher Lee also serves up personal stories of encounters with the various monsters he played and actors he has known.

And while several of the clips and interviews have appeared elsewhere, it is only "100 Years of Horror" that gathers them all together and puts them in context. Some of the behind the scenes information, like how horrible it is to wear makeup for The Mummy, and the different stages of the costume for The Gilman from Creature from the Black Lagoon, I remember seeing before but it was nice to have it all in one package.

The only real problem with "100 Years of Horror" is that it is a low-budget production, and it shows. Ted Newsom prided himself on being able to assemble stock footage interspersed with new footage to produce sellable documentaries for a fraction of the price. Unfortunately, this also means that he took shortcuts such as looping Lee's comments several times for different films, and effect which is instantly noticeable. There has been no restoration work, and the DVD is about the same quality as the VHS tapes it was originally released on.

For pure bang-for-your buck, you can't really go wrong with "100 Years of Horror." There were lots of films I know and love, and even more that I will probably never see. Christopher Lee's narration adds a lot to the whole package, as do the interviews which are probably available nowhere else.

First...I had no idea that this 4-DVD set existed. Released in 1996, it still has a lot of 'bang for your buck' when it comes to the classic monster movies and the studios who made them. There are 21 chapters (roughly 22-24 minutes in length). Individual episodes are devoted to Boris Karloff & Bela Lugosi as well as the different types of monsters that were manufactured (or dug up) by studio make-up artists during the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and early 70s.

Christopher Lee is an excellent host. Not only does he look great on camera, but his voice still has the authority of an actor who has 'been there & done that!' Sir Christopher pulls no punches when it comes to the films that he did and didn't like. It's certainly clear that he was a fan and friend of Boris Karloff. [They were next door neighbors at one time]. The only minor negative on this set is that a lot of Lee's dialogue was looped in some of the chapters. In other words, he makes the same comments about certain 40s horror movies, 50s science fiction films, and other later movies masquerading as fright films.

This is the reason that I'd suggest viewers of this set tackle only 2 or 3 chapters at a time. I found myself starting to get restless or distracted whenever I tried watching all 5 or 6 chapters on one disc. There's plenty of information along with original trailers to back up Lee's narration.

It really doesn't matter if you own any or all of the Universal/AIP/or other studio monster movies. "100 Years of Horror" contains a lot of info at a reasonable price.

Don't turn it off! But first you need to watch at least five of these movies to enjoy it. With Christopher Lee being your host this makes the movie very fun. It talks about little trivia and cool things to know about tese films.->

1. Halloween
2. Frankenstein, 1931
3. Dracula, 1931
4. The Mummy, 1959
5. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
6. Psycho, 1960
7. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein
8. Mummy's Hand
9. Nightmare On Elm Street
10. The Bride of Frankenstein
11. House of Frankenstein

12. House of Dracula
13. The Lost World, 1925
14. The Mummy's Tomb
15. Tales of Tomorrow: Frankenstein
16. Phantom of The Opera
17. Mystery of The Wax Museum
18. Curse of Frankenstein
19. Werewolf of London
20. 1,000,000 Years B.C.

This appears to be a TV series that was assembled on DVD and marketed a single, lengthy entity. Because of that, there is extensive repetition of both footage and narrative dialogue. It consists mainly of trailers, and omits much of the classic horror catalog in favor of lesser films. It has very little educational value, with the exception of some talking head comments from people actually involved in the original creation process of the films themselves.
With that said, it is still worth the price because of it's 12.5 hour running time. That's a lot of entertainment for less than $20. In addition, let's face it, Chris Lee fans would watch him read a telephone book, and there is plenty of Mr. Lee here.