Customer Reviews

Night Monster [VHS]

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

 

 

Until I got my hands on the video, I had seen this movie only once -- about 30 years ago on late-night television. The only other film of this type that I recall with the same nostalgic pleasure is the virtually impossible to find "From Hell It Came."

If you're a fan of old B-movies of the horror genre (especially if you have a weakness for murky, mist-enshrouded atmosphere), then you can't go wrong with "Night Monster." Yes, the film falls apart somewhat in the last 20 minutes or so, but that's a small price to pay to curl up with all that murk and mist and fog.

This glittering little gem of a B-movie shows how an outstanding cast and crew can elevate pulp fiction to art. Ford Beebe, the veteran director, who started his movie days back to the l900s whips his sharp cast into tip-top shape. Fay Helm, among the most outstanding of all character actresses back in Hollywood's golden era, plays Margaret, a woman who her father considers insane because she spies a terrible creature creeping around their mansion at night in the fog. Helm was also terrific as the nurse in "Captive Wild Woman" and as Jenny in "The Wolf Man." Doris Lloyd, who played "jenny's mother in "The Wolf Man" now plays the sinister housekeeper in Night Monster. These two knock the others out of sight with their performanes. Irene Hervey is beautiful, quiet and authoritative as the psychiatrist. Poor Bela Lugosi. Another role where he's the butler and does nothing more than leer and glare and talk like he has the week's laundry in his mouth. Terrific camera work, lighting, musical score by H.J. Salter, chilling scenes of the "monster" stalking the love couple, levitates this entertainment way beyond Val Lewton's much touted "Cat People." "Night Monster" has got the juice and the chills to keep you glued to your screen--and nightcap on a cold, misty night.

This great, modest B-movie has more chills and atmosphere than most of the big-budget productions of the early 40s. Underrated B-actress, Fay Helm, steals the picture is the distraught woman who swears she has seen a man-like monster creeping around the grounds of her estate. Irene Hervey is also effective as the quiet, attractive psychiatrist. Doris Lloyd turns in another outstanding performance as the treacherous housekeeper. What a wonderful Mrs. Danvers she would have made in Hitchcock's Rebecca. A fun film to watch alone at night in a darkened room, preferably with mist covering the grounds--as they do in Night Monster.

NIGHT MONSTER is cool, with its errie seting. The final climax at the bridge is hair rasing. Bela Lugosi is excellent.
So is Linol Atwill. I would say that NIGHT MONSTER is second
best,next to SON OF DRACULA and CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN.

A good example of a well-made B horror thriller which will keep you sufficiently engrossed to make you forget that there are some things in it that do not make much sense. Bela Lugosi, despite his top billing, has a small role as an eavesdropping butler. The other actors are well-cast, especially Ralph Morgan as the crippled owner of a creepy country estate, and Nils Asther as an Eastern mystic. The bizarre plot and weird atmosphere are very effective.

This film is a hybrid of horror/murder-mystery/thriller and is one of Universal's least talked about films. The atmosphere is rich, the cast is excellent and those wonderfuls set!.....fantastic! Lugosi is good, but deserves more than a small role. This is available on DVD on a 5 film set Universal Horror a Best Buy exclusive. It's a limited edition so hurry! The tranfers are good for all 5 films and there are some trailers.

Starring the grim butler {LUGOSI},The dementd Mr. Ingston {RALPH MORGAN},The evil housekeeper {DORIS LYOD} And the insane sister of Mr. Ingston{FAY HELM}.This movie is a must see,filled with murder,mystery and horror.It also includes its original theatrical trailer.A true horror classic fan would have this movie on their horror classic movie shelf.So, buy it , you'll love it.