This week in the crypt we take a look at the new Shudder Original, A Nightmare Wakes.
You can catch it on Shudder beginning this Thursday, February 4th!
Reviews From The Crypt – A Nightmare Wakes
Tag Archives: Frankenstein
Shudder Announces Acquisition of Mary Shelley Gothic Drama A NIGHTMARE WAKES – Releases Trailer & Premiere Date
Shudder Announces Acquisition, Trailer, and Premiere Date for Mary Shelley Gothic Drama
‘A NIGHTMARE WAKES’
Stunning Feature Debut by Nora Unkel Is a Bold Retelling of Shelley’s Tempestuous Relationship with Poet Percy Shelley and the Creation of Her Influential Literary Masterpiece, ‘Frankenstein’
COMING TO SHUDDER FEBRUARY 4, 2021
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Comedy and horror can be tricky. Comedy has to hit you as a surprise. Horror is often the result of surprise. Typically comedies and horror films have difficulty “holding up” over the years. Taste in comedy and horror is typically a contemporary affair and adapts to the times that surround it.
So how, oh, how has Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein held up after all these years?
Was it the cast? This is one of the few appearances of Bela Lugosi as Dracula for Universal (he was often passed over for various reasons) despite being the iconic figure for the character. The incredible Lon Chaney Jr. is here as the classic Larry Talbot Wolf Man. Even Glenn Strange does an admirable job in the boots that Boris Karloff first made famous as Frankenstein.
It is the comedy? Bud Abbott and Lou Costello typically recreated old vaudeville routines on the screen, but this movie is lighter than air. No set routines, but plenty of the wheezy fear takes of Costello shouting for “Chick!” to point at something that inevitably went away by the time Abbott returns.
Is it the horror elements? I remember as a child being mesmerized by the classic transformation of the Wolf Man with Jack Pierce’s iconic makeup design. I was also impressed with the transformation of Dracula into a bat animated by Woody Woodpecker creator Walter Lantz. The hypnotic scenes of Dracula with his victims are chilling and the destructive feats of strength by Frankenstein are thrilling.
Is it nostalgia? Perhaps. Certainly references to the Lucky Strike ad campaign (So round. So firm. So fully packed.) are not landing as jokes in 2020 as they did in mid-century America. But there is something disarming with the mix of wordplay, slapstick bumbling and a straight on classic Universal horror film. While Abbott and Costello play for laughs, the rest of the cast were playing things absolutely straight; sometimes ignoring things no human could ever truly ignore in service of the film.
I think this combination is what brings us one of the greatest Halloween movies of all time. It was actually banned in some territories upon original release and still could scare an uninitiated child and illicit laughs even after you’ve seen every sequence and know every line of dialogue.
Grade: A-
Peacock’s Halloween picks are FANTASTIC!
One of the things that always attracted me to Universal is their ability to embrace “Joe Six Pack” type entertainment, particularly horror. No other major studio celebrates their relationship with horror. Even Disney has a horror movie or two in their past (though they’ve sucked. Remember “Watcher in the Woods”? Yeah, no one else does either.)
Peacock proves their relationship with horror with a great front page tab “Halloween” that opens to a splashy page with prominent films on display. In particular, they give great placement to their Alfred Hitchcock and Classic Monster work. So, what should you check out? WHERE TO START!
Alfred Hitchcock is a good opening salvo. A brand new The Making of Psycho documentary is full of great information. I recently “audiobooked” (I can’t bring myself to call that “reading” yet) the original Psycho and I forgot just how wonderfully Joseph Stefano adapted Robert Bloch’s wonderful novel. Then follow that view with a re-watch of Psycho (if you haven’t seen it yet, by jiminy, watch Psycho first!), The Birds, Vertigo and Rear Window! Here’s a hot take: I actually prefer Rear Window. Take me on in the comments below.
In the classic monsters, I think people forget how good some of those films are due to their “creaky” nature and not always having aged very well. I suggest the greatest horror comedy of all time, Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein. Yes, “the boys” made a few of these meet the monster films, but this one features one of only four times Bela Lugosi played Dracula on film (go ahead and check me on that) and a fantastic performance by Lon Cheney Jr. as the Wolf Man, Lyle Talbot. What makes this work is the monsters play their bits completely straight, making Lou’s over-the-top fear reactions all the more entertaining. If you haven’t watched it recently, take it in. You forgot just how good this one is!
It Follows is a solid pick of their newer fare. While I’m not willing to call it a new classic as many reviewers did when it came out, it’s a solid little suspense filled flick about an entity that infuriatingly defies simple definition. The suspense is well crafted and it certainly has earned its reputation for being creepy. Worth a look.
Let Me In is a remake of the Swedish Let the Right One In, which has a superior ending, but as for the rest of the film, I think this version is actually more fun to watch. In general, this film’s workmanship is superior to the original and the acting is far better. This is the film that made vampires scary again, and took some of that sparkle away.
The Funhouse is an oft overlooked scary movie. Tobe Hooper of Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame made this criminally underseen carnival creepfest that features the most disturbing Frankenstein monster mask ever committed to the silver screen. I’m not sure what to call it. Is it a creature feature? A slasher? A ghost story? This flick will having you guessing and hopefully screaming.
Give these movies a look while they are up on the Peacock.
Tim reads…How to Care for Your Monster
Originally recorded April 13, 2020
Tonight, Tim reads one of his favorite books, from when he was a little shaver. For all you kids in quarantine, here’s a book you are going to love. Sit back and enjoy Norman Bridwell‘s masterpiece, “How to Care for Your Monster.”
This book is a kid’s guide to how to capture (or purchase) a monster and care for it like any good pet. You get all the greats here. Frankenstein. Dracula. Wolf Man. Mummy. They are all here and ready to come home with you. But what about Mom and Dad? Are they ready?
You can find this book on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3bmgUm8