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Reviews
House of Dracula (1945)
Ouch!!!!
I've been a classic horror fan my entire life. Many nights stretched until the early hours of the morning watching the Universal films on "Horror Incorporated" and "Creature Feature Night". Sadly, I viewed this film in the early evening and yet it still almost put me to sleep.
I don't think I've ever seen a "horror" picture where everything was so matter of fact. Dr. Edelmann doesn't seem to believe in the supernatural, yet before long he's medically treating Dracula and watching Larry Talbot change into the Wolfman while hardly blinking an eye. He and Talbot discover the Frankenstein monster like it's an everyday occurrence. Edelmann is all fired up to bring the monster back to life, but after Talbot, Miliza and Nina protest he's like "Aww, you're right. No big deal". After realizing Dracula's treachery, he opens the Count's coffin to sunlight and POOF!, he's gone, just like that.
The only person who didn't appear to just be phoning in her lines was Jane Adams as Nina. Her reward is getting bounced off the hump in her back into a pit by the Frankenstein Monster at the end of the film...and no one even tries to rescue her! She, Dr. Edelmann and the Monster all perish, while Talbot and Miliza casually leave the castle.
Definitely the low point for Universal during it's classic horror years.
Left Behind (2000)
Muddled and Confusing
I've read the first eight novels in the "Left Behind" series, and while I doubt these books will be pushing Homer, Shakespeare and Hemingway off the shelves, I have found them, for the most part, to be reasonably well written and entertaining.
This film is another matter however. There seemed to be very little devoted to establishing a background and a coherent storyline. It almost seemed to be a "Cliff Notes" companion to the written material. Personally, if I HADN'T read the books, I would have been totally lost as to exactly what was going on.
I'll give the folks associated with the film kudos for a good effort, but frankly it had a little bit of an Ed Wood production feel to it.
**** out of **********
The Prophecy (1995)
Decent way to kill an hour and a half
Borders a bit on the edge of MST3K territory, but the cast and the dialogue balance out some logistical holes in the plot, slow pace at times and technical goofs (typical outdoor gaffe in horror/thriller movies: it's dark, now it's light, now it's dark again...you get the picture).
To have the powers Angels are credited with they obviously aren't Mr. Rogers with wings. Walken, Stoltz and Mortensen are all potentially lethal and powerful in their roles; Elias Koteas and Virginia Madsen do a nice job as well.
The subject matter fascinates me (being raised as a Roman Catholic I had all the Angels and Saints on trading cards - let me get Gabriel's ERA from the middle ages for you), so that contributes to my attitude. In conclusion, kind of a 1950's "B" movie equivalent, but pretty good humor and fun to watch.