Horror Scene That I Love: Vincent Price Unmasked in House of Wax

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror scene that I love is from the 1953 film, House of Wax!

In this scene, a curious visitor to Vincent Price’s wax museum discovers that more than a few of the figures are actually corpses that have been covered in wax. When she is confronted by Vincent Price, she hits his face and, in an homage to the famous unmaking scene from The Phantom of the Opera, discovers what is underneath.

(I’ve recently decided that they should change the name of October to something more appropriate, like Pricetober. Seriously, this month is all about Vincent Price…)

Enjoy!

Horror Scenes I Love: John Carradine in House of Dracula

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror scene that I love comes from the 1945 film, House of Dracula!

House of Dracula may not be a classic but John Carradine definitely made for an intriguing Dracula. Far more than Bela Lugosi or even Christopher Lee, Carradine matched the physical description that Bram Stoker offered up of Dracula in his famous novel — tall, aristocratic, sophisticated, and disdainful of the world around him. Of course, Carradine’s American accent is all wrong for the role but no matter. He’s Carradine!

This scene features Carradine as Dracula, casting his hypnotic spell.

Horror Scenes That I Love: Dorian Gray Battles His Own Image In The Picture of Dorian Gray

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror scene that I love comes from the classic 1945 film, The Picture of Dorian Gray.

In this scene, Gray (Hurd Hatfield) finally strikes back at the picture that, for decades, has been hiding all of his sins. You can read my full review of The Picture of Dorian Gray by clicking here!

Horror Scene That I Love: The Pool Scene from Cat People

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror scene that I love comes to us from the 1942 psychological thriller, Cat People!

In this noirish scene, Alice (Jane Randolph) goes for a swim, just to find herself suspecting that she may not be alone.

Be sure to check out my reviews of the original Cat People, the sequel, and the remake by clicking on the links in this sentence!

Horror Scenes that I Love: Boris Karloff Plays The Piano in The Walking Dead

Posted on October 8, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror scene that I love comes from the 1939 film, The Walking Dead.

In this film, Boris Karloff plays a pianist who, after being framed for a murder he didn’t commit, is executed and then brought back to life by a scientist played by Edmund Gwenn. The re-animated Karloff sets out for revenge.

In this scene, Karloff plays the piano while some of the men who framed him sit out in the audience. Just check out the power of that Karloff glare!

Horror Scenes That I Love: The Monster Meets The Blind Man In Bride of Frankenstein

Posted on October 7, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror scene that I love comes from 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein!

In this scene, directed by James Whale, the Monster (Boris Karloff) meets his first friend, a blind hermit played by O.P. Heggie. It’s a scene that features Karloff at his best and it’s still touching, even if it is kind of hard to watch it without thinking about Peter Boyle accidentally burning down Gene Hackman’s shack in Young Frankenstein.

Horror Scenes That I Love: The Monster Lives in Frankenstein

Posted on October 6, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror scene that I love comes from the 1931 Universal classic, Frankenstein!

Though it’s been parodied to death and often used out of context (for example, a few years ago, it was used in a freaking car commercial), the “It’s Alive!” scene from Frankenstein is still a classic piece of horror history. Colin Clive is often unfairly criticized for going overboard in this scene but let’s be honest here: if you ever reanimated a corpse, you’d probably get pretty damn excited about it.

(After watching the scene, be sure to check out my review of this classic film by clicking here!)

(And if you want to see an alternative take on the creation of Frankenstein’s Monster, check out the 1910 silent version by clicking here!)

Horror Scenes That I Love: Mary Philbin unmasks Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera!

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror scene that I love comes from the 1925 version of The Phantom of the Opera.

In this famous scene, which was directed by Rupert Julian, Mary Philbin unmasks the Phantom (played, of course, by Lon Chaney). Both of their reactions are justifiably famous.

I have read that Philbin was apparently not told what Chaney would look like when she removed the mask, which contributed to her state of shock. I don’t know if that’s true but I hope it is. It’s certainly a good story.

Was this horror cinema’s first “jump scare?”

Horror Scenes That I Love: A Scene From Nosferatu

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror scene that I love comes from the absolutely terrifying 1922 silent film, Nosferatu.

Directed by F. W. Murnau and featuring Max Schreck as Count Orlock, Nosferatu is often cited as being the first vampire film. That’s actually not true. There were apparently film adaptations of Dracula that were produced years before Murnau gave the world his “unauthorized” adaptation.

However, I do think it can be argued that Nosferatu is the most influential vampire film ever made. Every vampire movie released over the past 95 years has been a direct descendant of Nosferatu and it remains a truly nightmarish work of horror art. One need only compare it to Universal’s first Dracula film to see how well Nosferatu has aged.

Enjoy this terrifying scene!

Horror Scenes That I Love: Thomas Edison’s Production of Frankenstein

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror scene that I love is, much like The Haunted Castle and The Monster, less a scene and more an entire movie.

In 1910, Thomas Edison produced what is thought to be the first ever film version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein! Clocking in at 12 minutes and 41 seconds, this film was directed by J. Searle Dawley and stars Charles Ogle as the monster.

Admittedly, the surviving prints of this 107 year-old movie are not in the greatest condition. But I still think it’s effectively surreal and, in its way, quite creepy. While it always takes a while for modern audiences to get used to the more theatrical acting styles of the silent films, Charles Ogle still makes for a very memorable monster. I especially enjoy the tinted scenes where the monster comes to life. In the video below, it start around the 2:18 mark and it’s truly a scene that I love!

Enjoy this piece of film history!