THE FROZEN DEAD 1966

NAZISPLOITATION MOVIE NIGHT # 7 !!

    In the 1960's because of favorable tax laws and production costs many American producers traveled to England to make films in order to make films there. This was especially advantageous to horror film produces who could go over and knock out a quickie for the American drive-in market while taking advantage of the proliferation of castles and stately country homes which could be leased cheaply. In 1966 and '67 produce/writer/director Herbert J. Leder (who had been a film professor at Jersey City State College) traveled to England and cranked out THE FROZEN DEAD and the very bizarre Golem re-boot IT ! in 1966.
    Although THE FROZEN DEAD was shot in color (and shown that way in England ) for its U.S. theatrical showing B&W prints were struck and it was later shown that way on TV (which probably didn't do much for its legacy). Long unavailable on home video it was released last year by Warner as part of their MOD program last year in a colorful anamorphic transfer, thereby righting the wrong of not including it on their now OOP DVD release of its original co-feature of IT ! (the DVD for some strange reason paired IT! with the totally unrelated THE SHUTTERED ROOM). Not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, it is however a wonderfully entertaining  low-budget effort with some sleazy & lurid overtones that never try’s to overreach itself (plus any movie that goes for “the living disembodied head in tray” plot point has to have something going for it). Thanks to couple of much reproduced stills in Famous Monsters, one showing the frost covered frozen Nazis (in full uniforms complete with Iron Crosses & 60’s hairstyles) in a glass fronted freezer with wires hooked up to their heads and the second being a wall with amputated arms mounted on it, this movie became a kind of holy grail for monster kids in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

    Ex- Hollywood semi- A lister Dana Andrews (from 1957's NIGHT OF THE DEMON), plays Dr. Norberg a Nazi scientist hiding out in England at a large country house with a bunch of the previously mentioned Germans in cold storage down in his basement lab.  He’s been experimenting for awhile at trying to bring them back to life – not too successfully it seems, as there’s a bunch of his failed attempts that have gone slightly psycho locked up in a handy dungeon with his big problem being the brain (one of the failed attempts is actor Edward Fox – who in a few years would make it big in 1973'S THE DAY OF THE JACKAL among others). 

   Things get a bit complicated for Norberg with the arrival of a couple of Nazi big-wigs who want to check up on his progress (or lack thereof) and the unexpected visit of his niece Jean (Anna Palk) along with her American friend Elsa (Kathleen Breck). Plus to top it all off Dr. Ted Roberts (Philip Gilbert) shows up from the U.S. after an invite to help out with the revival of dead body parts. Thanks to the handy murder of Elsa committed by one of his dungeon dwelling failed experiments Norberg obtains a head on which to try out his brain experiments and we’re off into 1959’s classic THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE territory.

  

   It’s at this point that movie really takes on a surreal turn. Most “disembodied head in a tray” movies just stick a person’s head through a hole in the table and maybe throw some wires and maybe a bit of make up on, however THE FROZEN DEAD does them all one better by having Elsa’s head come complete with a clear skull cap (so we can see her quivering brain) along with some weird blue lighting. In addition, she speaks in a creepy hoarse whisper and eventual can telepathically communicate with Anna (Ah-la the above mentioned THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE -and soon can control by telepathy "other things"  which helps lead to its well remembered climax).  

   As Dr. Ted helps Anna look for her missing friend (he’s unaware of the frozen Nazis -he just thinks he’s helping out with medical transplant research) this leads to the as expected developing romance between the two of them and as it turns out Anna’s father is one of the failures down in the dungeon. It does drag a bit at some points with some obvious padding to add to the running time - especially the parts with Ted & Anna  playing detective and as the two romantic leads they are a bit flat. But it’s got some terrific moments and more than a couple scenes that stick in your mind – plus anytime you've got frozen Nazis, a living head in a tray and wall mounted amputated arms you can’t really go wrong.

    Although as mentioned this is never going to be considered in the great pantheon of horror films (and for what its worth it is much better then its original co-feature of IT!) but it is an entertaining piece of low budget 60's horror and perhaps as a result of its long unavailability on home video and along with its original B& W showings it seems to have fallen through the cracks. Warners MOD DVD restores the films eye popping (and sometimes queasy looking) color palette - and Kathleen Breck as the American friend Elsa (and the soon to be experimental disembodied head) strikes some great pin up poses.

   

NIGHT OF THE DEMON 1957

"It has been written since the beginning of time, even unto these ancient stones, that evil supernatural creatures exist in a world of darkness. And it is also said man using the magic power of the ancient symbols can call forth these powers of darkness, the demons of Hell." 

    I know this one's been covered ad nauseam, but it's a favorite and I just got the beautiful French blu-ray which reminded me all over again what an excellent film this is (BTW, screen caps are from the Region 1 DVD). Produced in Britain by transplanted American former child actor (Monogram's THE EASTSIDE KIDS) Hal E. Chester and directed by Val Lewton alumnus Jacques Tourneur NIGHT OF THE DEMON was one of the first British films to present demonology and witchcraft as serious subject matters and place them in a modern setting, but also tying them to Britain's past with its images of Stonehenge and the use of ancient folk melodies. It can be looked upon as a precursor to CITY OF THE DEAD (1960) and the THE NIGHT OF THE EAGLE (1962), in addition to Hammer's THE WITCHES (1966) and THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968).
    Based upon the short story "Casting The Runes" by Edwardian ghost author M.R. James, it was released in the U.S. by Columbia as CURSE OF THE DEMON and was trimmed from the 95 min. British cut down to 81 min thereby making it more adaptable to double features, where it was often paired up with Hammer's THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN. In the pre-home video world this was bit of a holy grail for horror fans (especially the mythical "British cut") as it was infrequently shown on TV, but was always heavily promoted in Famous Monsters with that ad for the Castle 8mm version staring out from the back ads in practically every issue. In 1987 Columbia by happy accident released the British cut on laser disc (with the CURSE title card slapped on) and this was the version seen going forward until a 2002 DVD release presented both versions as two separate films.

    Starring former Hollywood quasi "A" lister Dana Andrews as Dr John Holden, a seemingly world famous American psychiatrist (and non-believer in the supernatural) who travels to London to attend a conference on the paranormal, that's end purpose seems to be the ruination and discrediting of cult leader Dr. Julian Karswell (as portrayed by the wonderful Naill McGinnis). In the opening sequence we're shown Holden's British colleague Henry Harrington traveling through a darkened countryside (in a beautifully atmospheric succession of shots) to the large country estate of Karswell. Once there he begs Kraswell "to put a stop to this thing" and after being hastily dismissed by him travels back home where is killed by a huge winged demon figure (still one of horror's most startling apparitions) that materializes out of smoke & light along (along with an oddly creepy "chirping" sounds).
    There has always been much debate on the full-on showing of the demon and Tourneur's participation (or lack thereof) in filming the two sequences showing it. The French born Tourneur cut his teeth for RKO in the 1940's working on Val Lewton's famous series of low budget and atmospheric horror films. He directed THE CAT PEOPLE (1942) along with 1943's I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE & THE LEOPARD MAN and always maintained that it was his intention that the demon remain largely unseen and that the sequences with it fully visible were added post production while producer Chester claimed that they were filmed by Tourneur. Originally Ray Harryhausen was contacted to model the demon figure in stop motion but when he was unavailable a puppet was used along with a close up of an articulated rubber head and claw (and in one memorable shot, a huge cloven hoofed leg). The special effects hold up remarkably well to this day, but for the climax the puppet is strangely substituted for an obvious man in in a rubber suit (and a rather pudgy one at that).

    Upon arrival in England Holden meets up with Harrington's daughter Joanna (played by Peggy Cummins - who had appeared in Joseph H. Lewis's delirious and ground breaking GUN CRAZY in 1950). In spite of Holden being the well respected Doctor, its Joanna playing a kindergarten teacher (Karswell himself at one point refers to her as "that terribly bright young woman") who serves as the believing voice of reason as the stubborn Holden seems headed to the same fate as his earlier colleague. It's amusing to see that in this being a British production Holden is portrayed as the pig headed and know-it-all American (obliviously headed to his doom) while its up to the crafty Brits (both in terms of his allies and nemesis) to set him straight.
    As far as his nemesis there is much to be said for the performance of British character actor Naill MacGinnis as the warlock/ cult leader Julian Karswell. With his wild tufts of hair and pointed goatee he could be easily played as manically laughing villain all the while stroking his said beard and chewing bunches of scenery, but its to MacGannis talent (along with Tourneur's direction) that he is played absolutely straight (in keeping with the entire tone of the plot) and is even able to invoke some pity from the audience. In a very moving scene (missing from the U.S. prints) he tells his mother, with whom he leaves alone with in his vast country house, that their entire life is wholly dependent upon his immersion in the black arts and that there is no going back. Obviously totally friendless in the world, he's seemingly as afraid of his conjured demons and powers as much as his followers, along with his intended victims.

    In addition, along with some of Holden's beginning airplane flight scenes (where he initially meets Cummins) and a bit of their later visit to Kreswell's estate (where Kreswell appears as a clown hosting a children's party) another sequence cut from the American print is Holden's visit to a desolate farm (featuring some wonderfully creepy sets from production designer Ken Adam) where the people live in abject 19th century like poverty. Going there to receive permission to study their son (an ex-follower of Kraswell who's now insane) it becomes apparent that they along with many others turn the majority of their wealth over to Kraswell for fear of his powers.
   Adam, who in a few years would gain fame on the James Bond movies, creates some marvelous sets here including the interior of Kraswell's country estate and the long maze like hallways of Holden's hotel. In spite of a few obvious process shots at the airport and later in the British Museum the film has a rich look for a then perceived "B" picture (helped in no doubt by Tourneur's Lewton influence) with a sequence in some moon shrouded woods where Holden is chased by an unseen figure (with only smokey footprints appearing) being one of the highlights of British horror cinema - and if Tourneur's claims are to be believed, this most likely would be the extent of what we would see of the demon in question.

    Dana Andrews while appearing in several notable Hollywood films such as LAURA (1944) and THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) never seemed to quite make it to the upper hierarchy of leading men. He was a solid and dependable if not spectacular actor and later become president of the Screen Actors Guild where he was an advocate of actresses rights, particularly in their right of refusal to do nude scenes. Into the 50's and 60's he would continually work in both low budget horror and exploitation movies such as HOT RODS TO HELL (1967) and THE FROZEN DEAD (1966) and major films such as IN HARM'S WAY (1965). He also appeared in the airplane disaster film ZERO HOUR ! in 1957 (as "Lt Ted Stryker") which was the main inspiration for 1980's AIRPLANE ! and ironically would finish his career by crashing his plane into the jet in AIRPORT 1975.