It / The Shuttered Room

Written by Fantasma el Rey

It / The Shuttered Room now available from Warner Home Video on one DVD is a decent combination of movies, although one is a better than the other. One film is about a museum and a Golem while the other is a gothic tale of terror that involves a creepy family’s past. It is not to be confused with the Stephen King story, at all, and The Shuttered Room is the film to watch. Consider It as a bonus film and you’ll feel a bit better in the morning…if you can survive this “terror twofer.“

The DVD starts off with The Shuttered Room so let’s begin there. The film stars Gig Young as an older man who takes his younger wife, the stunning Carol Lynley, back to her shadowy roots on a New England island uncovering insanity, murder, and family secrets locked away in The Shuttered Room. Right from the start island folk warn of the curse of her family and that Gig should take his lovely wife off as soon as possible. The couple shrugs off all warnings and press on to the old millhouse where the lass was born. Along the way they get tormented, chased, and beaten by island “youth” who get their kicks by fondling the island hussy, converse with a doll of an old aunt, and unleash the terror of The Shuttered Room, which turns out to be a bit of a let-down in the horror department but that’s okay because we get to see a couple of hot chicks nearly naked and Gig gets to kick some ass, proving that old guys rock. The film is more a suspense/mystery than monster or murder horror and is fueled by the crazy Miles Davis-like jazz soundtrack that adds to the creepy atmosphere. There are also some good camera shots and angles, first-person dizziness and window reflections.

A couple of interesting side notes about Gig Young include the fact that after he played a part in the Bruce Lee film Game Of Death, he committed suicide after killing his young wife, the whole story is shrouded in mystery as well. James Dean fans will remember him as the guy who interviewed Dean for the last time, the interview in which Dean talks of safe driving because “the life you save may be mine” and was just a short time later killed in an auto wreck.

It on the other hand is a monster movie, starring Roddy McDowall and Jill Haworth as the young women of his dreams. It falls apart fairly quickly as the story is unbelievable and filled with holes. McDowall plays a museum curator’s assistant who comes into control of a golem and goes insane with his newfound power, but we know he’s a nut ball already after it’s revealed early in the picture that he talks to his rotting mother’s corpse a la Norman Bates. He commands the golem to kill people and destroy bridges, the cops get involved an American trying to purchase the golem for his museum becomes the hero, Haworth is half nude (hubba hubba) in a strange dream of McDowall’s, and then the army gets involved to destroy the golem. Destroying the golem is truly the hard part as not fire, nor water, nor force will do the trick and to the army’s dismay neither will heavy artillery nor a small nuclear bomb. Hokey as hell last minute rescue of Haworth on a motorcycle make this one even more laughable but fun as it seems to become an Ed Wood film (the miniatures and overall story concept) with slightly better production. The golem itself is pretty much a statue that moves like Frankenstein’s monster, not too big a deal.

It / The Shuttered Room is an all-right double feature for suspense on one end and unintentional laughs on the other, an interesting package for sure. It seems as though It was tacked on for the hot bare chick aspect. The other similarity is that both were made by English studios and the director of It wanted his movie to resemble the films being turned out by the folks over at Hammer Studios. So fright fans, I’d pick this up for the creepy aspect and atmosphere of The Shuttered Room and the laughs and questions that It provides. Like I say, if you’re entertained for a few hours, then the film has done its job.

Chamber Of Horrors / The Brides Of Fu Manchu

Written by Musgo Del Jefe

My first clue should have been that Warner Bros. debuted their "Warner Bros. Horror Double Features" discs in December. The series has the promising tag of double features of horror films that have never been released on DVD. But, if you really had some gems from the huge Warner's vaults, wouldn't you debut the series in October? I'm afraid this first set answered my question.

The first film on the disc is Chamber Of Horrors. This 1966 horror film is an amalgam of the horror film trends of the mid-'60s and an illustration of how television had changed the horror genre. The movie starts with a "grave warning" - one that would make William Castle proud - that there will be scenes so terrifying that management has put visual and audible warning in place for the viewer. There is the Fear Flasher (a flashing red light around the screen) and the Horror Horn (a wailing siren) to warn you when to turn away and close your eyes.

This gimmick is actually pretty clever. The viewer is warned that it will go off at "four supreme fright points" during the film. One, that creates the suspense of waiting for the warnings. Two, the sound of the siren and the flashing red lights caused more stress for me than the "fright points" they were warning me about.

The movie, while American, is solidly based in the British tradition of horror films. The setting is turn-of-the-century Baltimore. But the foggy Baltimore of the movie would easily pass for London. The film starts with Jason Crevette (played wonderfully by Patrick O'Neal) forcing a reverend to marry him to a dead bride. Once turned in by the minister, Jason disappears and the police are at a stand still.

Enter our next British influence, Draco and Blount are owners of a local wax museum (very British) that specialized in Murder Through The Ages. They also seem to play the parts of Sherlock Holmes and Watson - operating outside the police to help solve murders. They are played off the police (who might as well be Scotland Yard) by an Inspector that doesn't want their help and a Sergeant (played by future Trapper John from M*A*S*H - Wayne Rogers) who's their friend. Draco and Blount are helped by my favorite horror genre tradition - a dwarf named Pepe.

Once on the job, Draco and Blount quickly solve the murder with the help of Pepe and Jason is sentenced to death. This felt like the end to a TV show episode. In fact, the movie comes from a pilot about a wax museum where these two would solve murders each week. The Second Act of the film starts quickly - it's nice to see the plot pick up again just as it was lagging. Jason escapes his transport to prison and during a "Supreme Fright Point" loses a hand.

That's an important plot point because it transitions the film to essentially what becomes the second episode of the film. This one is a very British take on Jack The Ripper. It also bears some resemblance to the Vincent Price thriller The Abominable Dr. Phibes. The wax museum boys assume that Jason is dead and that they're solving a completely different set of murders. Little do they realize that Crevette has a whole slew of attachments for his hand including cleavers, scalpels, and hooks.

Once again, Sherlock and Watson (Draco and Blount) are clever in the way they resolve the "second" case of the film. You can really see where this might work in a television format. The direction is solid - although a little derivative of the British horror films look and sound. The wax museum angle is a nice diversion that allows the additional telling of murders by our heroes. It reminded me in parts of the way Night Gallery used the paintings to tie into the story they would tell.

The second film in the set is The Brides Of Fu Manchu. This 1966 is British, but unlike Chamber, it doesn't embrace the trappings of the horror genre. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to even call this a horror film. The film is equal parts mystery and spy film - with much of the suspense coming from detectives trying to solve the mystery of disappearing women.

The Brides Of Fu Manchu is the second in a series of five Fu Manchu films. Brides follows the successful The Face Of Fu Manchu. In all five films of this series, Christopher Lee plays the lead character. Fu Manchu is a typical villain, always looking to take over the world. He's equal parts Ra's Al Ghul (a Batman villain that would come about in the early '70s) and Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers' universe.

The film starts very abruptly with what is probably the last couple minutes of the first film in the series. Everything blows up and Fu Manchu has obviously been killed. But a minute later he's back with a new plan. The plan is about as basic as a thriller plot can get. Fu Manchu is kidnapping the daughters of leading scientists to force them to help him build a Death Ray. What's funny is that his description of the Death Ray device sounds like they are building him an iPhone.

Fu Manchu stays one step ahead of Scotland Yard from his evil lair. The mystery isn't really a mystery and the thriller isn't that thrilling. Lee doesn't get enough of a chance to overact as the title character. But he's definitely the bright spot. There are some fun scenes with ninjas popping in and out of London locales to kidnap the daughters.

Brides is a let-down after the promise of Chambers on this disc. You don't get any extras with the "Horror Double Feature" - so the movies have to carry the day. This double feature comes up one film short. I'm going to keep my eye on this series - Warner's has a ton of great films that haven't seen the light of day on DVD. Maybe their saving their best for next October.