100 Years of Horror
by Ted Newsom
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DVD details
Actor: Brinke Stevens, Christopher Lee, Dick Miller, Hugh M. Hefner, Sara KarloffDirector: Ted Newsom
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Black & White, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 120 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1998-01-06
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: PASSPORT VIDEO
DVD Reviews of 100 Years of Horror
DVD Review: Watch the original films!
Summary: 3 Stars
This appears to be a TV series that was assembled on DVD and marketed a single, lengthy entity. Because of that, there is extensive repetition of both footage and narrative dialogue. It consists mainly of trailers, and omits much of the classic horror catalog in favor of lesser films. It has very little educational value, with the exception of some talking head comments from people actually involved in the original creation process of the films themselves.
With that said, it is still worth the price because of it's 12.5 hour running time. That's a lot of entertainment for less than $20. In addition, let's face it, Chris Lee fans would watch him read a telephone book, and there is plenty of Mr. Lee here.
DVD Review: Cinematic french fries
Summary: 4 Stars
The problem with french fries is that you know they're not good for you, but once you start eating them, you just can't stop. 100 Years of Horror may not add to your cholesterol level, but it has its own set of issues. Nonetheless, it's fun to watch and each of the 26 episodes represents just a bite-sized portion of time (roughly 25 minutes), so it is a nice visual snack.
This collection of five discs is hosted by Christopher Lee who is a decent narrator who can add bits of his own knowledge about the horror film industry. Each episode features a different topic, such as witches, mummies, zombies, vampires and werewolves, as well as a couple segments on Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.
There are definitely problems, however. To start with, the length of the complete set is closer to 650 minutes than the stated 750. The episodes seem cobbled together from some other larger episodes; only around half have closing credits, and even those merely repeat the same credits over and over. And speaking of repeating, Lee has a tendency to repeat the same line in different episodes, which is probably due to the writer more than Lee himself. (One example is when he says that the only thing more inconsequential than a film's budget is the amount of critical praise it received.)
There are lots of film clips, but they are taken primarily from public domain movie trailers and only occasionally from the films themselves. While we do get some rare footage, it does tend to be shown in multiple episodes (such as the rare color film of Karloff in his Monster get-up). There are also plenty of omissions that most horror fans will catch: for example, how can the Mad Doctors episode discuss The Island of Dr. Moreau without mentioning its classic predecessor, Island of Lost Souls? Then there are some interviews and anecdotes that seem to be rambling filler more than actually useful fare.
For all my criticism of this set, however, I still enjoyed it overall. Partially, this was because of Christopher Lee, but also because it does give a chance to see clips from some older, more obscure horror movies. Despite the flaws, each segment is an entertaining bit of viewing, and like those french fries, you rarely eat just one. And like the fries, it might be better to skip this one altogether, but if you start watching, it'll be hard to stop.
DVD Review: 100 YEARS OF HORROR
Summary: 3 Stars
I ENJOYED LEE'S PERSONAL STORIES.
PICTURE WAS FINE.
MOST WAS INFO. ABOUT THE STARS (OLDER) BUT INTERESTING.
HAD A GREAT TIME WITH THE HISTORY AS WELL.
IF YOU'RE INTO HORROR HISTORY, THIS IS BEST COLLECTION I'VE SEEN.
THIS COLLECTION COVERS A LOT OF STUFF
DVD Review: A survey of film's scariest and best...a pure cinematic delight
Summary: 4 Stars
Christopher Lee is delightful as the host of this program, which explores pretty much every aspect of the horror movie, from the nineteen twenties to the early nineties. His anecdotal stories and whitty narration keeps things moving along at a splendid pace. The material itself is top-notch, featuring interviews with everyone from John Carpenter, to Dick Miller, to Roger Corman, to Ray Bradbury, to Richard Matheson, to Robert De Niro, to Vincent Price, to Hugh Hefner (those are obviously my personal favorites; there are many, many more interviewees whom you'll know). The program deals with all aspects of the horror genre in cinema, from sections devoted entirely to Bela Legosi and Boris Karloff, to a survey of the roles of women, to detailed histories of certain monsters, to the use of subliminal advertising (Lee's comment: "As you can see, subliminal advertisements DO have an effect--they are very annoying"). If it CAN be discussed, it IS discussed (with the exception of creature features; no "Jaws" here, except for a very brief nautical clip not attributed to the film). True, more time could've been devoted to Stephen King, Brian DePalma, and a few others (though they are mentioned here and there), but this the most thorough account of the genre I have come across yet. Not only is it detailed, but it's ENTERTAINING; I wasn't once bored, despite frequent repitition of scenes and commentary.
Let me explain the four stars. I dropped a star for one reason only: this DVD collection is poorly edited. Sometimes, when a segment ends, Christopher Lee gets cut off mid-sentence. At other times, the screen is split (i.e., it is not formatted to "fit this screen"). These are trivial things, however; don't worry, you'll still enjoy this unique, superb, and purely enjoyable survey of cinema's scariest and best.
DVD Review: Can't get the movie rights? Buy the trailer!
Summary: 4 Stars
I don't know where this series originally appeared, but its safe to assume it was not initially made for US consumption. The 5 disc set is actually 26 half-hour long episodes. Each episode features a specific topic such as vampires, mad scientists, the Frankenstein monster, et al. I was surprised the transfer wasn't better since this project is only 10 years old (The copyright says 1996).
The series spends more time on the roots of the subject in the episode. That is to say the zombie episode focuses on White Zombie but barely foot notes a classic like Dawn Of The Dead. This could be because the research on this multi-part documentary seems to peter out around 1985. Or maybe the producers believed the meat of the meal was in the creation of the genre topic and not in the recent trends.
The true genius of this series is the fact that it draws its visual representations from the movie trailers and not clips from the movie itself. For those who don't know, it is much easier to go to a "trailer house" and buy the rights to use their pre-movie trailers and TV commercials library then to negotiate with each studio for those impact clips that cost an arm and a leg. As a result of doing this "on the cheap", we get to see the campaigns of how these movies were marketed to their audience. I find it a fascinating look at how they advertised a movie like Night Of The Living Dead then have to watch the same old archival clips you've seen on a dozen other retrospectives.
My only complaint is that you have to manually select each episode and each episode has a synopsis screen which you have to thumb your way back through to get back to the main screen to get to the next episode. There is no "Play All" feature and it gets a little irritating. However, its nice to know Passport Video corrected this oversight with their future offerings like A Century Of Science Fiction documentary.
So, if you want approximately 13 hours of easily portioned horror then this is the documentary for you. Besides, it is more than reasonably priced for a 5 disc set (Although the actual DVD case has a funky storage system which leads me back to the non-US comsumption theory).
Description of 100 Years of Horror
100 YEARS OF HORROR is the first show of its kind ever produced; chronicling the history of movie horror from the earliest experimental chillers through the unforgettable "golden age of movie monsters," and on through today's terrifying fright films.Hosted by Christopher Lee, the screen's legendary King of Horror, the show features appearances by Robert De Niro, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hugh Hefner, Charlton Heston, Kenneth Branagh, Joe Dante, and many more. Also featured are fascinating interviews with Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, and Claude Rains. Included as a special bonus are never-before-seen interviews with the friends and families of the legendary names of horror such as Bela Lugosi, Jr.; Boris Karloff's daughter, Sarah Karloff; Claude Rains' daughter, Jessica Rains, and more.
"100 Years of Horor" also highlights rare and chilling scenes from current films such as Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, Halloween, Poltergeist, and The Haunting, to classics like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, Phantom Of The Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Creature From The Black Lagoon, and The Body Snatchers. Also included are rare photographs from private collections, home movies from the sets of horror classics, as well as outtakes, screen tests, previously "lost" films, and other exciting surprises. Each episode offers unique production sidelights and insights to make 100 YEARS OF HORROR the most interesting and informative horror chronology ever assembled.
This show was produced, written and directed by Ted Newsom, creator of Cinemax's ED WOOD: LOOK BACK IN ANGORA and the BBC's FLESH AND BLOOD-THE HAMMER HERITAGE OF HORROR.
"What frightens me is not so much the obvious monster. What frightens me is the unknown, the fear that my mind is not in control, that there is something out there that nobody knows about." So says Roger Corman, king of the B picture, helping to set the tone for this richly detailed survey of the horror film. Introduced and hosted by veteran horror actor Christopher Lee, and written and directed by Ted Newsom (the director of Ed Wood--Look Back in Angora), this documentary is clearly a labor of love. There is on view a "blood feast" of film clips and sometimes priceless interviews with filmmakers. As our host, Christopher Lee offers up funny anecdotes about his days at Hammer Studios; you might be interested in knowing why being The Mummy was a literal pain. Exploitation film director Herschell G. Lewis is hilarious on why you shouldn't worry about opening gory films in Peoria, and how the censor board was stymied by the bloodiest of films. And John Carpenter tells how Suspiria director Dario Argento worked from his dreams like Luis Bunuel. Notably missing is any mention of Stephen King, Brian De Palma, or Sam Raimi. Raimi alone could have been the focus of a whole section devoted to the influence of H.P. Lovecraft on modern horror films. Also, the filmmakers seem less interested in the sections on science fiction for some reason, despite critics' estimates that half of all science fiction films fall clearly in the horror genre. Nevertheless, the interviews and film clips make this disc worth the price of admission. --Jim Gay
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