For thirty years, the Criterion Collection has been
restoring “important classic and contemporary films” and releasing them back
into the wild on laser disc, DVD, and blu-ray. As their inaugural titles—King Kong and Citizen Kane— indicated, Criterion has long had great enthusiasm
for horror and cult films. Yet even with more than 700 titles under its belt,
Criterion has not refurbished every horror and cult classic that deserves it.
Some of the most deserving have not been well served in the blu-ray age by any
of the company’s chief rivals either. So for Criterion or Twilight Time or Shout/Scream
Factory or any other distribution company with a serious interest in seriously
great movies, here are twenty terrifying and strange titles for your
consideration.
1. The Fall of the
House of Usher (1928- dir. Jean Epstein)
What is it? A masterpiece of bad dreaminess and
surreal imagery. An essential French horror film, of which there are few.
Current Region 1 availability Image Entertainment’s
2001 DVD is out of print.
Why Criterion? The
Fall of the House of Usher is certainly important in that it is arguably
the first great feature-length Edgar Allan Poe adaptation. Its art house status
is right up Criterion’s alley. Director Jean Epstein co-wrote the screenplay
with Luis Buñuel at the same time he was making “Un Chien Andalou” with
Salvador Dali. That short film would make a fabulous bonus feature!
2. Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde (1931- dir. Rouben Mamoulian)
What is it? The first and best sound adaptation of
Robert Louis Stevenson’s transfiguring horror classic. Released the same year
as Dracula and Frankenstein, Paramount’s attempt to pounce on the monster
bandwagon trounced Universal’s hits and helped complete the trio of classic
monster movie tropes: vampire, creation monster, and transformation monster.
Why Criterion? Beautifully filmed, beautifully acted,
and still really disturbing, Dr. Jekyll
and Mr. Hyde is important in that it is the first horror film to score an
Oscar (Frederic March shared the best actor award with Wallace Beery). Obviously,
it’s a classic for its quality too, though its underdog status next to the
ubiquitous Dracula and Frankenstein makes it a perfect
candidate for Criterion. MGM certainly doesn’t seem in any rush to restore this
one and get it back on the streets.
3. The Old Dark House
(1932- dir. James Whale)
What is it? James Whale’s second horror film is an
alternately funny and frightening flick with a superb ensemble cast featuring Charles
Laughton, Boris Karloff, Lilian Bond, Ernest Thesiger, Gloria Stuart, and Eva
Moore.
Why Criterion? Well, Kino can do this one if they
like, but if not, Criterion should swoop in and give it the business. Either
way I’d be happy.
4. The Black Cat
(1934- dir. Edgar G. Ulmer)
What is it? An adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe in name
only, Edgar Ulmer’s demented art-deco pairing of Karloff and Lugosi is one of
the most deliciously weird entries in the Universal horror canon.
Why Criterion? Well, Universal still has enough
interest in this essential title— chosen ahead of The Mummy, the 1943 version of The
Phantom of the Opera, and The
Creature from the Black Lagoon by a panel of critics for inclusion in The 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die—to
rerelease it in 2012, but its failure to refurbish the film for blu-ray is
enough indication that an intervention is in order.
5. Mad Love (1935-
dir. Karl Freund)
