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Favourite black & white horror films
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As we approach darker evenings, I'm sure a few of us will be taking advantage of the spooky atmosphere to thrill to some horror films. Personally I prefer classic black and white films which rely on atmosphere, not gore, and are more about unease than jump scares (not that there's anything wrong with those).
So what black and white horrors give you that delicious chill? Karloff as Frankenstein's creature? Lugosi as Dracula? The Dr Moreau adaptation Island Of Lost Souls? Or British films like Night of the Demon or The Haunting? |
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My favourites;
Frankenstein/Bride of Frankenstein/Son of Frankenstein - the first of these is an obvious classic, 'Bride' is an utterly bizarre camp classic and 'Son' had a different director and an annoying child not present in the first two fims in the series, but it's beautifully shot and Basil Rathbone makes a strong lead, with Karloff playing the creature for the last time.
Island Of Lost Souls - the first (and still best) adaptation of HG Wells' Island of Dr Moreau. Some odd moments of humour don't quite work but Charles Laughton is very entertaining, playing Moreau as an overgrown naughty schoolboy, while Bela Lugosi gives a superb performance as the Speaker of the Law. Are we not men?
Night of the Demon - British film based on an MR James short story. Features a demon (no spoilers, you see it early) that utterly delights me in its obvious fakery, but remains uncanny because it is not realistic - it feels like something from a nightmare that shouldn't be frightening but somehow is.
The Invisible Man - because horror can be funny. Some of the special effects are impressive even now.
The Quatermass Xperiment - Quatermass II is actually the better film but is more sci-fi. The first astronauts return to Earth, but what has come back with them? This film gave Hammer the impetus to make more horror films. |
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"Carnival of souls (1962)
Ahead of it's time. Still creeps me out now.
Quite twilight zone-esque."
Good call. An early example of independent horror film making - even now not much is known about the guy who made it. |
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"As we approach darker evenings, I'm sure a few of us will be taking advantage of the spooky atmosphere to thrill to some horror films. Personally I prefer classic black and white films which rely on atmosphere, not gore, and are more about unease than jump scares (not that there's anything wrong with those).
So what black and white horrors give you that delicious chill? Karloff as Frankenstein's creature? Lugosi as Dracula? The Dr Moreau adaptation Island Of Lost Souls? Or British films like Night of the Demon or The Haunting? "
not sure I've found any black and white scary ones... Karloff were almost comical..not a big fan of that genre anyway but there are very few I've seen that are horror. |
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"As we approach darker evenings, I'm sure a few of us will be taking advantage of the spooky atmosphere to thrill to some horror films. Personally I prefer classic black and white films which rely on atmosphere, not gore, and are more about unease than jump scares (not that there's anything wrong with those).
So what black and white horrors give you that delicious chill? Karloff as Frankenstein's creature? Lugosi as Dracula? The Dr Moreau adaptation Island Of Lost Souls? Or British films like Night of the Demon or The Haunting? "
Night of the Demon is brilliant and impossible to find anywhere. |
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"There is a purity in Nosferatu that I can’t quite explain. But silence conveys a lot. And a lack of CGI etc makes you rely on storyline. And it’s quite unique in its look. "
I didn't mention Nosferatu because I struggle with silent cinema and I can't honesly claim to watch it very often. But you're absolutely right - it has a definite power and if you ask me to picture a vampire, that's what I picture (just ask Frankenstein's creature is always the Karloff version to me). |
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"As we approach darker evenings, I'm sure a few of us will be taking advantage of the spooky atmosphere to thrill to some horror films. Personally I prefer classic black and white films which rely on atmosphere, not gore, and are more about unease than jump scares (not that there's anything wrong with those).
So what black and white horrors give you that delicious chill? Karloff as Frankenstein's creature? Lugosi as Dracula? The Dr Moreau adaptation Island Of Lost Souls? Or British films like Night of the Demon or The Haunting?
Night of the Demon is brilliant and impossible to find anywhere."
It's available on bluray;
https://hmv.com/store/film-tv/blu-ray/night-of-the-demon?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_6-wg6iiiAMVK5lQBh1LdyxdEAQYASABEgLXWPD_BwE |
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"There is a purity in Nosferatu that I can’t quite explain. But silence conveys a lot. And a lack of CGI etc makes you rely on storyline. And it’s quite unique in its look.
I didn't mention Nosferatu because I struggle with silent cinema and I can't honesly claim to watch it very often. But you're absolutely right - it has a definite power and if you ask me to picture a vampire, that's what I picture (just ask Frankenstein's creature is always the Karloff version to me)."
lol - you know how we have a very different opinion on Frankenstein 🤣🤣
I think Nosferatu is the only silent film I can watch. But isn’t it how it would go down. No vampire is going to chat with you first 🤣🤣🤣 Do you have a conversation with your steak? (Pun intended) |
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"There is a purity in Nosferatu that I can’t quite explain. But silence conveys a lot. And a lack of CGI etc makes you rely on storyline. And it’s quite unique in its look.
I didn't mention Nosferatu because I struggle with silent cinema and I can't honesly claim to watch it very often. But you're absolutely right - it has a definite power and if you ask me to picture a vampire, that's what I picture (just ask Frankenstein's creature is always the Karloff version to me).
lol - you know how we have a very different opinion on Frankenstein 🤣🤣
I think Nosferatu is the only silent film I can watch. But isn’t it how it would go down. No vampire is going to chat with you first 🤣🤣🤣 Do you have a conversation with your steak? (Pun intended)"
Well...Hannibal Lecter would 
Lugosi and Lee cemented the idea of a sexy Dracula but the Nosferatu version is the one that feels most true.
Remind me - who is the best Frankenstein creature for you? De Niro? |
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Nosferatu is the daddy of them all, closely followed by Robert Wiene's "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari". I came across an article yesterday about a new B&W silent film of HP Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulu". I know for some people, myself included, Lovecraft is problematic, because of his views on race, but the trailer for this looks very good indeed, with some very "German expressionist" lighting, and snappy editing. I'll be looking out for the full movie to give it a watch.
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"
Remind me - who is the best Frankenstein creature for you? De Niro?"
Guillermo del Toro is filming a new "Frankenstein" in Scotland just now, with Jacob Elordi as the Creature. Del Toro is a great director, so I await this with great interest. |
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"
Remind me - who is the best Frankenstein creature for you? De Niro?
Guillermo del Toro is filming a new "Frankenstein" in Scotland just now, with Jacob Elordi as the Creature. Del Toro is a great director, so I await this with great interest."
Yes, me too. I was pleasantly surprised by his Pinoccio so looking forward to his take on a different kind of classic. |
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"There's a new version of Nosferatu coming out.
Not sure how I feel about it."
Robert Eggers is the director, he has done some great films in "The Lighthouse" & The "VVitch", which bodes well. Hopefully it will be better than Werner Herzog version. |
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"Also, it's great to see a thread like this. Old horror films are a favourite hobby of mine "
I prefer them, because they rely on the imagination, rather than visceral, blood & guts & gore. Slashers & torture porn do nothing for me. I prefer to read horror classics for the same reason. |
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"Also, it's great to see a thread like this. Old horror films are a favourite hobby of mine
I prefer them, because they rely on the imagination, rather than visceral, blood & guts & gore. Slashers & torture porn do nothing for me. I prefer to read horror classics for the same reason."
I agree... although!
Hammer Horror movies are also a joy for me |
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"There is a purity in Nosferatu that I can’t quite explain. But silence conveys a lot. And a lack of CGI etc makes you rely on storyline. And it’s quite unique in its look.
I didn't mention Nosferatu because I struggle with silent cinema and I can't honesly claim to watch it very often. But you're absolutely right - it has a definite power and if you ask me to picture a vampire, that's what I picture (just ask Frankenstein's creature is always the Karloff version to me).
lol - you know how we have a very different opinion on Frankenstein 🤣🤣
I think Nosferatu is the only silent film I can watch. But isn’t it how it would go down. No vampire is going to chat with you first 🤣🤣🤣 Do you have a conversation with your steak? (Pun intended)
Well...Hannibal Lecter would
Lugosi and Lee cemented the idea of a sexy Dracula but the Nosferatu version is the one that feels most true.
Remind me - who is the best Frankenstein creature for you? De Niro?"
I still await a decent Frankenstein  |
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"
Remind me - who is the best Frankenstein creature for you? De Niro?
Guillermo del Toro is filming a new "Frankenstein" in Scotland just now, with Jacob Elordi as the Creature. Del Toro is a great director, so I await this with great interest.
Yes, me too. I was pleasantly surprised by his Pinoccio so looking forward to his take on a different kind of classic."
I do have hopes….
If this doesn’t pan out I’m going to have to raise a few billion and do it myself  |
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"
Remind me - who is the best Frankenstein creature for you? De Niro?
Guillermo del Toro is filming a new "Frankenstein" in Scotland just now, with Jacob Elordi as the Creature. Del Toro is a great director, so I await this with great interest.
Yes, me too. I was pleasantly surprised by his Pinoccio so looking forward to his take on a different kind of classic.
I do have hopes….
If this doesn’t pan out I’m going to have to raise a few billion and do it myself "
I’m in lol |
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"There is a purity in Nosferatu that I can’t quite explain. But silence conveys a lot. And a lack of CGI etc makes you rely on storyline. And it’s quite unique in its look.
I didn't mention Nosferatu because I struggle with silent cinema and I can't honesly claim to watch it very often. But you're absolutely right - it has a definite power and if you ask me to picture a vampire, that's what I picture (just ask Frankenstein's creature is always the Karloff version to me).
lol - you know how we have a very different opinion on Frankenstein 🤣🤣
I think Nosferatu is the only silent film I can watch. But isn’t it how it would go down. No vampire is going to chat with you first 🤣🤣🤣 Do you have a conversation with your steak? (Pun intended)
Well...Hannibal Lecter would
Lugosi and Lee cemented the idea of a sexy Dracula but the Nosferatu version is the one that feels most true.
Remind me - who is the best Frankenstein creature for you? De Niro?
I still await a decent Frankenstein "
Ah yes, your issue was how far the Karloff portrayal strayed from the novel, whereas I think the creature is a waffling bore in the novel and there's more pathos if he can hardly speak |
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"
Remind me - who is the best Frankenstein creature for you? De Niro?
Guillermo del Toro is filming a new "Frankenstein" in Scotland just now, with Jacob Elordi as the Creature. Del Toro is a great director, so I await this with great interest.
Yes, me too. I was pleasantly surprised by his Pinoccio so looking forward to his take on a different kind of classic.
I do have hopes….
If this doesn’t pan out I’m going to have to raise a few billion and do it myself "
I'd offer to help on the script but I don't think that would end well |
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"I loved young Frankenstein with Marty Feldman and Jean wilder black and white gothic style horror ( not) but very funny "
They used the original sets from the Universal/Karloff movies. A real classic! |
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By *avinaTVTV/TS 10 weeks ago
Transsexual Transylvania |
The original Nosferatu was brilliant. My daughter bought me a DVD copy for my birthday a couple of years ago, and we watched it back to back with Shadow of the Vampire - the 2000 film with Willem Dafoe and John Malkovich which is centred around the making of Nosferatu. Fascinating to see them reconstruct the original shots, and the newer film is a brilliant conceit in its own right.
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"I loved young Frankenstein with Marty Feldman and Jean wilder black and white gothic style horror ( not) but very funny
They used the original sets from the Universal/Karloff movies. A real classic!"
Did not know that fact … thanks it makes even more interesting |
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