84. The Black Cat (1934)

Directed By Edgar G. Ulmer

Synopsis

Arch-rivals Karloff and Lugosi get involved in a mortal struggle with a pair of Brad and Janet-like tourists get caught in the middle of the satanism, necrophilia, revenge and all out wierdness.

Review

This is very much a case of a forgotten classic. It is up there side by side with Dracula and Frankenstein as one of the great Universal horror films, and in fact it might even be better than those more famous cousins.

This is definitely a weird and wonderful film. Uncommonly for the time it is full of taboos, necrophilia, some hinted-at incest, satanism and desecration of religious items and even skinning someone alive. All of this is filmed in the best German expressionist tradition, the shadows and angles are all text-book expressionism, which I was kind of missing by now.

The plot seems a bit otherworldly, a lot of the plot is not explicit but implicit, whether this was a technique to fool censors I don't know but it is very effective. This is clearly a case of a B-Movie going where A-movies didn't dare to go. Of course some of the acting is poor, mainly Lugosi who compensates for it with his shimmering screen presence.

One of the best horror film reviewed here until now and definitely something for all of you to watch. Get it from Amazon UK or US.

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

It is said that the character of Hjalmar Poelzig was inspired by the life of occultist Aleister Crowley, and his name was lifted from architect Hans Poelzig who has worked on the sets for Paul Wegener's silent film The Golem.

The film was directed and screenplay written by Edgar G. Ulmer with a notable score by Heinz Eric Roemheld, which, as previously mentioned is based on classical music. The extreme art deco sets, women's corpses on display, and devil worship rites remain striking today.

CROWLEY FTW!

The whole film in 3.40 minutes with music by Rasputina: