Skip to main content

The Unknown (1927) - Tod Browning


This is a fantastic horror film with a great star sprinkled cast including Joan Crawford and the always entertaining Lon Chaney. It is directed by veteran, Tod Browning. This is widely considered to be one of the greatest of the silents and I would have to agree. It has shades of The Penalty, which also starred Chaney. I really enjoyed this, mostly the great looking sets and amazing plot.

Alonzo the Armless is a fugitive who poses as a circus freak. He pretends to be an arm-less knife thrower by tying his arms down to his sides. Oh, and he has two thumbs on his left hand? Joan Crawford plays his beautiful assistant and love interest, her father is the circus owner. One evening the circus owner notices that Alonzo has arms and he is faking his circus freakish-ness. This creates a problem. The owner wants Alonzo out. But he wont leave with out a fight. 

The acting is really heavy in this movie. However, it doesn't feel too heavy. Lon Chaney does his usual job of holding the audience. His character is chaotic and bad, however, his character is also one to be sympathized with. Usually this kind of thing doesn't drag me in. Lon Chaney works in mysterious ways. Joan Crawford is fantastic as well. Believe me, I have seen a thousand of these movies. This acting is where its at. In this movie and in The Penalty. 

The suspense in the movie is where the scares come from. By today's standards this movie would be a thriller at best. Back in the day, however, this movie could have been on par with something like Halloween or Paranormal Activity. Something like that. Times have changed and this movie isn't compelling for the fear inducing story, it is more compelling for the actors and story telling. None the less, check this movie out. Learn about what was scary in times or yore.

Director: Tod Browning
Country: USA
Style: Dramatic Thriller

Did you know...
Joan Crawford looked at this a turning point for her career. This film has been pieced together from other releases. Found through personal collections or the Black Market. Tod Browning based this on his time spent with a traveling circus. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ju-On (2000) - Takashi Shimizu

Watching Japanese horror is similar to watching British comedy. If you enjoy dry whit then you probably enjoy the boys of Monty Python in drag. That's the joke, they're dressed like women. Get it? Well, that's British humor. But if you're like most Americans you probably prefer Adam Sandler farting his way across a football field and hooking up with chicks that are way out of his league. Americans usually prefer this more in your face, crass brand of humor. My point is funny in England is different from funny in the US. The same goes for J-Horror. What the Japanese consider scary is very different from what Americans consider scary and it shows in this horror film. Japanese horror is generally slow (a little too slow sometimes), suspenseful and creepy. Ju-On is a creepy effing film. The movie has almost no soundtrack. It is incredibly suspenseful and the pay-offs are pretty awesome, but I think that it was done better in the American version (cultural t...
Post a Comment
Not scared yet? »

Sleepy Hollow (1999) - Tim Burton

Tim Burton's take on the old Sleepy Hollow tale is really interesting. He adds his own flair of course. He delves very deeply into the original story by Washington Irving. The casting is usual for Burton. Johnny Depp of course in your lead. Helena Bonham Carter, thrown in for some flavor. The score is done by Danny Elfman. It's literally just the Ichabod Crane story run through the Tim Burton machine. But in a good way. Sleepy Hollow has a problem with a guy, running around, taking people's heads. Like, a lot of people. The town sends word for assistance and the nervous  Constable Ichabod Crane reports. He starts to unravel clues that take him down an incredibly strange path. With the Horseman still murdering patrons, Crane tries finding who's next before they lose their head.  I've always been a big fan of the Disney cartoon,  The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad . This movie is a far cry from Bing Crosby and quaint animations....
Post a Comment
Not scared yet? »

Le Manoir du Diable (1896) - George Melies

According to Wikipedia in August of 2011, Le Manoir du diable by Georges Melies is the first horror movie. Well, actually its a short film (about three minuets or so) but film was really hard to come by in that time so this counts as a film to me. The plot of the film is basic, you have your hero being tormented by demonic things in a crazy castle room... However, that plot isn't what brought the crowds. The thing that drove the popularity of these films was the fact that you were seeing motion on screen. I suggest going and seeing Hugo. That film is spectacular. It answered so many questions that I had. It really sets the scene and the tone. The film has strong christian overtones and actually ends with Christianity prevailing over the "tides of darkness". I provided a link at the bottom of this review for anyone that would like to see this pioneer in Horror Film. The movie uses very, very early "movie magic" that is an abundance of smoke and m...
Post a Comment
Not scared yet? »