The Black Cat shows us even now how it’s done, while also putting Karloff and Lugosi together to create an energy that is quite frankly breathtaking.Ģ. Good lighting and set decoration are as important to this type as ever. Gothic classics like The Black Cat get to lean into immortality a little more than some of the other genres under the horror banner. The set design and careful pacing for a fairly short film all build towards something that still has a captivating power. All of those components beautifully serve and enhance the main thread of the relationship between Dr. The film itself is a wealth of gothic tropes and atmosphere. Karloff has never been as agelessly frightening as he is here. Lugosi playing a semi-heroic lead is a wonder to behold. The plot is essentially a showdown between a mad, vile architect (Karloff) and a weary, vengeful doctor (Lugosi). The Black Cat (1934) The Black Cat (1934)Īlthough the stars of The Black Cat, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, have more famous performances, their work here in this pitch-perfect gothic nightmare stands as perhaps the best overall acting either man ever put to screen. Thunderstorms sometimes seem as populous in gothic horror as shadows, allegories, decayed castles, deals with demons, the constant harbinger of vampires, or any of the other elements which can be found even beyond straight horror.įrom Hammer Studios and the extraordinary gothic horror legacy of Vincent Price to more modern examples (such as 2015’s Crimson Peak) proving this genre is alive and well, so to speak, anyone who wants to get in some more of these films will find no shortage in possibilities.ġ. The supernatural presence in these books and films is often one borne out of rage, loss, or a combination of these and other deeply poisonous emotions. For example, a lot of the protagonists are melancholic, haunted by one wretched mistake or another. Gothic horror is also often very big on a very specific kind of mood. The list includes haunted castles/mansions, the very tangible presence of the supernatural, bleak landscapes, and astonishing human arrogance. We know many of the most famous components of the gothic horror story, all of which can be found to one degree or another in this look at some of the best gothic horror movies ever made. Dating back to the 18th century, gothic horror has been a significant part of the larger genre.
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