Horror Is Universal: “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man” (1943)

The cinematic showdown has been around since time immemorial. We've had Batman v Superman. Freddy vs Jason. Godzilla vs King Kong/Mothra/King Ghidorah/etc. Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny...okay, not that one. But you get the idea. One badass fights another badass, with (hopefully) awesome results. And then we have today's film, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf …

Horror Is Universal: “The Mummy’s Tomb” (1942)

Unwatchable. It's a hefty word, or at least it's supposed to be. In today's digital word, we're more likely to see it tossed around as shorthand for "something I personally didn't like." But what does it really mean? When is a film really, truly unwatchable? The problem is that "unwatchable" can mean a few different …

Horror Is Universal: “Invisible Agent” (1942)

NOTE: This article will contain mentions of sexual assault and a discussion of anti-Japanese racism, both of which may be upsetting to some readers. TERRIBLE JOKE INCOMING IN 3, 2, 1... What's the best way to get rid of Nazis? You have to use a Not-See! HA HA HA! And now that I've gotten that …

Horror Is Universal: “The Ghost of Frankenstein” (1942)

When I first pressed Play on this movie, I really had no idea what to expect. Son of Frankenstein had been a decent, if not perfect, conclusion to the story begun in the 1931 film, and after three movies, the most interesting story possibilities for the Frankensteins and the Creature had already been played out. …

Horror Is Universal: “The Wolf Man” (1941)

NOTE: Today's film and some of the clips in this article include the use of pejorative language toward Romani people, which may be offensive to some readers. While my analysis does make note of the film's terminology, I have attempted to use appropriate terminology whenever possible. Even a man who is pure in heart And …

Horror Is Universal: “The Invisible Woman” (1940)

Because why should the men get to have all the fun of being invisible? One thing I really like about the Invisible Man films is how they play with genre, something that the other Universal Horror series haven't really done up to this point. Each one mixes and matches plot and tone elements to create …

Horror Is Universal: “The Mummy’s Hand” (1940)

Okay, how do I ease you guys into this...? I haven't done an exact tally on how many views each article in this series has, but I have noticed that people seem to keep coming back to my article on Werewolf of London. I couldn't tell you why. Perhaps it's because it's a more obscure …

Horror Is Universal: “The Invisible Man Returns” (1940)

First of all, I'd like to begin this new article by giving a big shout-out to my new team of staff writers. They worked very hard to help me bring you this new piece, and their diligence is much appreciated. So give 'em a big hand! Elsa, Boris, Orlok (our transfer from Germany) and Griffin …

Horror Is Universal: “Son of Frankenstein” (1939)

After our cheerful little trip through the land of German Expressionism, we're back in familiar territory and ready to move forward. Today's film is the first in what we're going to call the second part of Universal Horror's Classic Era, which as you may recall lasts from about 1930 to 1960. Why are there multiple …

Horror Is Universal: “Werewolf of London” (1935)

Let's start by establishing one thing right off the bat: no, this is not The Wolf Man. That comes later. And it's definitely not that other werewolf movie with "London" in the title. That comes way later and would also probably be five minutes long by Hays Code standards. If it somehow didn't make the …