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The Unliving, a review by GSyren

The Unliving (802993-217508)

United States 2004 | Released 2015-01-27 on DVD from Retromedia, Bayview Entertainment

96 minutes | Aspect ratio Anamorphic 1.66:1 | Audio: English Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo

Directed by Fred Olen Ray and starring Paul Naschy, Jay Richardson, Michelle Bauer, Stephanie Bentley, Stephanie Bentley

The last of the great horror legends, PAUL NASCHY, revives his most famous monster creation, the doomed werewolf, Count Waldemar Daninsky, in this blood-soaked Gothic nightmare. For the first time ever, Naschy brings his classic werewolf character to life in America as he ioins Scream Queen, MICHELLE BAUER and Late Night Cinemax favorite, BEVERLY LYNNE in director Fred Olen Ray's tribute to the great Spanish horror films of the l970s. The story begins as a TV crew makes its way to Castle Daninsky in search of a story. The Castle is rumored to possess a secret treasure hidden within its walls, but ultimately death is all they find as the eternal Countess Elizabeth Bathory seeks to sacrifice them in order to please the Lord of Darkness, bathe in their blood and revive Daninsky from his tomb.

My thoughts about The Unliving:

This movie doesn't get a lot of love, and I think I know why. People are expecting a Paul Naschy movie, but they are getting a Fred Olen Ray movie. Fred's movie are, to a large extent, an acquired taste. And this isn't even a very good Fred Olen Ray movie. I don't know how this movie came about, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was something like this: - Hey, Paul Naschy is coming to L.A. Let's see if we can get him for a couple of days to do a werewolf movie! - We're not going to get enough scenes for a full movie in a couple of days. You're not Roger Corman, Fred! - I know, but we can pad it out with something. Tits and ass, and some soft-core sex always sells! This was originally released as Tomb of the Werewolf, but the DVD that I got is the uncensored, uncut version, known as The Unliving. I suspect that the bits that were previously cut were some sex scenes rather than some horror scenes, so if you've seen the old version and was hoping for more gore, you're probably going to be disappointed. If you're a fan of Paul Naschy it's fun to see his last attempt to play Waldemar Daninsky. If you like T&A, there are some nice looking women here, but you'll have to overlook the werewolf bits. If you're a fan of Fred Olen Ray, you might find the mix of the two genres amusing, but you would still realize that it doesn't really work. I fall into the latter category, so if you don't, you might want to take my 2 1/2 star rating with a grain of salt.

I rate this title

(From Reviews and ramblings by Gunnar on June 19th, 2015)

The Invisible Man, a review by RossRoy

Original Title: The Invisible Man Year: 1933 Country: United States Director: James Whale Rating: NR Length: 386 Min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo Subtitles: French, Spanish

What they say
Renowned acting legend Claude Rains made a remarkable screen debut in The Invisible Man, based on H.G. Well's acclaimed novel. Rains, a mysterious doctor, creates a serum that makes him invisible. But the miraculous potion also has the power to drive him mad, as he discovers when he is forced to commit horrific acts of terror. Directed by the master of the macabre, James Whale, The Invisible Man set the standard for dazzling special effects with ingenious techniques that are still imitated today.

My Thoughts
Another day, another entry in the Classic "Monster" revisit.

Amazing. Not the film, the special effects. This is 1933. They didn't have green screen with CGI.  The feat they pulled of here is mervelous. I was completely taken aback by the special effects the first time The Invisible Man removes his bandages. I don't know what I was expecting, but certainly not for him to actually be invisible (ok ok yes, there are some anomalies that give it away, but shhhh!) Big thumbs up to the special effects team!

As for the film itself, well I'm puzzled. Why was it made part of the Classic Monster Legacy Collection? He's not a monster per-se. There's no reanimating the dead (Frankenstein, Dracula), he's not a long lost living creature (Gill-man), or even a man with a best inside (Wolf Man).. He's simply a scientist who discovered how make himself invisible, and got mad in the process. Nothing monstruous there. Ah well, probably explains why The Invisible Man wasn't in Monster Squad to begin with.

Other than that, it's a decent Mad scientist story. All the elements are there: power hungry, found a special technology/formula to allow him to gain power by questionable means, and he's mad, as well as madly in love (even though this angle is not played too much)!

The movie thrives on the special effects. And they work, really well.





(From RossRoy's Random Viewings on October 18th, 2008)

Angel Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

6. The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco
Original Air Date: 11/5/2003
Feeling disconnected from his real mission to be a hero for the people, Angel befriends an elderly mail clerk at the firm who was once a hero too and who feels the same way.

Guest Stars:
Danny Mora
Bruno Gioiello

My Thoughts:
This one never really impressed me that much. Found it to be a bit slow and uninteresting. Probably one of my least favorite of any I have watched so far.

My Rating:

(From Angel Marathon on March 22nd, 2010)