Rob Zombie Praises the Performances in This Satanic Classic: “Iconic moments that define what cinema is”
A few years back, Rob Zombie sat down with the Rotten Tomatoes blog to discuss his favorite horror films. Not surprisingly, all of the director’s picks are pre-code pictures that push the envelope. Amongst Zombie’s faves is Edgar G. Ulmer’s The Black Cat. The film delivers an impressive cast that includes the likes of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. Moreover, the narrative has an occult angle sure to appeal to anyone who enjoys a bit of witchery.
Zombie spoke to his fondness for the 1934 picture at length, saying: “Lugosi, but with Karloff, who also is demented, as a Satan worshiper. David Manners, who is in Dracula, again giving another bizarre, stiff, wooden performance, except this time it’s more obvious, because you have two guys who are amazing surrounding him. It’s always weird watching these sort of straight-up leading men being destroyed by these freaks. I don’t know, it’s kind of weird. I guess these guys don’t really get the credit that they deserve for their acting, because they were always in horror movies, but Lugosi and Karloff are just incredible. I mean, they create these iconic moments that define what cinema is, and they’re sort of brushed off. But I guess that’s the way it goes.”
Also Read: “It so freaked me out”: Rob Zombie Calls this Wholesome Family Film a “Mind-blowing experience”
The setup goes like this: After a road accident in Hungary, the American honeymooners Joan and Peter and the enigmatic Dr Werdegast find refuge in the house of the famed architect Hjalmar Poelzig, who shares a dark past with the doctor.
That’s all we’ve got for the time being. Stay tuned to the site for more recommendations from Rob Zombie and other cult filmmakers as we uncover them. And be sure to follow @DreadCentral on Twitter so you never miss an update.
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