Session: Pre-Code 1932 Horror on Tap, Week 2
Movie: Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Directed by Robert Florey
As always, there may be spoilers here. And the trailer may be NSFW and/or NSFL
A mad scientist injects women with ape blood. Hilarity ensues.
Reaction:
There's something fascinating about Bela Lugosi. I recognize the greatness of Lon Chaney and Peter Lorre, but Lugosi... Those eyes. Those piercing hypnotic eyes. I remember them most vividly from White Zombie, which we'll be seeing in week 4 of this session. But it seems that every movie Lugosi made included some scene where the camera zooms in on his eyes. And those are the moments that burn themselves into my memory.
The problem is that, other than Lugosi's eyes (and the fake caterpillars that appear above them), there's really not much in this movie to latch onto. I didn't find the characters interesting, aside from some dry humor. Without Lugosi's eyes I would have rated this a 5.
I also note that, as an actuary, I was disturbed by the recordkeeping by the local medical examiner. Any mortality tables that came out of there are highly suspect.
Ratings:
Me: 6
Ethan: 7
Sean: 2 out of 4
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