#31for31

Review: “A Fantastic Fear of Everything”

It’s early yet, and I know I have a lot of other movies to get through, but I’m gonna tentatively say that this is “the one” for this year. (more…)

Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, best known by Hammer Horror fans as Van Helsing and Dracula respectively, star in this Spanish zombie movie from 1972.

Lee plays Professor Sir Alexander Saxton, a renowned British anthropologist transporting the frozen remains of a primitive humanoid creature by train from China to Moscow. Joining him on this journey is his rival Doctor Wells (why Lee gets the full name and Cushing only title and surname is a question for the ages). They are also joined by the Count and Countess Petrovski and their spiritual adviser Father Pujardov.

While in China, a man attempts to break into Saxton’s cargo looking for valuables. He is found dead, his eyes completely white but with no other obvious signs of injury. On the train, Wells pays a porter to peek into the crate, and this porter also dies, while the creature (who is now unfrozen) escapes.

The creature is gunned down, but takes over the body of police inspector Mirov and Pujardov (who apparently doesn’t take much to denounce his faith) swears allegiance to the creature.

More body hopping ensues, we get some great zombie scenes, and the whole thing ends with a pretty neat (if not entirely logical) train crash. The deaths being caused by apparently just looking into the eyes of the creature mean there’s little blood and no gore. If you’re squeamish about this sort of thing, I highly recommend.

Again another good movie with Skull.

This movie's lead character is the main inspiration for the Joker. Though to be honestly that is only in appearance, and it's almost painfully ironic to the theme of the movie that the Joker was modeled after Gwynplaine. It almost makes me a little mad actually.

The Man Whos Laughs is a very sad movie about a boy surgicually mutiliated to forever smile, all because his father didn't kiss the hand of the King! Gwynplaine is forced forever to be a sideshow attraction for the ridicule and amusement of others. But when the Queen finds out he's the heir to the claimed estate of a noblewoman she dislikes...

Plot pitch aside, this movie was sad as hell. Not a horror movie, anyone who says is missing the point of the film. The horror of this movie is the judgement and baseless othering of fellow man.

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