Day 10: The Old Dark House
At the Edgar Wright Baby Driver blu-ray signing at Amoeba Music earlier today:
Me: (shaking and mumbling) "What's an obscure horror film that you recommend I watch for this month?"
Edgar: "What's a what?"
Me: (quickly regaining motor skills) "What's an obscure horror movie I should watch tonight?"
Edgar: "Ooh. Have you seen The Abonimable Doctor Phibes?"
Me: "Yeah!"
Edgar: "Oh! Hmm. How about Raw? That just came out this year."
Me: "Yeah, I just saw that the other night!"
Edgar: "Oh man, I've gotta think of something you haven't seen." He strokes his beard. "Hm. Have you seen The Old Dark House?"
Me: "No!"
Edgar: "Check that out, they just reissued it, it's great."
So, personally recommended to me by Edgar Wright himself, I watched The Old Dark House.
All I knew about the film going in was that it's a James Whale/Boris Karloff movie made in 1932, one year after Frankenstein. Much like Bride of Frankenstein, this is a horror-comedy, with silly dialogue paired with creepy imagery, which makes for a very odd but memorable film.
I love the titular old dark house, which the entire film takes place in and feels much more like the set for a play than for a film. The actors all clearly have fun working off of each other, including Karloff, even though he plays a mute.
It's also definitely worth noting that this was clearly the inspiration for The Rocky Horror Picture Show; a couple shows up to a house in the middle of the night because it's raining outside, and the chaos begins.
Go watch it! Edgar Wright told you to! Also, The Abonimable Doctor Phibes is wonderful, watch that too!
Update: Tweeted Edgar my thanks for the recommendation and he favorited it! He just keeps getting better!
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