kind of like a reverse rocky horror where the sexy people seek shelter from a house of prudes. very funny without losing any creepiness. plus it has this amazing note at the beginning that basically says "yes, that's boris karloff, he played frankenstein too, you might not recognize him because he's so versatile but we're telling you now so you don't get into any arguments with your date later"

Karloff THRILLS in his most MONSTROUS role yet: a weird guy!

we love morgan don’t we folks

"have a potato"

“My sister was on the point of arranging these flowers” 

*proceeds to throw them into the fireplace* 

What a lovely family!

It’s 7:59am I accidentally poured my coffee into my bowl of honeynut Cheerios, Marilyn Manson almost died on stage last night, it’s cold af out and I love it, my cat won’t stop loving me (that’s a good thing) and I’m watching The Old Dark House hung over from drinking 40’s last night while watching Halloween III and a killer donut movie. 

This is my Sunday, the 1st of October, 2017.

83

Honestly, not as weird as my house.

Finds a real ingenuity in combining atmospheric dominance alongside unsettling, darkly comic character dynamics. Frequently, the thunder claps tend to push dialogue forward or reconcile current discussion, and the shadows reveal more than the flickering candlelight. A highlight of 30s horror, and one of James Whale's finer pictures.

james whale is the bee's knees when it comes to these early 30s universal horror movies: his two frankensteins are iconic masterpieces, and even his less immediately recognizable fare like the old dark house hasn't really aged a day after 90 years. his quick editing patterns, stunning use of close-ups, and arch-camp sense of humor take a generic spookhouse story and make it into a speedy 72 minute riot of old-school gothika with even some queer subtext! this thing doesn't waste a single moment; a very very comfy watch. boris karloff is king!

8:17pm: welp, it’s finally cool out and my ass took a personal day from work so I could get tequila drunk, which is exactly what I am right now while eating Italian hot dogs and finishing up this yearly tradition revisit of The Old Dark House—its a Whale of a tale.

Definitely puking tonight lol

This is my Friday, the 1st of October, 2021.

Watching The Invisible Man inspired me to dig deeper into James Whales' filmography. This one is one of the lesser known of the Universal horror movies, probably because there isn't a scary antagonist with a super power in the title. Nevertheless this was a very enjoyable movie. The script and concept was lacking at times, but the direction was incredible. For 1932, I was impressed by the creep factor this movie still packs.

Of all the Universal horrors, this one is by far the best cast, teaming Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, and Raymond Massey up with the usual crew including Boris Karloff. It also reminded me the most of a Roger Corman movie, as he would often focus on creepy houses that people were stuck in.

Very impressive technically, but a stronger script could have really elevated it.

A very WET and WINDY horror that toes the line between silly and eerie with no shoe unturned, thunder claps and wisecracks working in unison to conduct a chorus of kooky creeps.

Very much proto-ROCKY HORROR in its ability to poke fun, while also setting the groundwork for what’s to come.

Best watched with the lights off, curtains closed, candles lit, doors bolted shut. Maybe best waiting until the rain subsides though...

More movies should be 71 minutes (please 🙏 )

Boris Karloff.