The beginning is always a very good place to start, and Daniel Horne’s nightmarishly moody cover painting of Lon Chaney junior in 1942’s The Ghost of Frankenstein is your doorway to Classic Monsters of the Movies #33’s lead feature. Nige Burton’s reassessment of Universal’s fourth Frankenstein film explores its place in the series, its status as a second wave classic, and its impact on what came next in the Frankenstein gravy train. Under Erle C Kenton’s direction, Chaney’s brutish performance as the Monster was balanced by Bela Lugosi’s wheedling, manipulative Ygor, but with strong support from Cedric Hardwicke, Lionel Atwill, Evelyn Ankers and Ralph Bellamy, this was no one-trick pony of a monster thriller. A range of stunning stills immerses you in the world of one of horror’s most storied families once again as we make contact with The Ghost of Frankenstein…
Unless you’re aiming for a very specific atmosphere, key to the mood of pretty much any horror movie is its musical backdrop, and Classic Monsters of the Movies issue #33 hits plenty of the scariest notes with an exploration of the songs and tunes embedded in some of our favourite horror films. From the elegant ‘Beautiful Love’ from The Mummy, through to the hypnotic ‘Lullaby of the Bells’ in Phantom of the Opera and the plaintive ‘He’ll Be There’ of Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde, filmmakers’ choices of music has added immeasurably to the sense of place that’s so important in our beloved horror films. Jamie Jones looks at the ways in which the near-universal appeal of music can enhance, distort and subvert the films it’s used in.
From the tapestry of musical backing that has enriched so many horror movies, we turn next to an actor who was front and centre with some truly scene-stealing performances. Classic Monsters of the Movies issue #33 features a biography of Onslow Stevens, whose appearances in Secret of the Blue Room (1933), Life Returns (1935), The Monster and the Girl (1941), House of Dracula (1945) and Them! (1954) showed tremendous range within the horror genre and beyond. Whether facing off against brain-transplanted gorillas or tearing up the screen (and the people of mittelEurope) in the aftermath of an unholy blood transfusion, he was never less than compelling. You’ll also learn of his tragic final days, a most unfitting end for a gifted performer.
Next up in Classic Monsters of the Movies issue #33, we take an in-depth look at Hammer’s 1971 quasi historical romp starring Ingrid Pitt as the infamous Countess Dracula. The story of Hungarian noblewoman Countess Elizabeth Báthory, who allegedly murdered some 300 women and attempted to maintain her youth by bathing in human blood, was too good to pass up as a Hammer shocker, particularly when given a tart-up by writer Jeremy Paul, who duly changed her name to Elisabeth Nádasdy. David Huckvale goes deep inside the castle walls to discover just exactly what that worthy is bathing in, and explores both the film’s dynamic and its relevance to both the studio and the history books.
Classic Monsters of the Movies issue #33 also has something very special in store, as we dive into the macabre, sensual and utterly unforgettable world of Showtime’s modern classic TV show Penny Dreadful. Creator John Logan, whose Hollywood screenwriting credits include Gladiator, Skyfall and Hugo, brought together some of the genre’s most iconic characters and wove them together in ways you’d never have imagined, bringing genre fans an all-new ensemble piece with its own rich mythology and a star-studded cast including Eva Green, Timothy Dalton, Helen McCrory, Billie Piper and Josh Hartnett. In an exclusive feature, this insightful discussion of Penny Dreadful explores Logan’s literary inspiration, the processes he went through, and the haunting, harrowing results.
After the intensity of Penny Dreadful, take a little time out for something lighter, as Classic Monsters of the Movies issue #33 looks at 1941’s The Black Cat. Mystery with a side order of murder is the name of the game as a group of misfits vie for their share of Henrietta Winslow’s fortune, and with a cast list that boasts Bela Lugosi, Basil Rathbone, Anne Gwynne and Gale Sondergaard, you can’t fail to be entertained. It’s even got a crazy cat lady… but is she really that crazy? Find out in our Kitsch Corner run-through of one of the wildest spooky-house movies you’ll see in a long time.
Classic Monsters of the Movies issue #33 is printed and finished to the absolute highest standards, offering you a uniquely enjoyable mix of nostalgia, discovery and sheer passion for classic horror. Printed to A4 size (210mm x 297mm) on high quality silk-finish paper stock with a glossy cover, it’s designed with an easy reading experience in mind - a clean and timeless design means every carefully restored still looks its best. Rather than cheaper newspaper-style monochrome printing, which can leave images looking dull and washed-out, we use full colour print processes that mean even black and white stills burst with detail. Written with passion and produced with care, Classic Monsters of the Movies issue #33 is another must for your collection.