Before Karloff and Lugosi stalked the screens, the movies were no less monstrous. These frightful figures lurked in the expressionistic shadows and danced in the macabre moonlight; they laughed, they cried, they fooled the sensibilities of honest, decent folk. In the age of silent pictures, these gruesome ghouls nonetheless cried out with a savage humanity that took the breath from all who witnessed their devilish delights!
For in the silents… no one can hear you scream.
This season on the Camp Kaiju podcast, we are dedicating a portion of each episode to exploring horror films of the Silent Era. In our case, we will be focusing on the 1920s when the genre found its roots with films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Phantom of the Opera, and Metropolis. These movies and more featured the performances of horror icons Lon Chaney and Conrad Veidt, as well as the foundational work of directors F.W. Murnau (Sunrise); Fritz Lang (M, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse); and Tod Browning (Dracula, Freaks). However, it must be acknowledged that many of the films we will cover are not monster movies per se, but more often thrillers and horrors. The “monster movie” as we understand it today is generally credited to the release of the aforementioned Dracula and James Whale’s Frankenstein in 1931. Before this, such ghastly stories were not as commonplace. Nevertheless, the roots of the genre can be seen throughout the 1920s. It is this rich legacy that Camp Kaiju wishes to explore.
Helping us in this endeavor will be legendary film actor Peter Lorre, who despite dying in 1964, has been summoned from the great beyond to be our host for the segment. Lorre is himself an icon of the horror genre, with credits including Mad Love, The Beast with Five Fingers, and several Roger Corman pictures in the 1960s. More “refined” cinephiles will know him from M, and his memorable turns in Humphrey Bogart classics Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon. We couldn’t be happier to have such a renowned figure joining the podcast.
If you are fan of silent movies, then you will enjoy Silent But Deadly; or, if you’ve always been curious, but unsure where to start, then this will be a superb introduction! We will feature well-known titles as well as underrated diamonds-in-the-rough. Of course, we are always open to suggestions so please let us know your thoughts!
Thanks for listening and stay campy.
Don’t miss the next review – enter your email here!
And follow CAMP KAIJU wherever you podcast!
Camp Kaiju 