Man, January 12 and 13 are pretty amazing days in the history of horror movies. Universal Pictures released The Invisible Man Returns, a sequel one of their most classic horror titles, which boasted never-before -seen visual effects for which John P. Fulton received an Oscar nomination. Vincent Price plays the Invisible Man in his debut horror role.
Universal also released Son of Frankenstein, the sequel to Bride of Frankenstein, starring Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, and Basil Rathbone. Son of Frankenstein was hugely successful for Universal and re-invigorated the careers of the actors and crew involved with the production. It’s also the film where Frankenstein first dons that stylish fur vest.
In terms of more modern horror, this weekend saw the release of Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, which you can read all about here. It’s a personal favorite of FEARnet writer Rob Galluzzo. I particularly like the fact that, in the trailer, a chainsaw is thrown to Leatherface by a lady in a lake and struck by lightning as he holds it aloft, as if he’s holding the chainsaw equivalent of Excalibur. Amazing.
Last but certainly not least, the Crypt Keeper made his feature-length debut on January 13, 1995 in Demon Knight. I can’t tell you how much I love the Crypt Keeper. Hands down, he has the best puns around. I like to think of him as horror’s answer to Fran Drescher.
Watch clips from all of the films:
Title: The Invisible Man Returns
Released: January 12, 1940
Title: Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III
Released: January 12, 1990
Tagline: There's Roadkill All Over Texas
Title:Son of Frankenstein
Released: January 13, 1939
Tagline: The black shadows of the past bred this half-man . . . half-demon ! . . . creating a new and terrible juggernaut of destruction !
Title:Demon Knight
Released: January 13, 1995
Tagline: Ready for your deadtime story ?