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Doc of the Dead (2014)

It looks at zombies in two main ways – their evolution in the movies and their appearance in recent culture. The film history part is the more interesting. It looks at the old style somnambulist zombies of the 30's and 40's typified by the likes of White Zombie, through to the more modern incarnation invented by George A. Romero with The Night of the Living Dead. It would only be fair to say that this latter film is truly the year zero in how the vast majority of people in western culture understand zombies, i.e. shambling, rotting, flesh-eating ghouls who attack humans at every given opportunity and can only be killed by a bullet in the head. The old-style Haitian type of zombie is much less seen these days, nor the Japanese variant which…hops! (IMDB Red-Barracuda)

House of the Wolf Man (2009)

The movie is presented in black and white, full frame, and mono. It was shot in the style of the classic monster movies of the 1930's and 1940's; intended to fit in as the "missing" chapter of the "House of" franchise. Universal originally made "House of Frankenstein" (1944) and "House of Dracula" (1945). Reportedly there were plans to complete the trilogy with "House of the Wolf Man," but the studio never got around to making that one. Writer / Director Eben McGarr has created the missing piece to that trilogy. He employed only the lighting, sound, and camera techniques used in those original films. The care he showed truly pays off.

The film opens on a dark and stormy night at the castle of Dr. Bela Reinhardt (Ron Chaney) where five strangers arrive. Those five people include Reed Chapel (Dustin Fitzsimons) and his sister Mary (Sara Raferty), brainy nerd Conrad Sullivan (Jeremie Loncka), the mysterious Elmira Cray (Cheryl Rodes), and renowned hunter Archibald Whitlock (Jim Thalman). They have been summoned by Reinhardt to participate in a game of elimination, in which the last one standing will inherit his estate. Along the way, the five participants come face to face with a creepy servant named Barlow (John McGarr) as well as the triumvirate of monsters - the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's monster, and Count Dracula.

All of the performances are very good, blending perfect comic timing with the right amount of campiness that was found in those original monster movies. Ron Chaney, grandson of the legendary Lon Chaney, Jr. (the original "Wolf Man") headlines the cast and is dead-on creepy in the role of the mad scientist. Also earning top marks is Cheryl Rodes, whose screen presence is captivating.

The film is a wonderful technical achievement. Cinematographer Royce Allen Dudley does a tremendous job of capturing the ambiance of the story. The images are eerily beautiful and you will be hard pressed to tell the difference between this movie shot in 2009 and the other "House of" movies shot in the 1940's. The movie is edited crisply as it speeds along at just the right pace. The story is well written by McGarr, with the right combination of campiness and chills. The choreography of the fights between the monsters is extremely well done. Overall, Eben McGarr should be praised for delivering a true gem of a movie that any fan of the classic monster movies will love. (IMDB newmoon4545)

Doc of the Dead (2014)

House of the Wolf Man (2009)

Fear City (1984)