Category Archives: Frightful Films

Happy Halloween! Let’s watch Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Posted on October 31, 2020 by Mary Fletcher Jones

Let’s celebrate Halloween and wrap up 2020’s Horror Movie week of 1930s and 1940s films with a mildly spooky, classic comedy. It takes place on Halloween so I thought this was the perfect choice for today. Like many movies of … Continue reading →

Posted in Frightful Films | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

It’s Horror Movie Week! Let’s Watch The Mummy (1932)

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Mary Fletcher Jones

When I was a little girl, my mom worked late on most Saturday nights at her second job. I would wait up for her to come home while watching “Shock Theater” on Channel 8 in Richmond, Virginia. This was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Frightful Films | Leave a comment

It’s Horror Movie Week! Let’s watch Dracula’s Daughter (1935)

Posted on October 29, 2020 by Mary Fletcher Jones

How often is a female the protagonist of a horror movie? I can tell you: not often. Of course, in Carmilla, sure, and in some of the Hammer films, they are, but still. If not unique, it is certainly unusual … Continue reading →

Posted in Frightful Films | Tagged | Leave a comment

It’s Horror Movie Week! Let’s watch The Old Dark House (1932)

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Mary Fletcher Jones

This is a beautifully restored rendition of the 1932 Universal Horror classic that may be rented and watched on YouTube. Starring Boris Karloff, Charles Laughton and Melvyn Douglas, the plot revolves around the story of stranded travelers who seek refuge … Continue reading →

Posted in Frightful Films | Leave a comment

Happy National Black Cat Day! Let’s watch Cat People (1942)

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Mary Fletcher Jones

Are you a cat person or a dog person? I’m more of a dog person myself. But this movie isn’t about that. Like Dracula’s Daughter, Cat People features a woman protagonist who has an evil and dangerous streak. This celebrated … Continue reading →

Posted in Frightful Films | Tagged | Leave a comment

It’s Horror Movie Week! Let’s watch the first zombie movie

Posted on October 26, 2020 by Mary Fletcher Jones

“White Zombie” is a scary classic, the first full-length zombie movie ever made. I suppose most zombie movies and TV programs owe a debt to this film for the halting, distinctive gait of the zombies presented in “White Zombie.” The … Continue reading →

Posted in Frightful Films | Tagged , | Leave a comment

It’s Horror Movie Week! Let’s watch The Vampire Bat (1933)

Posted on October 25, 2020 by Mary Fletcher Jones

You will recognize Bela Lugosi from Dracula and several other films. Lionel Atwill appeared in many horror movies in the 1930s. Melvyn Douglas typically played comic roles as a leading man, as he did in Ninotchka. This movie is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Frightful Films | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Crushing on Dracula – why we adore vampires

Posted on October 24, 2020 by Mary Fletcher Jones

In 1979, a new film rendition of Dracula was released in theaters on Friday the 13th and I begged my mom to take me since it was R-rated and I couldn’t go by myself. I was fifteen and had been … Continue reading →

Posted in Frightful Films | Leave a comment

Four iconic horror movies from the Reagan years

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Mary Fletcher Jones

I want to share some horror movies from the 80s — because they’re awesome! But also because they demonstrate what life was like for “Generation X” in the 1980s. During this decade, neo-conservative legislative policies, consumerism, deregulation,  the changing role … Continue reading →

Posted in Frightful Films | Leave a comment

You’re up late! Let’s watch Nosferatu (1922), full movie

Posted on October 27, 2019 by Mary Fletcher Jones

This strange and dream-like German silent movie is an adaption of Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, (1897), with several changes incorporated. For example, the vampire character is called “Count Orlock.” According to Wikipedia, Nosferatu is an example of the artistic movement … Continue reading →

Posted in Frightful Films | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment