Victorian Era Gothic Horror Movies

[Brandi]

Now see, I found Jourdan pretty entertaining. He's such a *smug* SOB.

But de gustibus and all that.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Brotherhood of the Wolf isn't Victorian-era, it's set in the 18th century.

Whoops... did my typical mistake of 18th Century vs. 1800's....

[LadySoth]

Now see, I found Jourdan pretty entertaining. He's such a *smug* SOB.

But de gustibus and all that.

Yeah, from that point of view I can see it. "Smug" is completely the right word alright! In some scenes, with his self-righteousness, he looks downright constipated.

[A G Thing]

What era was Vincent Prices House of Wax set in... The wiki says 1910 (which puts it I think 9 years outside of the Victorian era) and by the use of fingerprints the Mad Magician probably falls near here as well. As they are close in most regard I might lump them in, yet while it has some gaslight and other such staples I think too much of the characters own zeitgeist or (time-spirit) bleeds into their performances in both films. Still much better than its modern remake by all measures and it is classic Vincent to be sure!!!

[Rotipher of the FoS]

If you're willing to step outside the usual London fog for your Victorian-era stories, there are a few horror-Western hybrids out there.

[Ken of Ghastria]

I also dug The Brotherhood of the Wolf, warts and all. As Gonzoron said a while back, it's the closest thing yet to Ravenloft: The Movie, IMO.

As a huge fan of Hammer Films, I'll recommend the Chris Lee/Dracula movies as well, particularly the first (Horror of Dracula) and the third (Dracula Has Risen From the Grave). While the latter isn't Hammer's best film by any means, it's my favorite of all the Hammer films, epitomizing everything about the studio in its heyday. It has blood, drama, terrific cinematography, good score, and amazing cleavage.

Also, while Peter Cushing was indeed The Man as Dr. Van Helsing, he just as effectively played a complete bastard in Hammer's Frankenstein series, which focused on the doctor, not his creations. Best in that series: Curse of Frankenstein and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed.

And completely coincidentally, TCM has just released those last four films on one DVD package! I guess TCM thinks those four films are most representative, too.

I'll lastly recommend two lesser-known Hammer films. Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde is, despite the name, one of Hammer's cleverer films and is solidly set in Victorian London. A new DVD release is soon to be available (or already is) in the UK; we in the US are out of luck for a while. Curse of the Mummy's Tomb is a good movie to watch with friends and the alcoholic beverage of your choice. It has cool gothic atmosphere, multiple instances of overacting, and some outstandingly violent slayings by the mummy.

[order99]

All this mention of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton-and no one's remembered Sweeney Todd yet?

As much as I love the Burton production though, My heart still belongs to the Live at Lincoln Center version starring Angela Lansbury and George Hearn...

"AT LAST!!! My arm is WHOLE AGAIN!!!"