Rating: 
Summary: Thesiger Steals the Gem, and Nearly the Show!
Review: Crystal clear and astounding film restoration enhance the splendid manner in which Boris Karloff stares, walks and stalks, making this a truly delightful treasure. Karloff, professor of Egyptology, knows he is dying, but his fears are greatly diminished after realizing that he has discovered an ancient gem which provides the key to immortality (thanks of course to the powers of the Egyptian gods). The scholarly one ceases to breath, the gem is stolen, and the now "living corpse" is simply dying to retrieve it! The incomparable Ernest Thesiger is also wonderful (the British actor had previously given the "performance of his life" in another nearly lost film, "Old Dark House", 1932). "The Ghoul" features non stop creepy atmosphere with an occassional smattering of comic relief. The script is fresh (especially for a mummy), and the characters and dialogue are actually quite interesting!
Rating:
Summary: Thesiger Steals the Gem, and Nearly the Show!
Review: Crystal clear and astounding film restoration enhance the splendid manner in which Boris Karloff stares, walks and stalks, making this a truly delightful treasure. Karloff, professor of Egyptology, knows he is dying, but his fears are greatly diminished after realizing that he has discovered an ancient gem which provides the key to immortality (thanks of course to the powers of the Egyptian gods). The scholarly one ceases to breath, the gem is stolen, and the now "living corpse" is simply dying to retrieve it! The incomparable Ernest Thesiger is also wonderful (the British actor had previously given the "performance of his life" in another nearly lost film, "Old Dark House", 1932). "The Ghoul" features non stop creepy atmosphere with an occassional smattering of comic relief. The script is fresh (especially for a mummy), and the characters and dialogue are actually quite interesting!
Rating:
Summary: Not the Czech print
Review: Despite what previous reviewers have said, this DVD of The Ghoul is NOT from the print that turned up in Eastern Europe in the late '60's. The person put in charge of making the DVD was told to see what he could do with it. He made a few cursory calls just to cover the bases, including a call to the British Film Institute. Turns out that they were sitting on a copy that had not been screened in decades. It is overuse of a copy of a film that gives it the "beat" look; it we could take a first generation copy print of Frankenstein today, it could in theory look this good without a total overall. The print was so good that a typical transfer looked like it was made yesterday.The Ghoul dates from a time when the studios had not yet wholeheartedly committed to making supernatural horror. They felt that audiences needed a final logical explanation to buy into it. The Universal films of the 30's turned that tide around, but this movie was still not fully into that realm. So if you go in expecting a super shock, you will be disappointed. However, if you like atmosphere and good acting, and want to see an amazing transfer of a 30's movie that looks like it was filmed yesterday, look no further. The plusses outweigh the minuses in this case.
Rating:
Summary: Not the Czech print
Review: Despite what previous reviewers have said, this DVD of The Ghoul is NOT from the print that turned up in Eastern Europe in the late '60's. The person put in charge of making the DVD was told to see what he could do with it. He made a few cursory calls just to cover the bases, including a call to the British Film Institute. Turns out that they were sitting on a copy that had not been screened in decades. It is overuse of a copy of a film that gives it the "beat" look; it we could take a first generation copy print of Frankenstein today, it could in theory look this good without a total overall. The print was so good that a typical transfer looked like it was made yesterday. The Ghoul dates from a time when the studios had not yet wholeheartedly committed to making supernatural horror. They felt that audiences needed a final logical explanation to buy into it. The Universal films of the 30's turned that tide around, but this movie was still not fully into that realm. So if you go in expecting a super shock, you will be disappointed. However, if you like atmosphere and good acting, and want to see an amazing transfer of a 30's movie that looks like it was filmed yesterday, look no further. The plusses outweigh the minuses in this case.
Rating: 
Summary: A LOST FILM THAT NEEDS TO BE BURIED
Review: For decades the film "Mystery of the Wax Museum" (1933) was considered one of the great, lost Hollywood films. Those who remembered it claimed it was far superior to the 1951 remake "House of Wax" and for many years horror aficionados mourned its loss. When a clean print surfaced in the early 1970's everyone was crestfallen to discover this "lost masterpiece" was really a creaky, old thriller far inferior to it's 50's, 3D offspring. Well, here we go again. The long lost Karloff film finally comes to the faithful intact! As already noted this MGM release is DVD is a technical stunner. What a shame that the movie itself is dull as dishwater and an ideal choice for those with insomnia. Karloff actually has very little to do here and the acting of the rest of the cast is strictly of the summer stock variety. As for the script, it's a castrated rehashing of both "The Old Dark House" and "The Mummy". Yep, it LOOKS just like an entry from Universal's 1930's horror parade, but lacks any kind of punch. Don't misunderstand, as a horror buff I'm overjoyed to have "The Ghoul" in such fantastic shape - but boy, what a let down!
Rating:
Summary: A LOST FILM THAT NEEDS TO BE BURIED
Review: For decades the film "Mystery of the Wax Museum" (1933) was considered one of the great, lost Hollywood films. Those who remembered it claimed it was far superior to the 1951 remake "House of Wax" and for many years horror aficionados mourned its loss. When a clean print surfaced in the early 1970's everyone was crestfallen to discover this "lost masterpiece" was really a creaky, old thriller far inferior to it's 50's, 3D offspring. Well, here we go again. The long lost Karloff film finally comes to the faithful intact! As already noted this MGM release is DVD is a technical stunner. What a shame that the movie itself is dull as dishwater and an ideal choice for those with insomnia. Karloff actually has very little to do here and the acting of the rest of the cast is strictly of the summer stock variety. As for the script, it's a castrated rehashing of both "The Old Dark House" and "The Mummy". Yep, it LOOKS just like an entry from Universal's 1930's horror parade, but lacks any kind of punch. Don't misunderstand, as a horror buff I'm overjoyed to have "The Ghoul" in such fantastic shape - but boy, what a let down!
Rating:
Summary: Restored as if by magic!
Review: I don't really have much to add to the glowing reviews above. This is simply the finest quality film restoration for a film from this era that I have seen. If you're a fan of Universal horror and/or Karloff you will treasure this film. I think all us classic horror fans should send MGM a nice "thank you" note for the attention they have given this fairly obscure 70 year old film. And perhaps they will be encouraged to put out more of the same. I suggest "The Vampire Bat", made around the same time. Look at all those 5 star reviews....go get this DVD!!
Rating:
Summary: An Astounding Restoration!
Review: I have yet to see the 'Citizen Kane' disc (which I have heard a lot of good things about), but I will tell you what; this is far and away the best treatment of an older black and white film I have seen as yet on DVD. It almost looks as if it could have been filmed yesterday! The astounding quality leaves any recent VHS releases in the dust - especially the decrepit, well worn old Czech copy which, not all that long ago, was thought to be the only surviving print. The film itself is very British and quirky and odd, and carries itself off as a spooky mystery most of the way through. Mr. Karloff is mostly in the first ten minutes and last twenty minutes of the film, and it is not a role that gives him too much to do except sport a creepy Ardath Bey-esque makeup job and run around being.....well, ghoulish. Some good vintage black & white horror style graveyard goings on throughout. But the real highlight here is the DVD itself. For a relatively minor production from what I believe was a low budget film company which was probably filmed on lower grade stock and lacking in the technological advances that the larger studios boasted back in 1933, this is really something. Someone put a lot of care into this restoration and it shows. No extras to speak of - which may account in part for this disc's remarkable affordability as well. After watching this - especially if you are a vintage horror die hard who has already sat through a few creaky, muffled VHS viewings of this once almost forgotten gem and you have something to compare this fantastic DVD to - any future DVD releases of ANY vintage black and white film will be held to a higher standard. Here's hoping that someday, the original version of 'King Kong' looks as good on DVD!
Rating: 
Summary: Dead on Arrival
Review: I've tried watching this movie over the years and found it boring,cold and so confusing that I could never understand what was happening. With this new DVD, I decided to give it another chance. Verdict: it's just as boring, cold and confusing as before. Technically, it looks great. Wonderful shadows and lighting. But this film moves soooooo slow. And poor Boris Karloff. He does what he can in the role of the glaring, stumbling old ghoul but he acts embarassed by the whole stunt. Great Britian simply didn't have the know-how in the early thirties to make a great horror flick like those being turned out by Universal. Don't waste your time on this one. Watch the l932 "The Mummy" instead to see how a real classic looks.
Rating: 
Summary: Ghoulish Bit of Cinema History
Review: In this 1933 British film--made between Boris Karloff's stints as the monster in 1931's FRANKENSTEIN and THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN in 1935--Karloff plays a dying Egyptologist who possesses an occult gem, known as The Eternal Light, that he believes will bring him immortality if he is buried with it and is thereby able to present it to Anubis in the afterlife. Of course, his bickering, covetous heirs and avaricious associates would rather keep the gem for themselves. With this in mind, Karloff vows to rise from his grave and seek revenge should anybody meddle in his plans, and he keeps this promise when, just after his death, one of his colleagues steals The Eternal Light. THE GHOUL is an atmospheric gothic flick that generates a lot of gooseflesh, but modern audiences may find the plot development a bit slow, and gore-hounds weaned on the likes of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE and similar fare will certainly not think the film is very scary. But film aficionados who love the old Universal monster movies of the 1930s and 1940s will find a lot to enjoy here. The acting is very good--especially from Ernest Thesiger, who would later go on to play Dr. Pretorious in THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN--though the excellent Karloff has only a few dramatic scenes early on and, as a risen corpse, is later reduced to staggering around in creepy make-up (reminiscent of his make-up in THE MUMMY the year before). Supporting performances from Cedric Hardwicke and Ralph Richardson help round out the good job delivered by a wonderful cast. Based on both the novel and the play by Dr. Frank King and Leonard J. Hines, this early British horror film--the first to receive an "H" ("Horrific") rating from the British Board of Film Censors--was once thought to have been forever lost to history. A complete print of THE GHOUL was discovered in Czechoslovakia in the late 1960s, however, and was later restored under the supervision of the Museum of Modern art and Janus Films. The MGM DVD transfer was made from this beautifully restored print, and the VERY reasonable price of said disc definitely makes this a must-have for serious film collectors and students of classic cinema.
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