The Human Monster

Rating:
Summary: Bela Lugosi plays two roles in this horror crime thriller
Review: "The Human Monster" (originally "The Dark Eyes of London") has Detective Inspector Larry Holt of Scotland Yard investigating the mysterious deaths of five people who have been found floating in the Thames. His investigation leads him to discover that the deceased had policies with the Greenwich Insurance Company, which is run by the creepy Feodor Orloff (Bela Lugosi). Orloff used to be a doctor before he was driven out of the profession by his colleagues, who were convinced he was insane. Holt then discovers that Orloff asked each of the victims to make charitable donations to Dearborn's Home for the Destitute Blind. After talking to blind Dearborn (also played by Lugosi), Holt becomes convinced that these policyholders are being murdered for their money.

This 1939 film (released the following year in the U.S.) is really much more of a crime thriller than a horror film. It is based on a 1924 novel by Edgar Wallace, a popular writer in the genre, but once Lugosi entered the picture the film was tailored to his talents and his audience. Hence, the American title for the film and the addition of Orloff's brutish assistant, Jake (Wilfred Walter), in the grand tradition of horror films. Director Walter Summers and Art Director Duncan Sutherland do get overly creative with the Home for the Destitute Blind and other set pieces, but your affinity for this film will be totally dependent on your affection of Lugosi's broad style of acting. The plot is fairly routine and even though O.B. Clarence provides the voice for Dearborn, it is still fairly obvious that since Lugosi is playing both characters they are really the same person.

Rating:
Summary: The problem is revealed by the title...
Review: "The Human Monster," a British horror film from 1939 starring Bela Lugosi, is a recent DVD release from Alpha Video. Its packaging is attractive, featuring artwork from the original release of the film, and its price is essentially pocket change, but sadly the positive qualities of this product stop there.

While I feel inclined to commend the producers of this DVD for trying to market this Lugosi semi-classic, a sixty-plus year old film with limited sales potential, after viewing the DVD I can't help but to regret my purchase and recommend that you don't make my same mistake...even if the cost of the product is minimal.

Technically speaking, even if a film is old there's still little justification for it to look bad or sound bad...and certainly not as bad as this film looks and sounds on this DVD. The images appear flat and grainy; cinematic shadows "pulse" frequently; scratches in the film abound; and one must make a conscious effort to hear the soundtrack in many parts.

Perhaps Alpha Video would argue that this particular movie would never sell enough units to justify the cost of a proper restoration--though this viewpoint would be in conflict with The Roan Group's superbly restored release of "White Zombie" and any number of Universal DVD releases featuring Lugosi--but, as it is, this particular DVD release of "The Human Monster" fails to satisfy the viewer due to a gross lack of image and audio quality.

The ultimate tragedy here is that, unlike some of Bela's poverty row pictures, most fans of Lugosi and this genre would agree that this is a respectable picture that offers the typecast actor a rare dramatic opportunity...and one he does well with! It's a shame that such a poor quality print of the movie is used.

Poor Bela fans.

Rating:
Summary: Bela Lugosi plays two roles in this horror crime thriller
Review: "The Human Monster" (originally "The Dark Eyes of London") has Detective Inspector Larry Holt of Scotland Yard investigating the mysterious deaths of five people who have been found floating in the Thames. His investigation leads him to discover that the deceased had policies with the Greenwich Insurance Company, which is run by the creepy Feodor Orloff (Bela Lugosi). Orloff used to be a doctor before he was driven out of the profession by his colleagues, who were convinced he was insane. Holt then discovers that Orloff asked each of the victims to make charitable donations to Dearborn's Home for the Destitute Blind. After talking to blind Dearborn (also played by Lugosi), Holt becomes convinced that these policyholders are being murdered for their money.

This 1939 film (released the following year in the U.S.) is really much more of a crime thriller than a horror film. It is based on a 1924 novel by Edgar Wallace, a popular writer in the genre, but once Lugosi entered the picture the film was tailored to his talents and his audience. Hence, the American title for the film and the addition of Orloff's brutish assistant, Jake (Wilfred Walter), in the grand tradition of horror films. Director Walter Summers and Art Director Duncan Sutherland do get overly creative with the Home for the Destitute Blind and other set pieces, but your affinity for this film will be totally dependent on your affection of Lugosi's broad style of acting. The plot is fairly routine and even though O.B. Clarence provides the voice for Dearborn, it is still fairly obvious that since Lugosi is playing both characters they are really the same person.

Rating:
Summary: Dull Movie, Shoddy DVD
Review: "The Human Monster" is one of my least favourite Bela Lugosi vehicles. It's the story of a string of murders being commited in London, the victims being men without any family and who all have something to do with a life insurance company that is being run by Bela Lugosi. In a dual(?) role, Lugosi also plays the owner of an institution for the blind. Though Lugosi has his charisma (and it's kind of a guilty pleasure to see him goofily play a blind character), the pace is agonizingly slow and I saw the 'surprise' ending coming from a mile away.
The DVD from a bargain bin company called St. Clair Vision claims to be "carefully remastered for the best possible picture quality." That's a laugh. The movie looks as fuzzy as one would expect, with scratches and poor contrast. Strangely, this DVD actually has not one but TWO sets of opening credits, the first one with the title "The Human Monster" and the second one with the British title "Dark Eyes of London," complete with British censor certificate! These are played back to back. "Carefully remastered" indeed. Completists might be interested in having both sets of credits, but that's really the only thing to recommend in the DVD. There are predictably no extras, and the box are is ugly. I got it as part of a "Classic Horror" boxed set.

Rating:
Summary: Dark, Cold, Classic!!
Review: Bela Lugosi is certainly one individual you would not want to meet in a dark alley. Come to think of it, a well-lit alley would not be such a great idea either. In this film, he displays his penchant for panic by pretending to be a doctor whose real prescription is murder! Beware, this film will make you think twice before going to the doctor!

Rating:
Summary: Eerie and strange
Review: I saw this movie late one night on TV about 35 years ago as a child, and some of the images haunt me still! Lugosi is really quite good here, and the whole thing is set in an eerie, impoverished home for the blind...this creates a dark, disorienting, atmosphere of helplessness. Watch for the trap door that drops victims into the Thames River mud flats! Lugosi's creepy man/beast henchman is the stuff of children's nightmares....
OK, now to address the Alpha DVD quality. No, it's not great. It could be better. But let's face it: as kids we watched these things on grainy black & white TV sets with bent rabbit ear antennas! You could hold your breath for the "Collector's Edition", (at a price 4x more) but you're simply not going to see this film anywhere else. The DVD is ridiculously cheap. If you hate it, then donate it to your local library for a tax write-off.

Rating:
Summary: Eerie and strange
Review: I saw this movie late one night on TV about 35 years ago as a child, and some of the images haunt me still! Lugosi is really quite good here, and the whole thing is set in an eerie, impoverished home for the blind...this creates a dark, disorienting, atmosphere of helplessness. Watch for the trap door that drops victims into the Thames River mud flats! Lugosi's creepy man/beast henchman is the stuff of children's nightmares....
OK, now to address the Alpha DVD quality. No, it's not great. It could be better. But let's face it: as kids we watched these things on grainy black & white TV sets with bent rabbit ear antennas! You could hold your breath for the "Collector's Edition", (at a price 4x more) but you're simply not going to see this film anywhere else. The DVD is ridiculously cheap. If you hate it, then donate it to your local library for a tax write-off.

Rating:
Summary: A low-budget mystery that only has Bela Lugosi to recommend
Review: This is an example of Bela Lugosi's lesser film work. It's a creaky, "cheapy-creepy" featuring Lugosi in a dual role. A killer stalks London, and Bela's slum-area workhouse is connected. There is also a blind "ape-man" sort of killer creeping around the slums, leaving a trail of victims. The film is obviously dated and produced on a low budget. Determined Bela Lugosi fans should be pleased, but others should beware!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Lugosi Thriller
Review: This is Lugosi's best British film, it's an exciting fast paced thriller with Lugosi in top form. In the dual role of the sinister Dr Orloff and the seemingly kind Dr. Dearborn Lugosi runs an insurance racket in which he drowns blind people and dumps their bodies in the Thames. The film is handsomely mounted, with good production values and a top cast. The film was remade in the 60's with Klaus Kinski in the Orloff role but this is the version you should see.

Rating:
Summary: once again, quite annoyed, yet not by the movie
Review: what annoys me is a review giving this little known classic horror movie one star due to bad dvd quality. people are going to see a bad customer rating for this movie, and believe based on the lack of stars that this is a terrible movie, which is just not true. please, for god sakes, review the MOVIE, not the quality of the release. how stupid some people are! that's like giving a book a bad review because you didn't like the cover art. grow up.

now for the movie. this is a wonderful thriller starring bela lugosi. much of the story is set in a shelter for the blind, and this creates an air of confusion. lugosi's henchman, a deformed blind giant named jake, is brilliant. i recall one scene that is a classic moment in horror movie history where bela lugosi, in order to punish one of his minions, deafens a man who is already blind and dumb. then he binds his arms and legs and throws him in a tub of water. brilliant.