Rating: 
Summary: Vintage post-Dracula Lugosi
Review: Close on the heels of portraying the immortal Dracula, Bela Lugosi turned his suave eeriness and trademark powerful stares to 1932's White Zombie. He manages to make an otherwise forgetful horror flick into something worth watching, although I admit I was far from captivated by the movie. It gets off to a promising start. Neil and his fiancé Madeleine have to pause on their way to the home of their supposed benefactor when they encounter a nighttime burial in the middle of the road (so no one will tamper with the dead body, you know), then soon meet up with the creepy, mysterious Legrende (Lugosi) and some of his pet zombies. Once they arrive at their destination, their host, Beaumont, confesses his love for Madeleine but finds that his Harry Houdini haircut does not succeed in winning her over. Naturally, he decides to invoke the help of Legrende, who promises Beaumont that there is a way for him to claim her. I'll give you three guesses as to what this involves. Neil runs around half crazy even before discovering that the tomb of his beloved is empty, then manages to get the support of the local missionary in finding his apparently not fully deceased wife. I'm afraid I didn't particularly care for the ending of this film; it's a little too predictable, and Neil's clumsy antics are almost as annoying as the pipe-smoking missionary's repeated requests for a match. There are some interesting little film production techniques here-split screens, overlays of ghostly images, and the like, but it is the story that seems to come up a little short. Haiti doesn't seem quite the proper setting for Lugosi, but the filmmaker got a lot of terrific mileage out of close-ups on his piercing eyes. Lugosi fans won't want to miss White Zombie, but others may not get much out of the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Bela Leads the Zombies!
Review: First let me qualify this review as stating it is only for the version by the Roan Group and not any other. The Roan Group has mastered the best possible print for this 1932 horror film. Taken from the two best quality 35MM prints as opposed to the 16MM prints you usually see.
The print is very clean and relatively crisp with very little sketchy editing. The sound does need to be modulated periodically.
Lugosi is just terrific in this movie as the sinister 'Murder' Legrende, Haitian mill owner and zombie master. Robert Fraser plays Charles Beaumont, a local plantation owner who becomes obsessed with a young woman (Madge Bellamy) about to be married.
He invites her and her fiance (John Harron) to his estate to have their wedding all the while planning some way to win her. An hour before the wedding he becomes desperate and reluctantly approaches his sinister neighbour Legrende. Legrende's solution has dire consequences for all involved. T
he movie was obviously made a shoe string budget but there are plenty of striking visual images, especially those involving Bellamy after Lugosi gets to her. He is at his best looking positively statanic with his mesmerizing eyes and facial expressions.
The zombies are very creepy and are the precursors to zombie classics later made by Tourneur, Romero, Fulci and Raimi. For this and for Lugosi 'White Zombie' is a must see for any horror buff!
What also makes this a big step above other releases is that it comes with an audio commentary by Lugois Scholar Gary Rhoads, and also features two short, but interesting interviews with Lugosi. One in the early 30's, and one in the mid 50's towards the end of his life.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: For an old black and white horror film, this movie is especially notable. Bela Lugosi is striking as Murder Legendre, and steals the show without a doubt. I'd strongly recommend adding this film to your collection if you're an avid fan of horror.
Rating:
Summary: Great Transfer of an overlooked classic!
Review: Great film with Bela after Dracula. The extras are worth the price alone. Great commentary and picture quality. Roan group have done excellent work on the DVD's they have released. If you like classic horror and have not seen this one, BUY IT. You will not regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Kindly necromancer gives relationship advice
Review: Hardworking, professional necromancer employs hundreds of economically disadvantaged zombies in small business startup. He helps three young people caught in a love triangle sort out their feelings through dynamic tension exercises. Naive man comes to Bela for help to win girl's heart, but as wise Bela points out... "She can love, but that doesn't mean she can love you." Later when the rejected man reaches out to grasp Bela's hand, Bela smiles and says, "Now we understand each other a little better." Kenneth Web, author of a play similar to this movie, sued the movie makers and lost. Movie was plagued by many other legal disputes which resulted in loss of original footage. Loss of original footage makes full restoration difficult. This DVD is probably the best attempt we will ever have.
Rating: 
Summary: Good quality DVD
Review: I like the way this movie has been restored to such good quality. Other than that, the movie is nothing special. Since I'm a big White Zombie(the band) fan, I had to buy this movie for my collection. It is NOT scary at all.
On the contrary, Quiet funny at times.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Lugosi
Review: I think this is a great example of Lugosi's work both in good films and bad. I was a little disappointed as this collection does not include "Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla", with the infamous Martin-Lewis impersonators. It actually has a different flick by the name of "The Gorilla", made in 1939 and features the Ritz Brothers. Great restoration, a few classic interviews, a must for Lugosi fans.
Rating:
Summary: A Minor Classic
Review: I'll admit the only reason I wanted to see this film was the tantalizing clip of it featured in Tim Burton's "Ed Wood". Then I made the mistake of buying the [less expensive] DVD version, which is almost unwatchable: the print is muddy and scratched and the soundtrack is almost too fuzzy to hear. But I saw a gem of film underneath those flaws & bought the restored version. It's worth the small price difference, believe me. The film itself: half horror, half camp--is wonderful. It actually seems less anachronistic than the original Dracula or Frankenstein (those 1930 American fashions and accents) & the acting is quite good. Lugosi is masterful & menacing & you'll be amazed at how chilling this old film is. It does not fit into the mold of the old Universal horror movies at all; it almost has a "cult film" feel to it. A great late night film.
Rating:
Summary: One of Lugosi's better films as another master of the undead
Review: In many ways "White Zombie" is not only the first zombie movie it is also the last film in the baroque horror tradition of the silent films. This 1932 film directed by Victor Halperin was made for practically nothing even though is starred Bela Lugosi as "Murder" Legendre, in his first big role after the gigantic success of "Dracula," as the master of a different type of undead down in Haiti (Note: Lugosi apparently directed some of the retakes as well). In "White Zombie," Monsieur Beaumont (Robert Frazer) convinces a young couple, Madeleine Short (Madge Bellamy) and Neil Parker (John Harron) to get married on his Haitian plantation. Amazingly enough, he does this so that he can convince Madeline to run away with him. Needing help, Beaumont turns to Legendre, who runs his mill with zombie workers. Legendre carves a voodoo doll and with Madeline's scarf turn her into a zombie as well. Neil thinks that his wife is dead and gets depressed, sinking into a world of hallucinations and fevered dreams, while Beaumont quickly discovers that he is dissatisfied with Madeline's soulless husk and wants her turned back (even though this will undoubtedly do nothing to improve their relationship). Instead, the fiendish Legendre turns Beaumont into a zombie as well, which actually makes the couple compatible for the first time in the film. Meanwhile, Neil is convinced by a local priest that maybe he is not a widow after all and he goes off to play the hero. "White Zombie" never really frightens its audience, but instead sustains a high level of downright eeriness throughout, achieving its effect by taking such simple objects as the scarf used to wrap a voodoo doll or a rose containing poison and making them important elements in Lugosi's evil machinations. This film might be a talkie, but its sensibilities are those of the silent era, which actually works in its favor, even with Lugosi's distinctive accented voice. The result is a rather creepy film that ends up being an above average effort in Lugosi's career that I would put in his top five films.
Rating:
Summary: Bela Lugosi in the world's very first ZOMBIE film
Review: In many ways this first zombie movie is the last film in the baroque horror tradition of the silent films. This 1932 film directed by Victor Halperin was made for practically nothing even though is starred Bela Lugosi as 'Murder' Legendre, in his first role after "Dracula," as the master of a different type of undead down in Haiti (Lugosi apparently directed some of the retakes as well). In "White Zombie," Monsieur Beaumont (Robert Frazer) convinces a young couple, Madeleine Short (Madge Bellamy) and Neil Parker (John Harron) to get married on his Haitian plantation. Amazingly enough, he does this so that he can convince Madeline to run away with him. Needing help, Beaumont turns to Legendre, who runs his mill with zombie workers. Beaumont uses Legendre's zombie potion to bend Madeleine to his will, but then is dissatisfied with her soulless husk and wants her turned back. Instead, Legendre turns Beaumont into a zombie as well. Meanwhile, Neil is convinced by a local priest that maybe he is not a widow after all. "White Zombie" never really frightens its audience, but instead sustains a high level of downright eeriness throughout, achieving its effect by taking such simple objects as the scarf used to wrap a voodoo doll or a rose containing poison and making them important elements in Lugosi's evil machinations. This film might be a talkie, but its sensibilities are those of the silent era.
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