Rating: Summary: The best horror film ever! Review: Having seen a multitude of horror films over the years this one remains the best. Watching the DVD alone in the privacy of your home late at night will do more to frighten one than all of the slasher flicks combined. The film is not particularly scary, yet it will indeed send a subtle chill up the spine. My favorite scene is when Hutter is in his room at Count Orlock's castle when the clock strikes midnight. (and what a creepy looking clock). Hutter opens the door to his room to see Orlock(Nosferatu) standing at the end of the hall. Orlock slowly moves toward Hutter as Hutter shuts the door to his room. Hutter runs to the window only to see a substantial dropoff to the raging river below. At a loss of what to do next, Hutter runs and gets under the sheets of his bed. Orlock enters the room and the scene ends with Orlocks shadow (claws & bat ears) looming over Hutter's form cowering under the sheets. No blood, flying limbs, rolling heads, etc - but for my money an extremely chilling scene. I also liked the outtake of this scene in the Queen/Bowie video for Under Pressure. The whole film is such a great work of art and not just a movie. Most people weaned on slasher horror will probably not like this film as it is more like an aged fine wine that is savored and not a cheap Boones Farm drunk. The director FW Murnau is for my vote the best director of the silent era. (Hurry up and release Sunrise on DVD already!) DW Griffith is generally considered the best director of the early cinema. Murnau's work remains intriguing nearly eighty years later, while Griffith's work seems dated. Birth of a Nation and Intolerance are 2 of the most boring films I have ever seen. Nosferatu is a must have for any serious collector of silent films or classic horror.
Rating: Summary: THE Horror movie Review: Well, this is probably the first real horror movie classic, and it's still better than the majority of the 90's films! Look at the genious camerascenes and ...well everything! It is genious!
Rating: Summary: Here's the REAL thing Review: This film shows that you need no special effects, no gore, no shrieks to make a truly frightening film, and you need no bouncing on the bed to make a really sensuous film. There is hardly a more frightening scene than Nosferatus appearance on the haunted ship, and the final seduction of the vampire is full of morbid sensuality. Max Schrecks Nosferatu has none of the redeeming sex-appeal of Dracula, he is just a nasty, otherwordly creature bent on destruction. I saw this first when I was a child and I haven't yet gotten over the fright.
Rating: Summary: Better than "Dracula" Review: Nosferatu is with out words the best silent film there is! Eerie, frightning, and being silent makes it even cooler! This original 1922 German film set the standards for every monster movie to come!
Rating: Summary: Greatest movie ever Review: This movie is so dark and so terrifying, you will think about Nosferatu for months afterwards. The organ music in the background gets annoying after awhile, but it dosen't diminish the movie. Max Schreck is brilliant. The emotion he portrays is mesmerizing. The plot is sick and twisted and leaves tons to the imagination. Get it, you won't be disappointed.
Rating: Summary: A Classic Review: I have seen this movie in VHS format, and if you are a fan of CLASSIC horror of the Bela L. type, then this is a compliment to that genre, BUT it is very European (and subtitled). It's really a "must have" for any reasonably serious collector.
Rating: Summary: Landmark film Review: This classic was really revolutionary in the way it portrayed a mood of darkness and evil through the different camera angles and use of shadows. Schreck is wonderful as the rodent-like vampire who is definitely more like the beast Stoker's book described than any of the film versions that came later. The film moves along great and the whole cast is strong. The strongest visuals of this film are the scene of the vampire on the top deck of the ship, the elongated shadow creeping up the stairs and the best of all is when he tilts straight up in the cargo hold, that one is till eerie today. This is a terrific film that really helped set a foundation for the horror genre and for filmmaking in general.
Rating: Summary: You can't keep a good vampire down,...... Review: F.W. Murnau's classic treatment of Dracula has escaped a court ordered death sentence and more, yet still lingers on to this day...The current transfer from Kino and Image Entertainment is the best available.... With an informative voice over commentary by historian Lokke Heiss,...Nosferatu still chills even with excellent competition from the Lugosi Classic and others. The transfer from David Shepard is very fine with a wonderful tinted print and an original organ score from Timothy Brock. All students of classic horror should make a point of seeing this film,..... The LD and now remastered DVD provides an excellent source for this classic horror film.. (POSTSCRIPT,... when this review was posted, this DVD was the best available source to see this classic film. I am pleased to report that KINO has now issued the official restoration that is licensed from Transit films and the Murnau estate. Except for the loss of the excellent Timothy Brock score,.. I would refer all those looking for this film to the new issue.)
Rating: Summary: Great DVD and Excellent audio Commentary! Review: We are lucky to see "Nosferatu"; All copies were to be destroyed in 1923. "Nosferatu" was the product of plagerism, and an unlawful and (at the time) uncredited movie version of Bram Stoker's "Dracula". Stoker's widow sued the movie producers, they went out of business and the court ordered all copies of the film to be destroyed. Fortunately for us, copies were moused away and it is from these reels that we can see, what is considered the first horror film. Nosferatu's horrific reputation is unchanged today; The sight of the vampire (Max Schreck) is every bit as grotesque now as it's ever been. The story is familiar Dracula, however the genesis of German film expressionism is clearly engrained; Nosferatu was one of a handful of films that changed the industry and made people think in ways that were never explored before. The music score of this DVD is wonderful pipe-organ music composed from many early-19th century compositions. It's crafting completely compliments the story and adds not only tonal accuracy, but also a believable thread that brings us closer to the time of the film's creation. But the unexpected hit of this DVD is the audio commentary track from Lokke Heiss, and expert on German films. Heiss's commentary is absolutely compelling and points out many similarities that the average viewer wouldn't easily pick out. In fact, I would recommend watching the movie with the organ score, and immediately watching it with the commentary so "see" all the parts you may have initially missed. The DVD transfer is about as good as you can get, understanding that it all came from smuggled copies. The film is also 're-tinted', a film technique that provides different exposure colors to express changes is daytime or location. I highly recommend this DVD to all silent fans, and anyone who wants to see a peice of history, as well as get an excellent historical and documentary analysis.
Rating: Summary: Max Schreck Made Me Shudder! Review: This film is probably the scariest vampire film I have ever watched. Every time I saw Max Schreck on the screen, I backed up from my seat. His pantomimic gestures and his eerie expressions sent a chill down my bones whenever he used his talent. Max's performance as the undead Count Dracula, in my opinion, is the most gothic and overules, Lugosi, Lee, Langella, and Oldman. However, I'm not suprised. Back in 1922, the Germans were the masters of horror!
|