Rating: 
Summary: Voodoo spell
Review: The reviewers who refer to the surreal poetry of this movie are (forgive me) dead on. This movie is creepy. It's not scary, but it captures the essense of Caribbean creepiness well. You can almost smell the decay of the rotting vegetation and flesh.
Lugosi plays the villain well and gives a performance that makes necromancy seem believable (coffee works a similar magic for me in the mornings. Come to think of it, the zombies' undead shuffle is strangely familiar as well.) This movie is not for the average film viewer, but should be in every horror fans collection for its own merits and for its historic perspective as the first zombie movie.
Rating:
Summary: Great Gothic Chills
Review: There is something about these old, classic black & white horror classics that just can't seem to be recaptured today. White Zombie is an example of an art that has been lost in modern film making. The sets are lush and detailed. The exteriors are dark and gothic. And let us not forget that there is not substitute for the late, great Bela Lugosi.Lugosi carries the cast. He is a small man with a slight frame, but he conveys a sense of evil and menace that chills you. The rest of the cast are generic 1930's actors. The female lead is loaded with so much pancake makeup she looks like, well, a white zombie (so I guess that works), and her husband-to-be is your basic, slicked back hair, lipstick wearing vanilla milk sop. The actors portraying Lugosi's zombie horde were probably cast for their odd, freaky features, but that works too. But make no mistake, this is Lugosi's film, and it is one of his greatest works along with the original Dracula. The DVD I am reviewing has no features. NONE. Unless you count chapter selections. It is full screen, with no audio or video options. At least it has a good price. The film looks good with strong contrasts between black and whites. This makes the night sequences (most of the film) easier to make out. I owned the video tape before and the darks and lights blended horribly. This DVD looks good though with an occasional flicker and jump, but I would guess that is the fault of the original film. Read the Amazon review to get a rundown on the plot. I just wanted to stress the strengths of the film, the DVD, the style and acting. They really do not make them like this any more.
Rating: 
Summary: Lugosi's Gem
Review: This film is well-known to all monster fans; but to others, not as popular as Lugosi's "Dracula"...that's a shame, because as fine as "Dracula" is, THIS is the film that set the standard for all of Bela's future villain roles. His mannerisms, facial expressions, dialogue and delivery blossomed in this film. This is a great period piece with evil lurking behind every shadow. The fact that it's shot in black & white makes it all the eerier and Halperin's direction is outstanding. The only thing that's terrible is the hero...wimpy, effeminate and dresses like an interior decorator who's shopping at Pier One Imports....not a John Wayne bone in his body....makes you hope that Bela's zombies wring his neck in the first ten minutes. Thank the Lord that the rest of the cast is okay, save for the heroine's lousy makeup job...I've seen better mouth paint on Bozo. But anyway, the story line is a unique one: Bela uses the living dead to run his mill and possesses a drug that turns the living into zombies as well. The scene where the living man slowly deteriorates into a zombie while Bela whittles his wax candle his terrific! Just a little over an hour long, it has more action than Lugosi's "Dracula" and should be a proud addition to your Classic Monsters video collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful movie - Bad DVD
Review: This is one of the most atmospheric and trend-setting zombie movies ever (and one of the first). Very artful, very well done. But the DVD image quality is lacking. The intrusive artifacts in the image are not the "old film" artifacts (dust, scratches, etc.). Instead, the unwelcome artifacts are decisively "digital"... The remastering process did strange things to the image - and it didn't get encoded very well to DVD. I bought this, loved the movie, but returned it due to the annoying quality of the encoding.
Rating:
Summary: Exquisite presentation.
Review: This may sound strange, but as a big Lugosi fan I never thought very highly of "White Zombie"...until now. I now realize why it was never that high on my favorite list of Bela stuff; I couldn't see the damn picture on my other versions clearly enough for all the dirt and darkness. This DVD from the Roan Group is, in one word, superb. It's been cleaned up, and it's like a whole new experience for me to watch it now. (I think it actually looks better than those much more expensive special editions of Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps" and "The Lady vanishes".) Lugosi's performance is good, and it's certainly a nice part for him, but among all his great roles I don't think it's his best. -However, I do appreciate it more now that I can finally see it !. (My fave of his is 1935's "The Raven".) There's a wonderful dream-like quality throughout, and some very atmospheric set-pieces, like the eerie mill. One scene in particular stands out; the conversation between the old man and our completely inept hero. The scene is 5 minutes long, and there isn't a single cut in it which I guess is highly unusual for a horror film, but a brave move. The only problem I have with "W.Z." is the constant use of music. -There's music in nearly every scene, and apparently the film-makers wanted their movie to be somewhat in the style of old silent films, but I feel it would've been even more effective with less. The excellent talk by Gary Don Rhodes is informative about cast & production, just as these commentary tracks are supposed to be. This DVD is the one and only version of "White Zombie" to have.
Rating:
Summary: A perfect horror film! Best Lugosi movie! Best zombie movie!
Review: This movie is one of the most visually interesting films ever made. The zombies and Lugosi look fantastic thanks again to the greatest film makeup artist of the 20th century Jack Pierce. The brooding sets are the stars of this movie though. The Haitian plantation, the castle on the cliffs, and the graveyard are all dripping with atmosphere and beautifully rendered. If you like atmosherepheric films like Karloff's the Mummy and The Ilse of the Dead or even the Seventh Seal you will like this movie. The visuals remind me of the art of Arnold Bocklin. Movies like "White Zombie", prove they don't make um like thay used to. "White Zombie" makes you realize how bad "Night of the Living Dead" and all other zombie movies really are.
Rating:
Summary: Lugosi at his best
Review: This really is a good movie. Everything they say about it is true. It probably won't scare you, no, but there are still some truly horrifying moments you will not forget. And unlike other horror movies that go for the sight shock, this one works on your worst fears. If nothing else, you'll get a treat watching Lugosi at his best.
Rating:
Summary: The Dead Walk Among Us!
Review: What a great movie! Being a fan of the classic Universal monsters, I find that this fits in nicely with those movies, even though it was made independantly. It's obvious that this movie didn't have the budget of those, but it has a lot of heart and charm. The story revolves around a young couple, a plantation owner, and a zombie master played by Bela Lugosi. The young couple are to be married, and the plantation owner has invited them to hold their ceremony at his plantation, but he has other plans. He tries to woo the young lady away, but to no avail. As a last ditch effort, he enlists the aid of Bela Lugosi. Well, it turns out that Bela's character has plans for the young woman also. For the rest, well, you will just have to watch and see....the picture quality on this edition is quite crisp and clear, with a couple of minor distortions here and there. This is my first time veiwing this movie, and from what I read, this is the best copy available. The sound quality isn't as good, and I noticed a few drop outs here and there, but considering the age and scarcity of the material, I think the Roan Group did and excellent job in restoring this fine film. All in all, these minor flaws in quality did nothing to reduce my enjoying the movie. The sets are amazing and the movie positively exudes atmosphere. I would recommend this to anyone interested in classic horror movies.
Rating:
Summary: Great DVD of Horrible Movie!
Review: When I was a kid, I though Bela Lugosi was awesome. I had been mesmerized by his performances in DRACULA, THE RAVEN, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE RAVEN, THE HUMAN MONSTER, and many others. However, the one Lugosi flick that always eluded me was WHITE ZOMBIE. All those tantalizing photos in FAMOUS MONSTERS magazine! A film made at the height of Lugosi's "classic era!" I couldn't wait to see it! Then finally, one midsummer eve, the film was broadcast on my local PBS affiliate. I quivered with anticipation! Would Lugosi weave his magic again? The film flickered on . . .and the answer was . . . HECK NO! This is one of the worst films of all time! This film features the most repulsive cast of actors I have ever seen! That leading man--what a drip! The leading lady--she had more expressive facial expressions AFTER she became a Zombie! And the Van Helsing type--I think he got lost and wandered over from ABBIE'S IRISH ROSE! And Poor Bela--this is without a doubt his worst performance of his "classic era" --I fell down laughing at the inept way he gave the line--"For you my friends, they are the angels of death!" But Bela is inept all through WHITE ZOMBIE. I will never forgive WHITE ZOMBIE for destroying a little boy's hopes that long ago summer's eve. WHITE ZOMBIE is a film any classic horror film buff should definitely MISS!
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie-Good Transfer
Review: While not pristine by any means the Roan transfer is by far the best ive seen. It does have a glitch or two but nothing bad enough to spoil the film. The main problem it has is the sound quality. So if you love this movie, as i do, this is the version to buy. For $14 you cant go wrong.
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