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Fox Horror Classics; Have you had a chance to see these?
Topic Started: Jan 20 2008, 04:30 PM (429 Views)
Zodiac
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I just got this set and I have to admit- I wanted the Undying Monster because every time it was on Fox Movie Channel, I missed it.

I was less than excited about having to buy The lodger and Hangover Square to get it. I remember seeing The Lodger as a kid and was not impressed.

However, I watched it again and loved it! This a movie that requires a sense drama and terror, more than a shocker (which kids want)

I am saving Hangover for a few days, but I read the liner notes that Laird Crager died at 28 just before it was released - too bad- he had a real potential to be in the ctagory of Karloff, Lorre, and Lugosi
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Laughing Gravy
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I got an advance copy of this and still haven't opened it. I dunno, I'm just not that enthused for some reason, despite the fact that I have never seen any of 'em and have heard that Hangover Square is excellent. Will watch them some day!
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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The Batman
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All the films in the set are excellent, Zodiac, you won't be disappointed with Hangover Square.
Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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Black Tiger
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All 3 films in this set are top notch. John Brahm is one of the great underrated directors.
The Lodger is a personal favorite - Cregar gives the character an almost mythic quality.
Better than the earlier Hitchcock version IMHO
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Inspector Carr
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Laird Cregar was never comfortable with his size and weight, and always wanted to be a leading man type, which resulted in his constant dieting with pills and such which resulted in his early death......it is unfortunate no matter what film he is in I believe he steals the show.......one of my favorite actors......one can only imagine where he may have ended up in Hollywood history....had he lived longer...

I have a signed autograph page of his framed with photo on a wall in the den....

"Life is a Crapshoot however you need a pair of dice to participate"
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Laughing Gravy
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I was a tad disappointed with Hangover Square, mainly because of Cregar, who seemed miscast. He wasn't handsome enough to be a leading man psychopath a la Charles Boyer, and he wasn't weird enough to be an appealing leading man psychopath a la Peter Lorre. He was dull, I thought. They should've switched his role with George Sanders; then you got something, boss. That said, it's not a bad picture at all with some genuine shocks. Movies of that age didn't like to show corpses, but this movie pretty much rolls around on them, human and animal.
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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Inspector Carr
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Laughing Gravy
Jan 22 2008, 08:41 AM
I was a tad disappointed with Hangover Square, mainly because of Cregar, who seemed miscast. He wasn't handsome enough to be a leading man psychopath a la Charles Boyer, and he wasn't weird enough to be an appealing leading man psychopath a la Peter Lorre. He was dull, I thought. They should've switched his role with George Sanders; then you got something, boss. That said, it's not a bad picture at all with some genuine shocks. Movies of that age didn't like to show corpses, but this movie pretty much rolls around on them, human and animal.

With the Sucess of the Lodger, Fox wanted to strike while the iron was hot and somewhat rushed into production of this film. I don't recall the overall box office and reviews of this film.
"Life is a Crapshoot however you need a pair of dice to participate"
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Black Tiger
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Loved the Guy Fawkes Day burning effigy scene. Good stuff.
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igsjr
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Inspector Carr
Jan 21 2008, 04:46 PM
one can only imagine where he may have ended up in Hollywood history....had he lived longer...

I've always felt that Vincent Price pretty much took over the career that would have been Cregar's, as there were quite a few similarities between the two actors. My favorite Cregar role continues to be that of "His Excellency" in Heaven Can Wait (1943); he gives the Devil an urbane quality that fascinates me every time I watch the film.

I do think that Cregar was marvelous in Hangover and even if they did rush it into production to capitalize on the success of The Lodger it's a far better film than its predecessor. I must disagree with our quotable expert of a webmaster, however, Sanders would not have been a better choice over Cregar. Cregar's strength in the part is his vulnerability (okay, he's a murderer--but you still feel kinda sorry for him); even though he's a successful composer he still doesn't fit quite right into the social circle that his success has granted him. Sanders would have trotted out his usual "cad" character and lost sympathy with the audience from the get-go.
"Life is in color--but black-and-white is more realistic..." -- Samuel Fuller, director

So many DVDs...so little time...
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The Batman
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Well said, Igsy. Laird Cregar rocks!
Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman!
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