THE 100 YEARS OF HORROR
Passport International Productions
1996 (2000 DVD release)

review by Beth Kattelman

YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY HORROR DOCUMENTARIES and this is one of the best. Christopher Lee narrates this series which chronicles the history of horror films from their early days in the fledgeling film industry through the realistic, blood-soaked offerings of the twentieth century. Although there have been several documentaries covering the history of horror films, I particularly like this one because it covers a wider range than most and includes some directors and films that are often omitted. Yes, this series includes the classic horror films contained in almost every documentary, but it also discusses some films that only horror aficionados may be familiar with, such as Dementia 13, and Peeping Tom. It also contains more information on the beginnings of horror in cinema than you find in most other documentaries of this type. There is a discussion of George Melies, the father of special effects and Luis Bunuel, the surrealist filmmaker who shocked the world with his now infamous eyeball-slicing scene. The documentary also contains interviews with some of the horror film "greats" including Roger Corman, John Carpenter, Boris Karloff and Peter Cushing.

This two-hour version is actually condensed from a 13-part series that runs over 5 hours. Although this is a cut-down version of the original, the reasonable price tag makes it quite a bargain when compared with the 13-volume VHS box set which retails for over $100.00. Each segment covers a different horror-film category such as Frankenstein, Werewolves, Witches and Demons or The Walking Dead. While the series presents a fairly broad coverage of films, there are some notable omissions, such as George Romero's Night of the Living Dead. I have a feeling, however, this was probably due to an inability to get the rights rather than an oversight by the series' creators. Or, perhaps Living Dead is contained in the full, 13-episode version of the series which, admittedly, I have not seen.

This production on this DVD is definitely low-budget. There is very little difference between it and the two-hour VHS version. No extras are included and, unfortunately, the sound quality and film clips have not been digitally remastered or enhanced. The DVD does give you quick access to each episode of the series, but that's about it. Even the menu is somewhat confusing. It contains a digital image representing each one of the series' segments, but there is no text accompanying the images so it's hard to figure out what each represents. But even with these drawbacks, this is still a production worth having. It contains a great deal of information that is presented in a lively, interesting format. For horror-film buffs, watching this documentary provides a wonderful "stroll down memory lane." And for those not well-versed in the horror film genre, it's a great way to find other films you might want to see.

FEAR FACTOR: The documentary format undercuts the fear quite a bit. There are still some film clips, however, that can create a tense moment or two.

BLOOD & GORE GAUGE: Yes, there are some extremely gory moments in this documentary. Especially during the discussion of the Italian "giallo" genre.

COOLEST THING ABOUT THE DVD: Unfortunately, there really isn't anything that makes this DVD stand out. It's exactly the same as the VHS version.

TRIVIA TIDBIT: Andre DeToth, the man hired to direct the first big-studio 3-D film The House of Wax couldn't see the 3-D because he only has one eye!

BEST "OW, THAT'S GOTTA HURT" MOMENT: Eyeball sliced with razor from Un Chien andalou. No matter how many times I see this, it still makes me wince.

BEST QUOTE: The poodle never gets eaten and that would've been at least a high point if they'd have done that. But they didn't.

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