The Ghost Ship

Tom Merriam, on his first assignment, joins the crew of the Altair as Third Officer. Initially, Tom seems impressed by Captain Stone and believes there is much he could learn from the Captain. But, slowly, Tom begins to suspect that Stone is losing his mind and has taken his authority over the crew to a homicidal extreme. With no one to turn to, Tom is left trapped on the ship with a madman. While not as visually stylish as Val Lewton's previous horror films, The Ghost Ship is still atmospheric and does a good job of ratcheting up the tension as the movie goes on. Also, there's a pretty sweet knife fight towards the end of the film that is surprisingly violent for a movie from the 1940s.

Rating: 61%

(Image from Wikipedia)

The Seventh Victim

Mary leaves her boarding school and heads to New York City to look for her missing sister Jacqueline. While chasing down clues, Mary begins to suspect that she never really knew her sister at all. And, the closer Mary gets to finding her sister, the more she begins to uncover about the dangerous people her sister was involved with. The Seventh Victim is another stylish and atmospheric horror film from producer Val Lewton. It's a sinister thriller with a curiously nihilistic undertone. And while it's not on par with Lewton's previous films, it certainly seems like elements from The Seventh Victim might have been influential on films like Psycho and Rosemary's Baby. 

Rating: 65%

(Image from Wikipedia)

The Leopard Man

After a publicity stunt goes wrong, an escaped leopard terrorizes a small New Mexico town... or so it would seem. The Leopard Man once again pairs up producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur for another stylish and atmospheric horror film. Plot-wise, The Leopard Man is almost an anthology. There are characters that we follow throughout but the movie will occasionally introduce new characters that exist only to be killed off a few minutes later. The religious imagery throughout the film gives off serious Guillermo del Toro vibes. In some ways, The Leopard Man is very much ahead of its time but it's still a movie that will be primarily enjoyed by audiences that appreciate films of its era.

Rating: 66%

(Image from Wikipedia)

I Walked with a Zombie

Betsy, a young Canadian nurse, takes a job at a sugar plantation in the Caribbean. Her patient, Jessica Holland, is in a trance-like state. Jessica breathes and walks but is otherwise comatose. After conventional medicine fails to improve Jessica's condition, Betsy seeks aid from a voodoo priest. Betsy's gambit lights a fuse that ultimately blows up a family and puts her face to face with the living dead. I Walked with a Zombie plays like a melodrama, with Betsy uncovering love triangles and deception everywhere she goes. It's incredibly stylish, which is no surprise since it was put together by the same folks that made Cat People. If you're interested in the pre-George Romero era of zombie films, it's worth a watch. Maybe even on a double bill with 1932's White Zombie. Otherwise, it's more of a slow but striking curiosity.

Rating: 64%

(Image from Wikipedia)

Cat People

Oliver and Irena meet one day at the zoo. Their chance encounter by the panther cage soon blossoms into romance. Before long, they're married. But all is not well for the newlyweds. Irena is troubled. Something from her past is haunting her. A terrible secret that begins to drive a wedge between Irena and her husband. Something that no one else could possibly understand. Something that could kill them both. Cat People might be the classiest horror movie I've ever seen. It's practically not even a horror movie. If it weren't for the fact that a woman transforms into a panther and kills people, it would almost be film noir. It's a fantastic looking movie, 1940s styles and designs drenched in expressionistic shadows. It's a slow burn but it has atmosphere up the wazoo.

Rating: 71%

(Image from Wikipedia)