A History of Horror by Mark Gatiss

[Des]

A great start to the series on Monday, from Lon Chaney's portrayal of Phantom of the Opera through the early James Whale-directed Universal classics and Val Lewton's many explorations of the genre. Lots of anecdotes and a melancholy central theme of Bela Lugosi's declining fortunes in films, seeing him ending his days on a British tour of seaside resorts playing his 'Hamlet', the Count.

Gatiss is a likeable enthusiast of horror, totally free of that smart-ass ironic tone that often mars programmes like these. Recommended.

[howard male]

Agreed.