Your Guide to the Vaults...


..."I think it will thrill you. It may shock you... It might even - horrify you! So then, if you feel that you do not care to subject your nerves to such a strain, now is your chance to - well - well - we've warned you!"

Dear Anonymous Visitor,

Thank you for visiting The Devil's Manor. Enter freely and of your own will! The Master is not home at present, so please allow me, your humble caretaker, to offer a word of explanation about the dark delights you'll find as you explore the Manor's ancient vaults...

Resting among the cobwebs and casks of Amontillado is the Master's ever-expanding film collection, a treasury of the horrific, the fantastic and the supernatural. We aim to share our affection for them with all our visitors, one film at a time, starting with the very oldest and advancing stealthily from there. Most of the titles originate from Europe and North America; our dwelling stands in Merrie Olde England, and so there's a bias towards films that are accessible to a native audience. Here's what I'll tell you about them:

Cast and Credits:
As comprehensive as possible. The year refers to a film's original release date, the running time to the length of the most complete version available to us today. This is not an exact science, as variable projection speeds and the irregularities of censorship often make it  difficult to determine the exact duration of many early films.

Synopsis:
A brief plot summary for the benefit of the neophyte or casual browser. I try not to give away what happens in the final reel, unless of course a film is only one reel long in the first place.

Notes:
Some discussion and a little background information, to aid your appreciation of a movie on it's own merits. It's unlikely that you'll find any in-depth critical dissections from me: I mostly go with what Chekov said about critics being like horse-flies.

Availability:
Most important of all: details of a US/UK DVD release for almost every entry. Films are there to be watched, ideally on a cinema screen. This is seldom possible for the antiquated titles under discussion here, but even so, you owe it to yourself to avoid the quick fix of YouTube and instead share some quality time with your horror classics in a darkened living room with a big TV. It's always worth it.



Once again, dear visitor, I thank you for your indulgence. I can be annoyingly evangelical about films I like, and seize every opportunity to inflict them on friends, family and other innocent bystanders. The chance that someone might be inspired to seek out or rediscover one of the movies found here is the best reason I can think of for not keeping these inane scribblings hidden away in a dusty attic.

But come, the hour grows late and the Manor's vaults await you! Please take this tallow candle to light your way, and tread carefully as you descend . . .

- Bob the Caretaker

"Go now... and Heaven help you!"