Screen Captures of the Day - Horrors of the Black Museum (1959)

Lately I've been watching a lot of horror films from the late 1950s. I'm not sure why, but perhaps it's because many of the films made during that time have an innocence, or at least a pretense of innocence, with less intricate plot lines and generally simpler pleasures and easily managed storylines. In short—it's hot, and I don't want to have to think very hard.

I must admit that until now, I'd never seen the well-liked UK feature Horrors of the Black Museum. It has much to recommend it, including a deliciously smarmy Michael Gough (above center), as a murder-obsessed tabloid journalist. There are also several scintillating kill scenes—unfortunately, these are broken up by long spans of tedious and totally unnecessary expositional dialogue. Still, the film moves along, and even takes one or two surprising turns.

Ultimately, I enjoyed Horrors of the Black Museum, and though it's far from a masterpiece, those of you who enjoy lighter Hammer fare (though this is not a Hammer film) will almost certainly get a good "Million Dollar Movie" vibe from this one.