Ah, yes. Another entry in the old dark house genre. I must have a deep obsession of some kind. Also, what was it with creepy mansions and gorillas in the 30's? It seems like every other haunted mansions is actually haunted by a gorilla, not a ghost!
The Monster Walks is a 1932 film that opens in the dark house on a stormy night. Instantly we are introduced to the fantastic creepiness that this film will offer. The servants of the house have covered up the dead body of their employer who has died in his sleep. The storm rages outside with lighting and thunder. Inside, the dead man's room is dimly lit by a long finger-like candle. Right away, I am already sufficiently creeped out. I am also left wondering what happened to this type of atmosphere in today's movies.
Soon, the dead man's daughter and her fiance show up to spend the night and read the will. Everyone by now should know that if you have to drive out into the country to an old mansion to read a will that you might end up dead. It's a staple of the genre.
For some odd reason, they keep a gorilla in the basement. It seems he was there for experiments. Everyone is afraid of the gorilla and afraid he will break out. Soon the plot thickens as someone, or something, is stalking the house, trying to kill it's inhabitants. Is it the gorilla?
The Monster Walks is a 1932 film that opens in the dark house on a stormy night. Instantly we are introduced to the fantastic creepiness that this film will offer. The servants of the house have covered up the dead body of their employer who has died in his sleep. The storm rages outside with lighting and thunder. Inside, the dead man's room is dimly lit by a long finger-like candle. Right away, I am already sufficiently creeped out. I am also left wondering what happened to this type of atmosphere in today's movies.
Soon, the dead man's daughter and her fiance show up to spend the night and read the will. Everyone by now should know that if you have to drive out into the country to an old mansion to read a will that you might end up dead. It's a staple of the genre.
For some odd reason, they keep a gorilla in the basement. It seems he was there for experiments. Everyone is afraid of the gorilla and afraid he will break out. Soon the plot thickens as someone, or something, is stalking the house, trying to kill it's inhabitants. Is it the gorilla?
This is obviously a low budget film since we never see the actual exterior of the house and there isn't any actual rain effects, even when the characters are outside. And they are supposed to be staying there because it is too dangerous to drive back in the rain. Those facts aside, it is a creepy and fun movie. It moves a little slow and the story is simple but I enjoyed it either way.
In one scene the murderous creature puts its furry paw through a secret panel in the wall and tries to strangle a girl to death. When I saw that hand come out I was honestly overcome with a case of the shivers. The sight of it was scary alone. On top of that, the thought of being strangled by some body-less hand in the comfort of your bed is very frightening. This movie gave me the creeps and was totally worth the watch.
In one scene the murderous creature puts its furry paw through a secret panel in the wall and tries to strangle a girl to death. When I saw that hand come out I was honestly overcome with a case of the shivers. The sight of it was scary alone. On top of that, the thought of being strangled by some body-less hand in the comfort of your bed is very frightening. This movie gave me the creeps and was totally worth the watch.
Summing it Up
The Monster Walks may be an old low budget film but it does fairly well with the limited resources they had. The creepy atmosphere induced by the dimly lit old mansion and the creepy storm is greatly accented by the murderous thing that creeps through secret passages at night. Clocking in at only over an hour this movie makes for a short, and fun, romp in the macabre.
Deaths: 4
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 1
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 4
Overall Rating: 4
Deaths: 4
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 1
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 4
Overall Rating: 4
To learn more about my rating system click here.