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Film Description
An eminent Egyptologist has purchased a precious stone stolen from an Egyptian tomb. A great believer in the ancient gods of the people whose history he studies, when he is buried he has the stone entombed with him in the hope that it will appease the gods after death. The Professor is not dead, however, but in a trance – and when the stone is stolen from his tomb he returns as a ghoul, furious at the theft and hell-bent on wreaking revenge upon those responsible.
The first British film ever to be labelled ‘horrific’ (as well as being the first British horror ‘talkie’), The Ghoul was thought lost for many years until a subtitled print was found in Prague. Many years later a copy of the uncut British print was found, and it is this version which has undergone digital restoration for inclusion on this DVD. Starring Boris Karloff, Cedric Hardwicke and Ralph Richardson, this landmark film is a key title in any horror film collection.
Long considered to be a lost film, this first movie made by Boris Karloff after a return to England (his name established by the classic Universal horrors) finally sur... more >
Long considered to be a lost film, this first movie made by Boris Karloff after a return to England (his name established by the classic Universal horrors) finally surfaced in Britain in an almost unwatchable, subtitled print – the form in which most aficionados of the classic horror film have seen it – until now. Network’s exemplary transfer (from an excellent master found in the BFI archives) is a revelation. However, Karloff’s absence from the film for most of its relatively short running time is still a problem (as is the deeply unsympathetic hero), but Karloff’s scenes are remarkable – as the film’s atmospheric art direction, often worthy of the James Whale Universal films. There are another couple of plusses here: a lively and erudite commentary by horror mavens Kim Newman and Stephen Jones, plus a handsome, informative booklet by the latter. (Jones, amusingly, makes a pertinent observation in the commentary: why does Karloff look so hideous even before his revivification as a murderous zombie?) < less
