I think this is probably the first real foray into the Zombie realm for American horror films. I can't say I enjoyed the performances of any of the actors, primarily when you compare this to the great Universal monster films of the early to mid 1930's. It has a couple of creepy moments, but I thought there were way too many shots of Lugosi's eyes. He was also over-the-top for most of the movie. Madge Bellamy also had me chuckling when she transformed from hypnotized psuedo-Zombie to her living self. The way she slowly smiled to show she was back from her comatose state was silly.
The horrific threat doesn't do much for me as I am not a zombie movie fan. I'm not willing to give this a higher rating just because it is old and a semi-classic.
A little slow and tough to stay interested in.... The ending was kinda cool though.
Excruciatingly slow at times, but still quite the interesting watch. The stories around the voodoo zombies have always fascinated me, so it's quite weird I haven't gotten around to White Zombie before now. It also helps that Bela Lugosi is quite the creepy bastard in this as well, of course...
Recommended for those that are interested in the origins of zombies in films.
I have watched White Zombie many times, yet I keep forgetting just how boring it is. The only reason I originally wanted to see it was because one of my favorite metal bands shares the same name, so I thought "how bad can it be?" Pretty bad, turns out.
So, first off, this is barely a horror movie. Sure, there are "zombies," but not in the Night of the Living Dead sense; we're talking voodoo magic. The story is more a dark romance with horror shoved in.
Is there anything good about this? Obviously Bela Lugosi knocks this out of the park - the man was a horror icon. Madge Bellamy is also a highlight - I don't know if she was technically considered a vamp, but she had that classic beauty found in some of the women from that era.
Beyond that, the movie offers nothing. The acting is pretty bad, and in the way would have fit with the overacting needed for a silent film. In fact, would this have been silent, I think it would be vastly better.
I honestly believe there's a good story in here somewhere, but when you consider what White Zombie is actually about, is gets creepy fast: a guy wants a girl, but he can't have her, so he gets Legendre to drug her to the point of being a walking vegetable.
Even if the film did everything else correct, it's completely undercut by the final line. I absolutely hate when humor is shoved into horror, and no era was more guilty of that than the 1930s.
Anyway, the movie is a must watch for fans of Lugosi, but only once.
Shout by CaesarBlockedParent2021-03-19T21:44:17Z
That vulture squeak scared the shit out of me!! The film that started zombie legacy. It's surprisingly a good classic. Great story and atmosphere. Describes zombie as soulless walking dead rather than flesh eater that now we're familiar with. Lugosi is meant to play the role. He's just classy, expensive, brilliant and hypnotizing.