Wordiezett So much average

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

classicsoncall Every year Turner Classics employs the weekends of October to prepare for the annual Halloween holiday. One of their themes this year was the appropriately named 'rogue body parts', kicked off by the airing of this Peter Lorre horror classic from 1935. I had to think about the rogue body parts business but it makes perfect sense if you think about it and how it relates to the story here.If you've never seen a bald Peter Lorre before you're in for a treat. The look adds to an already demented and creepy appearance usually augmented by those shifty eyes, and with director Karl Freund's effective use of shadow and light, there are times Dr. Gogol (Lorre) takes on an almost demonic appearance. At one point in the story, Gogol comes almost completely unglued as he removes an intricately devised harness from his neck and head that would have made Hannibal Lecter proud.As desperate as the circumstances are for Gogol's patient Steven Orlac (Colin Clive) and his wife Yvonne (Frances Drake), the picture manages to interject a fair amount of humor into the story. Gogol's housekeeper Marie (Sarah Haden) is an absolute trip with her pet cockatoo. In one particular scene the photographer captured a wonderful shadow of the bird on her shoulder affecting an over-sized headdress. Newspaperman Reagan (Ted Healy) played off the housekeeper in a couple of scenes that would have convinced you this was a comedy had the overall story not been so grim.Ultimately the film ends in tragedy for Gogol who goes mad in his obsession for the love of a woman he can never attain. The theme of 'each man kills the thing he loves' runs throughout the picture, though in Dr. Gogol's case, he is pre-empted by the accurate throw of a knife by the hand he grafted onto the arm of Orlac, an irony easily overlooked during the frantic finish of this off beat horror film.If the idea of crawling hands appeals to you, I would direct you to the 1960 film "Tormented", or better yet, have another go round with Peter Lorre in the 1946 film "The Beast With Five Fingers". That film followed "Mad Love" on this year's rogue body parts extravaganza on Turner Classics.

TheRedDeath30 Thank the gods for the internet, huh? In this modern age, internet communities and online reviews give us a chance to discover films that would otherwise go well below our radar. It is was the case that I found this movie to be highly recommended by several sources and it did not disappoint.I have been a monster kid since I was a young one in the 70s and read every horror movie history book I could get my hands on, but this movie never seemed to pop up in those mentions. Part of that is no doubt due to its' oddity among its' 30s brethren. This is a not a "monster movie" as was so popular during those days. Instead it predates the more thriller oriented horror of the 40s that would come later on, focusing instead on a deranged and slightly maniacal doctor longing for a love that he cannot have. Doing a little research on the movie, I also find that critics were not kind to it during its' day, but have come around in the past few decades, probably another reason that it is more mentioned now than it was during its' time.That seems to be a surprise because the movie is a horror fiend's dream. Based on a novel that had already been filmed as THE HANDS OF ORLAC with CALIGARI's Conrad Veidt. Directed by legendary cinematographer Karl Freund, with a script from Guy Endore, whose novel THE WEREWOLF OF Paris was a heralded classic made into the Hammer film CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF. The cast features the wonderful Peter Lorre in his first American role, along with Doc Frankenstein himself, Colin Clive. All of these parts together were almost certain to yield something worthwhile.The beginning of the movie sets a dark tone right from the start. Using the Grand Guignol stage as its' backdrop, we are immersed in a world of chills, as each employee of the theatre is dressed in spooky costume, before our heroine takes the stage in a production that would make Mario Bava proud. From there, we go to a beheading, complete with shiny, sharp guillotine and gallows humor. While there are no fantastic monsters present (as in Universal's work of the time), there are certainly chills to mark this firmly in horror territory.The story strays from the plot of the earlier HANDS OF ORLAC by placing much more emphasis on the new character of Dr. Gogol, played by Lorre. He's the glue holding this movie together, as he displays impressive range. We know from the beginning that there's something a little off about him. Clearly, he's obsessed with the heroine and maybe a little too much with torture, beheadings and deathly theater. In an early scene, we see that he's a little bit socially backwards as he takes an opportunity for a peck on the cheek with our heroine as a chance to plant a deep kiss on her.From there, his obsession spirals out of control, just as much as his grip on sanity seems to be spiraling downwards. His plot to make Yvonne his own ultimately ends with a dastardly surgery and murderous plot. By the time he comes to dress as a dead serial killer to further his ruse with Orlac, it's clear that he's crossed from damaged goods to full- on maniacal villain.The directing of Freund is spot on, as always. His movies look incredible and this is no exception. Watch the early conversation between Gogol and Yvonne in her dressing room and the use of close ups for a director clearly in firm grasp of his craft. The movie would work almost as effectively on mute as it does with sound.I recommend this to any fan of early horror or thrillers. What it may lack in a memorable monster, it more than makes up for by presenting a good story with great characters.

AaronCapenBanner Karl Freund directed this stylish and creepy film starring Peter Lorre(memorable in a star-making performance) as Doctor Gogol, a lonely surgeon madly in love with stage actress Yvonne Orlac, though his affection is sadly spurned because she is already married to a successful pianist(played by Colin Clive). When his hands are later damaged in a train accident, his only hope for recovery is...Dr. Gogol! Desperate, Yvonne begs him to help her husband, and he agrees, but uses the hands of recently executed murderer Rollo, who seems to pass on his strangling ways to the pianist. Can Yvonne save her husband, and stop Gogol? Effective horror film holds up well today, though Gogol may provoke laughter as much as fear...(Nothing wrong with that here though!)

Scott LeBrun Screen legend Peter Lorre makes a grand American debut in the starring role of this solid shocker, a rare contribution by MGM to the horror film cycle of the 1930s. He's utterly off his rocker, yet not completely unsympathetic in a story that's just one of many adaptations of "The Hands of Orlac" to be filmed over the years.Colin Clive of "Frankenstein" fame plays Stephen Orlac, a renowned concert pianist whose hands are crushed in a horrible train accident. What's a piano player to do without his hands? Stephens' wife Yvonne (beautiful Frances Drake) approaches eminent surgeon Dr. Gogol (Lorre) to work his magic. Well, what Gogol does is take the hands of a recently executed murderer (Edward Brophy) and attach them to Stephen's arms. Soon Stephens' hands seem to be acting on their own and developing a flair for throwing knives. This is perfect for Gogol, who now sees a way to worm his way into the life of Yvonne, an actress in Grand Guignol productions whom he's lusted after for a long time.Lorre is fantastic in the role of the demented Gogol. He's a delight to watch, especially in one memorable sequence where Gogol, in disguise, is attempting to influence Stephens' fragile mind. Gogol is a pretty twisted guy; not only does he get turned on by the atrocities in Yvonnes' plays, but he's a regular attendee at public executions. The rest of the cast is fine, with Clive in a slightly more restrained performance than the one he gave as Henry Frankenstein. It's nice to see Keye Luke in a small role, but the comedy relief by co-stars Ted Healy (as a stereotypically pushy reporter) and May Beatty (as Gogols' maid) is just too much. Talented cameraman and cinematographer Karl Freund ("The Mummy"), in what was unfortunately his last directorial credit, guides the whole thing with admirable style. Here he does a great job of showing us just why the concept of this story has endured for so long.Any fan of the studio genre pictures from this period is advised to seek out "Mad Love". It's good macabre fun - well paced, well shot, and well edited, and an impressive showcase for a very distinctive actor.Eight out of 10.