Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy (2005 Video) User Reviews

Excellent overview of the RKO films of Val Lewton

[dbborroughs · 8/10 · 30 January 2006]

With a collection of Hollywood horror big guns talking about the films they love, this documentary on the life and career of Val Lewton is bound to make make you want to dive into his best known horror films.

Focusing on the nine horror films that Letwton made for RKO this film is as much about what is scary and the horror film's changing face as it is about its subject. Lewton, he produced the films and had input on the scripts, pretty much changed the face of horror as we know it. Gone were the monsters we could see, killed mostly due to budgetary considerations, and in their place we were given monsters of the mind, with horrors we never saw, only imagined. The films ended up being scarier as a result because the monster could be what ever we imagined it to be and not a man in a suit. Lewton's work foreshadowed the films of the 1960's including Hitchcock's Psycho.

This is a breezy 53 minutes that really only suffers in that you don't want it to end. Packaged as part of a DVD box set of the films, I'm hard pressed as when to say you should watch the film, before you dive into the films or after. I don't think it matters so long as you see it.

WATCH HIS FILMS FIRST! This documentary on a great filmmaker contains major spoilers on his films best moments.

[Death_to_Pan_and_Scan · 8/10 · 8 August 2006]

The contribution made by Val Lewton and his group to horror films is quite important in the history of the genre and this documentary has some big names of that genre telling you why.

For the uninitiated it might be a double edged sword. Watching this WILL tell you why you really need to see his 9 horror films made for RKO if you are truly interested in the genre (and probably even if you aren't considering how his films strayed from the traditional formula for horror films at that time at studios like Universal). The problem is that if you watch this documentary before seeing any of the films in it (most specifically 'Leopard Man', 'Seventh Victim') you will undermine the effect a few of those films' best scenes could have had on you in their first viewing. It even gives away the ending of 'Seventh Victim'.

This film does a good job of pointing out why Lewton's films are still effective when others of the period seem dated and tells you how much these films have helped to influence others working in the horror genre. It could be argued that the things discussed in the documentary could just as easily be stated in a good book about Lewton, but its nice to see some big names in horror saying them (writers like Richard Matheson and Neil Gaiman, directors like George A. Romero and William 'Exorcist' Friedkin, etc.).

I recommend watching this but only after seeing the films it discusses. Since it was made as part of a DVD set of Lewton's 9 horror films, you probably have those movies with you anyways, so please watch them first. Watching this first is almost like popping in a DVD of a movie you've never seen and watching the commentary track before you've even seen the film.

Shadows In The Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy (Constantin Nasr, 2005; TV) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 29 October 2006]

Serviceable rather than outstanding documentary (close to one hour in length) about Val Lewton, the celebrated producer of a series of nine classic - and highly influential - horror films made at RKO in the 1940s; it's part of Warner's 5-Disc THE VAL LEWTON COLLECTION Box Set (included as a double-feature with THE SEVENTH VICTIM [1943]).

Apart from the films themselves (which are dealt with in more detail - though not all of them! - in the individual Audio Commentaries on their respective discs), it touches upon his entire life and career. Therefore, I was somewhat disappointed to find that CAT PEOPLE (1942) takes up a lot of the running-time - having been the first film in the series - while THE GHOST SHIP (1943) and ISLE OF THE DEAD (1945) are once again overlooked; in fact, the three Boris Karloff films are discussed simultaneously - with, for instance, BEDLAM (1946) cited as being Lewton's best film but with no proper context provided to back up such a statement (with which many would argue to begin with, myself included)!

Still, all the participants - including film-makers such as Joe Dante, William Friedkin, John Landis, George A. Romero and Robert Wise (at the time, the sole surviving member of Lewton's "Snake Pit" unit), as well as the critics/writers who contributed to the various Audio Commentaries (it was especially nice to be able to see the face behind the voice) - are clearly well-informed, enthusiastic and reverential about their subject, so that, in the end, the documentary proves well worth viewing (if not the penetrating look at the man himself - what really made him tick, essentially - one would have wished for).

Fascinating

[bensonmum2 · 9/10 · 18 October 2005]

When there's something I enjoy as much as the Val Lewton movies, I simply cannot get enough information. Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy is a fascinating look at the man and his work. The documentary covers everything from Lewton's arrival in America as a child to his early work for David O. Selznick to the nine horror films he made for RKO. The stories and details of Lewton's life and films are presented through a series of interviews with experts on cinema, directors and screenwriters working today, and Lewton's son. The documentary obviously focuses and spends most of its runtime on the RKO period. The film makes it clear that what I've come to know as the "Lewton Look" was as much a budgetary issue as a conscious decision on his part. The only complaint I have is that it wasn't longer.

Long overdue and excellent documentary

[preppy-3 · 10/10 · 29 December 2008]

Legendary producer Val Lewton who made some of the scariest horror films of all time finally gets a documentary about his life and the movies. It quickly (but fully) covers his early life and explains how he got to work for RKO Pictures and produce "The Cat People", "I Walked With a Zombie", "Bedlam", "The Body Snatcher", "The Leopard Man", "Isle of the Dead", the long unseen "Ghost Ship" and "The Seventh Victim". "Curse of the Cat People" is pretty much ignored but that's understandable--it's not really a horror film despite the title. They talk to coworkers, relatives, friends, other horror directors and film historians who get into how he made the films and why they're so important. What I find most interesting is that the studios GAVE him the titles and told him to make a story out of the title! It's incredible what classics he made with no money and just a title to work on. If you're a fan of his horror films (like me) you'll find this absolutely riveting. At 53 minutes it also doesn't wear out its welcome. Just fascinating. A 10 all the way.

Just What Is Known About Val Lewton?

[BaronBl00d · 9/10 · 4 September 2006]

For many average film-goers the name of Val Lewton means absolutely nothing. For genre enthusiasts(in horror)the name begins to have greater meaning, and if you are a horror fan of the the horror films of the 30s and 40s - then Val Lewton is not just an important name but a giant. Val Lewton was a producer that produced a group of atmospherically charged, elegantly filmed, subtly contexed films from a period roughly from 1942 to 1945 or so. These films were horror films that were meant to help dig RKO out of the mire that Orson Welles had put them in with his Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons. RKO would give Lewton a title and he would assemble the script, the director, the crew team, the actors, and then blend them all together to make not only viable box office hits but some of the most powerfully symbolic, metaphorical, suggestive horror films ever made. Included in these films were Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, The Body Snatcher, and The Leopard Man. Shadows in the Dark chronicles Lewton's impact in the genre and gives us some information about his life. It is a short(53) minutes that goes by very pleasantly and leaves you wanting to know more about the man and his films. Horror icons and writers such as George Romero, William Freidkin, Richard Matheson, and so on give their takes on the legacy of Lewton and his films. Val Lewton's son is on hand to probably give the best insights into the world of his father. This is a wonderful documentary that comes with the five disc set released in 2005 with 9 of Lewton;s films. Although the documentary is very engaging and has lots of information in it I had not realized, I had wished that they would have examined each film in a bit more depth. It certainly left me hungering for more.

Great Look At A Great Man

[gavin6942 · 8/10 · 12 August 2013]

Documentary about the great 1940s horror movie producer Val Lewton, featured on the 2005 DVD release "The Val Lewton Horror Collection."

You will learn how Lewton saved RKO by making successful B-movies between 1942 and 1946. How he opposed the idea of "Gone With the Wind", which was a mistake on Lewton's part. How he inspired Richard Matheson to write Lewton a letter, and thus change the history of horror cinema... no Matheson, no great horror of the 1960s!

John Landis calls Cat People's ethics "demented" and sees a lot of sexuality in the plot. Was it there? Maybe. Others have commented on the sexuality and homosexuality of Lewton's films, including "Cat People" and "The Seventh Victim". Was he a more clever script writer than already given credit for?

Very Good

[Michael_Elliott · 12 March 2008]

Shadows in the Dark (2005)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Another wonderful documentary from Warner, this time covering the career of Val Lewton and the nine horror films he made for RKO. The documentary does a great job at showing how Orson Welles pretty much destroyed RKO and how Lewton's horror films saved the studio from going out of business. As usual there's a lot of historians and fans talking about the films, which is always fun to see. It's also nice to see these horror films get their due on DVD. The one downfall with the film is that there's really not too much known about Lewton so this leads to a lot of questions not getting answered.

Good look at Lewton and his continuing presence

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 13 March 2021]

Part of The Val Lewton Horror Collection, this documentary explains the magic of Val Lewton. Directed by Constantine Nasr (who has created many featurettes for DVDs), it unites William Friedkin, Joe Dante, John Landis, Mick Garris, Guillermo del Toro, Kim Newman, George Romero and many more to help tell the story.

Lewton was only alive for 47 years, but in that time - working late into the night - he created a shadow world of noir and suggestion that was the funhouse mirror of the Universal big monster shows. Lewton always wrote the final draft of the screenplays. Movies like Cat People, I Walked With A Zombie, The Body Snatcher, The Seventh Victim, Isle of the Dead, The Curse of the Cat People and Bedlam are part of the language that we use to bring horror to film.

Lewton's films may have been horror movies that only cost $150,000, but unlike many in Hollywood, he was giving artistic freedom within those confines. Before even starting to work at RKO, he said, "They may think I'm going to do the usual chiller stuff which'll make a quick profit, be laughed at, and be forgotten, but I'm going to fool them...I'm going to do the kind of suspense movie I like."

Unlike those aforementioned films, Lewton understood that true terror remained in the shadows and never showed its face. "If you make the screen dark enough," he said, "the mind's eye will read into it anything you want."

Who else could have produced a film that featured the line "We've found that there is no Heaven on Earth, so we must worship evil for evil's own sake."?*

You'll learn just enough about Lewton by watching this. You'll get so much more actually watching his movies.

*The Seventh Victim, an astoundingly dark film.

Death After Life Doth Greatly Please.

[rmax304823 · 8/10 · 17 May 2010]

Between 1942 and 1946 the Russian immigrant Val Lewton produced a series of low-budget, B-level horror movies for the almost-bankrupt RKO Studios and turned most of them into near masterpieces.

The grandiose Orson Welles had practically demolished RKO with "Citizen Kane" and "The Magnificent Ambersons" and the studio was in desperate need of money. The studio heads looked towards Universal Studios, raking in the shekels with one monster movie after another -- "Frankenstein," "The Bride of Frankenstein," "The House of Frankenstein," "The Briss of the Son of Frankenstein." They all made hordes of dough. Well, then, why not have Val Lewton, who was working in a story department, produce some imitations?

A good idea. They told Lewton he could hire anyone on the RKO payroll and use standing sets, which saved a great deal in the way of expense. The vast staircase that RKO had built for Welles' "The Magnificent Ambersons" could now be put to use as an inclined plane for some hairy monster. Lewton didn't get to choose his titles though. The studio threw them at him. And look at the hand Lewton was dealt.

The Cat People, The Curse of the Cat People, I Walked With a Zombie, The Leopard Man, Bedlam, The Ghost Ship, The Body Snatcher, The Seventh Victim

Has there ever been a list of titles with less promise?

But Lewton pretty much fooled all of them. While the moguls ignored him, Lewton, the Russian anxiety neurotic, ground out some of the most literate and scary scripts the psychological horror genre has ever known.

There's no space here to go over Lewton's biography, which this documentary treats in just enough detail, nor to limn an aesthetic appreciation of his work, which narrator James Cromwell and a dozen talking heads do satisfactorily.

It's just worth noting that nothing quite like Lewton's films had been done before. In Lewton's movies no human being in a shaggy monster costume ever descended that Amberson staircase. The horror was always in the ominous, noirish shadows and the slight but unsettling sounds that might become a monstrous hiss or screech at any moment.

I don't know that today's kids would find these films particularly likable today, or scary, for that matter. Nobody's head gets wrenched off. Screams are infrequent. Lewton's characters speak in polite tones, logically, quietly, urbanely. He was a perfectionist in this regard and in some others, such as set dressing and source music. He made certain his characters had full lives and were fully fleshed out and were propelled by realistic mixed motives.

People were seen at their jobs, for instance -- a teacher sings along with her kids, a nurse cares for her patient. In his first movie, "The Cat People," Lewton even managed to stage a couple of scenes in the offices of a marine engineer! He always edited and rewrote the final draft of the script, so although he worked with two different directors, the actual "auteur" in his films was Lewton himself.

The movies tended towards fatalism. Lewton was often ill. He died at forty-six. And he was constantly worried that he would be fired. Maybe that influenced his work. He provided "more clouds of gray than any Russian play could guarantee." How often, in a movie of the 1940s, does a heroine, who is being pursued by a band of devil worshipers intent on killing her, finally give up all hope, say "the hell with it," and hang herself, as happens in his most despairing movie, "The Seventh Victim"?

It's a splendidly done appreciation of Lewton, his colleagues, and their work. The subtlety of his films is sadly missed today.

Excellent overview

[cotto-1 · 8/10 · 19 January 2023]

A great overview of Lewton's career. Especially good because it ties the mid-century and modern creators of horror cinema back to Lewton as an influence. I could have listened to some of them talk for another half-hour. Harlan Ellison is especially insightful and generous with his praise of Lewton's style of filmmaking.

I think it could have gone a bit deeper into Lewton's psyche and how that played into the subtext of his films, but that's also been covered extensively elsewhere, so maybe this was better off with the approach it took.

I do wish that my favorite Lewton film, Curse of the Cat People, had gotten more than a cursory mention at the end. The films that seemed to get the most time spent of them were Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, The Leopard Man, The Seventh Victim and The Body Snatcher -- the last of which this documentary definitely convinced me that I need to see soon. It's a glaring hole in my movie watching.

Bringing Lewton Into the Light

[NoDakTatum · 8/10 · 22 October 2023]

Horror film fans can rattle off many names: favorite actors and actresses, stylish directors, writers who dish out nightmares, and even special effects supervisors who make those nightmares real. This documentary covers Val Lewton, a film producer who did less than a dozen films in the 1940's, but influenced every actor, director, and writer working in horror today. Lewton was born in 1904 in Russia, coming to the United States when his parents' marriage ended. He and his mother moved in with his aunt, famed Broadway actress Alla Nazimova. Lewton was well read and imaginative, writing in every medium. He wrote radio scripts, nonfiction articles, short stories, and published his first novel when he was 22. He was fired from a newspaper for fabricating a story about dying chickens, and began to work as a story editor for the difficult film producer David O. Selznick, and was involved with many high profile productions including "Gone With the Wind." Lewton wrote the famous scene where Scarlett O'Hara walks among the hundreds of wounded soldiers at the train station because he did not think it would be shot. He also expected the film to bomb, and was obviously wrong. RKO Pictures, tired of losing money on Orson Welles' films, decided to produce horror films and profit like Universal was doing then. RKO hired Lewton, handed him a bunch of terrible titles and no money, and Lewton, who had never produced a film before, got to work. The titles of these films are now classics of the horror genre: "Cat People," "Curse of the Cat People," "I Walked with a Zombie," "The Body Snatcher," "Isle of the Dead," "Bedlam," "The Leopard Man," "The Ghost Ship," and "The Seventh Victim." Lewton died too early, in 1951 at age 46.

Narrated by James Cromwell, the documentary's producers pull out some big guns to talk about Lewton. Directors and writers Joe Dante, William Friedkin, Guillermo del Toro, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Mick Garris, John Landis, George A. Romero, and Richard Matheson all point out Lewton's brilliance at internalizing horror instead of dragging out yet another cheesy monster. Lewton's son and Boris Karloff's daughter speak of their fathers' wonderful working relationship in three films. While Lewton may not be a household name today, horror fans would be rewarded with a viewing of his films. You may have seen the "jump scare" a million times before, now see where they were invented.