When Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur teamed up to make their second picture, the world had been at war for four years. Both men were from Europe originally, and now called America home; they felt the sting of war with a double intensity. Both were interested in exploring the underrepresented—the female mind, the indefinable realm…
Val Lewton isn’t quite the household name he ought to be. Today, his films are seen as prime examples of low budget horror that rely on simple lighting and strong storytelling rather than special effects makeup or schlocky monsters.
Lewton’s films are seen as prime examples of low budget horror that rely on simple lighting and strong storytelling.
Filmmaker Val Lewton was hired by RKO to make movies to rival the Universal monster movies that had made that studio tons of money. Lewton took a different approach to the scary movie. With a smaller budget than Universal, Lewton managed to create a slate of psychological, atmospheric films that hold up today.
Many people enjoy watching scary movies to celebrate Halloween. Some like gory slasher flicks, but I prefer creepy, moody, psychological films. Some of the best are by RKO producer and writer Val Lewton (many of them directed by Jacques Tourneur). They usually run them on TCM this time of year, so keep an eye out…