White Zombie. (1932)

In 1931, Bela Lugosi starred in DRACULA, creating the still-iconic version of the character and launching the golden age of Universal Studios horror films. In 1932, he decided to one-up himself and brought a character to the screen who was so diabolical that he made ol' Drac look like Mister Rogers!

Bela's 'Murder' Legendre would not only kill you... He'd then dig you up, reanimate your sorry ass, and put you to work for him. Forever. All the while finding your situation wonderfully amusing. You could tell that Lugosi was having a blast with a character who was devoid of the slightest hint of redeeming conscience.

You'll probably find yourself looking REAL close at your sugar after seeing this film, though.

This was made not that many years after the transition from silent films to talkies, and some of the actors are still prone to the over-acting that was used to get the story across before sound. That, and the fact that WHITE ZOMBIE wasn't made by a major studio, allowed the picture to slip into relative obscurity. But it's one of Lugosi's best performances, done at the height of his powers!

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