Horrors Of The Black Museum (1959)

Released the same year as 'Psycho', this British horror movie also moves the genre away from the monsters and old dark castles that had defined it. Unlike the Hitchcock classic, though, it holds on to some of the pulpier tropes, and as a result feels far more dated.

Still, if one can view it in the context of its time, this is a fun little murder fest. Tame by today's standards, the killings are nonetheless delightfully creative and ghoulish, particularly the very first one.



Michael Gough, probably best known today for playing Alfred in Tim Burton's 'Batman' and its sequels, gives a fun performance as the film's main character, a crime writer who may be doing more than just writing. The direction is flat but professional. All in all, a reasonably entertaining old school "B" chiller.