Dark and Stormy Night (film)

In this marvelously fun film, writer, director, and actor Larry Blamire spoofs the horror films from the 1930's known as the "Old Dark House" genre. The plot is filled with silly characters and bizarre events and filmed in black and white. Many hallmarks of that genre are included: the reading of the will, multiple murders, a sinister butler, secret panels, stormy nights, stranded in a remote house, hands reaching from behind curtains, and an overheated musical score. There is even a guy in a gorilla suit (Bob Burns came out of retirement to play the gorilla).

Blamire's other films were The Lost Skeleton of Cadavera (2001) and The Lost Skeleton Returns Again (2009). Both of these films spoof the sci fi films of the 1950's. On initial watchings, I found that The Lost Skeleton of Cadavera was laugh out loud funny and Dark and Stormy Night had more style (and was less funny). On repeated viewings, I find them both very funny and charming. At least one other review mentioned that the Skeleton film had to grow on him. Once I got use to his approach, I enjoy all of Blamire's films.

In making the movie, Blamire used no digital special effects, but instead used miniatures and matte paintings for effects. Blamire uses a stock company of actors, which makes his films even more entertaining to me. In the commentary on Dark and Stormy Night, it seems obvious that Blamire and his crew all are knowledgeable of vintage movies and respectful of those films.

Examples of the vintage films spoofed here are:
The Cat and the Canary (1927), a silent horror film directed by Paul Leni.
The Old Dark House (1932), directed by James Whale.
One Frightened Night (1935), directed by Christy Cabanne. Story by Stuart Palmer, author of the Hildegarde Withers series; screenplay by Wellyn Totman. From Mascot Pictures, one of the "Poverty Row" studios.

Quote from this review at Dread Central:

Blamire is a mad genius. He creates films that perfectly mimic the old sci-fi, horror, and murder films of the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties by writing his scripts as they would have been written back then complete with vintage lingo and then films them in delicious black and white. The results are both as incredibly funny and even unintentionally funny as the original films of that era seem now. They're just absolutely charming.

Some other articles online about this movie.

• TV Tropes calls it an "affectionate parody."
• As I was writing this post, I discovered a detailed post at The Passing Tramp website featuring several "Old Dark House" movies and Blamire's Dark and Stormy Night. Please check it out here.