fritzfassbender

The Climax is a gorgeous film due to the breathtaking Technicolor, and Boris Karloff himself is more elegantly presented than in any film he made.

However, the story is lightweight melodrama, and the film as a whole is a weak attempt to recreate the success of Phantom of the Opera. Turhan Bay as the male lead is a poor replacement for Nelson Eddy, and the rest of the cast is just acceptable.

Karloff is always good, but he's not that engaged with the material as this film was part of a one-year contract he took at Universal to cash in before the second horror boom faded away.

Those looking to see The Climax will enjoy it much more if they keep their expectations low.

This was the first Bollywood movie I've ever seen, and I have read that by Bollywood standards it's considered bad, but I got a tremendous kick out of this movie.

I rented it due to the Nightmare on Elm Street link, but I was amazed just how blatant the rip-offs are. The first half of the movie follows the original film almost exactly, even in small details. The soundtrack is a light variation of the original, but there were many scenes where it sounded like not one note had been changed.

In terms of popcorn enjoyment, this movie is delightful. There's literally something for everyone: horror, music, goofy comedy, tawdry drama. There's a little bit of gore; the only missing ingredient is nudity. The murderer is at times goofy, but he has no dialog, so the horror scenes are rarely spoiled.

Most surprising of all, Mahakaal actually has a few moments where it's genuinely good. A murder involving real cobras is very creepy, and the fact that it rips of NOES' effective soundtrack helps at times to enhance the horror. There's also a very effective musical sequence in a Disco Bar that actually helps the plot, using an interesting visual technique along with catchy music.

While no classic, Mahakaal is a must for cult movie enthusiasts. Hopefully, it's release on DVD will lead to a rediscovery.