mark.waltz When the weapon a killer uses looks exactly like a butter knife, you know reality is missing from the story you are about to see. That is the case with "The Haunted Strangler", an obscure Gothic thriller starring the legendary Boris Karloff two years after the death of his so-called rival, Bela Lugosi. This spooky looking melodrama is about a doctor's determination to find out the truth about a series of 20 year old murders that sent one man to the gallows and caused the disappearance of the man he believes to be the killer. Karloff, looking exactly as he did 20 years ago, is still the grand old man of horror, and comes off unscathed in a predictable story that sadly becomes obvious from the start. This is, however, still quite enjoyable as a study of grand guignol, the type of Gothic horror movie rarely made today without an overabundance of special effects. It's a step above the Monogram "Z" grade thrillers of the 40's. There are some unintentional chuckles, especially the "gruesome" face of the actual strangler which certainly gives the visual for the term "pickle puss". The scene where Karloff goes exploring a long-closed graveyard in the middle of the night is actually quite chilling, adding to the already spooky photography that is the film's highlight.

MartinHafer This is a unique film from Boris Karloff. I certainly can't say I've seen another film quite like it.Karloff plays a writer who is investigating the execution of "The Haymarket Strangler" twenty years earlier. Despite people insisting that the man executed was the killer, something within Karloff makes him investigate further. Eventually, when he obtains the knife used in the murders, it unlocks a dark secret within himself and the movie takes a very unusual turn.The film is pretty exciting and unusual but there is a negative as well. Despite a generally good performance by Karloff (he was amazingly physical considering his age and arthritis), when he became "mad", his face contorted in the most comical manner. Instead of making him look menacing, he just looked like he was mentally challenged. It just didn't work.Overall, compared to many of the later Karloff films, this one is pretty good--with decent production values and script. While not a great film, it's a very good time passer and one that his fans should certainly see.

Martin Bradley The worst! I can't believe I actually sat to the end of this 'penny-dreadful' Victorian 'chiller' which is nothing more than a shameless exploitation of Boris Karloff as a kind of Jekyll and Hyde figure, very late in his career. It starts promisingly as Karloff sets out to investigate the case of a man he believes was wrongly hanged for being the strangler of the title, (could this be a serious plea for the abolition of the death penalty, I asked myself?), but it soon degenerates into a Todd Slaughter-like piece of ham with Karloff going completely over the top. (No, Boris; screwing your face up and closing one eye doesn't make you scary). One to avoid at all costs.

dbborroughs Boris Karloff is a crusading novelist trying to change the British legal system by looking into the Haymarket Strangler case. Boris is convinced the man hung for the crime didn't do it. Of course his investigation turns up proof that he was right, and that he himself was the killer. Well made and well acted little thriller is on okay film to have on in the background. Recently released by Criterion as part of a 4 film set its an okay time killer best watched late at night. To be certain Karloff is wonderful to watch, especially in the scene where he finds the important piece of evidence which proves him right and also slides him into madness. However the mover isn't anything special and can be a bit dull (too much music). (The criterion commentary is excellent and the real reason to pick this up)