Menzies’ use of models throughout the film and the first-person POV shots of the people running through tunnels and hallways is definitely ahead of its time. With a solid cast of actors and large, looming shadows threatening to drown out the supernatural aspects, the film is a solid slice of b-grade cinema. And with great plunging shadows, good comedy/adventure beats alike, and lots of visual effects from director William Cameron Menzies ( The Thief of Bagdad), Chandu the Magician is a certified blast from the past. Melodrama is the rule of thumb throughout the tale. Based off one of the longest running radio serials, the movie is breezy and well paced, never once boring its audience with needless exposition. Chandu the Magician is a pre-code fantasy picture and it’s as much fun as it sounds. He plays Roxor, an evil mastermind hell-bent on ruling nations with the destructive power of a new invention. “Now are you ready to tell me the secrets of the death ray,” snarls Bela Lugosi as the all-black wearing villain in Chandu the Magician.
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