THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

—The Picture of Dorian Gray ( Warner Home Video ) : This 1945 adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic novel of an aristocrat who stays young in spite of years of devoting himself to all manners of Sin ( with a capital 'S' ) while his portrait ages into a hideous monster is here, at last, on DVD. The elegant, icy Hurd Hatfield stars as young Dorian, who heeds the advice of his mentor Lord Henry ( George Sanders ) and forsakes his innocent love Sybil ( Angela Lansbury in an Oscar-nominated performance ) for a life of debauchery. As the years pass and Dorian remains unchanged, he resorts to blackmail and murder to keep his secret safe. Set at the turn of the 20th century the film is a triumph on every score—from MGM's lush sets, costumes, elegant photography, and music by Herbert Stothart to the performances of Hatfield, Lansbury as the luckless Sybil and Donna Reed as her aristocratic successor. But Sanders, playing the ultimate cynic wins top honors and only surpassed himself five years later playing 'venomous fishwife Addison DeWitt' in 1950's All About Eve. Not to be overlooked is the magnificent Ivan Albright painting of the monstrous Dorian. ( It's part of the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago and is something to be seen in person. ) Director Albert Lewin makes the canny choice to show both the before and after paintings in color, while the rest of the film is in lustrous black and white, as shot by director of photography Harry Stradling.

Also not to be overlooked is the weighty homoeroticism in the film—unnamed homosexuality, the ultimate sin, is the unspoken link between all the male characters ( although the women are ignored, treated contemptuously or badly used ) and the movie, like the book, is a sort of backhanded warning against the dangers of acting on 'forbidden' gay desires. Every time I see this entertaining gothic horror romance I have the same wish: that Dorian and Lord Henry will just act on their desires, settle down together and leave the portrait to rot in the attic. The disc includes a new commentary track by a film historian and Angela Lansbury. It's highly recommended.

—Fox Horror Classics Vol. 1 and 2, ( 20th Century Fox ) : Fox's new edition in the series includes the strangely fascinating Dr. Chandu, Dr. Renault's Secret and the Vincent Price-Gene Tierney gothic horror Dragonwyck —all worth checking out. But even more enjoyable is the series' first volume, also a three-disc set. It features 1944's The Lodger and 1945's Hangover Square, the only two vehicles that starred gay actor Laird Cregar. Both are sensational Victorian-era melodramas set in a foggy, threatening London ( photographed in sumptuous black and white ) . In the first, Cregar plays Jack the Ripper, who, at one point, talks almost incestuously about his late brother's portrait. In the second, he plays George Harvey Bone, a composer driven to murder every time he hears a dissonant chord. Bernard Herrmann, the acknowledged dean of film composers, supplied the masterly 'Concerto Macabre' that is played at the climax of the film. Sadly, Cregar died ( from a weakened heart after crash dieting ) before Hangover Square was released to great acclaim. Both films were directed by John Cromwell who also helmed the atmospheric The Undying Monster which is the third title in the set. Fox includes several new featurettes, including a mini biography on the short career of Cregar.

—Icons of Horror Collection, Hammer Films ( Sony ) : Who doesn't love watching the Hammer Films horror classics from the 1960s, especially during Halloween? Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing seemed to star in dozens of these elegant movies, stuffed with their screaming vapid beauties, fang-baring vampires ( with the largest fangs ever seen ) and the modest gore that was seen as too much at the time of their release. This two-disc set includes two winners and two okay programmers, though all are enjoyable Halloween fare. The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb and the Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll suffer when compared to other film versions, but Scream of Fear is a forgotten little gem—filmed in deep focus black and white—from director Seth Holt ( who later went on to direct Bette Davis in the camp shocker The Anniversary ) . Susan Strasberg is a wheelchair-bound heiress who moves in with her widowed stepmother and begins having visions of her dead father. Is she losing her mind? A hunky chauffeur, atmospheric lighting and a creepy, rarely used pool ( shades of Diabolique ) add to the suspense in this neat little thriller. The other stand out is The Gorgon, with both Cushing and Lee taking center stage. Apparently, the spirit of the ancient Greek female monster with snakes in her hair and the ability to turn anyone who looks at her to stone is roaming the countryside in an unnamed Eastern European countryside. The film, long on the patented Hammer atmosphere ( including storms, fog, deserted castle and creepy theme music ) , was the stuff of my childhood nightmares and it's still great fun to watch. Trailers are included for all four films.

—Mother of Tears ( Weinstein Company ) : Giallo horror meister Dario Argento finally finished his 'three witches' trilogy with this over-the-top horror story that stars his daughter, Asia, as an art student who unwittingly releases the most powerful and malevolent of the three witches. I found the film both creepy and campy when it hit theatres last fall. ( There is so much gore it becomes laughable. ) Believe it or not, this unrated edition features even more gore, which will most likely please fans of gore porn—but I always close my eyes anyway so I can't tell you what fresh horrors are included. The film, though not nearly as hypnotic and memorable as Argento's 1977 Suspiria, which began the trilogy, has enough thrilling sequences to strongly recommend it for those looking for something much more horrific than the titles above.