DbcultAccessing Vault...
Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
So, "Queen of the Northwoods." If you're wondering if this old serial from way back in the 1920s is worth tracking down today, well, it really depends on what you're looking for. Die-hard silent film buffs and folks obsessed with the sheer oddity of early cinema might find some strange charm here. But if you're hoping for anything remotely resembling modern pacing, acting, or even a plot that makes consistent sense, you're probably going to be in for a rough time. This one's definitely not for casual viewers. 🕰️
Let's talk about the villain first: the "Wolf Devil." His head covering isn't just a mask; it's like someone literally just took a real wolf's head and stuck it on. It’s wildly unsettling and also, frankly, a little bit goofy. You can't unsee it. 👀
His whole thing is wanting to "eradicate the non-native races from Alaska." That’s a pretty hefty goal for a guy in a fur hat, wouldn't you say? Most serial bad guys are after a gold mine or some land deed. This fellow thinks on a much, much grander, and frankly, kinda impossible, scale.
It gives the serial a certain… ambition, I guess. Even if the execution often feels like it's happening in a very small, dusty studio lot, not the vast Alaskan wilderness.
Our heroine, Ethlyne Clair, gets caught by this Wolf Devil. There's a scene where she's captured, and it leads into one of the most puzzling plot points: "drugs are involved."
Now, this isn't handled with any real subtlety. It's more like a convenient way to incapacitate someone without much explanation. She just… kinda goes limp. The depiction of whatever these "drugs" are feels so quaint, almost like a parlor trick, rather than anything genuinely dangerous. It makes you pause. 😬
The acting itself is pure silent film melodrama. Lots of wide eyes, dramatic gestures, and expressions that practically scream their meaning across the screen. Ethlyne Clair does her best with what she's given, which is mostly reacting to one predicament after another.
The pacing, as you'd expect from a serial, is a bit of a rollercoaster. There are long stretches of characters just moving around, then sudden bursts of action or a dramatic cliffhanger. Sometimes the action doesn't quite land, like a punch that clearly misses by a foot. 😅
There's this one moment where a henchman slips on what looks like a conveniently placed banana peel, but it's supposed to be treacherous ice. It's a blink-and-you-miss-it thing, but it cracked me up.
The Northwoods themselves don't always look, well, *Northwoodsy*. You can practically see the stage lights in some of the outdoor scenes. It adds to the charm, in a weird way. It's like they're putting on a play just for you.
You can almost feel the filmmakers trying to stretch every penny. The same few props and backdrops show up again and again. It makes the grand ambition of the Wolf Devil's plan feel even more absurd, playing out in such a constrained space.
So, is it good? Probably not by modern standards. But is it interesting? Absolutely. It’s a messy, enthusiastic relic from a different era of filmmaking. You watch it less for the tight storytelling and more for the sheer experience of how movies used to be.
It's like finding a strange old toy in an attic. It doesn't work like new toys, but it has a story, and a whole lot of personality. This serial certainly has personality. Especially that wolf head. 🐺
IMDb 5.7
1920
Community
Log in to comment.
