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Blu-Ray : Highly Recommended
Ranking:
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Release Date: October 22nd, 2013 Movie Release Year: 2013

The Vincent Price Blu-ray Collection

Overview -

The set includes 'Fall Of The House Of Usher,' 'The Haunted Palace,' 'The Masque Of Red Death,' 'The Pit and the Pendulum,' 'Witchfinder General' (plus 'The Conqueror Worm'), and 'The Abominable Dr. Phibes.'

OVERALL:
Highly Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
Region A Locked
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Length:
0
Aspect Ratio(s):
1.85:1
Audio Formats:
English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Special Features:
Trailers
Release Date:
October 22nd, 2013

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

The Pit and the Pendulum

A delicious blend of darkly-moody atmospherics, stylish Gothic visuals, and moments of spine-chilling suspense, 'The Pit and the Pendulum' is the second in an eight-film series from Roger Corman loosely based on the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe. Interestingly, Poe's original tales of horror are not particularly lengthy or filled with lots of action — at least, not long enough to translate effectively into the average 90-minute script. However, they are rich in imagination and incredibly detailed with a language that oozes a thick sense of apprehension and generates a genuine feeling of panic and terror. Although they're not very long, Poe's stories are therefore ripe material for horror features, and surprisingly, Corman did them justice.

The first thing Corman did right was hire notable fantasy, sci-fi, and horror author Richard Matheson to pen the screenplay. Seeing as how the original "Pit" story is only a few pages long, Matheson really took it more as inspiration for a plot about the supernatural, betrayal, and madness. He rightly borrows aspects from Poe's other works for the first two acts where the indelible Vincent Price hams it up as mournful widower Nicholas Medina, a nervous-wreck of man fearing that he may have accidentally buried his Elizabeth (Barbara Steele) alive. Investigating the cause of her sudden, mysterious death is prying brother-in-law Francis Barnard (John Kerr), who's clued into the family's affairs along with its doomed history by Nicholas's saintly sister Catherine (Luana Anders).

The film adaptation may have little to do with Poe's original story (this is not set during the Spanish Inquisition, for one) aside from the title and torture device making an appearance at the end, but it nonetheless has a Poe-esque, romantically Gothic feel to it. Corman directs with a great deal of care and attention to his actors while also allowing the beautiful stage design of Daniel Haller and Harry Reif to function as its own character. Corman utilizes a variety of camera techniques and devices, but most impressive is his use of panning and dolly shots, creating a ghostly feel of motion similar to the swing of a pendulum. While Matheson's script brings a sense of urgency and eventual doom, Corman's direction provides an ominous atmosphere of eeriness and death. (Movie Rating: 4.5/5)


The Masque of the Red Death

The seventh in Corman's adaptations of Poe's sinister tales of the supernatural, 'The Masque of the Red Death' is also one of Corman's most stylishly elaborate and ornately decorated films. Employing the photographic talents of Nicolas Roeg, Corman inundates the anamorphic frame with a sumptuous array of colors, brimming with a life and energy that contradicts the plot's theme of death's impending, inevitable approach. The camera, once again, moves with a grace and elegance that allows audiences to admire the stunning stage design of Daniel Haller, Robert Jones, and Colin Southcott. It's a strikingly beautiful film to look at, but there is always a sense of doom relatively close to this beauty.

That bit of irony originates from Poe's original story, as descriptions of the castle's ballroom attached to seven brightly colorful rooms are told in vivid detail, and the filmmakers remain faithful to that visual atmosphere. Outside the castle walls, villagers suffer from an agonizingly painful plague called the Red Death while people of wealthy nobility play games and celebrate the protection from the disease in bacchanalia. Corman shows their cold-hearted indifference as a depraved lot who find the death of others amusing entertainment. Vincent Price's Prince Prospero is particularly mean-spirited and callous, like a selfish child thinking himself the center of all. It's a splendid performance where Price goes against his usual campy melodrama and delivers an unsympathetic character in all seriousness.

Like others in the Poe film series, the short story on which this movie is based on is not of an adequate length for the standard screenplay, so writers Charles Beaumont and R. Wright Campbell took some liberties to expand the tale into a suitable runtime. They borrowed from Poe's story of revenge, called "Hop-Frog," to create a darkly twisted subplot about Hop-Toad's (Skip Martin) reprisal to Alfredo's (Patrick Magee) cruelty. The script also introduces a bit of romance between Francesca (Jane Asher) and Gino (David Weston) and the jealous betrayal of Juliana (Hazel Court). Most interesting and arguably memorable is the transformation of Prospero into a sadistic Satan worshipper, making 'Red Death' one eerie but beautifully endearing horror picture. (Movie Rating: 4/5)


The Haunted Palace

Despite being billed and marketed on posters as another in Corman's adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe's stories, 'The Haunted Palace' actually has little to do with the Gothic Romanticism of the famed American author. Well, except for the title being borrowed from one of Poe's more obscure poems and it being quoted at the end of the film, this supposed sixth entry in the series is not related to any of Poe's works. Instead, desiring a slightly different pace, Roger Corman opted to adapt H. P. Lovecraft's The Case of Charles Dexter Ward with Charles Beaumont penning a script loosely based on the novella. What we get is another strikingly lush and gorgeous film with a creepy, twisted imagination about the occult, the paranormal, curses that haunt generations and necromancy.

Sadly, AIP producers forced Corman to make some last minute alterations by including Poe's name throughout along with that rather incongruous, oddly placed quote at the end. As an inside joke to show his disapproval of these changes, Corman had the author's name deliberately misspelled in the opening and closing credits. Much as I side with and approve of Corman's sly wit, I must admit the studio's decision is rather valid, not only from a marketing perspective but also when watching the finished product. The plot may not be based on Poe's work, but the film does carry much of the same Poe-esque atmosphere as the others in the series. It's almost as if Corman and his team were comfortable in that particular mindset and carried it over into this production.

The fantastically uncanny stage design of Daniel Haller is perfected by the lush, haunting photography of Floyd Crosby, and the two generate a sumptuously evocative feel that is ethereally surreal and melancholic. Price as Charles Dexter Ward arrives to this strange New England town, awash in perpetual, thickly-depressing fog. With his lovely wife, Anne (Debra Paget), he hopes to renovate a palace he inherited that overlooks the cliffs. Slowly, the ghost of his ancestor, a Satanist burned alive for witchcraft, possesses Charles and returns to performing the dark arts with the help of his assistant Simon (a wonderfully ghoulish Lon Chaney, Jr.). 'The Haunted Palace' may not be a direct Poe adaptation, but it surely feels like one. Besides, this is one of Price's best and most sinister performances, playing dual roles. (Movie Rating: 4/5)


The Fall of the House of Usher

After making several low-budget B-movies in the 1950s — drive-in cult classics such as 'Day the World Ended,' 'It Conquered the World' and 'Not of This Earth' — a young, passionate Corman convinced the producers of AIP to give him a slightly higher budget and to shoot in color. Somewhat reluctantly, the studio agreed to give the enthusiastic filmmaker a chance to realize a lifelong dream of adapting one of Edgar Allan Poe's stories. The end result was a hauntingly beautiful and extravagantly elegant — for a production with limited resources, that is — motion picture that became a surprise box-office hit. It's success initiated a series of Poe adaptations from Corman and incidentally turned the studio into the American counterpart to British horror movies from Hammer Films.

With the help of established author Richard Matheson penning the script, Corman expands the classic tale of terror with some minor alterations and a few additions. Most notably, Poe's unnamed narrator is no longer a distant friend of Roderick Usher (Vincent Price). Instead, he is Philip Winthrop (Mark Damon) traveling to the dreary, forlorn Usher estate in search of his fiancée Madeline (Myrna Fahey), Roderick's younger sister. The change is a surprised welcome, as it creates tension between the two men along with a daunting air of mystery and the requisite drama that drives the narrative. As Philip tries to understand the affliction oppressing the siblings, he is caught up in their nightmarish reality of suffering the sins of the family and grows increasingly suspicious of the mental health of those who dwell in the Usher mansion.

The remarkable cinematography of Floyd Crosby and the magnificent stage design of Daniel Haller add to the sensationally morbid feeling of doom and melancholy established by Matheson's story and Corman's direction. And beyond that, we have the marvelously peculiar talents of Vincent Price chewing up the scenery as the anxiety-riddled and creepily controlling Roderick. Through his whispered line readings and an eerily domineering presence, we catch a campy edge to his performance, but it's perfectly matched with an undertone of seriousness to give the character a memorably spooky demeanor. In essence, it is Roderick's voice we hear when listening to Price's cameo appearance on Michael Jackson's "Thriller." The 'House of Usher' is a classic horror film also because it's where The Master of the Macabre (Poe) and The Master of Menace (Price) first join forces for a series of spine-tingling Poe adaptations. (Movie Rating: 4.5/5)


The Abominable Dr. Phibes

The indelible and beloved Vincent Price delivers another unforgettable performance as the deliciously villainous Dr. Phibes, a genius and talented maniac on a vengeance trip after the accidental death of his wife four years earlier. He plays the eponymous character without saying a word, except via movie-magic where recordings of his voice are heard through a gramophone pretending to be uttered on the spot, but he brings the merciless doctor to life with a surprising amount of sympathy. The elaborate murders, tailored after the Biblical plagues of Egypt which precede the religious theme of David Fincher's 'Se7en' by a couple decades, remain rather vile, but Price manages to make his audience feel sad for his loss while also condemning his undeniably wrong actions.

However, any seriousness within this cult horror classic from director Robert Fuest pretty much ends there. The rest of the story, from an original idea by James Whiton and William Goldstein, is more along the lines of a dark comedy — a fairly grim and twisted one, at that, with very subtle and very dry touches of humor throughout. Price's characterization itself is quite campy and his melting the wax death masks of his victims is a shrewd allusion to 'House of Wax.' The police investigating the murders (Peter Jeffrey and Norman Jones) are bumbling fools who conveniently stumble on clues that point to Dr. Phibes, and some victims die silly deaths: a frog mask tightens on a head shrinker and a brass unicorn head must be unscrewed along with an impaled corpse. There's also a running gag about mispronouncing and forgetting people's names.

Joseph Cotten ('Citizen Kane,' 'The Third Man') joins the cast, balancing the sly oddball humor with a more grave approach as Phibes' final victim patiently waiting his turn. Then there's the mesmerizing Virginia North as Phibes' silently obedient but ornately dressed servant Vulnavia adding an enigmatic atmosphere since her origins remain a mystery. With moody, mournful cinematography by Basil Kirchin, Fuest also supplies a bizarrely surreal quality to the production, especially in scenes set inside Phibe's art-deco home where the maniacal doctor plays a pipe organ that serves as a lift to his underground lair. The ballroom is decorated with carnival-like mannequins that perform like a full-piece band and serves as a place for Phibes to act out his disturbing fantasies, making the film a strange but beloved creature within the Vincent Price canon. (Movie Rating: 4/5)


Witchfinder General

Similar to 'Haunted Palace,' AIP marketed 'Witchfinder General' in the U.S. as another in the series of Poe adaptations, going so far as retitling the film after one of Poe's more obscure poems, "The Conqueror Worm." However, nothing could be further from the truth. The script by Tom Baker and the film's director Michael Reeves is in actuality based on Ronald Bassett's novel, which is itself a fictionalized historical account of notorious 17th Century witch hunter, Matthew Hopkins. Set during the height of the English Civil War, the story is not a horror movie in the traditional sense. Indeed, the film is about the real horrors committed by humans, especially those acts guided and informed by ignorance, fear and superstition.

Vincent Price stars in this cult British horror classic as the titular witch hunter, playing the role with complete solemnity and gravity rather than his customary overacting campiness. As a result, the legendary horror icon delivers one of his most shocking and superb performances of his career as the awfully perverse, frightfully intimidating and detestable Witchfinder Hopkins. The man is truly vile and repugnant as he coldly and heartlessly sentences innocent people to their deaths while also sinfully indulging in his own sexual desires, like he does with poor Sara (Hilary Dwyer). After the young woman's betrothed, Richard Marshall (Ian Ogilvy), discovers this injustice, he vows revenge, placing the plot into a very interesting power struggle over the rule of moral law versus social justice.

As is often the case of great films, the story about the production is sometimes as equally interesting and amusing as the movie itself. Legend goes that director Michael Reeves' initialed wanted Donald Pleasance as Hopkins, but AIP's involvement forced him to give the title role to Price. This lead to a serious and sometimes spiteful clash between the star and Reeves, who reportedly told Price on their first meeting he didn't want the famed American actor in his film. To make a long story short, their general dislike for one another surprisingly managed to deliver a brilliant movie that genuinely disturbs with scenes of torture and murder — though none too graphic by today's means — made all the more bothersome by the thought that such a man did in fact exist with the law on his side. (Movie Rating: 4.5/5)


The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

Shout! Factory brings 'The Vincent Price Collection' to Blu-ray under the distributor's Scream Factory line as four-disc box set with an attractive slipcover and cover art that reveals a cool effect. The first four films are spread across the first two Region A locked, BD50 discs, and viewers are given a choice of which movie to watch at startup before switching to the standard menu screen with full-motion clips and music. The last two films arrive on separate Region A locked, BD50 discs and go straight to the main menu screen at startup. All four discs come inside a blue case that is slightly thicker than normal, and the package includes a 24-page booklet with an informative, detailed essay by film historian David Del Valle and several color photos and reprints of art posters.

Video Review

Ranking:

The Pit and the Pendulum

The second film in Corman's Price-Poe series takes a swing at Blu-ray with a strong and generally pleasing 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode (2.35:1). Much of the picture, however, is on the softer side of things with scene transitions, such as fade-ins and fade-outs, looking the blurriest. Still, there's plenty of sharp definition and clarity in the costuming, set pieces, the creepy dungeons and in background information. According to the filmmakers, contrast is deliberately muted but well-balanced, creating a somber and moody atmosphere. The same goes for the entire color palette with primaries especially reserved for certain scenes. Black levels are also good and true for the most part, but the finer details tend to be obscured by the deepest shadows. With a thin, consistent layer of grain throughout, the video is very nice upgrade over previous editions. (Video Rating: 3.5/5)

The Masque of the Red Death

'Red Death' has a ball on Blu-ray with an AVC MPEG-4 encode that is slightly better than the previous movie but not by a great deal. The source appears to be in excellent condition yet in need of major restoration. White specks sporadically clutter the 2.35:1-framed picture; faint vertical lines make random appearances; some mild discoloration is plain to see in various scenes; and one or two thick scratches pop up while a couple missing frames occasionally disrupt the film's enjoyment. Nevertheless, contrast is spot-on with bright, crisp whites, and black levels are rich and true. Fine object and textural details are very well-defined and precise, minus those few softer moments when scenes fade in and fade out. The video shines best with a lush array of beautifully saturated colors, especially the sumptuous primaries animating the screen. (Video Rating: 3.5/5)

The Haunted Palace

Like the others, 'Palace' haunts Blu-ray with a great AVC-encoded transfer that shows the source to be in excellent condition while also displaying minor signs of wear and tear. White specks, dirt and very light scratches frequently litter the picture although they do little in disrupting the film's enjoyment. The 2.35:1 frame displays outstanding details in the costuming, exposing the fine textures of the fabric, and in Daniel Haller's wonderfully memorable stage design. The faces of the cast reveal the heavy, caked-on makeup, but wrinkles and negligible blemishes remain plainly visible. Contrast and brightness are very well-balanced, giving the image an attractively bright appeal while deep, black shadows provide some dimensionality. A rich color palette with bold, vivid primaries also brings a welcomed, animated feel. (Video Rating: 3.5/5)


The Fall of the House of Usher

The Ushers succumb to the will of Blu-ray with the strongest AVC encode of the last three movies, yet several sequences of poor resolution and noticeable softness bring the overall presentation to about the same. Much of this is understandably due to the quality of the source and the photography of the period since the worst aspects happen when scenes fade into the next. Still, definition and clarity display good detailing in faces and costumes while background furniture remains distinct. There are some very mild instances of aliasing in the finer edges of objects, but they can be easily overlooked. Contrast is a bit subdued but consistent with crisp whites and a thin layer of grain washing over the picture. Black levels are true with swarthy, gloomy shadows everywhere, and colors are boldly rendered to give the 2.35:1 image a lavish, animated feel. (Video Rating: 3.5/5)

The Abominable Dr. Phibes

Dr. Phibes exacts his vengeance with probably the best 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode (1.85:1) of the bunch. Granted, the cinematography of Norman Warwick doesn't lend itself well with highly impressive results, but there's plenty to admire and enjoy. Contrast is intentionally on the lower end of the grayscale, creating a gloomy and downcast appeal. Nonetheless, the picture quality allows for excellent, detailed visibility of background information while foreground objects show distinct fine lines around the edges, and facial complexions are appropriate to the climate and quite revealing. Blacks are accurate with deep, penetrating shadows, and the color palette is lightly toned down though primaries remain bold and true to life. (Video Rating: 4/5)

Witchfinder General

Master Hopkins makes a bewitching offer with a generally good AVC-encoded transfer that shows clean, fine lines in the faces of actors and in the costuming. The surrounding foliage is sharply-rendered and distinct, displaying individual leaves hanging from trees and blades of grass swaying in the wind. The quaint 17th-Century villages are nicely detailed, exposing every nook and cranny, every grime and blemish along the walls. Contrast is lightly subdued for a downcast appeal with a thin, film-like layer of grain throughout, but highlights bloom and clip considerably in several spots. Colors are a bit toned down as well, but primaries are accurate and bold. Unfortunately, there are also several moments of poor resolution, and black levels tend to fluctuate between true and stable to thick and blotchy, noticeably crushing the tiny details in the shadows. (Video Rating: 3/5)


Audio Review

Ranking:

The Pit and the Pendulum

The classic horror movie comes out swinging with a strong DTS-HD Master Audio mono soundtrack, but there are several misses along with some good hits. Most impressive is that imaging comes with an excellent sense of presence and clarity in the center, creating a highly engaging and broad soundfield. The music of Les Baxter, especially, displays very nice definition between various instruments while a surprisingly deep and palpable low-end provides weight to the deeper notes. Dialogue is also clear and precise, allowing for Vincent Price's wild, melodramatic mood-swings to be perfectly heard. The one notable issue is a somewhat limited mid-range, as the higher frequencies sound a tad bright and clipped. I also detected some mild noise, crackling and hissing in the background, but in the end, the lossless mix remains quite enjoyable. (Audio Rating: 3.5/5)

The Masque of the Red Death

The party continues with a great DTS-HD Master Audio mono soundtrack that is full of life and activity. All sort of merriment and commotion fills the screen, creating a broad and welcoming soundstage. With a strong sense of presence and fidelity, the soundfield comes with a good deal of warmth. The mid-range is not particularly extensive, but it exhibits excellent acoustical details, displaying much of the background information with the same level attention as the foreground. The music of David Lee, in particularly, comes with rich clarity in the orchestration, reaching the higher peaks cleanly and without a hint of distortion. Low bass is appropriate and weighty, giving the action and score a bit of depth. Vocals are also delivered precisely and intelligibly in the center, making this a terrifically enjoyable lossless mix. (Audio Rating: 4/5)

The Haunted Palace

The lossless mono soundtrack for 'Palace' is a bit of a mystery because it sounds fantastic for the most part but the score seems oddly out of place. There's nothing specifically wrong with Ronald Stein's music nor has it been heavily altered. Instead, it comes off as if digitally scrubbed and almost as if recorded recently. The higher notes in the brass section of the orchestra expose some very light hints of noise and distortion, and the rest of the score lacks the sort of warmth and character expected from a vintage score. Imaging is decently wide with good dialogue reproduction in the center, but the mostly clean mid-range feels limited and narrow. Bass is appropriate for a film of this age, but the overall high-rez mix is not quite as engaging as the first two movies. (Audio Rating: 3/5)


The Fall of the House of Usher

Like the previous two, the first Corman-Poe film arrives with a wonderfully engaging DTS-HD mono soundtrack that creates a surreal dreamlike environment. Loud claps of thunder, rumblings of the building shifting and the haunting whispers of the wind generate a wide open space in the soundstage. The echoes of voices and footsteps reverberate throughout the house with amusing presence, and bass adds a good responsive weight to the few action sequences, as well as to the enchanting music of Les Baxter. Dynamics and acoustical details exhibit rich clarity in the upper ranges with a good deal of warmth and fidelity. Amid the terror, vocals come through in the center flawlessly with excellent intelligibility in each of Price's whispered conversations. (Audio Rating: 4/5)

The Abominable Dr. Phibes

The doctor also arrives in style with a strong DTS-HD MA mono soundtrack that delivers clean, sharply-rendered dynamics throughout. The design doesn't push too far into upper ranges, but imaging seems decently wide with convincing acoustical details. Only thing keeping it from truly impressing is that most of the entire presentation feels somewhat narrow and confined to the center, rarely broadening the soundstage. The same goes for Basil Kirchin's score although it never exhibits any hint of noise or distortion. Bass is barely audible in spite of several action scenes and many moments of pipe organ music. Dialogue reproduction, however, is very well-prioritized and clear. (Audio Rating: 3.5/5)

Witchfinder General

The General is aided in his work by a very nice and engaging DTS-HD Master Audio mono soundtrack that delivers dialogue with excellent, lucid clarity in the center. The musical score exhibits great fidelity and detail, providing the lossless mix with presence and warmth. With several off-screen effects that are surprisingly convincing, such as the wind blowing through trees or birds chirping in the distance, imaging feels broad. There's really no bass to speak of, but a couple moments of gunshots and in the music carry a bit of weight to them. The mid-range is clean, with distinct sounds in the background that are consistently audible, but it's not particularly extensive, seeming mostly narrow and confined. (Audio Rating: 3.5/5)


Special Features

Ranking:

The Pit and the Pendulum

  • Audio Commentary — With the exception of a few moments of silence, director Roger Corman provides a great commentary track, talking extensively on the overall production, the story's themes and working closely with Vincent Price.

  • Rare Prologue (HD, 5 min) — A brief intro scene shot specially for the movie's television debut, showing the Catharine character in an insane asylum about to recount the story.

  • Still Gallery (HD)

  • Trailer (HD)

The Masque of the Red Death

  • Interview (1080i/60, 19 min) — Director and producer Roger Corman talks about the movie, directing Price and filming in England.

  • Still Gallery (HD)

  • Trailer (HD)

The Haunted Palace

  • A Change Of Poe (1080i/60, 11 min) — Director/producer Roger Corman shares his thoughts and memories about his wanting to make a Lovecraft film but AIP making decisions against his wishes.

  • Still Gallery (HD)

  • Trailer (HD)


The Fall of the House of Usher

  • Audio Commentary — Director/producer Roger Corman shares his thoughts once more working with Price and others, details on the production's history and various anecdotes from the set.

  • Still Gallery (HD)

  • Trailer (HD)

The Abominable Dr. Phibes

  • Still Gallery (HD)

  • Trailer (HD)

Witchfinder General

  • Audio Commentary — Star Ian Ogilvy, producer Philip Wadrove and writer Steve Haberman chat on the history of the production, shooting locations and the troubled working relationship between director Reeves and Vincent Price.

  • Witchfinder General: Michael Reeves’ Horror Classic (1080i/60, 25 min) — A very informative but short retrospective on the director's life and sad brief career while BTS photos and interviews touch on the production, the cast and the film's history on home video.

  • Still Gallery (HD)

  • Trailers (HD)


Even if one has never watched any of his films, the face and voice of Vincent Price has become a familiar cultural icon of horror cinema, earning the affectionate title as the "Master of Menace." The beloved legendary actor is arguably best known for his work with Roger Corman and the director's adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe's horror tales. Shout! Factory gathers four of those films along with two treasured cult classics for an amazing box collection that fans will love to own. All six films arrive with strong, often great audio and video presentations that best previous home video editions. Along with porting over bonus material from the DVDs, Shout! includes a healthy assortment of exclusives, making this box set an awesome addition to anyone's horror library. Highly recommended.