From the Merchant of Menace, Vincent Price, and the King of the Bs, Roger Corman, come six Gothic tales inspired by the pen of Edgar Allan Poe. In The Fall of the House of Usher, a young man learns of a family curse that threatens his happiness with his bride-to-be. In The Pit and the Pendulum, a brother investigates the untimely death of sister, played by Barbara Steele. Tales of Terror adapts three Poe classics, Morella, The Black Cat and The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, each starring a horror icon. The Raven is a comic take on the famous poem concerning three rival magicians. In The Haunted Palace, a newcomer in a New England town is suspected of being a warlock. And in The Tomb of Ligeia, filmed in Norfolk and at Stonehenge, a widower s upcoming marriage plans are thwarted by his dead first wife. The six films boast a remarkable cast list: not just Price and Steele, but also Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney Jr, Basil and a very young Jack Nicholson. Adapted for the screen by Richard Matheson and Robert Towne, these Six Gothic Tales now rank as classic examples of sixties horror cinema. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: High Definition Blu-ray presentation of all six features Original uncompressed mono PCM Audio for all filmsOptional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for all filmsTrailers for each filmReversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork for all films THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHERAudio commentary with director and producer Roger Corman An interview with director Joe DanteInterview with author Jonathan Rigby Video essay by critic and filmmaker David Cairns examining Corman s film in relation to Poe s storyArchival interview with Vincent Price THE PIT AND THE PENDULUMAudio commentary with director and producer Roger CormanAudio commentary by critic Tim Lucas A new making of documentary featuring Roger Corman, star Barbara Steele, Victoria Price and more! Shot in 1968 to pad out the film for the longer TV time slot, this scene features star Luana AndersPrice reads a selection of Poe s classic stories before a live audience TALES OF TERRORAn hour-long documentary on Roger Corman featuring contributions from James Cameron, Martin Scorsese and Ron HowardCritic and novelist Anne Billson discusses the contributions of our feline friends to genre cinemaThe Black Cat, a 1993 short film adaptation of Poe s classic tale directed by Rob Green (The Bunker) THE RAVENPeter Lorre: The Double Face, Harun Farocki s 1984 documentary, subtitled in English for the first timeAn interview with the legendary novelist and screenwriter Richard Matheson An interview with Roger Corman about making The RavenThe Trick, a short film about rival magicians by Rob Green (The Bunker) Promotional RecordStills and Poster Gallery THE HAUNTED PALACEAudio commentary by Vincent Price s biographer David Del Valle and Ron Chaney, grandson of Lon Chaney, JrKim Newman on H.P. Lovecraft An interview with Roger CormanStills and Poster Gallery THE TOMB OF LIGEIAAudio commentary by director and producer Roger CormanAudio commentary by star Elizabeth ShepherdAll-new interviews with cast and crew 200-PAGE BOOK LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVECollector s book containing new writing the films, an interview with Roger Corman, extracts from Vincent Price s autobiography and full reproductions of tie-in comic books for Tales of Terror, The Raven and The Tomb of Ligeia LIMITED TO 2000 COPIES
G**M
SIX GOTHIC TALES OF SUSPENSE
PIT AND THE PENDULUMOn discovering the death of his sister, Francis Bernard, played by John Kerr, travels to Spain to the castle owned by her husband Nicholas Medina, played by Vincent Price. Upon arrival, he is told that his sister died of a blood disease, but later discovers that she died of sheer terror.Picture Quality for this blu ray release is good. Colours are natural, the soundtrack however, is slightly scratched in places, namely the first 20 minutes. The transfer is in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The soundtrack is in the original mono.TALES OF TERRORThis film is comprised of three stories, the first one sees a young woman visiting her father for the first time since she was a child, her mother having died when she was a young child.The second one concerns a drunken man played by Peter Lorre challenging a wine tasting champion, played by Vincent Price to a challenge.The third one is about a man who is dying, agrees to be hypnotized, so he can recount back what he is experiencing at the time of death.Picture Quality is very good, with solid colours. The transfer is in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. the soundtrack is in the original mono.THE RAVENThis one is more of a comedy, about two magicians. One night Dr. Craven hears a tapping on a window. Upon opening it, he discovers a raven, which can talk, and flies in. He then discovers that another magician, Dr. Scarabus, played by Boris Karloff has turned Dr. Bedlo, played by Peter Lorre, into the raven, who is now pleading to be turned back to human form.Picture Quality is very good, with solid colours. This transfer is in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, and the soundtrack is in the original mono.THE HAUNTED PALACECharles Dexter Ward played by Vincent Price arrives in a small village to claim his inheritance of a large house, along with his wife Ann, played by Debra Paget. Upon being warned not to go there, they decide to have a look anyway, and are given directions to the house in the distance. Years before, his decedent had been a warlock, and having been burned alive by a tree, had cursed everyone who lives in the village.Picture Quality is very good, with solid colours. The transfer is in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, and the soundtrack is in the original mono.THE TOMB OF LIGEIAYears after burying his wife, Verden Fell played by Vincent Price falls in love again, and marries Lady Rowena, played by Elizabeth Shepherd. Before he remarried, he was obsessed with his first wife, and after his marriage, it is not long before the obsession returns.Picture Quality is good, with good colours. very slight scratches in places, but this is not obtrusive. the transfer is in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The sound is in the original mono.THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHERPhilip Winthrop, played by Mark Damon, arrives at the house of Usher to take his bride to be, Madeline Usher, played by Myrna Fahey. Upon arrival, he is told by her brother Roderick Usher, played by Vincent Price, that she is very ill, and can never leave the house. Unconvinced by this, Philip insists that they will leave, but then Madeline dies. Convinced that her brother has placed her in the family crypt alive, he endeavors to find her.The Picture Quality of this disc is very good, with solid colours. The transfer is in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, and the sound is in the original mono.There are lots of extra's spread out over the six discs. This limited edition box set of 2000 also comes with a 200 page hardback book. It states in the book that these films have been restored. Although all six films have good picture quality, and there are no significant problems, there are still some light scratches on some of the films, with the soundtrack having scratches on Pit And The Pendulum. So, if the information is correct, the restoration is not as good as say, Gone With The Wind, which was flawless. After saying that, this is still a must own box set if you are a fan of Vincent Price or Roger Corman, and is worth spending the money on.All six films come in individual blu ray cases, with reversible sleeves, and the outer cardboard box, which houses all of the films and the book is robust.Highly recommended, but be quick as this is a limited edition, after which the price will rocket.
M**M
Classic Movies given loving treatment
Vincent Price was for many the face of camp horror, and this set collects six of his movies spanning just over a decade. All are presented in their original ratios and from what can only be described as excellent printsNot having seen the Corman Poe and Lovecraft films for many years, I was surprised that rather than go for the overt shock and gore angle they are sedate and build up dread and fear (with a splash of blood here and there for good measure)The Abominable Dr Phibes is my favourite of the bunch and has long sat on my shelf in its various VHS and DVD incarnations. The latest print though the worst of the six films for speckling - is superb and lush. Its a great pity that Shout did not go a little extra on digital clean up as, although very mild, the white flecks on the picture are disappointing though not enough to lose the release its top score.Extras include some very erudite commentaries from directors of the films to interested parties (such as the author Justin Humphreys whose book on Phibes is due in 2014) and several actors including Ian Ogilvy. The icing on the cake are some 1982 PBS introductions recorded by Price for the (what must have been a tiny) audience in part of Iowa.A rare TV prologue to Pit and the Pendulum is included here tooOverall I would say that Shout (Scream) Factory is one of THE leading labels for these vintage releasesBUYER BEWARE THESE DISCS ARE REGION LOCKED as are most of Shout's catalogue, to the USA
D**D
Six of the best. Would have been nice to include Masque of ...
At last, Price/Corman/Poe on bluray. Six of the best. Would have been nice to include Masque of the Red Death but at least you can order Red Death on separate bluray. The box set comes will tons of extras and the picture quality is the finest seen. I have projected them in HD digital format on a twelve foot screen, (The Raven) stands out the best with rich colours and crisp definition in the Panavision ratio. The Tomb of Ligea even has the UK Anglo Amalgamated intro with an American International soundtrack. The packaging is high quality and also comes with a hard cover book. All in all, great value for money and well worth the waite.
N**O
Subtitles would’ve been nice.
No special features but it’s a collection so that’s fine I guess. Some of the film look pretty bad on blu ray, transfers are pretty bad. Discs are dull. No subtitles. It does the job for a halloween binge but it really isn’t for collectors.
D**2
Vincent Price/Roger Corman Bluray boxset
Outstanding edition.Every film is beautifully restored, with only a few shots leaving room for improvement. The Raven is my personal favourite of the set, and it's even better than I remembered.The hardback book is a lovely addition.Limited to only 2000 copies so don't miss out!Shame that The Masque Of Red Death isn't included, but you can't have everything.My only other gripe is the Peter Lorre documentary; which is very disappointing and not informative or interesting. The reversible cover inlays are also a nice touch giving the option to have the original poster art work as the covers on each bluray. Very very nice set!
L**L
and that was a great surprise on this cold winter day
Well my Box set arrived today ! and that was a great surprise on this cold winter day... So i am looking forward to watch those films ... Pit Pendulum i have got it already and the same is for Fall of house of usher, Both fantastic and a great transfer on blu ray and packed with a lot of extras. I just flicked through the booklet and it is rather great.so enjoy the world of Vincent Price and again thanks to Arrow for this great box set. Give us The masque of Red Death
W**.
Great deal!
Fantastic set and I only paid £29 in the marketplace! But beware, some of these reviews refer to a different box set! This one comes from Australia and does have “The Masque of the Red Death” but not “The Pit and the Pendulum” - and no book. Still, it’s worth it for “The House on Haunted Hill” and “The Last Man on Earth” in an excellent copy, alone!
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