Hazel Court

Hammer Horror Collection (The Curse of Frankenstein / Dracula Has Risen from the Grave / Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed / Horror of Dracula / The Mummy / Taste the Blood of Dracula)

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Hammer Productions- 6 Legendary Classics of Gothic Horror!
oldie but goodie
Killer Hammer Collection
When horror films had stories.
the rebirth of gothic horror at the movies

Hammer Horror Collection (The Curse of Frankenstein / Dracula Has Risen from the Grave / Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed / Horror of Dracula / The Mummy / Taste the Blood of Dracula)
Starring: Peter Cushing , Hazel Court , Robert Urquhart , Christopher Lee , and Melvyn Hayes
Director: Terence Fisher , and Freddie Francis
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein)
Dracula A.D. 1972
The Revenge of Frankenstein [Region 99]
The Bela Lugosi Collection (Murders in the Rue Morgue / The Black Cat / The Raven / The Invisible Ray / Black Friday)
The Val Lewton Horror Collection (Cat People / The Curse of the Cat People / I Walked with a Zombie / The Body Snatcher / Isle of the Dead / Bedlam / The Leopard Man / The Ghost Ship / The Seventh Victim / Shadows in the Dark)

ASIN: B0001FVEAY
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Description

A collection of horror classics from Hammer Studios. Six films that feature horror stars Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing-- Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, Frankenstein Must be Destroyed, Horror of Dracula, The Mummy, Taste the Blood of Dracula.

Customer Reviews:

Hammer Productions- 6 Legendary Classics of Gothic Horror!.......2007-04-26

The legendary British film studio, Hammer Productions began its climb to the top of the horror film genre with its Technicolor release of "The Curse of Frankenstein." Teaming Peter Cushing with Christopher Lee for the first time- the result is pure movie magic and the beginning of what was to become a beautiful friendship. As well as a great time for movie going gothic horror fans as Hammer began churning out one classic after another. This set of Hammer horror includes:

"The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957)
Baron Victor Von Frankenstein, (Peter Cushing) is in prison for murder and trying to evade the guillotine. While there he tells a priest how he and his mentor, Paul Krempe, (Robert Urquhart) had performed many scientific experiments, eventually leading to the resurrection of a dead body. Due to an accident, that damages the brain intended for Frankenstein's creation, the experiment goes horribly wrong. Instead of the intelligent being Frankenstein set out to create- a hideous monster (Christopher Lee) rises from the laboratory table! The baron's obsession and the monster's homicidal nature cause the deaths of several of those around them. Finally the Baron is confronted by an enraged monster about to throw Victor's fiancée Elizabeth, (Hazel Court) from the castle parapet. The DVD release has a clean transfer and the audio is vibrant. Great use of color and the studio sets and costuming are used to full advantage to set the gothic atmosphere to perfection. The beginning of Hammer's rise to the top of the Horror genre and the first of many classics to come!

"Dracula Has Risen From The Grave" (1968)
When his castle is exorcised, Dracula (Christopher Lee) plots his revenge against the Monsignor (Rupert Davies) who performed the rites by attempting to make the Holy man's young niece, Maria (Veronica Carlson) his bride. Great story and very enjoyable performances by the entire cast make this entry in Hammer's `Dracula" series a real treat!

"Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed!" (1969)
Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is once again working with illegal medical experiments. Together with a young doctor, Karl Holst (Simon Ward) and his fiancée Anna Spengler (Veronica Carlson) they kidnap the mentally sick Dr. Brandt, (George Pravda) to perform the first brain transplant ever!

"Horror of Dracula" (1958)
After Jonathan Harker (John Van Eussen) attacks Dracula (Christopher Lee) at his castle, the vampire travels to a nearby city, where he preys on the family of Harker's fiancée. The only one who may be able to protect them is Dr. Van Helsing, (Peter Cushing) Harker's friend and fellow-student of vampires, who is determined to destroy Dracula, whatever the cost! The first in Hammer's "Dracula" series and possibly "the best" gothic vampire movie ever made! Lush visuals, great atmospheric music and studio sets, along with outstanding cast performances make this Hammer's crowning jewel of gothic horror!

"The Mummy" (1959)
Three British archeologists (including Peter Cushing) discover the grave of an important Egyptian female priestess (Yvonne Furneaux) who has died about four millennia ago. But when they open it a bad curse falls on them for having woken up the mighty "Guard of the Grave" (Christopher Lee) who was buried with the priestess. Hammer once again proved its ability to bring a classic horror story to vibrant life! "The Mummy" is perfectly wonderful in it's story telling, costuming, studio sets, and the cast performances are superb!

"Taste the Blood of Dracula" (1970)
Three elderly distinguished gentlemen are searching for some excitement in their boring lives and get in contact with one of count Dracula's servants (Ralph Bates). During a nightly ceremony they restore The Count (Christopher Lee) back to life. The three men kill Dracula's servant, and for revenge the Count makes sure that the gentlemen are killed one by one by their own sons. An original ideal for Hammer's `Dracula" series makes this one quite enjoyable. Ralph Bates really puts in a fine performance as Dracula's devoted servant- he's so believable!

"THE HAMMER HORROR COLLECTION" is a great box containing some of the Production Studios finest. If only a volume 2 or even a volume 3 would have followed! Hammer Studios truly set the bench mark for the gothic horror genre, and as of yet, no other studio has come close to meeting Hammer's success!

oldie but goodie.......2007-01-10

I have wished for this series for a long time. I got it at a reasonable price in a very short time.

Killer Hammer Collection.......2006-12-13

You cannot go wrong with Hammer Horror of any type, however, this collection beats all the other Hammer collection thats out there today. If you want great horror, then this collection is the best to start off with any true Hammer fan. Cushing and Lees best work to date. Highly Recommended!!

When horror films had stories........2006-05-14

In the last 25 years, we've been bombarded with horror films designed to shock rather than scare. We have Jason, a mindless murderer back from the grave, Freddie, a murderer who haunts our dreams, and Chucky, a little doll who likes to kill people. I'm not saying these newer films are bad. They're just not as good as the older ones.

Case in point, the horror films released by England's Hammer studios from the late 50s into the 70s. All of these films have villains, murderers and shock. But they also have interesting stories. They're not mindless.

This gem of a collection is a great starting point for somebody interested in owning Hammer horror films. There are other Hammer films out there besides these, but these are some of the best.

The Curse of Frankenstein. This is where it all started. Peter Cushing is excellent in his sinister portrayal as Victor Frankenstein, and Christopher Lee is an admirable monster.

The Horror of Dracula. Peter Cushing is back, and is great this time around as Van Helsing. Christopher Lee plays the infamous count for the first time.

The Mummy. This is the best remake of the Boris Karloff original. Lee stars again, this time as Kharis, a resurrected mummy out for revenge against those who desecrated his beloved Ananka's ancient tomb. Peter Cushing is one of the people he wants to get even with.

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed. Perhaps Cushing's most sinister stint as Dr. Frankenstein, this time stopping at nothing to make history in the science of brain transplants.

Dracula Has Risen From the Grave. Lee's third stint as the evil count, this time using a priest to exercise his agenda of death and destruction.

Taste the Blood of Dracula. Lee's fourth go-around as the blood-sucking monster, this time seeking revenge against the three men who murdered his disciple.

All of these films are beautifully presented in anamorphic widescreen. The colors, particularly the red, stand out.

the rebirth of gothic horror at the movies.......2006-04-22

this fantastic collection of the best hammer horror movies is just what the true horror movie fan has been waiting for. from frankenstein,dracula,and the mummy you get them all. while the hammer frankenstein movies are fun and i love them,i think the dracula films are the best the studio ever did. the dracula's always had the greatest deaths for the count and the one's in this set are the best. the one shot cushing&lee mummy is also one of the best mummy movies ever(right behind karloff's mummy)and a true treat. the transfers are great and the colors,so important to the hammer movies are like new. set back and let some of the masters of horror show you how it should be done.

The Masque of the Red Death / The Premature Burial

Average customer rating:

Masque is spectacular
a "Masque" worth attending again and again
Masque of the Red Death
Not the best of the poe adaptations
Vincent Price Movies

The Masque of the Red Death / The Premature Burial
Starring: Vincent Price , Hazel Court , Jane Asher , David Weston , and Nigel Green
Director: Roger Corman
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Fall of the House of Usher /The Pit and the Pendulum
The Tomb of Ligeia / An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe
The Comedy of Terrors/The Raven
The Haunted Palace / The Tower of London
Tales of Terror/Twice Told Tales (Midnite Movies Double Feature)

ASIN: B000068TPE
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Amazon.com

The Masque of the Red Death (1964) is Roger Corman's, and most people's, choice as the best of the Edgar Allan Poe pictures. Masque offers the expected creepy atmosphere and violence against peasants, plus metaphysical ponderings and pointed satanic cruelty. (Corman was operating as much under the influence of Ingmar Bergman as of Edgar Allan Poe.) Nicolas Roeg's color cinematography and Daniel Haller's elaborate production design would be stellar in any Hollywood A-movie; the mono-colored rooms of the prince's castle are a startling effect. Vincent Price is in fine fettle as Prince Prospero, the devil-worshipping sadist who throws lavish parties while the countryside is ravaged by the plague.

The Premature Burial (1962) substitutes Ray Milland in the usual Price role. He's a snarky landowner (with a sideline in art--dig those mod paintings) haunted by the fear of being buried alive. This single-minded focus limits the film, but it also adds to the smothering sense of anxiety that prevails throughout its unhealthy scenario. Luscious Hazel Court is Milland's new missus, and old-school cameraman Floyd Crosby proves his facility for photographing women in a classical style. Lots of cobwebs-on-candelabra in the customary Corman-Poe manner, with special emphasis on Milland's crypt, with its supposedly foolproof exit schemes. --Robert Horton

Description

The Masque of the Red Death: Death and Debauchery reign in the castle of Prince Prospero (Vincent Price), and when it reigns... it pours! Prospero has only once excuse for his diabolical deeds--the devil made him do it! But when a mysterious, uninvited guest crashes his pad during a masquerade ball, there'll be hell to pay as the party atmosphere turns into a danse macabre! The Premature Burial: Talk about a tortured artist! Oscar winner Ray Milland is Guy, a medical student and painter whose obsessive fear of being buried alive compels him to build himself a tomb with a view, equipped with everything he can think of to escape death. But it's when his long-suffering wife convinces him to destroy the tomb that he finds himself in the gravest danger!

Customer Reviews:

Masque is spectacular.......2007-06-10

This is why I bought the disk, The Premature Burial is a good bonus.

Masque of the Red Death is thought by many to be Roger Corman's best of his Edgar Allen Poe movies. I'd have to agree, from those of them I've seen. The Red Death is a plague-like sickness that strikes and will spare very few, particularly when the Red Death incarnate decides to come after you. The movie shows the disparities of medeival society, and you get a feel for how the rich were just slaves to their senses. Vincent Price is wonderful as the evil (by choice) Prince Prospero, and it is good to see him get what happens in the end.

The Premature Burial isn't a bad little film on it's own, and would have stood up for being a lead on many of the other doubles from this genre. All-in-all one great, and one good, film. For the price it can't be beat! Highest Rating

a "Masque" worth attending again and again.......2007-04-01

This review concerns only "The Masque of the Red Death"(though "The Premature Burial" is also enjoyable). I have seen almost every Horror film ever made(with the exception of mid80's through modern day "direct to video" insults made with a mind toward turning a quick buck) and this is one of the very few that I could watch almost every day. WHY? Difficult to say...it is perverse, yet redeeming. Lushly beautiful yet cruelly ugly. The babes are sexy and Vincent Price is greasily, gleefully wicked in just ONE of his many bravura performances. Perhaps it is the use of the Bava-like colours(especially cool are the various "Angels of Death" that appear) and the superior music(check out the closing credits....even THEY are exciting!) I don't know how Roger Corman ended up making this(not to denigrate him, but this movie is so masterful and artistic it can not even be compared to most of his other output!) It creates a claustrophobic atmos-fear of building tension as well as madness and IMPENDING DOOM...I've read about that with other films, but this is one of the few(along with Kubrick's "Shining", of course) that actually delivers that. In my opinion, THE best adaptation, by Corman or anyone else, of Poe(Corman also does a great job adapting Lovecraft in the Poe-titled "The Haunted Palace", which is actually Lovecraft's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward") "Masque" survives as a beautiful, dream-like, creepy film......"it is time for a NEW dance to begin: The Dance of DEATH"! launches an eerie "dance number" that certainly does NOT include Gene Kelley or any crummy animated penguins!

Masque of the Red Death.......2007-03-29

Masques of the Red Death does not follow the storyline of Poe's story enough for me to use in the classroom. However, the tension and suspense is great.

Not the best of the poe adaptations.......2007-02-25

The editorial review goes on about how lavish a production this movie was. It really wasn't. Simply having a few cheap props, mono coloured rooms and a cast of extras dancing about doesn't mean much. Pit and the Pendulum was the most lavish production. Pit also had superior music. Masque suffers from a bland plot. The only thing that saves the movie was Price.

It should also be noted this dvd is not a quality dvd. It may not play in all players. I think this is the last "midnight movie" double features I buy. This is my second. The other plays in my computer's dvd player, both sides. This dvd only plays one movie on my computer's dvd player. No doubt these dvds are being ran off in someone's garage.

Vincent Price Movies.......2007-01-24

Thank you so much for helping me get "The Masque of the Red Death" & 'The Premature Burial" with Sir Vincent Price. I had looked for it on a number of sites & even my dvd club @ Columbia House, but no-one had it. But Amazon did! Thank you

Average customer rating:

The Good, the Bad, and the Horrible
Great fun to watch.
Shakespeare and Poe,
Die Laughing
Quoth The Big Budget...Nevermore!

The Comedy of Terrors/The Raven
Starring: Vincent Price , Peter Lorre , Boris Karloff , Joyce Jameson , and Joe E. Brown
Director: Jacques Tourneur , and Roger Corman
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Masque of the Red Death / The Premature Burial
The Fall of the House of Usher /The Pit and the Pendulum
The Tomb of Ligeia / An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe
The Haunted Palace / The Tower of London
Tales of Terror/Twice Told Tales (Midnite Movies Double Feature)

ASIN: B00009PY45
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Customer Reviews:

The Good, the Bad, and the Horrible.......2007-04-18

These two movies belong together. Not because of the plots, which are actually dissimilar, but because of the great cast, headed the three great figures in mystery, Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Peter Lorre. With only a passing bow to Edgar Allen Poe, these three lead us on a merry chase across the landscape of fantasy on slippery slope of comedy with the brakelines cut. Jack Nicholson is left hopelessly upstaged while Basil Rathbone valiantly struggles to keep up(not to mention stay alive). Keep your eye on Boris Karloff. sick and barely able to walk in the first movie and not walking at all in the second, he dominates both movies with the expressions on his face and the sound of his voice.
Watch them in the order they were made. The Raven is a great movie, but The Comedy Of Terrors is a classic.

Great fun to watch........2007-01-16

This is my third time buying these two movies. The Comedy of terrors and the Raven. I gave the other two to my friends.These are just full of laughs from start to end.

Shakespeare and Poe,.......2006-07-19

Who could ask for anything more. All I can add to the reviews that preceeded me is this: If you want to hear a great recital of some of Macbeth then you will get it from Rathbone in Comedy of Terrors. In the Raven revel in listening to Price and Lorre recite portions of Poe's poem. An interesting note: Jameson and Lorre again appear together in Tales of Terror.

Die Laughing.......2006-03-18

One might not think of the likes of Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Basil Rathbone and Peter Lorre as being among the great slapstick comedians or the era, but the truth is, there is nothing these guys did not know about comedy. "The Comedy of Terrors" is one of the most hysterically funny films of the Sixties, and chiefly because one does not expect it. Price and Lorre play down-on-their-heels undertakers (Price is a drunk; Lorre just a loser) who drum up business by killing people themselves. Karloff is a riot as Price's senile father-in-law, but it is Rathbone who comes close to stealing the film as their penurious landlord, a would-be victim, who has a passion for Shakespeare and the constitution of a battleship. Amidst all this madness is the underrated Joyce Jameson as Price's wife, a bombshell with the most attrocious singing voice imaginable. Those who know the sinister stars only from legit horror films are in for both a shock and a treat. Price and Lorre are a terrific comedy team, while Karloff's and Rathbone's performances are texbooks of comic timing. This isn't a great film, by any means, but boy, is it a load of laughs!

"The Raven," which came earlier, is much more contained and controlled that "Comedy of Terrors," but still offers a lot of fun as Price, Karloff and Lorre send up the genre that made them stars. Price and Karloff are competing wizards who, in classic pseudo-western fashion, are destined for a shoot-out, while Lorre plays yet another loser, only this time he turns into a bird. This film has as much to do with Edgar Allan Poe as does "Teletubbies," but who cares? The stars are delightful, as is Hazel Court, who was never more va-voom as she is here. Jack Nicholson, in one of his early roles as Lorre's son, is in a little bit over his head, but still manages to contribute a few funny moments.

They just don't make 'em like these anymore!

Quoth The Big Budget...Nevermore!.......2005-11-21

I love Vincent Price and Peter Lorre, not to mention Poe, so I was certainly looking forward to watching these.

The first movie is The Comedy of Terrors and it really is quite funny. Since you've read the plot a million times on these reviews, I'll cut to the chase. Vincent Price and Peter Lorre try to drum up more business for a funeral home through murder, hence more customers.
Vincent Price is laugh out loud funny, and really does have a talent for comedy, as does Peter Lorre. The facial expressions of Price are fantastic, as they were in Tales of Terror and it's an enjoyable film to watch. Watch for the actress called "Beverly Hills" in this one. (You'll recognize her by her, uh, name.) On a last note with this movie, Joyce Jameson, sexy as always, plays the wife of Vincent Price in this, and it's just so nice to watch a film where you know that all the women involved have natural figures from the waist up. No guessing here. This era has passed.

The second film was pretty good, which is The Raven. Based on Poe's poem, The Raven, is named as a "comedy" and has its moments, but I enjoyed it more as a fun drama than a straight ahead gag reel. Price and Lorre are good as always and Jack Nicholson even pops up here as the son of Peter Lorre, which is odd enough. The movie is basically about a couple of powerful wizards (Price and Boris Karloff) who end up fighting each other for supremecy. A big budget film this is not, which is funny, considering that Corman says in one of the special features that this is one of the highest budget films in the Poe line. The ending battle between Price and Karloff is hysterically bad (in a good way). It is so utterly cheesy, you just have to laugh. I believe a Godzilla sound effect even makes itself known somewhere in the sequence.

Both of these movies are brilliant....brilliantly bizarre, especially Comedy of Terrors.
You really have to have a certain type of black humor to enjoy these, which I do, so it worked out well. I would recommend buying this. Also, the transfers are very good, in widescreen, anamorphic format, which is cool.

Average customer rating:

Pretty dull stuff.
Ground Breaking Horror Effort That Helped Put Hammer Studios On The Map
The one that started it all.
Stop! Hammer Time!
Frankenstein in glorious technicolour for the first time!

Curse of Frankenstein
Starring: Peter Cushing , Hazel Court , Robert Urquhart , Christopher Lee , and Melvyn Hayes
Director: Terence Fisher
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Horror of Dracula
The Mummy
The Revenge of Frankenstein [Region 99]
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed
Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein)

ASIN: B00006G8JZ
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Amazon.com

Britain's Hammer Studios had been making films for decades before they suddenly redefined themselves with this lurid remake of the Universal Studios horror classic. Prohibited by Universal from copying their blocky makeup (and their script, for that matter), Hammer returned to Mary Shelley's novel for inspiration, and then went in its own direction. Peter Cushing plays Dr. Frankenstein as the rational scientist turned cold-blooded criminal in his campaign to discover the secret of life, committing murder to further his ends, or to remove an inconvenient mistress. Christopher Lee is the pitiable creature, a terrified behemoth more innocent newborn than malevolent monster. His pale, pallid, grotesquely scarred face was so thickly applied that he emotes almost exclusively with his eyes and his awkward, stumbling gestures. The not-so-good Dr. Frankenstein is the true monster, a ruthless scientist whose rejection of superstition extends to all moral considerations. Shot in blood-red color by Hammer stalwart Terence Fisher, the stylish, often salacious film became Hammer's biggest success to date, made horror stars out of the classically trained Cushing and Lee, and transformed the B studio into the Hammer we know and love today: the house that dripped blood. The Horror of Dracula immediately followed, reuniting the winning team of Cushing and Lee, and Cushing returned in four of six Frankenstein sequels. --Sean Axmaker

Description

In this re-telling of the classic horror tale, Baron Victor Frankenstein becomes friends with one of his teachers, Paul Krempe. At first, both men are fascinated by the potential of their re-animating experiments. Eventually, though, Krempe refuses to help with Frankenstien's human experiments. However, he is drawn back into the plot when Frankenstein's creature kills a member of the house staff. DVD Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Pretty dull stuff........2006-08-26

Makes you really appreciate the Universal horror films from the 1930s; their expressionistic style, cavernous sets, and fabulous acting. Cushing is a bore to watch as Frankenstein, and the entire thing is mired in talky exposition and unidimensional characters. Christopher Lee gets nary little to do as the monster. Perhaps the best aspect of this film is the gory makeup which must have seemed quite revolting in '57. Not recommended.

Ground Breaking Horror Effort That Helped Put Hammer Studios On The Map.......2006-03-23

Despite having been a small production company turning out a number of excellent low budget horror efforts the famed Hammer Studios only really began to earn their title of "The Studio that Dripped Blood", when they changed direction in production and began remaking many of the old Universal Studio's gothic horror efforts from the 1930's. Their first effort in this new genre was 1957's "The Curse of Frankenstein", which became such a huge success that it opened the flood gates for the revival of numerous horror characters such as Dracula, the Mummy, the Wolfman etc. While not their best effort in this new field the Hammer trademarks that were to become so well known to horror lovers in later years were already evident in this first effort with beautiful technicolour photogrpahy, lavish looking period sets (amazingly built on shoe string budgets), and featuring highly capable performers such as Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in the leads. While both men had appeared together in the earlier film version of "Hamlet", this film marks the real start of their legendary screen partnership in horror films and here these two horror icons don't disappoint with Peter Cushing beginning his long run as the wily Baron Frankenstein, and Christopher Lee making a great impression as the creature in the role immortalised by Boris Karloff in the classic 1931 Universal Studios version of the story. He may be a different looking monster to Karloff's earlier creation however Christopher Lee sealed his stardom here with his own unique interpretation of the unfortunate creature who in "The Curse of Frankenstein", takes on its own distinctly horrific look that became one of Hammer Studios most memorable monster creations.

The one that started it all........2005-10-24

If you don't like it, then you just don't get what Hammer is all about.

Stop! Hammer Time!.......2005-09-12

Curse Of Frankenstein came out at the perfect time. Throughout the 50s, "horror" films consisted of science gone awry type themes-movies like Them("shoot the antennae!") and The Deadly Mantis were all over the place. Basically horrors from beneath the earth/sea and from beyond the stars. There's nothing wrong with that, I love those films. Alot of those were pretty bad B pictures, but loads of fun to watch. When Hammer released Curse Of Frankenstein, it brought us back to gothic horrors. No one in their right mind could even call Curse a "bad B horror film". It had way too much class, good acting, directing, sets. Like Horror Of Dracula and The Mummy, Curse takes the bare bones of the source novel and does it's own thing with it. This may put off some purists of the novel, but I guess you can't please everyone. The film stars Peter Cushing who was born to play Frankenstein and VanHelsing. His soft spoken, English charm is perfect for both parts. Branagh, Shmanagh, I say. Cushing's Frankenstein is a little less manic than Colin Clive's(though he was excellent too). Even Clive snapped back into reality and realized that what he was doing was wrong. Not Cushing. Cushing becomes more evil and obsessed with each passing minute, never once admitting that he has done anything wrong. It's all in the name of science, remember? The monster is of course, Christopher Lee. His full acting potential wouldn't be realized until he played Dracula and a few other roles down the road(if you ask me, he was definately the coolest villian James Bond ever went up against). Here he isn't given much to do outside the usual Karloff-like mannerisms, but he does it well, and the makeup looks rather gruesome for the time. Plus, Lee's monster isn't as sympathetic as Karloff's, he's just an evil badazz through and through. If you're big into the horror genre, this film is a must as well as the two films after it-Horror Of Dracula and The Mummy. Curse isn't what you'd call a scary film, but then again, what is anymore? Universal's Frankenstein isn't what you call scary, but it's a beautiful film that you can't help watching more than once. I'd say the same for Curse Of Frankenstein. The bloodshed in the film wouldn't get you more than a PG rating, but I'm sure this film was considered a gorefest in the 50s. You must see it....and soon.

Frankenstein in glorious technicolour for the first time!.......2004-07-06

The Curse of Frankenstein was the first of the many gothic horrors for which the Hammer Studios became renowned, and it remains one of the best.

Description

Women of Earth, beware! This cosmic vixen has come for your husbands, boyfriends and brothers. Her mission is to bring men back to Mars to mate with a planetful of sex-starved she-devils who need fresh breeding stock to repopulate the red planet. And men, if you don't perform, you might just be incinerated by Chani the Robot or heaved into the atomic pile that powers their ship. A beautifully crafted production, unique special effects, inspired production design, and classy international beauty Hazel Court make this a true gem of Atomic Age entertainment. Hugh McDermott, Patricia Laffan, Peter Reynolds, Joseph Tomelty, Adrienne Corri, Hazel Court.

Customer Reviews:

Nyah, you ditz! Your mistake was landing in Great Britain!.......2007-06-05

Devil Girl from Mars is actually an interesting 50's sci-fi movie that, for the sparse special effects, works well. The movie was based on a stage play and it shows because the only sets that are prominent in the story are the pub inside a Scotish inn and the exterior of Nyah's (said Devil Girl) spaceship.

I won't go into all of the characters since others have done so in their reviews so well. The premise of the story, though, could only work for a British film. If most of the Martian women looked like Nyah and had their dominatrix bitchy 'tudes on full and proud display, Nyah would have found plenty of male recruits if she'd landed in the good ole US of A! Landing in Great Britain, though, was a big mistake. I've seen babes walk into British pubs looking for action and not even get a nibble from the guys. Apparently, they were too busy playing darts and tipping back an ale to bother to notice the ladies. In the U.S., though, Nyah wouldn't have looked out of place in a lot of bars or clubs in some parts of the country! So the idea that she couldn't find some men who wouldn't be willing to be well-treated and serve Martian babes between the sheets seems far-fetched.

I thought Patricia Laffan does a great job as Nyah. She comes off as very haughty and confident, which makes sense, considering she's a lone explorer who bucked the system of her world to come in an experimental spacecraft to a strange world where she's a lone alien and must convince the populace that she's nigh invincible and they are powerless to stop her. To do all that, she's got to have stones, so her attempts to browbeat the humans into recognizing her superiority makes sense.

Hazel Court is quite lovely and definitely is a head-turner. It is also interesting to ponder how the movie would have been if she had been chosen to play the role of Nyah.

The biggest disappointment, though, in the whole thing is Hugh McDermott. What a tool this guy turned out to be (the character)! He tries to off the Martian babe several times, doesn't think things through considering she just showed him how her robot could have vaporized them all, gets into fist-fights with the British escaped convict when they have bigger fish to fry, and attempts to rush her only to be held back by two (very skinny) women when she draws her ray gun on him. I suppose the Brits had to make the American out to be such a weenie because its their film and the British guy into the hero, and I don't mind that, but they could have made Hugh's character a little less annoying.

So, on the whole, a nice flick for an hour or so of entertainment if you're into scifi stuff from the 50's.

Strictly for 50's-60's Sci Fi Buffs.......2007-05-31

It's a great film if you like that type of movie.It's particularly interesting because it's a British production and they seem to take their science fiction like everything else a little more seriuosly.But for me it's just plain fun and nostalgia.I used to watch this movie in the theater as a kid when it would scare me to death.But it's certainly not for any and everyone.But as I said in the beginning for the true science fiction lover it is a classic of the genre.

Devil Girl from Mars never blinks!.......2007-04-13

Yup, watched her eyes the whole movie and nary a blink. Oh yes, just as the picture shows, she's wearing a mini-skirt. You'd think her legs would get cold in the sub-zero temperature of mars.

PROS: Just a few shorts here.

1. When you see that ship coming in for a landing pay real close attention. Despite it obviously being a model the landing it self is taken very seriously...it seems to take its gyro movement hours in movie land to stop turning--I guess martians don't use gyro brakes. Very interesting landing. Somesort of braking or manuvering rockets are used for the actual soft landing--the downward thrust is off center and would have made the ship yawl to the left side a bit.

2. Filmed in what appears to be Gothic England style--gives the film a slight classy look.

3. All in all, this film takes itself very seriously, and the arrival of an alien spaceship from another world is just part of the story. Several sub-plots here. It would have made an ok drama without the ships' arrival.

4. When they get back to the ship--after all the other sub-plots start up inside the house--notice the gyros' outer ring in the center of the ship. When it begins moving at the end of the movie it turns from right to left. Apparently some sort of air scoop or ram. Thinking about it, if the special effects people had hollowed the interior out a bit and funneled this air down through the ship, it could have aided the down blast of the engine flames a lot, making them more powerful looking.

5. The Robot; boy, now I've seen it all. Talk about a mail drop - mailbox at the postoffice! Two legs, no flashing lights a couple of dials, and of course the required destuctor ray.

Six. She does have a ray gun and uses it once on the gardner.

7. There is a lot of acting going on in the movie. I'm not sure I can
say it should have been better.

CONS:

1. I'm not sure more money would have helped. I would have liked to said the Devil Girl from Mars acting was a little bit off and might have taken a little something from the movie, but I don't think so. Not, it's not the acting. I think, believe it or not, it was the look of the robot and her cloths taking away from the movie and its intent. She certainly played her part seriously. After all, this long legged cutie is bullet proof.

I think you will enjoy this movie...don't look for the usual campy special effects here, it's more story than shooting. I've already seen the movie half a hour ago and am watching it now as I write this--I'm at the part where everybody is at the space ship. The Devil Girl has told them to come with her and she would show them true power! The suspense is building up, including the music. You can't fault acting here. The door to the ship eases open--the ramp is already down--heavy on the base drums to show it's a serious moment. The people in the movie see it before you do--they all take half a step back and clutch each other and then...and...AND, out waddles this mailbox from the postoffice!
Now get this, the Devil Girl gives this smug glance at the earth people as if say 'Ha! Now you know you're in for it puny humans.'

I've got to tell you, these actors can really act. Yes, that is it, it's the girls cloths and the robot. Had they been re-done this film would have been taken more seriously and a greater success.

So that's it. I give this serious science fiction with gothic and classy overtones four stars with an added star because none of the actors laughted when the robot first showed itself and because the long legged Devil Girl played her part so well.

Normally I would recommend one bowl of popcorn to watch this movie with because most of them do not require much attention, but I feel deep down in this movies' case you must have the full spread. One big salad bowl of popcorn and two hot dogs -- chili, onion, mustard on mine please -- and something to wash it down with. And get ready to study it closer than you thought you would.

This a like a gothic scifi movie.......2007-03-21

I know this movie is not considered great cinema; but much like "Plan 9 From Outer Space", it has alot of quirky appeal. One can suspend critical judgement--after all, every movie has flaws--and just enjoy it. I saw it when I was a child, and watching it now, aside from the enjoyment of seeing it again, of course I can look for details I missed back then.

Interesting And Well Acted British Sci Fi Story With A Memorable Lead female Character .......2006-05-03

Being a 1950's sci fi buff I've long wanted to see this British film produced by "Spartan Productions", but not being your typical, splashy, colour filled production overwhelmed with special effects it has always been hard to find. Despite it's decidely "B", movie title that screams "forgettable cheapie!" this production is in actual fact well done and takes a distinctly different approach to your standard 1950's space saga story telling. Most importantly it has a strong and memorable female lead in the "Devil Girl", of the title played here by a most alluring Patricia Laffan who I have always enjoyed for her playing of the evil Roman Empress Poppea in MGM's collosal production of "Quo Vadis?" in 1951. Unlike many low budget sci fi's from this period this film takes a far less sensational slant in its telling relying more on some interesting character work while of course incorporating the standard element of romance for good measure. Despite the film's obviously limited budget it is a most handsome looking production and the interior of the Martian's spaceship in "Devil Girl From Mars", has a starkly classical look to it that recalls in my mind the wonderful space ship interior from Twentieth Century Fox's "The Day The Earth Stood Still".

Based on an obscure stage play by John Mather and James Eastwood, "Devil Girl from Mars", is set in the Scottish Highlands at a old Inn run by Mr. and Mrs Jamieson (John Laurie and Sophie Stewart). When there are sightings of a falling meteorite in the area Professor Hennessey (Joseph Tomelty), and reporter Michael Carter (Hugh McDermott), travel to the area to investigate. The Inn although closed for the winter soon becomes a hive of activity as not only do the two men arrive there after getting lost but escaped convict Robert Justin (Peter Reynolds) comes by to link up with his barmaid girlfriend Doris (Adrienne Corri), who works at the Inn. However these unexpected guests are the least of the locals worries as suddenly a huge spaceship lands near the Inn and the terrified residents, including London model Ellen Prestwick (Hazel Court), are soon faced with a ruthless female Martian called Nyah (Patricia Laffan),who explains what her sinister purpose for landing on Earth actually is. It seems that there has been a war of the sexes on Mars that has ended with the males of the population being weakened and of little use in breeding purposes. It is Nyah's purpose to gather a small group of Earthling men to take back to Mars to help replenish the population. Trapping the small group at the Inn behind an invisible wall Nyah has to wait why her spaceship which encountered some damage on its entry into the Earth's atmosphere repairs itself by some miracle of Martian science unknown to Man. Nyah's real destination was to be London and she intends to travel there once the strange "organic metal", of her ship finishes its repairs. The group see that they have to stop her for the sake of all mankind and after one attempt to over power her fails Professor Hennessey decides to use a different strategy and manages to get aboard her ship to see how it can be disabled. Nyah decides to actually take one of the men with her as a guide in London but brutally declares that "the rest will die". Despite the men's distrust of convict Robert Justin alias Albert Simpson he decides to do the noble thing once he hears from the professor about how best to destroy the enemy ship. When Nyah returns and the rest of the party are hiding in the cellar Albert agrees to go with her and since he is young and healthy she agrees. Boarding the now fully repaired spaceship the pair take off however Albert does as he promised and blows up the ship and all on it as it rises into space sacrificing himelf by saving the Earth from the Martian's evil intentions.

"Devil Girl From Mars", largely confines most of it's main action to the one main set and that actually works in the stories favour in seemingly cutting off the Earth characters from help from the outside world. It is easy to see that this story could have been a stage play as most of the time the action focuses on various characters making entries and exits to the Inn's main dining room set. Not being a Hollywood production the different slant taken on telling this sci fi story is an interesting one. The cast are really what makes this film an entertaining one and as mentioned Patricia Laffan as the black leather clad Martian woman Nyah steals every scene she is in with her sexy presense and wry observations of the human's failings. Expert at playing the villianess on screen it's a pity she didn't work more in films as she had a great screen presense and makes a most memorable impression playing this hard as nails female alien present on Earth to collect virile men for breeding purposes back on Mars. The beautiful and talented Hazel Court who won real stardom after she went to the United States and began working for A.I.P in horror efforts with such actors as Ray Milland and Vincent Price has a certainly less colourful role than Miss Laffan but she still manages to breath some dimension into her character. She is unfortunately saddled with a terrible love interest in the form of actor Hugh McDermott as Michael. McDermott really fails to impress as the supposed hero of the piece and his delivery never seems to be convincing. The cast as a whole are uniformily fine however I'd have to say that McDermott is definately the weak link in the chain. John Laurie as the alcohol loving Inn owner Mr. Jamieson and especially Sophie Stewart as his bossy and worrying wife both provide the welcome comical relief to the story and Sophie Stewart's scenes reacting to the female martian suddenly within the group's presense are especially entertaining. Her funniest piece is when Nyah is threatening to liquidate the entire group to which Stewart's solution is to have a good cup of tea which she says "always makes me feel better during a crisis"! Especially effective in the story is that the hero of the piece ends up being probably the most unlikely character in the escaped convict played by Peter Reynold's who sacrifices himself for the sake of all of mankind. Reynold's does a great job at transforming his character from an unlikeable and supposedly untrustworthy escapee into a character with great moral backbone. When talking production values on this British effort obviously we can't expect the same type of lavishness as from such contemporary Hollywood sci fi examples as the classic "War of the World's". Budget constaints are of course very obvious in the limited sets and special effects utilised however those effects present such as the ray gun courtesy of Jack Whitehead still look surprisingly good. The space ship set although sadly underused in the story is also highly impressive with its interior, only glimpsed in one scene being a real standout. The big let down comes however in the form of the very amateurish looking Martian robot that looks like an oversized tissue box with legs and arms glued on. This creation plus Miss Laffan's larger than life female alien definately gives "Devil Girl From Mars', it's camp appeal to modern audiences.

Not to be taken seriously for a minute "Devil Girl From Mars", I feel makes a refreshing change from the usual 1950's sci efforts we have all grown so used to. If you can look past it's rather silly sounding title it is a nifty little thriller with a quite risque theme (for the 1950's) embedded in it. The idea of men being shanghaid from Earth to mate with Martian women might not raise an eyebrow with modern audiences but I sometimes wonder how it was received upon its first release in 1954 when censorship was still very much in place. Patricia Laffan created a memorable sci fi character in the leather clad amazon Nyah who lets no man tell her what to do, and for her alone "Devil Girl from Mars", is essential in the collection of any sci fi buff.

Average customer rating:

Man creates his own god, his own devil, his own heaven, and his own hell!
The most opulant of Roger Corman's Poe films for A.I.
One of Roger Corman's best Poe adaptations!
The work of Poe with The Great Price
Good storyline, excellent acting, all british cast

The Masque of the Red Death
Starring: Vincent Price , Hazel Court , Jane Asher , David Weston , and Nigel Green
Director: Roger Corman
Manufacturer: Orion Home Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Asher, Jane | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Brown, Robert | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Court, Hazel | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Green, Nigel | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Price, Vincent | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Corman, Roger | ( C ) | Directors | VHS | Video

General | Horror | Genres | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

The Raven
The Pit and The Pendulum
Haunted Palace (1963)
The Fall of the House of Usher
Edgar Allan Poe Audio Collection

ASIN: 6303082785
Release Date: 1994-05-25

Customer Reviews:

Man creates his own god, his own devil, his own heaven, and his own hell!.......2007-01-31

This movie is great because it teaches us the path to true power. It also teaches us that torture is what is used to save our souls from a so-called god of love and life. This movie also teaches us that man creates his own God, his own Devil, his own Heaven, and his own Hell. For behold...We, as Man, are a race that is meant for destruction of any who oppose us. Yes, and that means shedding innocent blood to insure our survival and our stability.

This movie is the greatest movie of all time. Highly recommended.

The most opulant of Roger Corman's Poe films for A.I........2005-06-01

For "The Masque of the Red Death," one of the seven Edgar Allan Poe films that Roger Corman made for American International in the early 1960s, the producer-director had the advantage of Charles Beaumont, one of the scripters from "The Twilight Zone" who also wrote "The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao," and science fiction author R. Wright Campbell, doing the adaptation for this 1964 film. What you have to keep in mind is that Poe's originally tale is barely long enough to be considered a short story in the first place, but it is a neat title and it did have a pretty good twist. Beaumont and Campbell come up with an elaborate story to set up how it is that the Red Death attends Prospero's masque. One of the things they did was incorporate "Hop-Frog," another Poe story, but another is to turn Prospero and his sister in worshippers of Satan (reformed, apparently, compared to what we would see from other Hollywood films such as "Rosemary's Baby" in the next decade).

When young Francesca (Jane Asher, Paul McCartney's muse in the early 1960s when he was writing songs for her older brother Peter of Peter & Gordon) begs for the lives of her father (Nigel Green) and Gino (David Weston), the young man she loves, Count Prospero (Vincent Price) tells her she can choose who will live and who must die. However, that is just a prelude to the main part of the film where Prospero and his court and holed up in his castle. The Red Death is spreading around the countryside and Prospero needs to find ways to keep himself amused. The result is a series of sadistic games and actions at Prospero's order. Meanwhile, a hooded figure in red comes to pay a visit.

Corman remade "The Masque of Red Death" in 1989, but he should not have bothered, because this is the better version. This is arguably the best looking of the Corman films and when you see some of these interior sets you can only marvel at how far Corman has come from the days of making movies quick and dirty for no money (the fact Corman was shooting in Britain for the first time had a lot to do with it as did the fact that they simply used the sets from "Becket"). Price gets to be relatively restrained, even when he is ordering people garroted or tossing a woman a dagger so she can kill herself, and this one ends with an appropriate whimper. But I think the best performance comes from Skip Martin as Hop Toad, who does a lot with the similarly sadistic subplot of this one.

One of Roger Corman's best Poe adaptations!.......2005-05-04

Vincent Price is wonderfully sinister as the evil Prince Prospero, who in medieval Italy has large parties at his castle while the countryside is devastated by a deadly plague called "The Red Death". His equally evil wife, Juliana (played by the beautiful Hazel Court), worships Satan with even more passion than he does. When Prospero discovers a beautiful young Christian woman, Francesca (played by Jane Asher), in the poor village, he begins a determined campaign to corrupt her soul, eventually even stabbing her father to death.

The village is virtually wiped out by the plague, and six lonely survivors (including a very young girl) come to the gates of Prospero's castle, begging sanctuary in his castle which is still uncontaminated by the "Red Death". He orders his archers to kill them all, but he spares the little girl. It is things like this that change Francesca forever and make her realize just how cruel and merciless some people can be. Finally justice (in the form of the "Red Death") prevails and Prospero's reign of terror comes to an end.

Filmed in just five weeks, Roger Corman's gothic horror classic was based on two of Edgar Allen Poe's short stories, "Masque of the Red Death" and "Hop Frog". It was one of Corman's best films and was also one of his most stylish. Corman had been given a bigger budget than usual and it really shows. From the beautiful photography of England to Juliana's (Hazel Court) nightmare sequence, this classic is a visual feast! And Vincent Price, the master of the horror genre in my humble opinion, gave a typically outstanding performance in one of his most evil roles. If you enjoy Edgar Allen Poe stories and classic horror films, this one is a must!

The work of Poe with The Great Price.......1999-04-07

A classic tale with a religon view. Instead of christions ruling there, they are the peasants and sananists are the rules. Vincent Price as the Prince. In an isalated casle with the Red Death Plague is killing peole all over the country.

Good storyline, excellent acting, all british cast.......1999-03-31

Also stars Hazel Court and Jane Asher (ex beatle Paul McCartney's one time girlfriend.)

Average customer rating:

Perfect Rainy Saturday Afternoon Movie
Black humor abounds!
"I'm always fascinated by your utter lack of scruples."
Great Horror Classic Fun!
Dark Comedy at its best and a young Jack Nicholson

The Raven
Starring: Vincent Price , Peter Lorre , Boris Karloff , Hazel Court , and Olive Sturgess
Director: Roger Corman
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Court, Hazel | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Dierkes, John | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Karloff, Boris | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lorre, Peter | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Nicholson, Jack | ( N ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Price, Vincent | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

General | Horror | Genres | VHS | Video

Corman, Roger | ( C ) | Directors | VHS | Video

Horror | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

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The Fall of the House of Usher
The Fall of the House of Usher /The Pit and the Pendulum
Tales of Terror
The Masque of the Red Death
The Pit and The Pendulum

ASIN: B00000K39G
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Customer Reviews:

Perfect Rainy Saturday Afternoon Movie.......2007-06-09

This is the kind of movie I loved to find on TV on a rainy afternoon when I was a kid. It's not really a horror movie but a tongue in cheek spoof of the genre. I was amazed to find a young not yet famous Jack Nicholson in the film with three horror acting kings - Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff. The flick is directed by famous B scary movie master Roger Corman and everyone involved seems to be having a blast. The movie is very very loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe's mysterious and haunting poem but since everything is played for laughs Mr. Poe would probably have a hard time recognizing his contribution.

Black humor abounds!.......2004-12-22

Based on Poe's classic, this is a most amusing film about two warring Sorcerers, Dr. Scarabus {Karloff} and Dr. Erasmuc Craven (Vincent Price) who eventually meet up and duel it out one stormy night using their various imaginative Magical talents to out-notch eachother.

The film begins with a quote from Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven' read by Dr. Erasmuc Craven {Price} which leads into a-knocking at the chamber window, in this case, an actual raven scratching at the pane, but there is more to this lovely bird than meets the eye, who happens to speak in Peter Lorre's voice; it seems he is in a jam being transformed into the black bird by one Dr. Scarabus {Karloff}, and rightfully so, for being intoxicatingly petulent during a visit to his castle {after all, "If a guest in your Lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy!" - SROTE #4}. So he nags the mild-mannered Craven to return him to his proper form, quite rudely at that, but when not enough potion is mixed up to fully recouperate him, they must go to the cemetary to acquire one last missing ingredient - that of "hair of a dead man", so Erasmuc figures that his deceased father would not mind a lock cut, but while clipping, is warned by the corpse to "beware". Finally, the familiar form of Dr. Bedlo {Lorre} is restored, a rather bumbling nincompoop on the fringes of "The Brotherhood of Magicians", and off he goes to gain revenge, but not before informing Craven that he actually spotted his dead beloved Lenore at the castle, so the grieving Craven is thus determined to free her 'spirit' from his clutches; but to his eventual surprise, discovers that she never died, but actually left him for Scarabus, placing a decomposing body to mislead Craven into thinking it was she, to which his dedication bade him to turn into a shrine. I found Lenore to be of a particuarly despicable sort, more of an opportunistic "groupie" who fanes "love" in order to leech from the Sorcerers' potencies, merely living in their shadow. An empty creature at best, in and of herself.

Erasmuc and Bedlo are eventually accompanied by their children, Craven's nubile daughter {Olive Sturgess} and Bedlo's strapping son "Rexford"{Jack Nicholson} on the journey to the Scarabus Castle; wherein Rexford is momentarily possessed by some "diabolical mind control" while he manns the cortege', as was Craven's retainer earlier on, a bald trollish brute who wielded an axe against his superiors, until the mysterious influence wore off. Once within the castle, Scarabus is quite the gracious host, treating his guests to dinner until Bedlo becomes intoxicated and against better judgement, decides to act up again, challenging Scarabus to an enchanted bout, yet Scarabus merely toys with the incompetent "wizard", until finally, growing tired of the mediocre display, dispatches him with a bolt of lightning. But it turns out that there were more sinister purposes concocted by Scarabus, beneath this whole spectacle, as Bedlo re-appears to the subsequently imprisoned trio freeing them of their binds. It is at this point when Scarabus' true intentions are revelaed, and the Magical battle begins between he and Craven, resulting in quite an entertaining match where both imagination and skill are pitted against eachother in kind.

"I'm always fascinated by your utter lack of scruples.".......2004-02-13

Roger Corman directed many films based on works by Edgar Allan Poe. These films include: "Masque of the Red Death", "The Haunted Palace", "Tales of Terror", "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Conqueror Worm", "The Tomb of Ligeia", & "The Fall of the House of Usher." "The Raven" is based on a poem from Poe. As the film begins, sorcerer, Erasmus Craven (Vincent Price) is amusing himself with magic when he receives a strange visitor--a pesky raven. The raven, it turns out, is fellow magician, Dr. Bedlo (Peter Lorre). Bedlo has been stripped of his magical tools and turned into a raven by the evil Dr Scarabus (Boris Karloff). Craven turns Bedlo back into his human form and then learns that his wife--Lenore--who has supposedly been dead for two years--is alive and well and living with Dr Scarabus.

Craven immediately sets off for Scarabus's castle to discover the truth about Lenore. Bedlo's son and Craven's daughter are in tow.

The displays of magic are lots of fun to watch. Everything is campy and there's nothing very serious or frightening here--although young children may be impressed. The combination of Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff works very well. Vincent Price plays the noble, well-meaning Craven with tongue-in-cheek panache. Peter Lorre is the shady Bedlo. Karloff, naturally, is the evil magician, and together the three actors really feed off of each other's performances. A very young Jack Nicholson plays Bedlo's son. Nicholson's famous screen persona is absent, and in this film he plays a rather doltish character--displacedhuman.

Great Horror Classic Fun!.......2003-12-12

One of my favorite actors is Vincent Price. This film not only shows off his acting talents but his sense of humor as well. Peter Lorre is a great pain-in-the-side and the dialogue between the two fellows is funny! "Do you prefer dried bats blood or evaporated?"
Throw in Boris Karloff having a good time and you have a lot of laughs.
The sets are classic 1960's "B" movie. The special effects are nostalgic in these days of Lucusfilm.
If you want a great Saturday night popcorn muncher then you have to get "The Raven."
I got this and "The Comedy of Terrors" at the same time.

Dark Comedy at its best and a young Jack Nicholson.......2003-07-22

This has been one of my favorite movies since I first saw it years ago. It is a beautiful piece of Dark Comedy with an unbeatable cast. When you put Vincent Price and Peter Lorre together and let them ad lib you get some amazing stuff. Boris Karloff was amazing as usual even with his health problesm(you may notice they cut away on the scene with him on the stairs because he could not climb down them well). Also, this movie is graced by an extremely young Jack Nicholson. Not a bad acting job and if you want to see more then go see The Terror. It was filled right after The Raven since they had some left over money. You cannot beat spooky castles, ravens, dead bodies, bats blood, magical duels and scenes of the same firey wall falling. If you like Roger Corman or any of the actors in the movie then this is a must see along with The Comedy of Terrors, another black comedy made after the Raven was so successful. Keep the faith, dExtrosien

Average customer rating:

Good, gruesome climax mostly saves rather slow thriller.

Dr Blood's Coffin
Starring: Kieron Moore , Hazel Court , Ian Hunter , Kenneth J. Warren , and Gerald Lawson
Director: Sidney J. Furie
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Alligator People
Mystery Science Theater 3000 - The Crawling Hand
This Island Earth
Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection (Doctor X / The Return of Doctor X / Mad Love / The Devil Doll / Mark of the Vampire / The Mask of Fu Manchu)
V for Vendetta (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B0000639EF
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Customer Reviews:

Good, gruesome climax mostly saves rather slow thriller........2002-08-13

Dr. Peter Blood (no relation to Captain) has a problem. His name makes it obvious he's the villain. But I jest; certainly his is a convenient moniker, at least for horror movie purposes, with Frankenstein being taken, but since the people in this movie are quite thick-headed his secret stays safe for a long time. His real problem is that he has discovered a way to bring the dead back to life, and cannot make the simpletons around him see that it is okay for him to vivisect living humans to gain the parts he needs.
He returns to his childhood home on the English coast, after being kicked out of medical school in Vienna for his grisly dealings. His town has been wracked with disappearances and thefts over the past while, and the audience knows Blood has been doing it, because the opening scene showed him to be a madman. Yet for a few minutes the filmmakers hide his face as if this movie is going to be a mystery. Apparently news of his transgressions at school did not make it back home, because he is welcomed with open arms. He promptly pitches in on trying to locate the fiend, while simultaneously using his medical knowledge and good reputation to lead the authorities astray, as well as romancing the beguilingly beautiful Hazel Court, a nurse in his father's clinic. We instinctively know all this hard work is going to catch up to Blood, because, well, he's a crazed villain. And besides, you're just not supposed to date your co-workers.
Anyway, Blood dispatches a few more villagers, is nearly discovered when one crawls away and barely lacks the strength to ID him, is discovered, kills one more, is discovered again, by Hazel, and races off to the cave where he has been keeping his still-living victims and performing his experiments.
If the flick hasn't been exactly bad up to this point, but merely pokey and obvious, here's where it gets good. He finally succeeds in his experiment, transplanting a still-beating heart into Hazel's dead husband's corpse. This he does to spite her for rejecting his creepy advances. Talk about holding a grudge. The moldy stiff gets up and attacks Hazel. The cops seem to have stopped for tea on the way, and are nowhere to be found, as the undead fiend from heck menaces our heroine. But Blood, in a fit of conscience(?), stops the thing and fights with it himself. For a dead guy, Hazel's ex sure can scrap. Not that we can see much in the sloppily-directed Toho-esque elbows-and-angles style bout. At any rate, his transplanted heart must have been like a diesel engine, because the rotting man manages to strangle Blood. Then he expires himself, for some unknown reason. Hazel stumbles out of the cave, to the police, who act like they had intended to storm the cave but had experienced car troubles.
That is a happy ending, I suppose, although I still don't know where the titular Coffin of Dr. Blood fits into the story. That seems a more fitting title for any eventual sequel. But I digress.
Kieron Moore does well as Dr. Blood, but looks vaguely like a somewhat handsomer Cosmo Kramer, spoiling his manic performance a trifle. Hazel Court does very well just being Hazel Court. Her uncredited dead husband looks suitably grody.
But the story's pacing and seen-it-all-before nature hurt. The modern setting didn't help, either; there's a lot less mystique to the 1960's than to the 1860's. With phones in existence, why didn't someone from Vienna warn the town a dangerous mad scientist was on his way? And how did Blood beat Hazel and the cops back to the cave by enough of a margin to complete open-heart surgery? In horse-and-buggy days, I might have overlooked it, but in Volkswagen times, that plot convenience sticks out sorely.
The print is surprisingly good for a company that allows typos on the box and cannot be bothered to get their brief synopsis correct.
In summation, I've made much sport of this movie, and it is funny in a dry way, but it's mostly well-done and I do recommend it for genre fans.
See also: The Hammer Frankensteins; Mania; The Body Snatcher

Average customer rating:

Dr. Blood's Coffin
Starring: Hazel Court , Paul Hardtmuth , Ian Hunter , Gerald Lawson , and Kieron Moore
Director: Sidney J. Furie
Manufacturer: Cheezy Flicks Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Vampire
The Classic Sci-fi Ultimate Collection (Tarantula / The Mole People / The Incredible Shrinking Man / The Monolith Monsters / Monster on the Campus)
The Neanderthal Man
Blood of the Vampire/The Hellfire Club
Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein)

ASIN: B000AYELJW
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

We dare you to look into...Doctor Blood's Coffin! - After being expelled from medical school in the big city, Dr. Peter Blood returns to his childhood home in Porthcarron, a remote village in Cornwell. Where he is free to continue his dangerous and unauthorized experiments on people. While his father, the small towns doctor, is excited about his sons arrival, the mysterious disappearances of several citizens and medical supplies have the entire town on edge. - DOCTOR BLOODS COFFIN is a trend-setting example of 1960s classic horror, a compelling mix of strong characterization, shocking ideas with a great deal of on-screen graphic bone chilling gore.

Sci-Fi Classics Triple Feature, Vol. 2 (Devil Girl from Mars / Monster from Green Hell / Rocketship X-M)

Average customer rating:

Nice Leather Space-suit!
Two out of three ain't bad
It's Pretty Good

Sci-Fi Classics Triple Feature, Vol. 2 (Devil Girl from Mars / Monster from Green Hell / Rocketship X-M)
Starring: Jim Davis , Robert Griffin , Joel Fluellen , Barbara Turner , and Eduardo Ciannelli
Director: Kenneth G. Crane , David MacDonald , and Kurt Neumann
Manufacturer: Rph Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Classic Sci-Fi Movies (In The Year 2889 / They Came From Beyond Space / Teenagers From Outer Space)
Sci-Fi Classics Triple Feature, Vol. 1 (Things to Come / Rocketship / Crash of the Moons)
Target Earth
SciFi Classics Collection 50 Movie Pack Collection
Forbidden Planet (Ultimate Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B000065Q9W
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Customer Reviews:

Nice Leather Space-suit!.......2003-07-09

This triple feature has something for everyone. First, "Devil Girl From Mars" (worth having for the title alone) involves some pub owners, an escaped convict, a kid, his mum, and some scientists, as they match wits with the bodacious devil grrrrl! She has a weird ship, a cheesey robot, and a cool leather outfit! She wants a man to take back to Mars for breeding purposes. Who wouldn't go?? "Monster From Green Hell" is an epic slab of moldy limburger, starring J.R. Ewing's daddy (on Dallas) Jim Davis. It seems we've sent a rocket full of wasps (???!) into space, only to have them crash, mutate into giants, and start eating folks in "Green Hell" Africa. Only Jim Davis can save us! The "monsters" were snatched from some poor kid's toybox for sure! Enjoyable for it's pure schlock-factor. "Rocketship X-M" Yes, it's Lloyd Bridges as you've never seen him before! He heads a crew on a mission to the moon that goes awry. The ship goes off coarse and heads toward Mars instead! Who knew that Mars was inhabited by cavemen? I was hoping for more devil women!! You'll recognize lots of the cast from other movies like "Kronos", and from the '70s TV hit "Rockford Files" (Jim Rockford's dad). A nice little diversion...

Two out of three ain't bad.......2002-09-01

Another in Navarre's series of public domain titles put together as a budget release. The entire collection is hit or miss. The first film, Monster from Green Hell, is a classic Grade Z feature made by the same people who produced Robot Monster. While the film is not as bad as its infamous predecessor, it isn't very good either. Monster from Green Hell is mostly endless stock footage interspliced with scenes shot in California's Bronson Canyon. The movie appears complete, the framing is good and the sound is adequate. However, the print's picture quality is abysmal. Devil Girl from Mars is a fun, British, science fiction film about a spaceship from Mars landing in the Scottish Highlands. It's similiar in look and tone to Ulmer's Man from Planet X. The print is in excellent condition, appears complete and the framing and sound are good. Rocketship X-M is a Robert Lippert film rushed into production to beat George Pal's big budget Destination Moon to release. Again, the print is in excellent condition. It's a little dark, but, for the most part acceptable. The print is also complete with proper framing and very good sound. The sequences on Mars are sepia-toned. Wade Williams Productions offers this same movie on DVD. Williams modified his version of the film by inserting new special effects shots in place of the stock footage of V2 rockets used in the original print. I understand the original Rocketship X-M no longer exists. Navarre's print appears to be the Williams version. Frankly, considering the quality and completeness of this print it would be silly to spend the extra money for the Wade Williams release. Three stars for two good prints and films out of three.

It's Pretty Good.......2002-08-04

Ok, first check the price. Now you can not expect three movies all carefully restored before being transfered to DVD. Having said that, Devil Girl from Mars and Rocketship X-M came from print that has few, if any distortions, the Monster from Green Hell was pretty poor, but even when it played on TV it never was very high quality. If you are trying to build a collection of old B-rated sci-fi movies, this is a good economical choice. I gave it 4 stars primarily for its low cost, and movies that have many actors/actresses that are early in their careers.

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