Vincent Price: MGM Scream Legends Collection (1973)

Vincent Price DVD Collection Review

Includes Price's best, as well as other, less known. The cost was minimal for value received. Only Anthony Hopkins has since paralleled Price's evil-insanity portrayal. August 6, 2008

Great Films by Horrors Greatest. Disc Breakdown Below.

This box set is a great add to any film lover's collection. The set is also great for those who are interested in Price's work but have yet to see much of it. I suggest watching the films by date. The last two films in the set are the most autobiographical of Price particularly Madhouse which has flash backs within the movie of actual Vincent Price films some of which you will have seen if you go in order by date. Although I feel Witchfinder General stands as a unique Price film and could be watched last. Lastly finish with the Vincent Price Collection of horrors disc which should be more interesting after the movies. The disc of horrors/Witchfinder general disc is the only DVD case containing two discs, even though it says a side and B side on the back on the DVD. All other DVDs are two sided discs with one film on each side.

THE DISCS:

The three short films in each film disc: Tales of Terror/Twice Told Tales.
Tales of Terror (1962) 5/5
The only film of in the box by director Roger Corman who Price has teamed up with on many occasions to produce some of their best work such as The Masque of the Red Death / The Premature Burial and The Fall of the House of Usher /The Pit and the Pendulum. Both have made great films separately but together they made a great team and Tales of Terror is yet another example. Terror is Based on Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Terror and the screenplay was written by Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, The Incredible Shrinking Man), Tales of Terror is a trilogy of macabre tales starring Price in all three. The strongest of the three is The Black Cat starring Peter Lorre opposite of price and he does a great job as a drunken husband who seeks revenge on his unfaithful wife. The first tale is the weakest but it does get stronger from there. Hopefully this film will lead you to other Corman/Price films and other films by the director such as X.
THE DVD: On the back of the DVD Tales of Terror's running time is listed at120mins but actually is just shy of 90minutes. The DVD is presented in widescreen 2:35:1 with a mono audio track.

Twice Told Tales (1963) 5/5
More of the same of Tales of Terror but this time it is three shorts based on tales written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. These three shorts are equally great with no clear favorite as each film could appeal to a different viewer.
THE DVD: Presented in widescreen 1.66.1 with a mono audio track

The disc with the features disc: Witchfinder General/Vincent Price Coll. Disc of Horrors

Witchfinder General (1968) 5/5
The most brutal of the films which could be the first exploitation/torture film, although it has an actual story to go along with it and an ending reminiscent of Hooper's 1974 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2-Disc Ultimate Edition). Price's character Matthew Hopkins goes from village to village as an official witchfinder. Town's leaders pay him to accuse and execute those thought to be witches but he runs into some opposition from a soldier whose lover he has violated. This is also based of an Edgar Allen Poe work and was directed by Michael Reeves. Reeves and Price butt heads on this one which is talked about on the disc of horrors disc. It would appear Reeves did beat some of the mannerisms out of Price as he gives a different feel to this role then any of the others in the set.
THE DVD: The only DVD to have special features. Audio commentary with producer Philip Waddilove and actor Ian Ogilvy and a Witchfinder General: Michael Reeves' horror classic featurette. Presented in widescreen 1.85:1 and a mono audio track.

Vincent Price Collection Disc of Horrors (2007) Watch this last: 4/5
There are three features on the DVD. Vincent Price: Renaissance Man - Historians and critics talk about his plays, art collecting, films, his cooking, basically about his life. The Art of Fear and Working with Vincent Price are the other two features.

The Phibes Disc: The Abominable Dr. Phibes/ Dr Phibes Rises Again:
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) 5/5
The film tells the story of Dr. Phibes seeking revenge on a group of surgeons he holds responsible for his wife's death. As one critic points out in the disc of horrors we are all born with a bit of psychotic in us but we mature however Dr. Phibes has never matured he is still that psychotic child. The movie has that 70s real feel and bloody deaths although they are much more creative than most films of the time. This is the most unique and eccentric of the Price films.
I call Dr. Phibes an influencer of horror films and one of the best in this set. It is also similar to Theater of Blood which is also included. There is a biblical theme and order to Phibes' murders much like David Fincher's Seven (New Line Platinum Series). There are creative kills that could have influenced the more recent horrors such as The Final Destination Thrill-Ogy (Final Destination/ Final Destination 2/ Final Destination 3), Hostel, and saw movies throughout. The killer in the saw movies almost seems modeled after Phibes. Elaborate and lavish sets with a feel of Kubrick and like Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange [Blu-ray] released the same year Over the Rainbow is used in the same out of place fashion as Singin in the Rain was. There are also some bumbling Scotland Yard detectives to provide a bit of humor much like Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy released the following year also a great film.
THE DVD: Presented in widescreen 1.85:1 and yet another mono audio track.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) 4/5
This sequel picks up literally where the last one left off and even gives a recap of the first film. This time Phibes main goal is heading to Egypt to bring his wife back to life as he dispatches those that get in his way. It's an entertaining horror adventure.
THE DVD: Presented in widescreen 1.85:1 with a mono audio track.

The autobiographical films disc: Theater of Blood/Madhouse

Theater of Blood (1973) The only R rated film. 5/5
A small time Shakespearean play actor (Price) believed to be dead comes back to take vengeance on the critics who trashed his work, by following the death scenes of his plays in the order he played them. Again we have creative kills with that 70s exploitation look with gore and blood throughout. During one of the kills of The Merchant of Venice I thought Price's makeup looked like Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street (Infinifilm Edition), maybe it inspired Wes Craven.
THE DVD: Presented in widescreen 1.66:1 with mono audio.

Madhouse (1974) 4/5
This is the most autobiographical film in the set. Price plays Paul Toombes a horror star whose fiancée is brutally murdered. The viewer nor Paul even knows if he did it and he loses his job and a bit of his mind only to return twelve years later to TV. This is a fun film for Price fans as it is a mixture of his films. The plot is somewhat reminiscent of House of Wax particularly the ending. Literally Paul Toombes films are played throughout during interviews and banquets and they are actual Vincent Price films such as The Pit and the Pendulum and Tales of Terror. Tales of Terror even seems to have the same effect on Toombes as it did Price's character in that film.
THE DVD: Presented in widescreen 1.66:1 with a mono audio track.
July 7, 2008

Great Movies, but * BEWARE * of MGM Disc - Cutting Error !

Vincent Price is at his best in these shows; that is, those that were viewable in this packaged assortment. While the movies presented here are certainly 5 stars, MGM did NOT cut the DVD's for The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Dr. Phibes Rises Again! I purchased two different copies of these DVD's : One from Amazon - the one this review is written for - and another - also produced by MGM - at a DVD store where I live. In both cases, the Dr. Phibes movies were NOT transferred to the DVD during the MGM 'cutting' process: all that appears is the MGM logo, and nothing else. I tried these discs in three different DVD players, and still, nothing.

If you enjoy Dr. Phibes as much as I do and want to buy discs that work, buy from a merchant that is selling his old working versions. Otherwise, you're taking a chance, since apparently MGM cut some disks, but did not cut others. June 1, 2008

PRICE-LESS

Each generation has their heroes of horror. The first circled around names like Karloff and Lugosi. Today's generation revels in names like Jason, Michael and Pinhead. And during the sixties? We grew up with Vincent Price.

MGM has just released a DVD box set of several classics by actor Vincent Price, known for his well toned voice and sinister yet dashing looks. Most horror fans loved him for the Roger Corman directed Edgar Allan Poe films that he did. But the films represented here offer a bit more.

The box set contains 4 discs: 1-TALES OF TERROR (based on the works of Poe) and TWICE TOLD TALES (based on the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne), 2-THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES and DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN (two must have movies for all Price fans). 3-THEATER OF BLOOD (one of Price's favorite roles) and MADHOUSE and 4-WITCHFINDER GENERAL (also released under the name THE CONQUEROR WORM) and DISC OF HORRORS which contains three documentary looks at Price, his work and his life.

Each of these films, with the exception of WITCHFINDER GENERAL, has been released previously but not in a boxed set. And WITCHFINDER GENERAL, a much hailed film, has never seen release until now. The film chronicles events surrounding real life witch hunter Matthew Hopkins in the Middle Ages as he abuses his legal powers eventually leading to his downfall. While some view this as a high mark in British horror films, I found it a bit slow moving and not one of Price's best efforts. It did offer a rather brutal amount of violence for a film shot in the 60s and for that might make it worth watching.

Of the set (and moving past the classic Phibes films which deserve an entire article all their own) I have found that MADHOUSE was a neglected film that deserves seeing. Price stars as a Hollywood horror star that loses his mind after the death of his wife. Years later, a producer wants to resurrect not only the star but the character he played, Dr. Death, for TV. When things begin happening on the set, you are left to wonder has he really recovered or has he gone insane, now a killer stalking the cast and crew?

While many think of this as not much of a movie, it does offer tons of entertaining fun and Price playing a character that is basically himself. The film offers chills that young ones could handle and a story that is interesting, leaving the identity of the killer till the very end and then offering a twist to top that.

If you've never seen a Vincent Price film, you're not a true horror fan. And there is little better place you will find to start than with this box set. It's not only worth watching, it's worth adding to your collection.
January 19, 2008

The King Of The House Of Usher

Johnny Depp has said that aside from his budding friendship with Tim Burton the main reason he did Edward Scissorhands was for the chance to work with the legendary Vincent Price in what turned out to be his last film appearance. He was that kind of actor. On screen he commanded the screen like no other horror star of his generation with the possible exception of Boris Karloff. He reveled in his roles. And he rose indomitably (pardon the pun) to the occasion again and again. From the forties through to the eighties. Add to this the fact that he was a much sought after character actor in films of the late thirties and forties and even into the fifties with The Ten Commandments. As to this product.
None of the films are his greatest and none are his worst. Included are the two Dr. Phibes films which sparked yet another revival of his career late in the game. They are coy and filled with demonic glee that only Price could deliver. And this mind you is behind a frozen mask and with limited vocal delivery. The Audience knew intimately the man behind the mask and applauded his last great screen performances for what they were -tongue-in-cheek nods to his career. God Bless Tim Burton for giving him the proper send-off he so richly deserved in Edward Scissorhands. And passing the gauntlet (again pardon the pun) as it were to Mr. Depp at the same time. Depp's Sweeney Todd should ensconce him alongside Price and Karloff in this kind of depraved tormented characters they specialized in.

This set is well worth having. Nothing Price ever did lets you down. He always gave it his all. Other actors laughed at him and called him the Canned Ham of Horror, but his career went on and on while theirs fell by the wayside. You be the judge. Buy it. I dare you. December 17, 2007

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