Fox Horror Classics Collection, Vol. 2 (1946)

Disk 1: Chandu the Magician **Commentary by Author Gregory William Mank **Masters of Magic: The World of Chandu **Chandu the Magician Radio Serial Episode **Restoration Comparison **Trailer **Still Gallery

Disc 2: Dr. Renault's Secret **By The Book: Horror, Suspense, and Literary Inspiration **Restoration Comparison **Trailer **Interactive Pressbook **Still Gallery

Disc 3: Dragonwyck **A House of Secrets: Exploring Dragonwyck **Dragonwyck Radio Show Performed by Vincent Price and Gene **Tierney - October 7, 1946 **Restoration Comparison **Trailer **Interactive Pressbook **Still Gallery

Episode Description: Disc 1: Chandu the Magician (1932) Disc 2: Dr. Renault's Secret (1942) Disc 3: Dragonwyck (1946)

Fox Horror Classics 2

A terrific example of classic movie making with Dragonwyck (a must see for any classic film buff) and complete camp from Chandu the Magician. Dr. Renault's Secret is a terrific example of some of the very best character actors of the making a terrific movie from an absurd script! I recommend this collection highly! October 10, 2008

Megalomaniacs, mad scientists and Byronic bad guys

Mystery and suspense so thick you could cut it with a knife. Magic, science fiction and gothic horror all rolled up into a fantastic set of three DVD's. The restorations are excellent allowing for full enjoyment of the acting, photography and set design by some of the great Hollywood masters.

CHANDU
The powers of mysticism, hypnotism and magic are harnessed to fight evil madman Roxor (Bella Lugosi) bent on enslaving the world with a terrifying death ray. Lugosi is at the top of his game. The special effects, photography and sets are superb.

DR. RENAULT'S SECRET
A scientist monkeys with the genealogical tree of primates and unknowingly provokes a clash between creatures from different branches. Man and chimp ape each other producing a drama full of suspense, excellent acting, sets and make up. This is one of those "He tampered in God's domain" thrillers.

DRAGONWYCK
Vincent Price once said he most wanted to be remembered for this film. Giving the defining performance of his career, he creates the prototype character for which he will later be famous.
Dragonwyck is a lavish, exquisitely filmed, gothic romance based on historical events occurring around New York State's Hudson River in the early 1800's. Miranda (Gene Tierney) is invited to the estate of wealthy Patroon Nicholas Van Ryn (Vincent Price) to be a tutor for his troubled daughter. She arrives only to be caught up in a bizarre battle of succession between rebellious tenant farmers and hereditary landlords. Trapped between the dark past and an uncertain future; haunted by the ghost of his great grandmother, Van Ryn struggles to insure the continuation of his title and possession of lands.

Van Ryn's wife dies mysteriously, but not before another damsel is enticed into his den of procreation - and guess who the lucky woman is! But as in all stories of the genre, dragons are destined to face off with a dragon-slayer, either on the field of battle or within the beast's lair.

This is filmmaking at its best.
October 10, 2008

WEAK HORROR FILMS . . . CLASSICS THEY AIN'T

Fox has been scouring its archives for forgotten treasures, sometimes illustrating the old saying that some undiscovered masterpieces should remain undiscovered. Here's the proof: The first Horror volume was a nifty journey into darkness and doom, but the follow-up is scary in a different way. Here we have Chandu the Magician (1932), adapted from pulps with a bravado performance from Bela Lugosi, fresh from Dracula, who chews the scenery as he sinks his teeth deep into the role. Unfortunately the hero, played by Edmund Lowe, buckles when he should swashbuckle, and is all too polite and timid for a character that should drip in derring-do. Dr. Renault's Secret (1942) is, frankly, not much of a secret. He, like Dr. Moreau and hosts of mad scientists before and since, plans to change animals into semi-humans. The star here is Harry Lachman's direction in a distinctly painterly gothic mood, but it's essentially a weak endeavor. The somewhat battered gem in this collection is Dragonwyck (1946), based on the Anya Seton potboiler. Vincent Price and Gene Tierney, reversing power roles from Laura, star as Rich Landed Gentry and Poor Country Mouse. Her father is played with puritanical prickliness by Walter Huston, Spring Byington plays a daft and scary maid, Jessica Tandy a plucky and brave maid, and it all ends up playing like some bus and truck company's take on Rebecca. Mostly pretty to look at, the film rolls along at a snail's pace with few genuinely scary moments. It's Joseph L. Mankewicz's first directorial outing, but the material is at once too scattered and overwhelming to be convincing. September 30, 2008

Terrible..............

I am not going to write a whole essay on this box set but i was highly dissapointed. These are not even horror movies dragonwyck is a slash love story from the director who did all about eve,nice cinematography but really boring.......the movie drags i fell asleep the first 20 mins.the other 2 are semi-ok but lacked monsters. One thing i noticed with the first horror classics they had collectible post cards in each dvd movie,i guess fox got cheap because none of these movies have em. anyhow this set is for the true devoted collector of snoozer movies otherwise stick with the first fox collection.If There is a 3 fox collection hopefully they will get it right and maybe put out the museum of wax, a really rare Boris Karloff film,and The Undead,And Murder Bt Television,Those are classic horror films that need to be in these sets.... September 13, 2008

Not A Horror Movie But A Great Drama

I guess That The People At FOX Who Package These Movies Don't Watch Them//
Vincent Price Who Was Not Only A Wonderful Actor Who Did Comedy(Champagne
For Caesar With Ronald Colman/I have Been Waiting Years For Dragonwyck To
Come Out On A DVD/And Was Shocked To See It Included In A HORROR Package
Because Vincent Price Made Many Horror Movies The People At Fox Who Put
this Package Together Think That Movies Vincent Price Made are All Horror Movies//Well It's Easy To See That They Know Nothing About The Old Great Movies/This Movie Dragonwyck Should Have Been Released As A Single Release//Dragonwyck Was Adapted From A Book By Anya Seton And Has A Wonderful Cast Including The Great Actor Walter Huston and Miss Gene Tierney/They Did A Great Job In Restoration And The Quality Is Tops
Including Closed Caption//The Package Is A Real Buy At This Price//
I Would Have Paid More Just For Dragonwyck//
I Wish They Would Put Out A Package Of George Sanders Old Movies Which
would Include PRIVATE AFFAIRS OF BEL AMI//What a Wonderful Movie//
And How About A Package Of GEORGE ARLISS Movies Including DISRAILI and
The HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD/George Arliss Was One Of The First Actors To Get An Academy Award Oscar/
Stanley Cooper
[Jupiter Florida
zoundz@bellsouth.net...]

September 12, 2008

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