Review of Tales Of Terror

Introduction

Roger Corman with the backing of Samuel Z. Arkoff produced a series of low budget films in the 1960`s by plundering the gothic tales of Edgar Allen Poe. Poe might be considered to be one of the earliest American writers who dealt not in fact but in what might now be termed `speculative fiction`. Do not speak the dreaded words science fiction, as `proper` authors do not like to be tainted by association. Corman with his own scriptwriter Matheson puts a new spin and adds a little extra spice to the stories although not as much as the rather lurid publicity attached to this disc would imply.

There are three tales all starring Vincent Price. Peter Lorre appears in `The Black Cat` and Basil Rathbone in ` The Case Of M. Valdemar.`

Morella

When a young girl goes home after 26 years she is shocked to find her father has kept the body of her mother in the house. Her mother`s unquiet spirit is not pleased to see her either. There doesn`t seem to be any necrophilia despite the publicity blurb although I think a teddy in bed would be more suitable than the dead wife.

The Black Cat

An unpleasant drunk is constantly berating his wife and demanding money. When she finds solace in the arms of a wine taster the husband decides to dispose of them both. He hasn`t counted on the intervention of the black cat.
Peter Lorre seems quite at home playing the drunk at this late stage in his career. There is a truly sparkling wine tasting scene with Price ordering extra ham with his.

The Case of M. Valdemar

A seriously ill man allow himself to be hypnotised at the point of death creating a serious problem for his not-quite widow.

Video

Filmed in glorious… well colour, as you all seem to like that sort of thing. A lovely gaudy mix. It all looks rather old fashioned and quaint which it is being over 40 years old. I wasn`t expecting reference quality stuff so I wasn`t disappointed. The picture looks OK with remarkably little damage. Action is limited to fairly creaky looking sets but as the budget was 0$ that`s not really surprising.

Audio

Perfectly adequate sound with clear dialogue. Subtitles available in English, Dutch, French and Spanish should you wish.

Features

An entirely dreadful trailer to add to your collection

Conclusion

Tacky but worth the price of admission for the dulcet and reverberating tones of the Master of Horror himself-Vincent Price. He wraps his tonsils around dialogue that is not always memorable in content ensuring the film is lifted out of its potential pit. As `Tales of Terror` forms part of a series of the adapted Poe tales it has interesting historical value as well. The film is a prime example of taking something not immediately of filmable quality and describing it visually by the subtle addition and subtraction of story elements.

Look out for `The Masque of the Red Death` as another baroque example of Corman`s magic. A special mention for the tarantula that makes appearances in the first two stories despite not being a native of North America.

So if you are a Price, Corman or Poe fan this disc bought as cheaply as possible may well complete your collection