The Haunted Palace & The Tower of London (Midnite Movies Double Feature)

The Midnite Movies DVDs are great. They provide us with some great classics in horror at a fair price (as long as they stay in print) and a lot of the times you get two great movies on one disc as seen here. The quality is usually great as well. However from my experience Midnite Movies are famous for mistakes and misprints on the back of their DVDs. I don't mind, it's kind of like when your a kid buying baseball cards and your looking for the error card.Haunted Palace:On the back of the Haunted Palace they mention it being based on a Edgar Allan Poe poem. However as Roger Corman points out on the "A change of Poe" Interview on the disc AIP gave him a bit of freedom and let him give his take on Lovecraft and points out the film being based off of H.P Lovecraft's The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Corman mentions how he wasn't going to do a series of Lovecraft films but go back to doing Poe afterwards. As a fan of Corman I would've liked to see a series of Lovecraft as well.The Haunted Palace is based on an 18th century warlock, Joseph Curwen (Price) who is burned at the stake by the towns people but not before he places a curse on the village. More then a century goes by and Charles Dexter ward, Curwen's grandson shows up to the village with his bride to claim the property. Charles Dexter Ward is also played by Price in this duel role Corman considered his best. Price does do an amazing job as always. Joseph begins to posses his grandson Ward to finish his work and we get to see Price change character on the spot. The film also cast Lon Chaney Jr ( The Wolf Man .The DVD also says it provides a mono audio track but it was in 2 channel digital.TOWER OF LONDON:Under the "fun facts" on the back of the dvd it is pointed out that the original tag line for the film was "Do you have the courage to spend 83 minutes in the Tower of London? But the Midnite Movies points out the film is only 80mins, which I found ironic with all their mistakes on the disc, but I probably have a lot of mistakes in this review.This small budget black and white gem, also by Corman is epic in idea and Price's acting giving it a larger feel.Based on Shakespeare's Richard III the film follows Richard of Gloucester, (Price was also in the 1939 version  The Boris Karloff Collection (Tower of London / The Black Castle / The Climax / The Strange Door / Night Key) starring Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff, in one of Prices earlier films) this time played by Price as he murders anyone standing in his way of England's throne. Things do not go as planned as the ghosts of those he killed come back to assist him in going madd.The DVD also contains an Interview Producer Gene Corman.I bought the dvd off here but through a company called Interzone. The shipping was literally next day even though it was supposed to be standard and the dvd arrived in great condition, factory sealed as advertised. I recommend them.

I recall when, during the popularity surge for horror films (old and new), these early sixties movies played in the theaters. I finally got to view these two films in their entirety some 50 years later on this fine double feature MGM DVD presentation. Let's start with "The Haunted Palace". How can you lose with Mr. Price, Lon Chaney Jr., and Debra Paget? Plus, recognizeable and excellent supporting players. Really first rate acting. The "look" (to borrow a line from the fine Roger Corman interview included) of the film is "big budget" on a 15 day modest budget purse string. I was really impressed with the color photography and the DVD's picture and sound. Dolby stereo as far as I could tell. Vincent gets to, in essence, play a dual role and does so with dexterity and passion. Hey, Elisha Cook, Jr. is even in the mix, making it all the cooler. Not all plot elements are fully explained, so be willing to interpret loosely. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I was very impressed. Way better than one might guess. The whole team took this production seriously, and it shows. Now on to "Tower Of London". Flip the 2-sided DVD over, and "Tower" is presented in super sharp looking and crisp sounding black and white. For me, black and white is not a negative format. Apparently the Corman's balked at that studio decision at the time...but forged ahead anyway. Excellent sets, atmosphere, and acting across the board...especially Vincent Price at his haunted, Shakespeare-flavored best. The Corman's again manage to get 25 cents out of every budget nickel. The art direction is amazing. Visually impressive scene by each spooky scene. A really nice Corman bonus interview featuring production insights for this film as well. (No trailer...but "Haunted Palace" does have a nifty trailer included). I need to suggest at least a PG or even PG-13 feel to "Tower Of London" (technically "not rated"). At least 7 murders and pretty grim at that. Not as graphic as later Price vehicles such as Dr. Phibes (thankfully), but torture-oriented in nature and pretty relentless. Vincent Price is so great here and always. He must be part Houdini in "Tower of London". Plotwise, the very notion that Vincent would not be dungeon-jailed with the key thrown away after the first 15 minutes is beyond belief. Not a lot of law and order ruled the day at the 'ol castle I guess. Taken together, this double feature is well worth the trip. Stylish and quite a showcase for top acting talent. Essential viewing for Price fans and anyone interested in the best of sixties horror films, with a Poe flavor. I think both films will exceed your expectations. (P.S.-"The Haunted Palace" gets my award for film with most lightning and thunder but least rain...of all time!).

Two excellent films from Midnite Movies. Both starring the great Vincent Price. The first movie is The Haunted Palace with Roger Corman as seemed normal directing Price. Haunted Palace feels like another Poe inspired tale but actually it's from the pen of HP Lovecraft and tells the story of the cursed town of Arkham, longer review on individual release, Haunted Palace is a very well acted if a little predictable but still with a slightly surprising ending.The Tower of London is a remake of the 1939 classic where in fact Price had a small role in that. Here he plays a monsterous Richard III determined to be King of England and kill everyone even his own family in his way. And boy does Price kill everyone, even small children. This movie is quite bloody and violent considering the year it was made. Ghosts though are ready to haunt Richard III to his death. Very well acted and great sets. Though Price a classic method actor, does method act in almost every scene.

The classic Vincent Price/Roger Corman horror films are some of my absolute favourites. The Fall of the House of Usher has long been my personal fave, but there is now another to take its place - The Haunted Palace. It has everything I want from this type of film, loads of mist and fog, great sets and matte shots, the vivid colour, memorable musical score and a story which maintains its supernatural thread right through. If I were forced to make a criticism it would be about the makeup on some of the characters, it looks like silly putty in some scenes, but is only a minor point. I know nothing of the Poe/Lovecraft sources of this amalgam of a film so took it on its own merits, and I loved it.The Tower of London is also a great film. It is in black and white, which I think reduced its popularity at the time, a point I felt Gene Corman was hinting at in the extra interview. It might be nice to see it colourised, but I thought whilst watching it that it might not look 'right' in colour.I great pair of films of the genre in my opinion.

Rather fine, and I think a little forgotten, Roger Corman movie with Vincent Price. The film looks really crisp and lush, and Corman knew how to stretch the dollars to keep the film looking classy, but kept it cheap by running the smoke machines for every single exterior shot. Price isn't too hammy here, and gives a fine performance. What is funny is that Corman is trying to sell this as being an Edgar Allen Poe-based movie when it's clearly an H.P.Lovecraft story. There's mentions of the elder gods, Yog-Sothoth, and some very fine imagery going on here, with a story of a wizard burned for mating young girls with beasts from the other dimensions, cursing the whole village to horrible mutations, and then resurrected into his own ancestor. Enjoyable shennanegins.

This is an old classic from 1966 It really does make you curl under the duvet. Vincent Price as always a great actor with his scared like happenings. He has a very good way of making you jump when you least expect it.This is a film worth a look as well if you like the old films they i find are more scary than todays even with their technology. The old ones are without a doubt the best.I have quite a collection now and no matter how often you watch these films you always notice something else that you did not see the first time.Make the old films as a purchase you will not be dissappointed.

Essentially, the script for "The Haunted Palace" is an adaptation of an H P Lovecraft story entitled, "The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward", with several Edgar Alan Poe quotations added in for good measure. As always, Vincent Price gives an impeccable performance as Ward......another sinister role which pleasingly compliments the one he gave in "The Pit And The Pendulum" in which the main character becomes similarly possessed by the spirit of a deceased member of his own family tree......the subtle changes in personality and appearance of both, all being performed and delivered with the pure brilliance of his own acting ability and technique alone. Ah, yes...this was during a period when great theatrical acting talent could thankfully be fixed and preserved for all time amid the chronicals of true cinematic art.This is certainly the best, and sharpest colour print of the film I've seen in a long time, and all in the original full widescreen-format too! Well worth the whole 'price' of the double feature disc just by itself. Plus, you get an excellent extra in the form of another fascinating interview with the hypnotically charming, cult sixties film director himself, Roger Corman......a real bargain all round!