Genres

Visitors Review

moonspinner55 2013-05-25 06:28:55

Lumpy adaptation of Poe

A comedic horror opus, and a very strange one indeed, directed in anungainly manner by Roger Corman. Based on Edgar Allan Poe's poemconcerning two medieval magicians sparring with a warlock over pastindifferences. Veteran stars Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and PeterLorre look surprisingly relaxed and pleased throughout this talky,no-budget production, but the joy of seeing these great talentstogether quickly fades within the B-movie surroundings. Film only comesfully to life in the magical face-off finale. Hammy and silly, withyoung Jack Nicholson looking extremely self-conscious in support.Corman quickly followed this with "The Terror" in 1963, featuringKarloff, Nicholson, and the same sets used here. ** from ****

Robert Reynolds 2013-05-24 14:28:06

Take a pinch of Poe, add generous amounts of Karloff, Price and Lorre, a dash of Nicholson and put them in a Corman blender, with a Richard Matheson script, mix on high and out comes a delight!

I'll admit right at the outset that Roger Corman's movies are an AcquiredTaste. But with a story (even "suggested") by Poe, (OK, so it's not thepoem, but read the poem and then write a script based on it and try to makea feature-length film based on the poem as written! Good luck-I thinkyou'll need some) Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and a young JackNicholson in the cast and a script by Richard Matheson, the film isdelightful! Peter Lorre's part (and performance) is particularly enjoyable. Top it off with one of the most unusual "duels" ever exposed to celluloidand a great final scene and you have a Corman Masterpiece! Highlyrecommended!

ma-cortes 2013-05-18 21:49:19

Fun horror /comedy with an exceptional quartet : Price , Karloff , Lorre and Nicholson

Amusing , delightful film produced by American Iternational , James H.Nicholson-Samuel Z. Arkoff , with a monumental team of terrorall-star-cast as Price , Lorre and Karloff . This supreme adventure interror and humor deals with a magician (Peter Lorre) who has beenturned into a raven and turns to a former nobleman sorcerer (VincentPrice) for help in this film loosely based on the Edgar Allen Poe poem, though takes only the title . Lorre asks Price to change his ravenform into human and he helps him by a mixture of jellied spiders ,bat's blood and dead man's hair . Then the two sorcerers , Pricehypnotized by the memory of his dead second wife (Hazel Court) and hisunfortunate associated go to a storm-surrounded castle inhabited by arival wizard (Boris Karloff excels as an old sorcerer ) , the wickedestone of all . It gets funnier when our two friends along with their sons(Jack Nicholson as secondary in an enjoyable acting though you'd neverguess he'd end up a superstar from his interpretation here , he hadpreviously played ¨Little shop of horrors¨ in another comic performance) pitting their magic wills against the nasty wizard . And the endtakes place a funny duel between Price and Karloff including primitivebut effective FX .This is more of a satire than a true terror movie , it is immaculatelystaged , stylishly realized , very literate , confidently made andplenty of eye-popping scenes . Terror has strangely been moreskillfully spoofed than in this agreeable horror/comedy Corman directed. The picture packs usual Corman's striking scenarios including mistsrise the ground , lugubrious castle , shrieks come from gloomy coffins, waves pound open the shore and vague shapes move behind the dismalmansions gone to the bad . Despite the original and incredible Xcertificate , most children will like this enormously fun film .Colorful cinematography by the series usual , Floyd Crosby .Frightening and atmospheric musical score by Les Baxter .The motion picture is well directed by Roger Corman and based onRichard Matheson's screenplay . It belongs the successful adaptationEdgar Allen Poe series . After his poverty-budget horror stories deemedmany of them minor cult , Corman made the cycle of ¨Tales of Terror¨which gave huge profits from minimal budgets . This Corman terrorperiod during the 60s with classical horror adaptations also includeswriter as H.P. Lovecraft with ¨The haunted palace¨ and result to be thefollowing : ¨Tales of terror¨ , ¨The premature burial¨ , ¨Pit andpendulum¨ , ¨House of Usher¨ and on the sets and leftover from ¨Theraven¨ was directed ¨The Terror¨ also with Boris Karloff and JackNicholson . All of them with a great sense of characterization andperiod , eerily staged , specially in the scenes where heroes andheroines are lured by spirits , spectres or black cats . In thesemovies repeat the same technicians , assistants as Monte Hellman ,musician composers as Ronald Stein and Les Baxter , Daniel Haller asproduction designer , cameraman as Floyd Crosby , among others . Theywere realized as vehicles for Vincent Price with the exception of ¨Thepremature burial¨ with Ray Milland and Hazel Court which was lesssuccessful . The last two pictures in the series , ¨The masque of deathred¨ and ¨The tomb of Ligeia¨ were filmed in England to combat risingcosts . Corman shot some exciting movies after these , but nothingremotely as interesting .

Scarecrow-88 2013-05-18 03:30:36

The Raven

Dr. Bedlo(Peter Lorre), a rather lackluster magician convinces areclusive warlock, Erasmus(Vincent Price in one of his most relaxedhorror roles portraying a man without one iota of evil in his being)toreturn him from the form of a raven back into a man, claiming that themost powerful(presumably)sorcerer in the country, Scarabus(BorisKarloff)slighted him with trickery in a duel. Bedlo informs Erasmusthat his beloved, dead(presumably)wife Lenore had been seen roaming theestate of Scarabus which certainly convicts the magician to meet theGrand Master Wizard at his castle. Erasmus' daughter Estelle(OliveSturgess)wishes to go with them, but he resists this notion untilScarabus inflicts their manservant with a spell with orders to kill.Surviving this ordeal, Erasmus sees no other alternative but to allowhis daughter to accompany them, with Bedlo's son Rexford(JackNicholson)driving the horses to Scarabus' castle. Even Rexford isovercome by a mind trick that has their horse ride to the castle ratherbumpy to say the least. Once there, Scarabus seems to offer merehospitality, but his true person will soon come to the surface as heharbours a desire to gain Erasmus' abilities at hand magic. Erasmuswill understand his dead father's warning(in an early scene, Erasmuscuts a few locks of hair from the corpse of his father, and from withinthe crypt casket, the dead man rises to tell his son to "Beware.")andhave to partake in a sorcerer's duel to the death with Scarabus.Erasmus also finds that his darling Lenore has betrayed him forScarabus' wealth and power. She's quite a seductive little viper whogleefully flaunts Erasmus' unfortunate situation, but is quite unawarejust how powerful he really is with his hand magic.The thrill for me, which should be no surprise considering the type ofaging stars this film boasts, was seeing the central cast playing it upin such a horror farce. The duel between Price and Karloff is obviouslya blast to sit through, even if the special effects are rather datedand less effective..although the gags that accompany the effects aresplendid. I do think this is one of those rare cases where, in thePrice/Corman/Poe cycle, that the film's low-budget shows. But, seeingthe three great horror stars in the same scenes sending up the sorcererplot was such a joy for this fan. Karloff still has the sinisterqualities conveying through the evil, conniving Scarabus and hisdastardly plans, but it was nice to see Price playing on the opposingside, as a gentle soul with no qualms with the treacherous magician, asthe focused warlock who isn't so easy to duel with as Lorre. Lorre hasthe most splendid role as an untrustworthy would-be sorcerer who oftenwill turn on someone for a dime. It was Lorre's Bedlo's greed formagical power that ultimately sets up the danger for Erasmus and hisdaughter anyway. Good humor through some delightful dialogue written bythe always reliable Richard Matheson.

2013-04-29 01:48:07

Can A Comedy Be Dark And Wholesome At The Same Time?

A lot of times people refer to a movie as "dark". As I comment, I will say that this has some "black humor" in it, i.e. humor that is a little on the sickening side, but I would not use the term dark. Allow me to explain why.Did anyone notice that this picture is rated "G"? Of course, as with any other film I would watch it with my children (as if I had any), but the only question I have about children seeing this movie really is Hazel Court's low cut dress, and possibly the desertion angle, though children do have to deal with that situation some.There are movies that give me the impression that the actors are having the time of their lives when they make them. "Dick Tracy" and "Sneakers" are examples of this. So is "The Raven". Vincent Price and Boris Carloff (both inaugural members of the Horror Hall of Fame, the only actors with that honor) are great as rival magicians Craven and Scarabus (respectively), and Peter Lorre steals the show as Dr. Bedlo, whether it he is visible before the camera, or whether it's just his voice when his character is turned into a raven. Jack Nicholson did not show much promise of the career to come, nor was he given much opportunity in this to show it, but he managed his role well. (By the way, there are only nine actors in this whole movie!)Not remembering my Disney movie chronology, I wonder if either this movie or "The Sword In The Stone" (whichever was made first) influenced the other. The battle between Craven and Scarabus reminds me of Merlin facing off with Mad Madam Mim in Disney's cartoon. Another movie comparison is with Casino Royale, where at points Price's performance reminds me of David Niven's in the other movie, but I found this comedy, while not having much more of a plot, a lot funnier and more coherent, and definitely more wholesome.Let me give two morality points that are found in this comedy. At one point, Craven realizes he made a mistake of not earlier confronting Scarabus but being apathetic. Evil succeeds when good men do nothing. This is a message we need to remember, to stand up to evil.The other thing I noticed (SPOILER ALERT -- DO NOT READ THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT THE STORY SPOILED) is that in the "battle to the death", Craven didn't try very hard to kill off Scarabus. There was one possibly fatal attack given to Scarabus, but most of the attacks from Craven were defensive or if more offensive, definitely not deadly.The beginning and the ending were my favorite parts, both playing on the famous line of Egdar Allen Poe's classic poem.One last note: there was a movie about thirty years earlier called "The Raven". Like this one, they both allude to the writings of Poe, and both team up Carloff with other famous horror actors (Price and Lorre here, and Bela Lugosi in the other), but there the similarities end.

Infofreak 2013-04-28 09:51:50

My least favourite in Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe series.

'The Raven' is my least favourite Roger Corman directed Poe movie. It iscompletely unlike the others in the series, being a comedy. To me a not veryfunny one. Corman had previously made two classic low budget black comediesin 'A Bucket Of Blood' and 'The Little Shop Of Horrors', but 'The Raven' isnowhere near as amusing. Perhaps comedy isn't scriptwriter RichardMatheson's forte, but whatever the reason, this is a very disappointingentry in the series which are great favourites of mine. The cast however isoutstanding. Horror legends Karloff and Price with two big star of differenteras Lorre and Nicholson, and the beautiful Hazel Court who also appeared inthe next and best of Corman's Poe movies 'The Masque Of The Red Death'. Sono matter how slight and silly this movie is watching these actors togethermakes it almost worthwhile. The bigger fan you are of the actors involvedthe more you'll enjoy this one. Otherwise I wouldn't bother unless you'veseen all the others and you HAVE to see them all.

BaronBl00d 2013-04-17 08:58:13

Absolute Magic!

Clever dialogue, gothic scenery, and three old masters of horror make thisfilm a delight to watch...over and over again. It is not very often onegets a chance to see three horror legends...Boris Karloff, Vincent Price,and Peter Lorre(plus a young Jack Nicholson)...in any movie, especially onewith competent and stylized direction by a Roger Corman and a witty scriptby some guy named Richard Matheson( a legend in the horror and sci-fi genresand the one author that influenced Stephen King more than any other). Thetalent alone insures success and each of these respective masters deliversin this film. The story has virtually nothing to do with the Poe poem...butwho cares with a cast like this. Peter Lorre steals every scene he is inand chews the scenery left and right. Hazel Court has a small role as thebeautiful Lenore, and she turns in a good performance as well. But in theend it is the King of Horror and the Crown Prince of Horror...Karloff andPrice...that make this movie a magical experience, particularly in theirduel of magic at the climax of the film. Get some popcorn, a nice bigdrink, and turn the lights out and have fun with The Raven.

clivey6 2013-04-16 17:33:14

The Munsters without the laughs

I was hoping for a dark, spooky tale in the manner of The Pit and thePendulum, another Edgar Allan Poe adaptation which also starred VincentPrice. But boy, was I wrong. This 1963 flick is played for laughs, butthe laughs aren't that good. Price amiably hams it up as a benevolentpaternal magician but you know what you're dealing with the moment araven flies through his window and starts talking to him with awise-ass delivery. This is Sabrina the Teenage Witch territory, TheMunsters but less fun and without the groovy theme tune.A great supporting cast such as Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and a youngJack Nicolson do little to enliven this and even at 80 minutes itoutstays its welcome. This is more like a forgotten Disney flick,hoping to prompt an indulgent chuckle, and it unfolds very predictably.Rubbish special effects too, even for the time.

ian-433 2013-04-11 11:02:35

Once upon a midnight dreary...

Roger Corman's spoof of Roger Corman horror films remains one of themore amusing parodies of the horror genre (a hard thing to bring offwell). Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff bring magic totheir roles as a trio of rival sorcerers in Plantagenet England. Alsoin the cast, Hazel Court pouts peachily, while a wooden young JackNicholson seems to be doing a bad impression of Stan Laurel.Unsentimental and quite vicious when it wants to be, it's as gorgeouslycoloured and styled as you'd expect. But Corman's other Poe-inspiredchillers for American International were more tightly plotted. Here,Richard Matheson's storyline is formless, especially the first half.It's only when Corman startlingly cuts to Karloff's entrance on top ofhis slimy green castle's staircase that it takes some sort of shape.The final duel of magic is worth waiting for. Price and Karloff, faceto face on ornamental thrones, transmute the elements against eachother before culminating in a crossfire of emerald and sapphire-huedrays that emanate from their fingertips.Likable (with Lorre especially irresistible as the incorrigible DrBedlo), but that slack first half lets it down.

Wayne Malin 2013-04-11 00:15:32

A little TOO silly but still fun

A magician (Peter Lorre) is turned into a raven by an evil magician(Boris Karloff). He goes to get help from a kind magician (VincentPrice). Price and Lorre go off to battle Karloff.Not much of a plot--but with Lorre, Price and Karloff do you need one?Not a great movie by any means--it got more than a little silly attimes,the score was dreadful and the special effects are terrible (evenby 1963 standards) but I enjoyed this. Some of the lines are fun andthe sets look great but it's the acting that puts this over. Priceoveracts (as always) but in a fun way; Lorre deadpans most of hisdialogue and it works; Karloff looks great--relaxed and just having agreat time in his role. Also a very young Jack Nicholson is inthis--he's terrible and he later admitted that he hated this film. AlsoHazel Court (looking stunning) is great in a small role. The script isgood but, purportedly, Lorre ad-libbed most of his lines (I did seePrice fighting not to laugh a few times). The climatic duel is adefinite highlight. Worth catching.See a letter-boxed print. I saw it on a full frame print on TV withwashed-out color. Half the time I couldn't tell what was going onbecause of the absence of the wide screen.

wes-connors 2013-04-09 01:16:20

Quoth the Raven: "Shut Your Beak!"

After Vincent Price (as Craven) reads some of Edgar Allen Poe's "TheRaven", the foul blackbird flies in through his window. Soon, theburping bird is turned back into human Peter Lorre (as Bedlo). Turnsout, the feathered man was "ravenized" by a third magician, BorisKarloff (as Scarabus). It's time for revenge and retribution! The magicisn't up to an episode of TV's "Bewitched", "Mister Ed" puts thetalking bird to shame, and the soundtrack is strictly "Gilligan'sIsland". But, this ludicrous film earns its three stars due to thepresence of the three stars: Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and BorisKarloff. Throw in a laughable young Jack Nicholson (as Rexford Bedlo),and Roger Corman's "The Raven" is, oddly enough, an ugh-intentionallyfunny comedy.

spacemonkey_fg 2013-04-08 20:04:14

Wizardry and Comedy

Title: The Raven (1963) Director: Roger Corman Cast: Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Jack Nicholson Review: Vincent Price did many films "based" on Edgar Allan Poes poemsand short stories, this is one that is very very very loosely based onPoes "The Raven". How loosely you say? Well, lets just say that theonly things that are based on Poes poem is the raven, the name Lenoreand...the actual poem which is read at the beginning of the movie.Thats it. What follows even though it has almost nothing to do withPoes poem is fun and comedy...old school style. Very old school.One spooky old night as Craven the magician is at home practicing someof his magical spells, a Raven comes to his window and starts tappingwanting to get in. When it does, Craven soon realizes that this isn'tan ordinary Raven, because this one actually talks! Soon Craven findsout that the Raven was actually an old magician friend of his namedBedlo that was turned into a Raven in a magicians duel with anotherpowerful magician known as Dr. Scarabus. Craven transforms Bedlo backinto his human form, then, together decide to confront Dr. Scarabus ina duel of magicians...to the death! First off, this movie is first andforemost a horror comedy. So don't expect a serious film or a seriousadaptation of Poes poem. Expect instead a spoof of this type of film.The best thing that this movie has going for it are two things. Firstit has a superb cast. The combination of Vincent Prices over the topperformance as the reluctant sorcerer who doesn't want to abuse hispowers, to Peter Lorres funny portrayal of a magician wannabe to BorisKarloffs evil Dr. Scarabus...they all make for a very excellent triplethreat of horror.The other thing this movie has going for it is the excellent screenplayby Richard Matheson who basically decided it would boring to make amovie out only the poem. So he constructed this whole fake world aroundPoes poem. The dialog is witty, snappy, funny and intelligent. Its adelight to hear the intricate words and dialog that Matheson chose totell his tale. Its something very elegant to hear.Also a plus are the sets which as Corman says on an interview werereally just an amalgamation of every other set used up to that point inAmerican International pictures. They are slightly more complex andelaborate then other Corman produced pics.But of course the grand finale is what everyone is waiting for! Theduel of magicians between Craven and Dr. Scarabus! Karloff vs. Price ina duel of hokey yet funny effects that will leave you begging for more!Love the heck out of this part of the movie.This is definitely a film from another era, an era in which films couldbe funny and they didn't have to be loud and in your face. They justrelied on funny dialog and situations that didn't have to be gross orin bad taste. An era when actors had an importance over special effectsand spoooky dark castles were a must. Rent The Raven for some goofy funand spookiness. Oh and to see one of Jack Nicholsons firstperformances, back when he was a struggling actor.Rating: 4 out of 5

planktonrules 2013-04-06 22:17:39

Really silly and not what you probably expect

Technically speaking, this is a pretty lousy film. The lousy castlematte paintings of the castle were embarrassingly bad. The specialeffects for the magical duel were ultra-cheesy. And, at times, thescript was just plain dopey. Yet, despite these many, manyshortcomings, I am sure that many will probably enjoy thisfilm--provided they like schlocky horror-comedies. However, most whosee this DVD title will probably assume it's NOT a comedy--and theymight be very disappointed.The film is about three magicians played by Vincent Price, Peter Lorreand Boris Karloff. Vincent is the hero of the film and Boris is thevillain. As for Lorre, he's pretty much out for himself. Despite thetitle and many references to this Poe tale, the story really hasnothing to do with it. It's all about an attempt by evil to defeat goodmagician Price. There are lots of silly plot twists and lines, but thewhole thing has the look of an "in-joke"--one that the film makersthought was absolutely hilarious but only some audience members willenjoy. I can almost guarantee that you'll either love it or dislike it.I could tolerate it but felt that the comedy just too often fell flat.

2013-04-06 05:52:03

Raving About Roger Corman's The Raven (1963)

Raving About Roger Corman's The Raven (1963) Every October my daughter and I pick up a few spooky movies to get into the Halloween groove. This year, I had the pleasure of introducing her to one of my all time favourite horror comedy classics, Director Roger Corman's "The Raven." The screenplay is adapted (VERY loosely) from the famous Edgar Allan Poe poem. This is one of Corman's many American International Picture adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe's works, and one of his best. As the king of "b" horror movies, Corman knew had to make the most out of a tight budget. His stylish films consistently used good source material, well written screenplays, lavish set designs, locations, props, costumes and great horror stars. "The Raven" boasts no less a cast than Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Jack Nicholson, and 60's scream queen Helen Court - a mind boggling cast given that this is a low budget film. Pairing horror legends Price, Lorre, and Karloff was indeed a momentous occasion and the stars make the most of it. Any semblance to Poe's Gothic poem pretty much ends after Vincent Price reads the first few lines (brilliantly recited despite its brevity) at the intro of the movie. Afterwards, screenplay writer Richard Matheson takes the sombre mood of the original poem and turns it on its ear with his original comic screenplay.At the outset of the film, we learn that Price's character (Dr.Craven - a wizard) has lost his wife Lenore (Helen Court) and has long mourned her loss. He's interrupted in the midst of his grief by "a tapping at his door." Price opens the door to find himself confronted by a raven (Peter Lorre). The raven, it turns out, can talk and is actually a rascally wizard named Dr Bedlo who has been enchanted by the evil wizard Dr Scarabus (Boris Karloff). He entreats the amazed doctor to help him become a man again. Richard Matheson's screenplay provides the actors with some wonderful comedy dialogue with which to work. Price and Lorre had been previous teamed in Tales of Terror, and their styles blend beautifully together - they are a scream! They set about concocting a potion in set designer Daniel's Haller's creepily atmospheric dungeon. After much fumbling, Price finally manages to restore Lorre's human head, but his body remains that of a giant human sized raven. Seeing Lorre strut his stuff in the Big Bird raven costume is almost worth the DVD price by itself!Once restored, Lorre swears revenge on Dr Scarabus. He asks for Price's help. But the doctor refuses until Lorre's character spots a portrait of Price's long lost wife and remarks that he's seen the woman at Scarabus' castle. The two set off for the castle along with Price's daughter (Olive Sturgess) and Bedlo's son (played by a young delightfully hammy Jack Nicholson).When Lorre and Price reach the castle, the fireworks begin - figuratively and literally. It's clear these three horror icons are having the time of their lives, hilariously spoofing their monster screen personas. Dated special effects (though fine for their day) detract little from the final magical showdown between Karloff and Price. I never get sick of seeing this movie and happily give it a rave review! Grab the popcorn and enjoy.Rob RheubottomWinnipeg, MB Canada

Lee Eisenberg 2013-04-05 02:03:57

Quoth Vincent Price: Nevermore!

My rating of 10/10 applies to the fact that it's so neat to see BorisKarloff and Vincent Price in a movie together, and in one with PeterLorre and Jack Nicholson at that! Price and Lorre play magiciansErasmus Craven and Adolphus Bedlo, who battle against the nefarious Dr.Scarabus (Boris Karloff). The climax has Craven and Scarabus one-uppingeach other.It's hard to believe that Jack Nicholson - as Bedlo's son - was onceyoung, but it looks like he was. And he was under-acting in relation tohis usual roles. It must have been fun for him to get to co-star withVincent Price.Vincent Price...probably the only horror star in history who made aguest appearance on "The Brady Bunch".

2013-04-04 08:27:39

A New Twist on Vincent

This review is from: The Raven [VHS] (VHS Tape) This movie is a blast from my childhood. I love Vincent Price movies and this one had just enough humor to giggle through the "scary" parts. Of course, scary at this time is different from scary in the past but I really enjoy the old style better. No slash and hack - just good use of the imagination. This movie on the other hand was tongue-in-cheek and had just the right wry humor to enjoy both Poe and the Horror Three (Peter Lorie, Vincent Price, and Boris Karloff). Enjoy!

Benjamin Gauss 2013-03-27 06:16:22

Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre AND Jack Nicholson - Need I Say More?

Vincent Price is my favorite actor of all-time, I'm especially a greatfan of Roger Corman's Poe cycle and, as far as I am considered, movieslike "Pit And The Pendulum"(1961), "The Haunted Palace" (1963) and "TheMasque Of The Red Death"(1964) , are some of the greatest films evercontributed to the Horror genre. Although "The Raven" of 1963 is myleast favorite entry to this excellent series of (loosely) Poe-basedfilms, since it is not quite the eerie Gothic Horror the other filmsare, but more of a comedy, it is still a fascinating, funny and highlyatmospheric film and there is no doubt that this is a must-see forevery fan of the Horror genre. This movie unites three of the greatestHorror-icons in motion picture history, Vincent Price, Boris Karloffand Peter Lorre in one film, being one of the two movies to featurethese three great men together, the other being Jaques Tourneur's "TheComedy Of Terrors" of 1964. A movie featuring Price, Karloff and Lorreis a must-see just for its cast, especially if it furthermore featuresyoung Jack Nicholson and Hazel Court.The son of a powerful sorcerer, who is in the meanwhile deceased, Dr.Erasmus Craven (Vincent Price) was once as versed in sorcery as hislate father. He has, however, in the meantime abandoned his formerprofession in order to live a peaceful life in his castle with hisdaughter (Olive Sturgess). He has to overturn his decision not topractice magic, however, when a fellow magician named Bedlo (PeterLorre) comes to his castle. Bedlo, who has been turned into a Raven bythe warlock Dr. Scarabus (Boris Karloff), needs Craven's help. Hefurthermore tells Craven, that his supposedly dead wife Leonore Cravenhas been seen at Scarabus' castle…Unlike the other films of the Poe/Corman/Price cycle, "The Raven",which is only loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe's work, does not mainlyfocus on suspense, but it is more of a satirical look on the seriesitself, and it certainly is very funny. The performances are, ofcourse, excellent, (how could they not be) Vincent Price, Boris Karloffand Peter Lorre are outstanding as always and 25-year-old JackNicholson, who plays Peter Lorre's character's kind-hearted son, showsus his first short portrayal of temporary insanity. Hazel Court alsofits greatly in her role, as well as Olive Sturgess. Although "The Raven" does not quite reach the brilliance of the otherentries to Corman's Poe cycle with Price, it is a highly amusing GothicHorror Satire, with an extraordinarily great cast. Every fan of classicHorror should see this, for us fans of Vincent Price, Boris Karloff andPeter Lorre this is a must-see. Great spooky fun, and WHAT A CAST! 8/10

2013-03-26 20:37:15

Dismissable but fairly entertaining

Not to be confused with the 1930s Universal Studios film starring Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff and concerned with themes of madness and torture, this light weight comedy concerns a battle between warlocks Price and Karloff, with Peter Lorre thrown in for good measure. Silly and dismissable, but rather entertaining.

2013-03-17 21:27:45

A great B-movie!

The Raven stars Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff special effects that border on non-existence, and much more. It is highly entertaining, and a great laugh (even though it is billed as "the macabre masterpiece of terror!") As a special extra, a very young Jack Nicholson plays Peter Lorre's bumbling son! THIS IS A MUST-SEE

Hal cagot 2013-03-17 17:06:39

If you are expecting Poe.........

Sorry, if you are expecting a movie based on Poe's poem. Other than Vincent Price elucidating one line from thepoem and his wife being named Lenore, any other connections are coincidental. Yet, I'm sure you will find this movie entertaining andfunny.An all star cast of Vincent Price,( the kind but powerfulhero), Peter Lorre, (a sniveling, shifty, weasel), and Karloffat his diabolical best as the evil magician. It is sort of aD&D version of the Good, Bad & the Ugly. Great specialeffects for its time. A young ,soon to be Superstar JackNicholson playing Peter Lorre's noble son does not reallyadd to the story, but it's fun to see him in his fledgingdays.