Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Tales of Terror Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 17, 2015

Well, there are certainly tales included in this feature, but I’m not convinced there’s any terror. The legendary master of the penny-counting approach to filmmaking, Roger Corman made an incredible amount of movies during his directorial career. A sizable portion of them were devoted to the works of acclaimed writer Edgar Allan Poe, with Corman bringing the likes of “House of Usher” and “The Pit and the Pendulum” to the big screen. 1962’s “Tales of Terror” eschews the long-form adaptation challenge, wrapping three short stories up in an anthology effort, offering brief blasts of Poe for devotees while keeping Corman and screenwriter Richard Matheson on their toes as they oversee disparate stories of human undoing. While the macabre and the menacing were Poe’s calling card, “Tales of Terror” doesn’t offer much in the way of fright, finding the production unable to slip into scary mode with material that actually welcomes sustained chills. Heck, the picture even becomes a comedy at one point. Lowered expectations are in order with this endeavor, as wonderful cinematography, performances, and genre decoration await those willing to ignore the feature’s frustratingly mild intensity.

In “Morella,” Lenora (Maggie Pierce) has traveled a long way to visit her father’s seaside castle, hoping to greet Locke (Vincent Price) after a 26-year-long absence. An alcoholic living in pained solitude, Locke blames the death of his wife Morella (Leona Gage) on Lenora, with his spouse passing away two months after the birth of her child. While Lenora pleads her case, hoping to reclaim a relationship lost to time and bitterness, Locke has trouble committing his heart, with the mummified remains of Morella lying peacefully in his bedroom, waiting for reanimation. In “The Black Cat,” Montresor (Peter Lorre) cannot stand his beautiful wife, Annabelle (Joyce Jameson), and her pet cat. With money hidden around his house to prevent costly drinking binges, Montresor elects to try his hand at wine tasting, challenging expert Fortunato (Vincent Price) to a battle of the palates. Returning home with his new friend, Montresor quickly realizes his mistake, watching Fortunato seduce Annabelle, requiring a particularly sadistic design of revenge to make sure the two never humiliate him again. And in “The Facts of the Case of M. Valdemar,” Dr. Carmichael (Basil Rathbone), a hypnotist, is willing to grant Valdemar’s (Vincent Price) final wish. Lulling him into a state between the realms of life and death, Dr. Carmichael is challenged by Valdemar’s wife, Helene (Debra Paget), who witnesses her husband beg for release, only to be refused for cruel reasons.

“Tales of Terror” has the raw materials for a nail-biting time with known stories. Corman invests in a gothic mood, with the opener, “Morella,” visiting an empty castle during an ominous evening, following Lenora as she discovers a thick layer of cobwebs on everything, even stumbling on a sneaking spider to help jolt her to full attention. This is the chapter that comes the closest to capturing the Poe vibe, with heightened performances selling the simplistic narrative, which basically establishes Lenora’s longing, Locke’s thawing ice of contempt, and Morella’s ghostly plan, captured with low-fi but amusing special effects, giving the short some needed visual energy. Additionally, “Morella” is perhaps the only section of “Tales of Terror” that could pass for eerie, offering mummified remains, spectral revenge, and a fiery conclusion without ever giving in to humor, finding Corman and Matheson more interested in Locke’s grief and the tragedy of Lenora’s return.

“The Black Cat” indulges comedy head-on, tracking Montresor’s master plan of alcoholism, which takes the man from desperation in local taverns to authority during a wine merchants convention. The showdown between Montresor and Fortunato is the highlight of the short, watching the refined wine expert, armed with sniffs and polite swallows, take on an apple-cheeked competitor who gulps down his samples, yet can still detect vintage and subtle flavors. Admittedly, it’s a truly hilarious scene, especially with two exceptional actors committing to the absurdity in full. Yet, the movie is titled “Tales of Terror,” leaving this break for laughs disruptive to the overall flow of the endeavor, disrupting what little macabre momentum has been built up to this point. “The Black Cat” eventually arrives at ugly business, with Montresor inventing a particularly wicked method of punishment, but the climax doesn’t provide a necessary slap of shock, dulled by previous displays of humor, while stabs at an ornate editorial design and extended dreamscape imagery also contribute to the unevenness of the effort.

“The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” gets the anthology back on track to a certain degree, returning to sinister business that involves a uniquely dangerous form of hypnosis performed by a dubious doctor. Once again, Price excels here, joined by an equally engaged Rathbone, who portrays regality and treachery with expert commitment. The short doesn’t have enough incident to fill up its limited run time, but when the mood darkens and true motivations are revealed (along with a putrefied body), the segment picks up in suspense, leading to a satisfying finale.

Tales of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation displays vibrant colors, keeping horror interests alert with deep blood-based reds, while period costuming preserves lively primaries. Skintones look accurate as well. Sharpness is excellent, exploring crisp facial textures and set decoration, bringing out the fine detail of the cinematography, which loves touchable surfaces and substances. Delineation is generally strong, highlighting frame information with sustaining deep blacks. The print is in encouraging shape, with only a few elements of damage and speckling. Image is also quite filmic, with comfortable grain management.

Tales of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix carries the supposedly spooky mood as intended, with a passable sense of musicianship on scoring cues, while atmospherics are pronounced, delivering genre punch. Dialogue is aged, offering slightly crispy highs and muddy lows, but nothing is completely lost during the listening event, with emotions registering as intended.

Tales of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features film historian Tim Lucas.

• Commentary #2 features Vincent Price historian David Del Valle and actor David Frankham.

• Interview (10:43, HD) with director Roger Corman doesn't cut deep into the "Tales of Terror" production experience, but the filmmaker does share a few BTS anecdotes along the way, including time spent guiding an elderly Rathbone, who had trouble remembering his lines. Amiable as always, Corman remains excited about the project and his longstanding exploration of Poe's work.

• "Trailers from Hell" (2:32, HD) returns to Corman, who repeats some information from the previous interview, sharing his experience making the movie.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:22, HD) is included.

Tales of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Without a truly nightmarish atmosphere, "Tales of Terror" is appreciable in other ways, finding Floyd Crosby's cinematography unexpectedly lush for this type of quickie entertainment, bringing out ghoulish qualities with exciting blasts of color. Scoring by Les Baxter is alert and inviting, backing Corman's creep, which doesn't come off nearly as budget-minded as his other efforts. And the film's introduction and interstitials are appropriately evil, highlighting beating hearts and dripping blood, guided by Price's theatrical narration. Sadly, "Tales of Terror" doesn't sustain interest in creeping out the viewer. Chills aren't a priority, but thankfully there are plenty of production achievements and appealing performances to savor along the way.