6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
Three stories adapted from the work of Edgar Allen Poe. A man and his daughter are reunited, but the blame for the death of his wife hangs over them, unresolved. A derelict challenges the local wine-tasting champion to a competition, but finds the man's attention to his wife worthy of more dramatic action. A man dying and in great pain agrees to be hypnotized at the moment of death, with unexpected consequences...
Starring: Vincent Price, Maggie Pierce, Leona Gage, Peter Lorre, Joyce JamesonHorror | 100% |
Mystery | 12% |
Dark humor | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
1963
1961
1964
1972
2019
1959
The Fall of the House of Usher
1960
La morte ha sorriso all'assassino
1973
1961
2019
2018
2012
La Mansión de la Niebla
1972
1971
L'etrusco uccide ancora
1972
2014
1981
Limited Edition
1980
1952
Collector's Edition
1962