Friday, March 08, 2024

Movie review - “The Haunted Palace” (1963) *** (re-viewing)

 This has its own little niche in the Corman Poe cycle - most of the others I group as duos (Usher and Pendulum, Raven and Tale of Terror, Premature Burial and X Ray Eyes, Ligeia and Masque).

It’s different but also it’s not, which is a weird thing to say but I’ll try to explain - it’s based on a Lovecraft novel, and there’s some things which are unique to this (a mob of villagers, transporting to another world) but other aspects are typical of the series (Price, Dan Haller, Price playing a good man haunted by his ancestor).

Maybe it was a mistake to have the early section happen so long ago - surely it would’ve been better for it to have been within the memory of the townsfolk. They could have played up the relationship between the doctor and Price’s wife, Debra Paget. Paget doesn’t have anything to play apart from being scared. She should’ve been possessed too. Or they could’ve made more of bringing back to life dead Price’s girl... made her a character.

It looks terrific, the music is lovely. I enjoyed it. I was aware of its second-tier status but as second tiers it's fun. This was one where you go "you know, Price is fabulous, but this could've handled a different star").

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