Johan Louwet
Even though it has some nice visuals and Vincent Price is great playing both heir and his evil ancestor (a warlock which is the male equivalent of a witch) this movie wasn't really as enjoyable as I hoped to be. The introduction scene made me think the movie would bear resemblance to Black Sunday starring Barabara Steele playing both witch and one of her descendants. Here it is not about the resurrection of the witch but heir Charles Dexter Ward getting possessed by his ancestor warlock Joseph Curwen and this by means of a painting with the most penetrating eyes. However it all seemed to go so easy. The revived warlock goes on a revenge spree on the descendants of those who burned him over 100 years ago. Funny enough these descendants are an exact copy of their ancestors. Well yes after 3 he stops even though there are still names left on the paper. And than there are the deformed children as part of the curse expressed by the warlock. And there is the warlock's wife being resurrected, how did she die in the first place? And conveniently Charles Ward's wife needs to be a sacrifice to let out some demon residing in a hole. It was a bit of everything, chaotic and had a few dead ends and clearly I must have lost my interest at some point. Also the ending felt really rushed. Not bad by any means but somehow it didn't click with me.
LeonLouisRicci
Perhaps the most Underrated of Director Roger Corman's 1960's Films with Vincent Price. This is indeed the darkest and for sure a scary haunting. It has an opening Scene that almost steals the Movie before it starts the Flash-Forward.This is a great looking Movie, as are all the Floyd Crosby lensed Corman Horrors, but it is the relentless and brutal downbeat tone of the Movie that resides in the Subconscious like Poe and Lovecraft. It is a brooding affair and never ventures into Camp or Corniness as these things might.It is Supernatural Horror as good as Fifties and Early Sixties could be with its Moonlit Gothic Sets and fog drenched atmosphere. Along with Price there is the added allure of the beautiful Debra Paget's Swan Song and an Excellent and Eerie Musical Score. It does seem, at times, a bit rushed and compacted, but what is here is a grabber and all involved can be proud of this neglected entry in the Corman/Poe Pantheon.
dutchchocolatecake
This movie pays homage to the classic horror writers of old. Not quite Lovecraft, not quite Poe; this movie creates a unique story that borrows a bit from both.The acting is excellent, and the plot and characters are well written. The special effects are pretty good for the time period this movie was made, and the "less is more" approach" worked to a great advantage here. It is so refreshing to watch a movie that actually relies on good storytelling and competent actors; rather than distracting visual effects. Too often movie makers attempt to dupe the audience by replacing substance with style; which imo is a backhanded insult to the collective intelligence of the audience. You do not have to be a Lovecraft or Poe fan, nor do you have to be familiar with their writings to enjoy this movie; which is a huge bonus. Vincent Price delivers once again in a timeless masterpiece.
fedor8
THP is a strange kind of horror film. Not in its execution, premise, or style – in all these areas it is a very typical 60s (Corman) film - but the fact that it promotes lynch mobs. I have to mention here that I have always been a bit of a fan of lynch mobs myself, considering that LMs have often worked in society's favour, its "victims" usually being murderers and psychopaths who got pretty much what they deserve. Naturally, in this politically correct, hypocritically anti-violence/anti-war lovey-dovey age of hugging-as-a-way-of-solving-all-issues age, lynch mobs are a major no-no, so it is refreshing to see a movie that so honestly supports the lynch mob, even if it is a movie made nearly half a century ago.Just kidding, of course.No, I'm not. Lynch mobs get a bad rap.One would perhaps assume that writing credits which include Lovecraft, Poe and Beaumont would more than suffice to guarantee an above-average horror tale. Alas, there is of course the unmistakable touch of one called Roger Corman to bring down the potential somewhat. THP has the typically Cormanesque padding; the story is too drawn out, with a number of scenes that don't serve the plot as much as they merely re-(re-)establish things that we already know. The occasional tedium starts in the second third and predictable doesn't quite let up until the finale. The problem is that the plot of THP could have fit into a half-hour TV-show episode. But visually nice, has that 60s flair.I was none-too-pleased with the choice of actress to play the damsel-in-distress. They could have done a lot better. I don't know if she was Corman's mistress or someone's niece, but a below-average face is certainly not acceptable in such roles - or any roles.
AD
