From the Merchant of Menace, Vincent Price, and the King of the Bs, Roger Corman, come Six Gothic tales inspired by the pen of Edgar Allan Poe. In The Fall of the House of Usher, a young man learns of a family curse that threatens his happiness with his bride-to-be. In The Pit and the Pendulum, a brother investigates the untimely death of sister, played by Barbara Steele. Tales of Terror adapts three Poe classics, Morella, The Black Cat and The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, each starring a horror icon. The Raven is a comic take on the famous poem concerning three rival magicians. In The Haunted Palace, a newcomer in a New England town is suspected of being a warlock. And in The Tomb of Ligeia, filmed in Norfolk and at Stonehenge, a widower's upcoming marriage plans are thwarted by his dead first wife. The six films boast a remarkable cast list: not just Price and Steele, but also Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney Jr, Basil and a very young Jack Nicholson. Adapted for the screen by Richard Matheson and Robert Towne, these Six Gothic Tales now rank as classic examples of sixties horror cinema. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: High Definition Blu-ray presentation of all six features Original uncompressed mono PCM Audio for all films Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for all films Trailers for each film Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork for all films THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER Audio commentary with director and producer Roger Corman An interview with director Joe Dante Interview with author Jonathan Rigby Video essay by critic and filmmaker David Cairns examining Corman s film in relation to Poe's story Archival interview with Vincent Price THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM Audio commentary with director and producer Roger Corman Audio commentary by critic Tim Lucas A new making of documentary featuring Roger Corman, star Barbara Steele, Victoria Price and more! Shot in 1968 to pad out the film for the longer TV time slot, this scene features star Luana Anders Price reads a selection of Poe's classic stories before a live audience TALES OF TERROR An hour-long documentary on Roger Corman featuring contributions from James Cameron, Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard Critic and novelist Anne Billson discusses the contributions of our feline friends to genre cinema The Black Cat, a 1993 short film adaptation of Poe's classic tale directed by Rob Green (The Bunker) THE RAVEN Peter Lorre: The Double Face, Harun Farocki s 1984 documentary, subtitled in English for the first time An interview with the legendary novelist and screenwriter Richard Matheson An interview with Roger Corman about making The Raven The Trick, a short film about rival magicians by Rob Green (The Bunker) Promotional Record Stills and Poster Gallery THE HAUNTED PALACE Audio commentary by Vincent Price s biographer David Del Valle and Ron Chaney, grandson of Lon Chaney, Jr Kim Newman on H.P. Lovecraft An interview with Roger Corman Stills and Poster Gallery THE TOMB OF LIGEIA Audio commentary by director and producer Roger Corman Audio commentary by star Elizabeth Shepherd All-new interviews with cast and crew
When two hiking teens go missing around Lost River Lake private investigator Maggie McKeown teams up with the local drunk to look for clues. Their search takes them to a secret military base where they inadvertently let loose an experimental strain of mutant piranha. Now the guests at every resort downriver are on the menu! Special Features: Audio Commentary with Joe Dante and Jon Davison Behind the Scenes Making of Outtakes Stills Gallery Radio and TV Spots
One day the necrophiliac tendencies of Dr Hichcock (Robert Flemyng, The Quiller Memorandum) go too far and his wife dies from an overdose. Bereft, the doctor leaves his house but returns years later with a new wife, Cynthia (Barbara Steele, Black Sunday). The house they return to is eerie and Cynthia hears strange things, meanwhile, she doesn't realise Dr Hichcock intends to use her body to re-animate his dead wife's corpse. Released at the height of the Italian horror boom that was produced in the wake of the influence of Hammer's era-defining horror productions, director Riccardo Freda (The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire) and screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi (The Whip and the Body) create a dark and wicked gothic horror that brings in sly allusions to the work of Alfred Hitchcock while the period detail of Victorian London provides a lush backdrop. Product Features New 2023 2K restoration of the film from the original negative presented in three versions across two Blu-rays: Disc 1: the 87-minute export version The Terror of Dr Hichcock with extras; Disc 2, exclusive to the limited edition: the re-ordered 76-minute North American version The Horror of Dr Hichcock; and the English dub of the complete 87-minute Italian cut Raptus: The Secret of Dr. Hichcock Audio commentary by critics Kat Ellinger and Annie Rose Malamet New interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi (2023) Visual essay on Bluebeard in gothic film by Miranda Corcoran (2023) An interview with Madeleine Le Despencer on necrophilia and taboo gothic (2023) Trailers Gallery Reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by critics and experts including Chris Fujiwara on the film; an archival piece by Alan Y. Upchurch, Tim Lucas and Luigi Boscaino on the making of the film featuring interviews with Freda, Steele, Flemyng and others; a comparison of the different versions by Tim Lucas; and a critical overview by Cullen Gallagher Limited edition of 5000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
The greatest terror tale ever told! A horse-drawn carriage pulls up on a deserted beach. A sombre figure dismounts and gazes up towards his destination - a foreboding cliff-top castle perched high above the crashing waves. Thus the perfect Gothic scene is set for Pit and the Pendulum the second of Roger Corman's celebrated Poe adaptations once again starring the ever-reliable Vincent Price (The Fall of the House of Usher Theatre of Blood) alongside the bewitching Barbara Steele (Black Sunday). Having learned of the sudden death of his sister Elizabeth (Steele) Francis Barnard (John Kerr) sets out to the castle of his brother-in-law Nicholas Medina to uncover the cause of her untimely demise. A distraught grief-stricken Nicholas (Price) can offer only the vaguest explanations as to Elizabeth's death - at first citing 'something in her blood' but later asserting that she quite literally 'died of fright'. What sort of unspeakable horrors are buried within the walls of this castle that could cause one's heart to stop so? With Francis determined to get to the bottom of this mystery the terrible truth will not stay buried for long. Right from its brooding kaleidoscopic opening titles Pit and Pendulum draws you into its world of cobwebs secret passageways and dusty suits of armour. All the necessary elements are present and correct and along with one of Vincent Price's most tortured performances make Pit and the Pendulum every inch the Gothic melodrama. Special Features: Limited Edition Packaging High Definition Digital Transfer Newly Created Exclusive Content Collector's Booklet Featuring New Writing on the Film Archive Content and more!
When his brother disappears Robert Manning (Mark Eden) pays a visit to the remote country house he was last heard from. Althought his host Squire Morley (Christopher Lee) is outwardly welcoming and his housekeeper’s beautiful niece Eve (Virginia Wetherell) is willing to fulfil his needs. Manning detects a feeling of menace in the air with the legend of Lavinia (Barbara Steele) the Black Witch of Greymarsh hanging over everything. Will the village’s renowned expert on witchcraft Professor John Marshe (Boris Karloff) be able to shed light on the wicked going-ons at Craxted Lodge?
A young British couple, Philip (Ian Ogilvy, Death Becomes Her) and Veronica (Barbara Steele, Black Sunday), are honeymooning in the remote village of Vaubrac, Transylvania. After reluctantly booking into a sleazy guesthouse, the couple encounter Von Helsing (John Karlsen, Slaughter Hotel), a direct descendant of the legendary vampire-hunter, who tells them the town was placed under a curse over 200 years ago, following the brutal execution of Vardella, a grotesque figure accused of witchcraft. Dismissing his story, the couple plan to leave the next morning but a mysterious car accident is the catalyst for the return of Vardella and a murderous rampage of revenge Revenge of the Blood Beast (aka The She Beast) is the directorial debut from one of British horror's most important figures, Michael Reeves (The Sorcerers, Witchfinder General), and was written and directed when he was just 23 years old. Combining comedy and gruesome horror, Revenge of the Blood Beast is an outrageously entertaining slice of B-movie Eurohorror.
BEING TERRIFIED IS JUST THE BEGINNING... Initially reviled in its native land (some critics took exception to the fact the film was largely funded by the Canadian taxpayer), Shivers is an intensely claustrophobic, subversive masterpiece and an essential entry in the oeuvre of one of the horror genre s most gifted auteurs. Some 40 years after its release, it still retains its power to shock. Starliner Island is an idyllic community. Cut off from the rest of the world, the luxury apartment block affords its occupants the chance to escape from the hustle and bustle of the big city. But this isolation is to prove fatal when a new breed of parasite a combination of aphrodisiac and venereal disease which arouses sexual aggression in its hosts is let loose in the building, resulting in an orgy terror and mayhem. Known under a host of alternate titles such as The Parasite Murdersand They Came From Within!, Shivers is the startling debut full-length feature from director David Cronenberg which anticipates the body-horror concerns of his later films such as The Fly and Videodrome.
Haunted by horrifying childhood memories the son (Vincent Price) of the Spanish Inquisition's most notorious assassin teeters on the brink of insanity. But when his adulterous wife fakes her own death to drive him over the edge she soon discovers that betrayal cuts both ways.
After the murder of her mother and sister, Elizabeth Karnstein (Halina Zalewska, Date for a Murder) is taken in by the affluent Count Humboldt and his family. She has been married to his twisted son, Kurt (George Ardisson, Clap, You're Dead), and as a plague sweeps their small village; one prophesised by Elizabeth s mother before her death, the spectre of Elizabeth s older sister, Helen (Barbara Steele, Castle of Blood) appears. During one fateful stormy night, anyone with the surname Humboldt starts to perish one-by-one. Antonio Margheriti (Seven Deaths in a Cat s Eye) strikes again, with this brooding gothic chiller that effortlessly re-captures the magic of his acclaimed classic, Castle of Blood. Re-discover this twisted, labyrinthine masterpiece today, courtesy of this stunning HD presentation from 88 Films!
Fellini's most acclaimed work, 8 1/2 won two Oscars ® including Best Foreign Film. Fellini is unanimously voted by film critics - and notably, by filmmakers - as one of the greatest directors of all time. And Fellini's 8 ½ is revered as the most important European film ever made and film buffs' ultimate film of all time! MARCELLO MASTROIANNI is Fellini's alter ego, Guido, a successful filmmaker who, embarking on his next film, discovers he has a complete director's block: he has no story to tell ! Harassed by his producers, his mistress (SANDRA MILO) and his wife (ANOUK AIMEE) while struggling to find the inspiration for his film, he increasingly retreats in dreamy recollections of his life and lovers, until fantasy - personified by the heavenly beautiful CLAUDIA CARDINALE - his memories and reality merge in the director's mind and on screen - in an astonishing, masterful spectacle which culminates in an electrifying triumph of optimism. As Guido, Fellini's alter-ego says at the end of 8 ½: Life is a party, let's live it together Special Features: New unique intimate interview with Sandra Milo the film's co-lead and off-screen real life companion' of Fellini. Filmed especially for this CultFilms release Interview with Lina Wertmuller, Fellini's Assistant Director on 8 ½. Filmed especially for CultFilms. Lost Sequence documentary on the making of 8 ½ with interviews with cast crew and Fellini himself: the focus is on one of film-lore's great mystery! Where a massive sequence was shot with all the cast, but not included in the film, and it was never seen again. Tribute to Fellini's speech on receiving his Academy Award Oscar
Federico Fellini's 8 1/2, his 1963 semi-autobiographical story about a worshipped filmmaker who has lost his inspiration, is still a mesmerising mystery tour that has been quoted (Woody Allen's Stardust Memories, Paul Mazursky's Alex in Wonderland) but never duplicated. Marcello Mastroianni plays Guido, a director trying to relax a bit in the wake of his latest hit. Besieged by people eager to work with him, however, he also struggles to find his next idea for a film. The combined pressures draw him within himself, where his recollections of significant events in his life and the many lovers he has left behind begin to haunt him. The marriage of Fellini's hyper real imagery, dreamy sidebars and the gravity of Guido's increasing guilt and self-awareness make this as much a deeply moving, soulful film as it is an electrifying spectacle. Mastroianni is wonderful in the lead, his woozy sensitivity to Guido's freefall both touching and charming--all the more so as the character becomes increasingly divorced from the celebrity hype that ultimately outpaces him. --Tom Keogh
A young British couple, Philip (Ian Ogilvy, Death Becomes Her) and Veronica (Barbara Steele, Black Sunday), are honeymooning in the remote village of Vaubrac, Transylvania. After reluctantly booking into a sleazy guesthouse, the couple encounter Von Helsing (John Karlsen, Slaughter Hotel), a direct descendant of the legendary vampire-hunter, who tells them the town was placed under a curse over 200 years ago, following the brutal execution of Vardella, a grotesque figure accused of witchcraft. Dismissing his story, the couple plan to leave the next morning but a mysterious car accident is the catalyst for the return of Vardella and a murderous rampage of revenge Revenge of the Blood Beast (aka The She Beast) is the directorial debut from one of British horror's most important figures, Michael Reeves (The Sorcerers, Witchfinder General), and was written and directed when he was just 23 years old. Combining comedy and gruesome horror, Revenge of the Blood Beast is an outrageously entertaining slice of B-movie Eurohorror.BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURESHigh Definition digital transfer from the original camera negativeUncompressed mono PCM audioAudio commentary with Paul Maslansky, Ian Ogilvy and Barbara Steele, moderated by filmmaker David Gregory (2007)Newly filmed interview with star Ian Ogilvy (2024)Newly filmed interview with author and critic Kim Newman (2024)Archival audio interview with Barbara Steele Original trailerReversible sleeve featuring artwork based on original postersNew and improved English subtitle translation for Italian audio and English SDH for English audio
As a producer, Roger Corman has always loved to make low-budget rip-offs of hit movies, and Piranha is his typically cheeky take on Jaws--and, as so often with Corman, in many ways it's funnier and more entertaining than the original. Directed with gusto by schlock-horror specialist Joe Dante and sharply scripted by John Sayles, it replaces one huge underwater toothy monster with dozens of little ones and ups the body count by a factor of 10 or so. Two hapless teenagers, hiking in a remote mountain region, stumble on a secret US military research lab. They don't last long, but their intrusion leads to the release into the local river system of a huge shoal of super-intelligent piranha, originally specially bred for use in Vietnam. Downstream from the virulent little munchers lie a kiddies' holiday camp and a tacky new waterfront theme park. Lunch time, fellas! Sayles, with his staunch left-wing credentials, slips in some mordant political satire at the expense of the military-industrial complex, and authority figures of any kind come off pretty badly, but the satire never gets in the way of the gleeful black humour. The two leads, Bradford Dillman and Heather Menzies, are fairly pallid, but there are ripe cameos from such cult horror-movie icons as Kevin McCarthy, Dick Miller and Barbara Steele. Pino Donaggio's score impudently borrows aspects of John Williams' famous Jaws theme while never quite infringing copyright. The movie was successful enough to spawn a much-inferior sequel, Piranha II: The Spawning (1982), which marked the inauspicious directing debut of one James Cameron. On the DVD: Piranha on disc comes with just the theatrical trailer as an extra. The transfer is a respectable job, reproducing the original's full-screen ratio. --Philip Kemp
If this picture doesn't make you scream and squirm, you should see a psychiatrist--quick!" shouts the film's trailer. This time the hyperbole is right. Shivers, David Croneberg's debut feature and Canada's first domestic horror film, is an ingeniously engineered modern horror that, like George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968), charts a social breakdown by tearing through our most intrinsic taboos. A genetically engineered designer parasite--part-aphrodisiac, part-venereal disease--created by a modern day mad scientist escapes into a colourless, self-contained apartment complex and goes searching for hosts. This monstrous parasite multiplies and invades the alienated occupants, turning them into a pack of Id-driven sex maniacs. Cronenberg's suffocating vision of modern life turns his budgetary limitations--dreary, bland sets, flat lighting and numb performances--into a severe portrait of society out of touch with its physical and emotional existence. Cronenberg pushed the boundaries of gore in 1974, but more insidious is the way he pushes the boundaries of behaviour: under the influence of this insidious, invasive disease families turn to incest and murder, strangers sexually assault the helpless and finally they band together as a pack of bloodthirsty, libido-driven animals. That taboo-breaking display still has the power to get under your skin. The film has also been released under the titles The Parasite Murders and They Came From Within. Cult horror icon Barbara Steele co-stars. --Sean Axmaker
The legendary Mario Bava has inspired generations of filmmakers, including names as wide-ranging as Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton and Guillermo Del Toro. With their virtuoso photography and budget-belying visual effects, his films transcend their unassuming origins and played a vital role in shaping the horror movie as we think of it today. This exclusive collection from Arrow Video gathers together nine films from Bava's diverse catalogue including gothic horrors, giallo thrillers and even a real-time crime drama. Our journey through the maestro's output begins with Black Sunday, the ground-breaking gothic shocker that defined the Italian horror film, before launching the giallo phenomenon with the twisty The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Up next is a triple bill of terror with the gruesome anthology Black Sabbath, followed by a further slice of the macabre with the spine-tingling Kill, Baby Kill! Next, Bava channels his inner Agatha Christie with the Ten Little Indians-inspired Five Dolls for an August Moon, followed by the proto-Friday the 13th slasher A Bay of Blood (aka Twitch of the Death Nerve). Bava then returns to his horror stomping ground with the twisted and atmospheric Baron Blood and his surreal classic Lisa and the Devil widely considered to be his masterpiece. The collection concludes with Rabid Dogs (aka Kidnapped), a gritty, frenetic crime thriller that grabs the viewer by the throat and refuses to let go. This stunning collection represents one of Italian cinema's unsung heroes at the height of his creativity, ably assisted by a diverse and talented cast of cult actors, including Barbara Steele (The Pit and the Pendulum), Telly Savalas (Kojak), John Saxon (Tenebrae), Edwige Fenech (Strip Nude For Your Killer), Erika Blanc (The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave) and Boris Karloff (The Comedy of Terrors). Whether you're a newcomer to these films or experiencing them for the umpteenth time, Macabre Visions: The Films of Mario Bava is a must-have addition to your library. Limited Edition Contents: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all films Original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtracks Alternative cuts of Black Sunday, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Black Sabbath, A Bay of Blood, Baron Blood, Lisa and the Devil and Rabid Dogs Audio commentaries on every film by Bava biographer and expert Tim Lucas Numerous interviews with critics, cast and crew members Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre, a documentary profile of the director, hosted by Mark Kermode and featuring interviews with Joe Dante, John Carpenter and Tim Burton The Devil's Daughter, a video essay by critic Kat Ellinger Multiple introductions by author and critic Alan Jones Yellow, Semih Tareen's short film homage to Bava's cinema Multiple theatrical trailers and TV spots Limited edition packaging featuring original theatrical artwork Collector's souvenir hardcover book featuring writing by Matt Bailey, Alan Jones, Kier-La Janisse, David Cairns, Tim Lucas, Travis Crawford, Glenn Kenny, Adrian Smith, Jay Slater, Oliver James, Stephen Thrower, Peter Blumenstock and Helen Mullane And much, much more!
The greatest terror tale ever told! A horse-drawn carriage pulls up on a deserted beach. A sombre figure dismounts and gazes up towards his destination - a foreboding cliff-top castle perched high above the crashing waves. Thus the perfect Gothic scene is set for Pit and the Pendulum the second of Roger Corman's celebrated Poe adaptations once again starring the ever-reliable Vincent Price (The Fall of the House of Usher Theatre of Blood) alongside the bewitching Barbara Steele (Black Sunday). Having learned of the sudden death of his sister Elizabeth (Steele) Francis Barnard (John Kerr) sets out to the castle of his brother-in-law Nicholas Medina to uncover the cause of her untimely demise. A distraught grief-stricken Nicholas (Price) can offer only the vaguest explanations as to Elizabeth's death - at first citing 'something in her blood' but later asserting that she quite literally 'died of fright'. What sort of unspeakable horrors are buried within the walls of this castle that could cause one's heart to stop so? With Francis determined to get to the bottom of this mystery the terrible truth will not stay buried for long. Right from its brooding kaleidoscopic opening titles Pit and Pendulum draws you into its world of cobwebs secret passageways and dusty suits of armour. All the necessary elements are present and correct and along with one of Vincent Price's most tortured performances make Pit and the Pendulum every inch the Gothic melodrama. Special Features: Limited Edition Steelbook Packaging High Definition Digital Transfer Newly Created Exclusive Content Collector's Booklet Featuring New Writing on the Film Archive Content and more!
STARE INTO THESE EYES... discover deep within them the unspeakable terrifying secret of BLACK SUNDAY... it will paralyze you with fright! Legendary Scream Queen Barbara Steele (Shivers, Caged Heat) stars in this classic slice of gothic terror from the father of fantastic Italian cinema Mario Bava (Lisa & the Devil). A beautiful witch is sentenced to death for her evil deeds by her own brother, condemned to die by having a metal mask hammered onto her face before being burnt at the stake. As...
Ann a reclusive elegant lady with an obsession for butterflies is surprisingly befriended by the eerily beautiful young Alice. Using her seductive innocence Alice establishes a disturbing mother daughter relationship with Ann. Lured into her twisted world Ann soon discovers that she is not the only recipient of the girl's affections. Confronted by Alice's other lady friends Ann's shock awakens a dark hidden past unchaining a spiral of madness: a series of brutal and bizarre crimes that Ann will have to commit to preserve her harmless and deceptive appearances. The only one who recognizes there's something unsettling about Ann is nine year old Julie her next door neighbour's daughter. With the inevitable curiosity of a child Julie begins to explore the corners of Ann's apartment discovering a dark secret hidden in the walls of the forbidden butterfly room. No one believes what she's seen except for Ann's estranged daughter Dorothy. Horrified she realizes that the fate of the young girl lies in her hands. To save both Julie and herself she must summon up the courage to confront an evil that has haunted her for years.
When his brother disappears Robert Manning (Mark Eden) pays a visit to the remote country house he was last heard from. Althought his host Squire Morley (Christopher Lee) is outwardly welcoming and his housekeeper’s beautiful niece Eve (Virginia Wetherell) is willing to fulfil his needs. Manning detects a feeling of menace in the air with the legend of Lavinia (Barbara Steele) the Black Witch of Greymarsh hanging over everything. Will the village’s renowned expert on witchcraft Professor John Marshe (Boris Karloff) be able to shed light on the wicked going-ons at Craxted Lodge?
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