Get ready for seven more chilling tales starring the master of horror, Vincent Price! Presented by Scream Factory, The Vincent Price Collection II includes fantastic high-definition transfers of some of Price’s most memorable films, as well as new and vintage bonus features that further highlight his illustrious and enduring legacy as cinema’s most chilling horror icon.
The Vincent Price Collection II includes:
The Raven
1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/1963/Color/Not Rated/86 minutes
Directed by Roger Corman, The Raven is loosely based on Edgar Allen Poe’s poem of the same name and stars Vincent Price as Dr. Erasmus Craven, a sorcerer in mourning after the death of his wife Lenore (Hazel Court). One night he is visited by a raven, who is actually Dr. Bedlo (Peter Lorre), a wizard who can help Craven reunite with his lost love. The 1963 film was the fifth of Corman’s eight Poe films and one of Price’s most beloved film appearances.
The Comedy of Terrors
1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/1964/Color/Not Rated/83 minutes
Directed by Jacques Tourneur, 1963’s The Comedy of Terrors blends comedy and horror and stars Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, and Joe E. Brown in his final film appearance. Several of these cast members also starred in Tales of Terror, a horror film made by American International Pictures a year earlier. Price plays Waldo Trumbull, an undertaker who hasn’t had any ‘customers’ in quite some time. To pay the rent, he starts murdering people in order to get new clients.
The Tomb of Ligeia
1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/1964/Color/Not Rated/82 minutes
Distributed by American International Pictures, The Tomb of Ligeia was the last of Roger Corman’s eight film adaptations based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe. Starring Vincent Price and Elizabeth Shepherd, the film tells of a man haunted by the spirit of his dead wife and her effect her lingering presence has on his second marriage. Written by Robert Towne, Corman’s 1964 film is based upon the tale “Ligeia” by Poe. The film is filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s favorite Corman/Price production and even references it in his 1973 film, Mean Streets.
The Last Man on Earth
1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/1964/Black & White/Not Rated/87 minutes
Based on Richard Matheson‘s 1954 novel, I Am Legend, The Last Man on Earth stars Vincent Price as Dr. Robert Morgan who spends every day gathering weapons and supplies before hunting for vampires. Morgan is the last man on a planet where everyone else has been infected by a plague that turns humans into undead, vampiric ghouls. Directed by Ubaldo Ragona and Sidney Salkow, 1964’s The Last Man on Earth inspired countless horror films, from George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead to The Omega Man and I Am Legend, a 2007 remake of the Matheson adaptation starring Will Smith.
Dr. Phibes Rises Again
1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.85:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/1972/Color/PG/89 minutes
In Robert Fuest‘s 1972 film, Dr. Phibes Rises Again, Dr. Phibes (Vincent Price) awakens in 1928, three years after the events of the first film, when the moon becomes in appropriate conjunction with the planets. His goal? To resurrect his dead wife, Victoria (Caroline Munro). He wakes up to find that his home has been demolished, and that the papyrus scrolls he needs to find the Pharaoh’s tomb, where the River of Life flows, have been stolen. The vengeful doctor and his assistant, Vulnavia, leave for Egypt to track down the scrolls so that he may be with his love once more.
The Return of the Fly
1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/1959/Black & White/Not Rated/86 minutes
Directed by Edward Bernds, 1959’s Return of the Fly takes place 15 years after the events of The Fly. Phillipe Delambre (Brett Halsey) is determined to vindicate his father by successfully completing the transportation experiment he had dedicated his life’s work to. Vincent Price returns as Francois, Phillipe’s uncle who aids in the completion of the transporter. Initially, they are successful in using the transporter to re-materialize test animals, but Phillipe is doomed to the same fate as his father, becoming PhillipeFly – a hideous amalgam of man and insect.
House on Haunted Hill
1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.78:1)/DTS Master Audio Mono/1959/Black & White/Not Rated/75 minutes
In William Castle‘s 1959 film House on Haunted Hill, Vincent Price stars as Frederick Loren, an eccentric millionaire who invites five guests to a party for his wife, Annabelle (Carol Ohmart), at a haunted house. Loren promises to give them each $10,000 with the stipulation that they must stay the entire night in the house after the doors are locked at midnight. As the night progresses, the guests are trapped inside the house with ghosts, murderers, and all sorts of supernatural shenanigans.
This is a must-own set for any horror fan. Combined with The Vincent Price Collection, Scream Factory has put together one of the most definitive horror retrospectives of all time. The seven films in this set are even more enjoyable than the first collection, and – as always with Scream Factory – the audio/video presentation is top notch. You’ve never seen these films look this good. Even a film like House on Haunted Hill, which is a public domain title that has been thrown in to countless DVD box sets, looks like an entirely different movie. Scream Factory has really taken their time and delivered the best transfers possible.
Also included in The Vincent Price Collection II is a 32-Page Booklet with an essay by author David Del Valle and rare behind-the-scenes photos. Here’s a rundown of the 4-disc set’s extensive collection of bonus features:
The Raven
Introduction And Parting Words By Vincent Price
Richard Matheson Storyteller: The Raven
Corman’s Comedy Of Poe
Promotional Record
Theatrical Trailer
Still Gallery
The Comedy of Terrors
Introduction And Parting Words By Vincent Price
Richard Matheson Storyteller: The Comedy Of Terrors
Theatrical Trailer
Still Gallery
The Tomb of Ligeia
Introduction And Final Words By Vincent Price
Audio Commentary By Producer/Director Roger Corman
NEW Audio Commentary With Elizabeth Shepherd
Theatrical Trailer
Still Gallery
The Last Man on Earth
Richard Matheson Storyteller: The Last Man On Earth
Audio Commentary With Authors David Del Valle And Derek Botelho
Still Gallery
Dr. Phibes Rises Again
Theatrical Trailer
Still Gallery
The Return of the Fly
Audio Commentary With Actor Brett Halsey And Film Historian David Del Valle
Theatrical Trailer
TV Spot
Still Gallery
House on Haunted Hill
Audio Commentary By Film Historian Steve Haberman
Theatrical Trailer
Vincent Price: Renaissance Man Featurette
The Art Of Fear Featurette
Working With Vincent Price Featurette
The Vincent Price Collection II is now available on Amazon.
The Comedy of Errors is actually The Comedy of Terrors :D
Comment by Dex — October 22, 2014 @ 10:22 am