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Vincent Price: MGM Scream Legends Collection (The Abominable Dr. Phibes / Tales of Terror / Theater of Blood / Madhouse / Witchfinder General / Dr. Phibes Rises Again / Twice Told Tales) | 
 enlarge | Directors: Douglas Hickox, Jim Clark, Michael Reeves, Robert Fuest, Roger Corman
Actors: Vincent Price, Joseph Cotten, Diana Rigg, Ian Ogilvy, Maggie Pierce
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $39.98
Buy New: $23.65
You Save: $16.33 (41%)
New (41) Used (10) Collectible (1) from $21.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 18848
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 5
Running Time: 675
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.5 x 1.2
MPN: MGMDM108780D
UPC: 027616087805
EAN: 0027616087805
ASIN: B000SK5ZFM
Theatrical Release Date: April 5, 1973
Release Date: September 11, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 10/16/2007
Amazon.com
The high baroque period of Vincent Price's career is well represented with this box, which offers seven horror-minded feature films and some supporting extras. If there were ever any doubt that Price was in on the joke, this collection would dispel it: in most of these movies he's having a ball, cheerfully sending up his own image--although the set also boasts perhaps his finest straight performance. Thanks to the previous likes of House of Wax and The Fly, Price had his horror cred well established, which is perhaps why he's already winking at the idea in the earliest movie here, 1962's Tales of Terror. The movie certainly has an impeccable horror pedigree: three stories by Edgar Allan Poe, adapted by Richard Matheson, and directed by Roger Corman. Price stars in all three, making a slow start with "Morella," then clicking into gear with Peter Lorre in a broadly comic "The Black Cat," and winding up with great liquefying make-up (and Basil Rathbone) in "The Case of M. Valdemar." The 1963 Twice Told Tales borrows Corman's triptych set-up with three Nathaniel Hawthorne stories, but the results are fairly dull. The best of the trio is the first story, in which Price and Sebastian Cabot sip a youth potion, with regrettable results. Witchfinder General (re-edited and known for years in the U.S. as The Conqueror Worm) is the gem of the collection, a truly harrowing film for which Price eschewed any hint of camp. He plays a 17th-century witchfinder, and the film pulls no punches in pointing out the sadism of his job (and the way religious paranoia is linked to misogyny). It's the best and final work by the promising director Michael Reeves, who died in 1969 from a drug overdose; he was only 24 when he made this film. From there, the set skips into Price's 1970s silly season. The Abominable Dr. Phibes was a surprise hit in 1971, and it's easy to see the appeal: Price goes over the top in his portrayal of a Phantom of the Opera type who exacts revenge by invoking the Old Testament plagues. Joseph Cotten and Terry-Thomas are in the cast. Dr. Phibes Rises Again isn't quite as madly focused--this time the doctor is in Egypt, looking for a way to revive his late wife--but the tongue-in-cheek spirit prevails. Those films paved the way for a similar but more inspired outing, and a movie Price spoke of as a personal favorite: Theater of Blood, a deliciously wicked thing about a ham actor who murders his critics. Not only does Price have a high old time reciting Shakespeare, he gets to knock off some wonderful victims: Robert Morley, Jack Hawkins, and Price's future wife Coral Browne among them. Diana Rigg is a welcome bonus. Madhouse rounds out the disc, an actively bad movie along the same lines; Price plays a horror-movie actor whose personal instability mirrors his film persona. The picture is ham-handed in every way, though it's good to see Peter Cushing toe-to-toe with Price. Also in the set: a Disc of Horrors, with an hour's worth of featurettes on the man. --Robert Horton
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 Excellent Collection of Work December 24, 2008
I love Vincent Price's work and this work mostly from the 1960's and 1970's is a great collection of literary adaptations of Poe's and Hawthorne's tales as well as others. These movies while campy are always enjoyable.
The Phibes films and "Theater of Blood" make this a must-have! December 6, 2008
As I have said before, Vincent Price never really got the accolades that he deserved for his long and diverse career. Though most think of him in the horror genre, the actor was featured in a variety of films, many of them classics - "Laura," "The Ten Commandments," and "Dragonwyck," to cite a few - and he excelled in them all.
The "MGM Scream Legends" compilation features seven of the actor's later works, made after his legendary collaborations with Roger Corman during the director's 60's heyday.
Price, who was skilled at scenery-stealing, which may have caused critics to be less-than-complimentary of his work, knew how to interpret the characters that he played, even when the script wasn't the best, as in the case of "Witchfinder General," a gory mish-mash loosely based on the exploits of an actual witchhunter in the 17th century. The film is nauseatingly violent and could've easily been omitted from the collection that, as a whole, is excellent.
That having been said, let's give credit where credit is due. The best of the bunch, as stated in the title of the review, are the two Phibes films and "Theater of Blood." In the first Phibes, Price seeks revenge on the medical professionals that he feels were responsible for the death of his beloved wife. The way in which he "disposes" of each is marvelously macabre with tongue placed firmly in cheek. The film has a rich look about it and features a great score by Basil Kirchin. Price is aided in the acting department by Joseph Cotten, Oscar winner Hugh Griffith, comic Terry Thomas, Peter Jeffrey as "Inspector Trout" and Virginia North as Phibes' silent henchwoman, "Vulnavia." The second film takes up where the first ends and though not quite as satisfying as the first, it still provides good entertainment.
"Theater of Blood" is, without a doubt, the piece de resistance of the collection, affording Price the chance to really sink his acting chops into the role of an actor, assumed dead, rubbing out the critics that denied him a coveted stage acting trophy. Using "the bard" as his source of inspiration, Price's "Edward Lionheart" really puts poetic justice into the deaths, each one being more sensational than the next, causing the viewer to smile guiltily as they are executed. A stellar cast, including Price's future wife Coral Browne, Michael Horden, Harry Andrews, Ian Hendry, Robert Coote, Jack Hawkins, Diana Rigg, and Milo O'Shea elevate this film a "cut above" others in the genre.
"Madhouse," though entertaining, doesn't give Price much of a stretch as he plays a horror actor who may or may not be responsible for deaths that occurred during the filming of a movie in his past as well as an upcoming television special. Fellow genre veteran Peter Cushing is on hand as a longtime friend of Price's character.
The two anthology films, "Twice Told Tales" and "A Trilogy of Terror" are adequate but don't come up to par with the other movies in the set. Still subpar Price is better than nothing at all.
Of course, this compilation would've been perfect had it contained both "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Pit and the Pendulum" but one can't always get what he wants!
By the way, as homage to those films, "Madhouse" features clips from them.
 Vincent Price Lives! November 23, 2008
Vincent Price: MGM Scream Legends Collection (The Abominable Dr. Phibes / Tales of Terror / Theater of Blood / Madhouse / Witchfinder General / Dr. Phibes Rises Again / Twice Told Tales)
As a fan of the late Vincent Price,i was eager to get a reasonably good collection of his films at a good price.This collection is it and it is very good. The special effects might appear dated and the scripts may not always be adhesive,but these films are all about the actors and Price himself.With co-stars like Peter Cushing,Basil Rathbone,Peter Lorre,Robert Morley amongst many others you cannot go wrong.
Even if you are only merely interested in Vincent Price,this collection should satisfy any morbid curiousity you may harbour,trust me,..... i know you will.
Vincent Price DVD Collection Review August 6, 2008
Includes Price's best, as well as other, less known. The cost was minimal for value received. Only Anthony Hopkins has since paralleled Price's evil-insanity portrayal.
Great Films by Horrors Greatest. Disc Breakdown Below. July 7, 2008
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
This box set is a great add to any film lover's collection. The set is also great for those who are interested in Price's work but have yet to see much of it. I suggest watching the films by date. The last two films in the set are the most autobiographical of Price particularly Madhouse which has flash backs within the movie of actual Vincent Price films some of which you will have seen if you go in order by date. Although I feel Witchfinder General stands as a unique Price film and could be watched last. Lastly finish with the Vincent Price Collection of horrors disc which should be more interesting after the movies. The disc of horrors/Witchfinder general disc is the only DVD case containing two discs, even though it says a side and B side on the back on the DVD. All other DVDs are two sided discs with one film on each side.
THE DISCS:
The three short films in each film disc: Tales of Terror/Twice Told Tales.
Tales of Terror (1962) 5/5
The only film of in the box by director Roger Corman who Price has teamed up with on many occasions to produce some of their best work such as The Masque of the Red Death / The Premature Burial and The Fall of the House of Usher /The Pit and the Pendulum. Both have made great films separately but together they made a great team and Tales of Terror is yet another example. Terror is Based on Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Terror and the screenplay was written by Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, The Incredible Shrinking Man), Tales of Terror is a trilogy of macabre tales starring Price in all three. The strongest of the three is The Black Cat starring Peter Lorre opposite of price and he does a great job as a drunken husband who seeks revenge on his unfaithful wife. The first tale is the weakest but it does get stronger from there. Hopefully this film will lead you to other Corman/Price films and other films by the director such as X.
THE DVD: On the back of the DVD Tales of Terror's running time is listed at120mins but actually is just shy of 90minutes. The DVD is presented in widescreen 2:35:1 with a mono audio track.
Twice Told Tales (1963) 5/5
More of the same of Tales of Terror but this time it is three shorts based on tales written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. These three shorts are equally great with no clear favorite as each film could appeal to a different viewer.
THE DVD: Presented in widescreen 1.66.1 with a mono audio track
The disc with the features disc: Witchfinder General/Vincent Price Coll. Disc of Horrors
Witchfinder General (1968) 5/5
The most brutal of the films which could be the first exploitation/torture film, although it has an actual story to go along with it and an ending reminiscent of Hooper's 1974 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2-Disc Ultimate Edition). Price's character Matthew Hopkins goes from village to village as an official witchfinder. Town's leaders pay him to accuse and execute those thought to be witches but he runs into some opposition from a soldier whose lover he has violated. This is also based of an Edgar Allen Poe work and was directed by Michael Reeves. Reeves and Price butt heads on this one which is talked about on the disc of horrors disc. It would appear Reeves did beat some of the mannerisms out of Price as he gives a different feel to this role then any of the others in the set.
THE DVD: The only DVD to have special features. Audio commentary with producer Philip Waddilove and actor Ian Ogilvy and a Witchfinder General: Michael Reeves' horror classic featurette. Presented in widescreen 1.85:1 and a mono audio track.
Vincent Price Collection Disc of Horrors (2007) Watch this last: 4/5
There are three features on the DVD. Vincent Price: Renaissance Man - Historians and critics talk about his plays, art collecting, films, his cooking, basically about his life. The Art of Fear and Working with Vincent Price are the other two features.
The Phibes Disc: The Abominable Dr. Phibes/ Dr Phibes Rises Again:
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) 5/5
The film tells the story of Dr. Phibes seeking revenge on a group of surgeons he holds responsible for his wife's death. As one critic points out in the disc of horrors we are all born with a bit of psychotic in us but we mature however Dr. Phibes has never matured he is still that psychotic child. The movie has that 70s real feel and bloody deaths although they are much more creative than most films of the time. This is the most unique and eccentric of the Price films.
I call Dr. Phibes an influencer of horror films and one of the best in this set. It is also similar to Theater of Blood which is also included. There is a biblical theme and order to Phibes' murders much like David Fincher's Seven (New Line Platinum Series). There are creative kills that could have influenced the more recent horrors such as The Final Destination Thrill-Ogy (Final Destination/ Final Destination 2/ Final Destination 3), Hostel, and saw movies throughout. The killer in the saw movies almost seems modeled after Phibes. Elaborate and lavish sets with a feel of Kubrick and like Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange [Blu-ray] released the same year Over the Rainbow is used in the same out of place fashion as Singin in the Rain was. There are also some bumbling Scotland Yard detectives to provide a bit of humor much like Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy released the following year also a great film.
THE DVD: Presented in widescreen 1.85:1 and yet another mono audio track.
Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) 4/5
This sequel picks up literally where the last one left off and even gives a recap of the first film. This time Phibes main goal is heading to Egypt to bring his wife back to life as he dispatches those that get in his way. It's an entertaining horror adventure.
THE DVD: Presented in widescreen 1.85:1 with a mono audio track.
The autobiographical films disc: Theater of Blood/Madhouse
Theater of Blood (1973) The only R rated film. 5/5
A small time Shakespearean play actor (Price) believed to be dead comes back to take vengeance on the critics who trashed his work, by following the death scenes of his plays in the order he played them. Again we have creative kills with that 70s exploitation look with gore and blood throughout. During one of the kills of The Merchant of Venice I thought Price's makeup looked like Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street (Infinifilm Edition), maybe it inspired Wes Craven.
THE DVD: Presented in widescreen 1.66:1 with mono audio.
Madhouse (1974) 4/5
This is the most autobiographical film in the set. Price plays Paul Toombes a horror star whose fiancée is brutally murdered. The viewer nor Paul even knows if he did it and he loses his job and a bit of his mind only to return twelve years later to TV. This is a fun film for Price fans as it is a mixture of his films. The plot is somewhat reminiscent of House of Wax particularly the ending. Literally Paul Toombes films are played throughout during interviews and banquets and they are actual Vincent Price films such as The Pit and the Pendulum and Tales of Terror. Tales of Terror even seems to have the same effect on Toombes as it did Price's character in that film.
THE DVD: Presented in widescreen 1.66:1 with a mono audio track.
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