American International Pictures
The legendary ‘Triumvirate of Terror’ -— Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff -— star in this twisted tale of sorcery most fowl! Director Roger Corman and screenwriter Richard Matheson deliver a tongue-in-cheek take on Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous poem. Dr. Craven (Price), the son of a great sorcerer (now dead), was once himself quite skilled at that profession, but has since abandoned it. One evening, a cowardly fool of a magician named Bedlo (Lorre) comes to Craven for help -— the evil Scarabus (Karloff) has turned him into a raven and he needs someone to change him back. He also tells the reluctant wizard that Craven’s long-lost wife Lenore (Hazel Court), whom he loved greatly and thought dead, is living with the despised Scarabus. Featuring Jack Nicholson in an early screen role, this Corman-Poe classic about two wizards dueling for magical supremacy is utterly bewitching!
REVIEW
Roger Corman and Vincent Price had already had a great run at adapting Edgar Allan Poe short stories to the big screen, most successfully with the first two (House of Usher and The Pit and the Pendulum). The four films in what is known as the ‘Poe Cycle’ (1960-1964) were, for the most part, deadly serious affairs but by 1963 Corman decided to take a different approach to Poe’s classic poem The Raven. Consisting of just eighteen stanzas (a recorded reading of the poem runs just a little more than seven minutes), Corman and his screenwriter Richard Matheson had to find a way to give the film a feature length running time (it clocks in at 86 minutes), so basically the title and the ideas of a talking raven and the lost love Lenore are the main things that found their way from the page to the screen. The rest of the story is Matheson’s concoction alone. And with his usual leading man Vincent Price in place, Corman added Peter Lorre (who had appeared in Corman’s Tales of Terror with Price) and the great Boris Karloff, who somehow found himself under contract to Corman.
The film starts out rather seriously but with Price’s bit of slapstick always bumping into a telescope and the arrival of the raven speaking in Lorre’s voice, it only gets sillier from there as a battle between wizards escalates, and Price’s Dr. Craven learns that his dear, ‘departed’ wife simply left him for Dr. Scarabus, only interested in bettering herself. It’s a rather enjoyable outing, and Lorre in particular provides many of the laughs. Price does what Price does best, and even at his advanced age Karloff appears to be enjoying himself (although that wasn’t necessarily the case). Hazel Court is stunningly beautiful, and Jack Nicholson is hilariously miscast in this period piece but that’s what happens when you owe Corman a couple of days of work. Aside from the cast, I was very impressed with Corman’s direction and some of the breathtaking camera moves he accomplishes. The sets, which were repurposed from previous movies, redressed and added to on a budget, look great and the stunning cinematography makes the colors practically vibrate off the screen. It may seem quite cheesy to modern audiences, but horror fans should revel in seeing three masters playing together.
[IMAGE: THE-RAVEN-02 Caption: American International Pictures]
BLU-RAY
Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray of The Raven is, simply, stunning. You’d never know the vintage of the film at first glance because it is spotless as far as wear and tear, and has a very fine grain pattern. This is probably better than the film looked when it was first released in 1963. The colors are so saturated, so bright that at times I felt like I needed to shade my eyes. The video presentation truly is astonishing. I’m not sure what kind of restoration the film underwent, or how it was mastered (8K, 4K or 2K), but the high definition image is just glorious. There are also no complaints about the mono audio, which is crisp and clear. Roger Corman may have been cheap when it came to producing his films, but he knew how to be frugal and still make his movies look like a million bucks. Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray presentation represents Corman’s vision extremely well.
The film includes several extras including a feature-length commentary by film historian David Del Valle, which I enjoyed very much. Unlike his commentary for the Mae West film She Done Him Wrong, this one is more focused on the film itself, full of anecdotes and behind-the-scenes insight. One of the most striking things Del Valle reveals is Corman’s terrible treatment of Karloff on set, forcing the arthritic elderly man to wear a heavy cape while walking down a long flight of stairs. It’s a bit disheartening to hear these stories, but it just makes you more impressed with Karloff’s performance. It’s a very good commentary to listen to after watching the film. Other bonus material includes short pieces with both Corman and Matheson, a Trailers From Hell segment with Mick Garris, trailers for other related Kino Lorber films, and a limited edition cardboard slipcase. Over all, it’s a very, very nice presentation perfect for Halloween or any other time of the year.
OVERVIEW
The Raven may stray — very far — away from Poe’s classic poem, but it’s worth it to see Price, Karloff and Lorre together (they would team up again, along with Basil Rathbone) for the non-Corman The Comedy of Terrors which was also scripted by Matheson. If you’re a fan of these actors, or of Roger Corman, or just a classic movie buff who may have only seen this film on television or an old DVD, this Blu-ray release will blow you away. Highly recommended.
Kino Lorber generously provided Hotchka with the Blu-ray for reviewing purposes.
The Raven has a running time of 1 hour 26 minutes and is suitable for general audiences.
American International Pictures
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