- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,374
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
Having grown up on the Roger Corman / AIP horror classics of the '60s, I'm thrilled to finally have six starring Mr. Price -- four of which come from the early '60s.
These were never meant to be horror per se. They always had a humorous tongue-in-cheek sensibility out them, and that aspect has survived the decades.
Some of these productions were cheaply printed by B labs, while others were printed in dye transfer. The difference - huge.
While we're still missing some stellar films in the series, such as The Raven, Premature Burial and Tales of Terror.
But these six productions, spanning just over a decade, from 1960 to 1971 are a nice beginning. Hopefully Scream Factory will do well enough on this set to give us a second.
The films all look quite nice on Blu-ray. Elements, transfer budget, wear age all come into play. Here's how they line up.
While I'm not certain, from a cursory viewing, all appear to be derived from IPs. Color, densities, black levels are grain are all very comfortable for the era.
The Fall of the House of Usher (1960)
Image - 3.75
Audio - 4
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
Image - 3.75
Audio - 4
The Haunted Palace (1963)
Image - 4
Audio - 4.5
The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Image - 4
Audio - 5
Witchfinder General aka The Conqueror Worm (1968)
Image - 4
Audio - 5
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Image - 4
Audio - 5
One thing to note about these films. Those with just a bit higher budgets, show every penny of those dollars on screen. The gothic settings, castles, stone stairways, and candlelit rooms exude a very special aura.
At a current street price of $67 for six films, the set is a great buy, and a superb offering from Scream Factory. All six films have extras, so the value is in the set.
Before it's brought up, I'm aware of the UK, region B release of Fall of the House of Usher from Arrow. It appears to come from the same IP as the the Scream collection. It has a newer transfer, based upon the quality of the element, is a bit better, and has been digitally cleaned. It's a quality release.
Priced at a few dollars more than the US release, and with a very nice selection of extras, it would make a nice addition for true fans of the series.
Both the Scream Factory collection and the Arrow release of Usher are Recommended.
RAH
These were never meant to be horror per se. They always had a humorous tongue-in-cheek sensibility out them, and that aspect has survived the decades.
Some of these productions were cheaply printed by B labs, while others were printed in dye transfer. The difference - huge.
While we're still missing some stellar films in the series, such as The Raven, Premature Burial and Tales of Terror.
But these six productions, spanning just over a decade, from 1960 to 1971 are a nice beginning. Hopefully Scream Factory will do well enough on this set to give us a second.
The films all look quite nice on Blu-ray. Elements, transfer budget, wear age all come into play. Here's how they line up.
While I'm not certain, from a cursory viewing, all appear to be derived from IPs. Color, densities, black levels are grain are all very comfortable for the era.
The Fall of the House of Usher (1960)
Image - 3.75
Audio - 4
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
Image - 3.75
Audio - 4
The Haunted Palace (1963)
Image - 4
Audio - 4.5
The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Image - 4
Audio - 5
Witchfinder General aka The Conqueror Worm (1968)
Image - 4
Audio - 5
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Image - 4
Audio - 5
One thing to note about these films. Those with just a bit higher budgets, show every penny of those dollars on screen. The gothic settings, castles, stone stairways, and candlelit rooms exude a very special aura.
At a current street price of $67 for six films, the set is a great buy, and a superb offering from Scream Factory. All six films have extras, so the value is in the set.
Before it's brought up, I'm aware of the UK, region B release of Fall of the House of Usher from Arrow. It appears to come from the same IP as the the Scream collection. It has a newer transfer, based upon the quality of the element, is a bit better, and has been digitally cleaned. It's a quality release.
Priced at a few dollars more than the US release, and with a very nice selection of extras, it would make a nice addition for true fans of the series.
Both the Scream Factory collection and the Arrow release of Usher are Recommended.
RAH
