Classic Horror: 4 Movie Collection
Directors: Arch Oboler, John Brahm, Leslie Kardos, Anthony Bushell
Starring: Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Victor Jory, William Phipps
Studio: Mill Creek Entertainment
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Retail: $14.98
ASIN: B00WV7TOPC
Running Time: 5 hours 13 minutes
Rated: R
Buy Link: Amazon
Review:
As a kid, I looked forward to every October as AMC has their horror film marathons for Halloween, but this was back when the channel didn't have commercials and when they actually played classic films. For us diehard horror fans, we have to turn DVDs & Blu-rays to find the older flicks.
Recently released on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment is the Classic Horror: 4 Movie Collection, Featuring four nearly forgotten films - Five (1951), The Mad Magician (1954), The Man Who Turned To Stone (1957) and The Terror Of The Tongs (1961). There are no extras or special features on the two-disc set.
Far by the best on this two-disc set is the post-apocalyptic film called Five. Set directly after an atomic bomb has went off, the film tells the story of four men ( William Phipps, James Anderson, Charles Lampkin and Earl Lee) and a pregnant woman (played by Susan Douglas Rubes) trying to survive. While it was critically panned upon it's original release, over the years it has received praise for it's dark atmosphere.
Strange things are happening in a women prison in The Man Who Turned To Stone. After several suspicious inmate suicides, social worker Carol Adams (played by Charlotte Austin) seeks the help of psychiatrist Dr. Jess Rogers (played by William Hudson) to help unravel the mystery and discover the real murderers.
In a somewhat-remake of The Stranglers of Bombay, the 1961 Hammer Film "The Terror Of The Thongs" centers on Captain Jackson Sale (played by Geoffrey Toone) seeking revenge against the mysterious secret Red Dragon Tong crime family, whom murdered his daughter. This rarely-seen film is considered to be politically incorrect due to the fact that several Caucasian actors portrayed Asian characters, including actor Christopher Lee.
Originally released in 3D, The Mad Magician stars the great Vincent Price as a master of disguise magician Don Gallico, but unknowing to everyone around him, he disguises himself as the revival magician The Great Rinaldi and goes on a murdering rampage.
While I have seen many horror films from the 50s & 60s, I had never heard of these four movies before I reviewed the DVD. My favorite out of this collection is the Five, which has a Dawn of the Dead feel to it, but minus the zombies. The Terror Of The Thongs is extremely campy, but like other Hammer Films from that era, it's still fun to watch. The Mad Magician is a strange thriller with a few boring spots, but it's worth watching thanks to Vincent Price. The weirdest of the bunch is The Man Who Turned To Stone. The picture quality on all four movies was pretty good. Overall, I enjoyed watching the Classic Horror: 4 Movie Collection.
*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
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