The Haunted Palace / The Tower of London

The Haunted Palace / The Tower of London
by Roger Corman

List Price: $14.98
Our Price: $6.47
You Save: $8.51 (57%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $5.92 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details

DVD details

DVD Reviews of The Haunted Palace / The Tower of London

DVD Review: One underrated gem of a chiller and a blah film for filler.
Summary: 4 Stars

The plot has to do with a warlock (Price) being burned but cursing the townfolk and swearing his return and revenge. Years later, the warlock's good-hearted descendant (also Price) returns to the village to claim the warlock's mansion. He finds a town in waste, frightened villagers who give birth to hideous mutations, and of course, some lingering resentment. How long will it be before Price is possessed by his ancestor through the evil painting over the mantel? As you know, not too long. Price then continues his ancestor's evil work of sacrifice and trying to conjure up an ancient monster from the pit in his basement. You've likely seen it before, though maybe not in a movie from the 60's, and it's punched over with relish and skill here, not to mention some genuine gruesomeness, and will be very enjoyable to genre fans. And did I mention the music is good?

Sure, the ending lacks clarity, if not conviction (What exactly happened to the monster?), but overall HP may just be the best adaptation of Lovecraft material out there, watered-down as it is. (I'm not a fan of Re-Animator and its ilk.)

Tower of London (1962) is a rather plain Shakespearian costume drama of intrigue and murder. Think of it as Corman Meets The Bard. Price is fine, but he could portray this kind of mad monarch in his sleep, and I think he did so a few times.

He stars as a 15th-Century English gentryman who will stop at nothing to ascend to the throne. He engages in all sorts of torture and murder, none of it as sadistic or as involving as it wants to be. He grows more loony each time he murders, until finally in his insanity a vision of all his former victims rise against him...

TofL is not really horror, but has some supernatural overtones in a sense: rats, ravens, magicians and the like. So therefore it ain't historical, neither, despite being based on real events and persons: Richard III, the Plantaganets and such. There is a set-bound quality to it, and the battle scenes (if you can call them that) consist mostly of a few soldiers marching and stock footage and some edits. It all looks cheap, but was probably even cheaper than it looks, even for Corman.

Having a lesser cast also detracts; the 1939 Universal version had Karloff, Rathbone, Nan Grey and Leo G. Carroll, plus Price himself as a victim drowned in a wine vat. This has only Price, and he is unable carry this whole cardboard enterprise by his lonesome. Mildly entertaining while it's running, but disappointing at the finish, and quite forgettable.

Still, The Haunted Palace alone is worth the price of a purchase, so getting Tower of London on the same disc is merely a bonus. Recommended.

Description of The Haunted Palace / The Tower of London