eat.sleep.geek.

I don’t know how many of you readers out there like H.P. Lovecraft? But he has some of the most bizarre and un-natural ways of looking at the world. His stories are all interconnected with beings and creatures straight from his fantastic mind. His rise to fame has mostly been attributed to the creatures of the Cthulhu mythos, a name that can never be pronounced properly by human tongue. There was a story that I had read that sparked a real keen interest, titled “The Curious Case Of Charles Dexter Ward“. This was the only non-short story ever created by H.P.Lovecraft. Being fascinated by Lovecraft’s work and knowing that there were many movies based off of his creepy tales. After looking at about twenty or so films I had stumbled across one called “The Haunted Palace” staring one of the greatest horror actors of all time, Vincent Price. Without hesitating I scribbled down the name of the film and decided to hunt it down. To my surprise The movie was directed by none other than Roger Corman a man who had directed many classics some that you have heard of, others you definitely haven’t. Movies like the original “Little Shop of Horrors” from the 1960’s, “Buckets of Blood” and “Death Sport”, he was a man who filmed movies at break neck speeds, normally using old sets from other films that had no need for them, as well as filming more than one film at a time using the same set. He filmed the movie “Little Shop of Horrors” in only 2 days! Take that Michael Bay. If you like weird and old horror movies like I do for your enjoyment I present another in my long line of Forgotten Films, “The Haunted Palace”.

Story:

A man named Charles Dexter Ward has inherited a house from his great great great grandfather Joseph Curwen. He arrives in a small town of Arkham where the house he has inherited resides. But as soon as he enters, the locals urge him to go away and never set foot inside the house. Not bothered by superstition, Charles Dexter Ward moves into the old mansion only to uncover the dark history and to set in motion the curse his great great great grandfather laid before his death.

Characters:

Vincent Price, a man who is never a stranger to the strange and unusual, plays the film’s lead, Charles Dexter Ward. A man who gets taken over by his great great great grandfather Joseph Curwen (who was tried and executed for being a warlock). Playing both the innocent Charles and the conniving Joseph, Vincent Price brings to life one of the most creepiest human Lovecraft characters ever. His wife (Ann Ward) who doesn’t actually exist at all in the book is played by the gorgeous Debra Paget. Sure she was brought in to show you the comparison of how far off the deep end Charles has descended but she plays the roll much better than one would expect. As you watch you feel for her as she bares witness to the decent of her husband as he is taken over by the conceiving Joseph Curwen.

Movie:

Bad:

- The movie has plastered all over it, “based off the works of Edgar Allan Poe“, which is incorrect. Although Edgar Allan Poe was one of a few writers H.P. Lovecraft admired, none of the story was at all linked to him

- Some scenes were really uncalled for and made no sense, like his wife finding a secrete entrance that just happened to open by itself, why she decided to to walk outside when the wind was blowing really hard just to walk back in again.

- The film is very loosely based off of the original story; if it were filmed as originally written, it would span at least 4 hours; it’s a story that would make a great mini-series.

-The creature in the pit. If you see the film, you’ll know.

Good:

- I must congratulate who ever was in charge of the lighting. Sure a lack of lights does make it a bit difficult to see what is actually happening on screen, but one must also remember that most of the movie takes place in a castle that is over 100 years old. What kind of lighting would there be?

- Hands down the wonderful role by Vincent Price

- Roger Corman, being able to tell such (although altered) an incredible story with having very little to work with.

Sure this isn’t your horror films of today, sure it is tame by today’s standards but the old ones were made with an intelligent audience in mind, someone who could look at it and place themselves within it, giving them a much better and longer lasting scare than watching someone get torn apart piece by piece.