The Premature Burial

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william d I knew this was a Roger Corman cheapie going in and the story and sets were pretty much what I expected. What disappointed me most was the choice for lead actor. Ray Milland manages to overact while remaining wooden, expressionless - and even occasionally motionless - all at the same time. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Liam D A disappointingly boring waste of talent both behind and in front of the camera Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/22 Full Review Audience Member The third of Roger Corman's Poe movies, this time Corman decided that he wanted to make his own Poe film outside of his deal with American-International Pictures. He got his financing through Pathé Lab, the company that did the print work for AIP. While he wanted to use Vincent Price, he had an exclusive deal with AIP, so he hired Ray Milland. Then, on the first day of shooting, James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff of AIP showed up, told Corman they were working together again and excited that they'd convinced Pathé to bring the movie back to them after threatening to pull all their lab work. Guy Carrell (Milland) is a British aristocrat who suffers from catalepsy and worries that he will only appear dead and be buried alive. This nearly ruins his marriage to Emily (Hazel Court, who shows up in so many movies that I love, such as The Raven and The Masque of the Red Death) as he goes mad at the slightest mention of death and even passes out when she plays the piano. But hey — they get married anyways, even if he makes an incredibly complex coffin that he can escape from. Let me tell you, the dream sequence where he does get buried alive? I saw it before I was ten when forced to visit the home of other children instead of getting to watch movies at home alone, as I have preferred my entire life. They went and played some game and I grabbed the TV Guide and found a horror movie. That sequence completely destroyed me and I remember walking onto their porch and staring into the sunset and wondering how the adults could be so carefree when death was stalking our every waking moment. Yeah, I was a weird kid and grew up to be even more odd. But hey — Dick Miller shows up as a grave robber! Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member By The Premature Burial, Roger Corman has worn out his Poe formula. As the third in his series of adaptations of the classic author's gothic tales, it can't live up to its predecessors, which have already covered the same ground with superior stories and more frightening imagery. It doesn't help that Vincent Price has been replaced by Ray Milland who can't match the former's commanding presence. The movie still keeps from being unenjoyable thanks to its deadly twist ending and foggy Victorian sets. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review delysid d this is a vincent price movie without vincent price. its still ok but it would have been better with the master of horror Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/28/18 Full Review Audience Member I don't care if this is the one Corman adaptation of Poe that jacks Vincent Price. This is gothic horror, as good as it gets. Milland brings an elegance, charm and an aristocracy to a part that calls for it. From beginning to end, we get a compelling tale of paranoia, obsession and destiny. It's exactly what you'd expect of a story based off of Poe's work. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Premature Burial

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