by Helen Langdon
Sadly, for all Shakespeare pastiche fans, Comedy of Terrors isn’t all about two sets of twins attacking each other with chainsaws.
Instead, the 1963 comedy horror, which has just received a new release on Blu-ray, is a macabre, absurd tale which features horror legends Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff together in one household.
Sadly, for all Shakespeare pastiche fans, Comedy of Terrors isn’t all about two sets of twins attacking each other with chainsaws.
Instead, the 1963 comedy horror, which has just received a new release on Blu-ray, is a macabre, absurd tale which features horror legends Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff together in one household.
Price plays the unsuccessful undertaker Trumbull, an alcoholic, abusive man who berates his assistant (Lorre), bitches at his wife (Joyce Jameson) and tries to poison his father-in-law (Karloff) at regular intervals. Business is bad, and when the landlord Mr Black (a wonderfully hammy Basil Rathbone) demands payment or eviction, Trumbull sees a way to “kill two birds with one stone”.
It’s a pretty standard comedy horror, with no real surprises. Like most ‘60s horrors, you’ve got the obviously studio street sets, the badly filtered “night” scenes, and the unintentional comedy effect of portraying wind by throwing a bunch of leaves into someone’s face. Rather than going for subtle comedy, this delves headlong into farce. In the first five minutes alone, we’re treated to a fast motion graverobbing scene, complete with Benny Hill-style music. That’s accompanied in the rest of the film by plenty of prat-falls, catchphrases, and that old faithful joke about how when a bad singer sings a high note, everything explodes.
But you wouldn’t be watching Comedy of Terrors just for its plot – it’s a chance to see some of the greatest horror actors of the early 20th century in a film together! Vincent Price is as sneering and mean and brilliant as he ever is. Peter Lorre gets to play the romantic hero, for once. Boris Karloff is sadly underused, mainly sitting there and complaining about his medicine, but at least Basil Rathbone gets to wander around quoting Macbeth even as Price tries to murder him.
It’s a pretty standard comedy horror, with no real surprises. Like most ‘60s horrors, you’ve got the obviously studio street sets, the badly filtered “night” scenes, and the unintentional comedy effect of portraying wind by throwing a bunch of leaves into someone’s face. Rather than going for subtle comedy, this delves headlong into farce. In the first five minutes alone, we’re treated to a fast motion graverobbing scene, complete with Benny Hill-style music. That’s accompanied in the rest of the film by plenty of prat-falls, catchphrases, and that old faithful joke about how when a bad singer sings a high note, everything explodes.
But you wouldn’t be watching Comedy of Terrors just for its plot – it’s a chance to see some of the greatest horror actors of the early 20th century in a film together! Vincent Price is as sneering and mean and brilliant as he ever is. Peter Lorre gets to play the romantic hero, for once. Boris Karloff is sadly underused, mainly sitting there and complaining about his medicine, but at least Basil Rathbone gets to wander around quoting Macbeth even as Price tries to murder him.
This is a beautiful Blu-ray release. The colours look great on HDTV, and while it’s unmistakeably a ‘60s film (got to love that filming style), every shot is sharp and clear. Bit of trivia – Peter Lorre had to have a stuntman, given the physical demands of his role. But even in HD, it’s difficult to see the stuntman’s bulging-eyes mask (the bad wig, on the other hand, is easy to notice).
Special features-wise, the Blu-ray features the standard original theatrical trailer, as well as an audio commentary from film historian David Del Valle and David DeCoteau. There’s also a 51-minute TV spot from 1987, with Vincent Price discussing his long, distinguished career with Del Valle. And a video essay about the career of director Jacques Tourneur, who’s probably most famous for Cat People (which made the Lewton Bus iconic, the trope horror directors use to subvert a jump scare). Oh, and an interview with writer Richard Matheson, whose long career spanned writing for Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, writing the short story that inspired robot fighter Real Steel, and writing the novel I Am Legend, adapted for the screen four times (five if you count Night of the Living Dead).
Overall, the film is pretty forgettable, but for fans of vintage horror, it could be the perfect thing to add to their collection, featuring legends both in front of and behind the camera. And this is a really good release, combining a well-restored film with a good selection of special features.
The Comedy of Terrors is available on Blu Ray release now!
Special features-wise, the Blu-ray features the standard original theatrical trailer, as well as an audio commentary from film historian David Del Valle and David DeCoteau. There’s also a 51-minute TV spot from 1987, with Vincent Price discussing his long, distinguished career with Del Valle. And a video essay about the career of director Jacques Tourneur, who’s probably most famous for Cat People (which made the Lewton Bus iconic, the trope horror directors use to subvert a jump scare). Oh, and an interview with writer Richard Matheson, whose long career spanned writing for Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, writing the short story that inspired robot fighter Real Steel, and writing the novel I Am Legend, adapted for the screen four times (five if you count Night of the Living Dead).
Overall, the film is pretty forgettable, but for fans of vintage horror, it could be the perfect thing to add to their collection, featuring legends both in front of and behind the camera. And this is a really good release, combining a well-restored film with a good selection of special features.
The Comedy of Terrors is available on Blu Ray release now!
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