MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

A pair of witty horror films penned by noted fantasy author Richard Matheson have been paired up for this special DVD release. Both The Comedy of Terrors and The Raven have been transferred to disc in letterboxed format at the widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1, which have also been enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16 x 9 monitors. The audio for both pictures has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono. The dialogue is in English, with optional subtitles in English, French, and Spanish. Bonus features on this disc include profiles of Matheson and his contribution to these films, a look at Roger Corman's funny side as expressed in The Raven, an audio-only track of a promotional record used to pitch The Raven, and theatrical trailers for the two features. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: Spanish, French, English
• Features:
  • • cc Side A: "Richard Matheson Storyteller: Comedy of Terrors" featurette, original theatrical trailer,English mono, English, French, and Spanish language subtitles
    • Side B: "Richard Matheson storyteller: The Raven" featurette, "Corman's Comedy of Poe" featurette, promotional record, original theatrical trailer, English mono, English, French, and Spanish language subtitles

AWARDS

• Rotterdam International Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2010

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Jacques Tourneur, Roger Corman

• Producer:

  Roger Corman

• Screenwriter:

  Richard Matheson

• Book Author:

  Edgar Allan Poe

• Cinematographer:

  Floyd D.Crosby

• Composer (Music Score):

  Les Baxter

• Editor:

  Anthony Carras, Ronald Sinclair

• Art Director:

  Daniel Haller

• Co-producer:

  Anthony Carras

• Associate Producer:

  Richard Matheson

• Executive Producer:

  Samuel Z. Arkoff, James H. Nicholson

• Set Designer:

  Harry Reif

• Costume Designer:

  Marjorie D. Corso

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  John Bury

• Makeup:

  Ted Coodley

• Special Effects:

  Pat Dinga

• First Assistant Director:

  Jack Bohrer

• Animal Trainer/Wrangler:

  Moe DiSesso

REVIEW:

• Find a horror fan in a titanically silly mood and you have found the perfect audience for The Comedy of Terrors, an over-the-top and often overwrought but amusing and enjoyable little "horroromp." In Comedy, the emphasis is indeed on the comedy and not on the terrors; this is all played for laughs, and sometimes that playing gets mighty broad. But it's a delight to see horrormeisters Vincent Price, Pete Lorre and Boris Karloff, as well as Basil Rathbone, letting their down -- way, way down -- and having a fun time. Karloff's role is tiny, but it's a pleasure to see him tackling a non-scary part. Price and Lorre have the most screen time, and they make the most of it. Price is delicious, and doing basically what he does when playing it straight but giving it just enough of a twist to make it hilarious. Lorre is a perverse little delight, utilizing his unique face and manner to create humor, and Rathbone displays a flair for physical comedy. Jacques Tourneur directs with barely a nod in the direction of subtlety, and that works fine with this material. Richard Matheson's screenplay is broad but quite amusing. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi