It’s a remarkable run of films from a remarkable filmmaker. They’re in collaboration with some of the best minds of The Twilight Zone. That’s not to leave out that most feature a leading man who became synonymous with elegant horror. Put it that way and it’s a lot. A lot you should occasionally revisit for delightful thrills and chills. Yes, occasionally they have cheese at the edges. That’s partly the time, and partly the fun these giants were having. It’s still worth going back to Roger Corman’s run of films suggested by Edgar Allan Poe.
Author Chris Alexander makes the case with Corman/Poe, recently released by Headpress. The best part? The legendary Corman is still around to have participated. While the book may not be comprehensive in terms of technical minutia, it’s an excellent combination of oral history, critical commentary, and clear adoration.
Alexander organizes the book chronologically, only occasionally alluding to Corman’s previous films. After all, that’s not what this is about. From 1960 to 1964, Corman tried a change of pace from fast and cheap (and successful) exploitation films to turn gothic. With a script from Richard Matheson, he adapted Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher and found success. Certainly, starring Vincent Price had much to do with that. Corman acknowledges as much. The success of that film led to a string of gothic horror movies, all inspired by Poe though one not so secretly an H.P. Lovecraft adaptation.
Each film gets its due in Corman/Poe, beginning with a synopsis. Even die-hard fans need their memories refreshed. Alexander interviews Corman on each one, having done his research and respectfully pushing back if Corman’s memory whitewashes the past too strongly.
Occasionally Alexander proves himself my kind of fan, pulling rumors and stories from DVD extras he’s seen that may counter Corman’s version. He tracks down other surviving participants and asks directly, then brings their versions back to Corman. Alas, the insights we could have had from Price and Boris Karloff would have been magical, but those have been lost to time. It’s also understandable if a project like this couldn’t attract the notice of Jack Nicholson, whose earliest film appearances were for Corman in The Little Shop of Horrors, The Raven, and The Terror (all mentioned in the book, though The Raven gets the spotlight).
For this book, Alexander got access to a trove of photos and stills from production. My favorite aspect is seeing the European posters for them all; we just don’t advertise movies like that anymore. There’s also something fascinating about seeing movie marquees from the 1960s; in an age of slick AMC and Regal theaters, it feels like we’ve lost something.
If you’ve never stumbled across one of these films, you’re in for a treat with this book. Let it lead you down a dark labyrinth of creeps and cheese. Not to necessarily promote one streaming service over another, but I’ve found some through Prime and one or two popped up on Max last year. (I’ve included links where possible.) As a long-time addictproponent of physical media, it’s worth tracking down some fine blu-ray remasters. Rumor has it they may be getting releases near the end of 2023.
But first, as Poe would have it, turn to the book.
Fanboy Planet is an Amazon affiliate. Purchases made through links on this and other pages may generate revenue for this site.
