What's the Best Vincent Price Movie?

[Derf]

I've always had a great fondness for Vincent Price's work, ever since seeing "The Tingler" as a kid. With the advent of cheap DVD's, I'm finally able to start assembling a Price collection.

What I've got so far:

House on Haunted Hill
The Raven
The Comedy of Terrors
The Last Man on Earth
Theatre of Blood

I definitely plan to get The Tingler and the Phibes movies.

Which do you think is the best Vincent Price movie?

[daveblackeye15]

I think "The Tingler" is the best one I've seen. Cuz it's so gosh darn fun!

[Vermin Boy]

I second that. I can't even begin to list the great things about that movie, there's just so damn many of them!

Also, it's not really a movie, but track down his appearance on the Muppet Show. As I mentioned recently in another thread, his rendition of "You've Got A Friend" is absolutely priceless.

[eeeee5]

.  .  .  .  I remember a post simlar to this on SciFilm's boards (?), a prejoritive of the comments listed Matthew Hopkins: Witchfinder General as his best .  I have only seen a hand-full of his films (seven, I think), though, but I thought he was great in Hopkins.  He plays a horrible man, and shows no, or little remorse, for burnt flesh.  The Dr. Phibes films are really good and he is great in them, pea soup anyone?
.  .  .  .  He was also great in The Masque of the Red Death.
.  .  .  .  I absolutely dig The Raven, that film is so stupid and fun, though it seems many dislike it.
.  .  .  .  Ohh, John Carpenter lists The Fly (1958) as one of his five favorite horror films.  I haven't seen it yet.  I have the sequal Return of the Fly, The, but I just haven't watched it yet either.
.  .  .  .  I'll say The Raven, but it's not a very informed choice, but judging from what I've seen (a little), he got a chance to show a broader range.



Post Edited (03-08-04 20:32)

[JohnL]

I vote for The Raven. Matthew Hopkins: Witchfinder General AKA The Conquerer Worm is good too.

[Neville]

I don't think the first Dr. Phibes is that great (I like the test he designs for the doctor at the end, though), but both "Return of Dr. Phibes" and "Theatre of blood" are brilliant.

[Yaddo42]

Pretty much the entire Corman/Poe/Price cycle of films for AIP is excellent. "Tomb of Ligeia" isn't as well known as "Masque" or "Pit" but is at least as good. "The Haunted Palace" isn't all that great though, plus they tried passing of a HP Lovecraft tale as a Poe story.

I much prefer the first "Phibes" film, the comedy is better and the mood of the film just clicks better.

It's not a starring role for him, but seek out the Robert Mitchum/Jane Russell pulpy adventure "His Kind of Girl". Vincent has a nice supporting comedic role ,before his pre-horror heyday, as a wimpy matinee idol who gets caught up trying to be his screen image when the action in the movie starts.

[Cullen]

All of Price's Corman/Poe pictures were quite good.  My favorite would be the affor mentioned The Raven.

The Comedy of Terrors was also quite good.

[AndyC]

I agree that The Tingler has a lot going for it, from the really hokey yet acceptable premise, to Price's big acid trip, to some of the best Castle gimmickry ("The Tingler is loose in this theatre!") I also liked that Price played basically a nice guy. Not typical of his roles.

House on Haunted Hill was another one I thoroughly enjoyed. Castle films in general are a lot of fun.

Still, I'd have to say that my favourite is Theatre of Blood. It's just a great, intelligent black comedy. Since he's playing an over-the-top actor, Price gets a nice opportunity to go over the top himself. The murders are brilliant, funny and very macabre. I have to admit, it creeped the hell out of me when he drugged one sleeping critic, then casually sawed his head off while he slept, with his wife lying right next to him. At the same time, the scene was played to full comic potential. I won't even start on the poodles. Great movie. Very much in the same vein as Phibes, which I also enjoyed, but I'd have to say I liked Theatre better.

[Susan]

Scream for your lives!

wasn't he also in the monster club? lol

[Lee]

Theatre Of Blood rocks! I remember that I had a dream about it the night I saw it the first time. Vincent also kicked ass in Edward Scissorhands. He wasn't in the movie long but he was excelent. To bad it was his last.

[Vermin Boy]

My good friend's mom saw Theater of Blood when she was young, and was absolutely traumatized by the scene where Price cooks the poodles. I brought up the movie in conversation one day, and she went on a tirade about how we were absolutely forbidden to watch it in her house (of course, I managed to sneak a copy in soon after).

Interestingly, I watched it with my mom, and she thought it was hilarious!

[AndyC]

Vermin Boy wrote:
> My good friend's mom saw Theater of Blood when she was young,
> and was absolutely traumatized by the scene where Price cooks
> the poodles.

Wow, you never know how people are going to react. That seemed to be the murder that was most played for laughs. No graphic animal torture, just the victim eating a big meat pie with considerable relish while the audience doesn't know whether to giggle or shudder. I'm a dog lover, and I loved it. It's also far less gruesome than the Shakespearean play on which it was based. No kids in this pie.

Could be another one for the 'Not the Dog' thread.

[The Burgomaster]

THE FLY is probably the best all-around Vincent Price film . . . but he isn't really the star.

HOUSE OF WAX is great, especially if you can get your hands on the 3-D version.  I bought a copy on Ebay.

THEATER OF BLOOD is probably his goriest movie, and is also a lot of fun.

THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES and DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN are similar to THEATER OF BLOOD, but not as gory.

THE LAST MAN ON EARTH is decent, but should have been a lot better.

THE TINGLER is another good one (except that you can see the strings pulling the Tingler across the floor in several scenes).

DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE is a fun, silly comedy.

HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is also fun, in a William Castle sort of way.

[AndyC]

House of Wax was good. Another of his 3-D entries I enjoyed was The Mad Magician. I have it on tape somewhere.

I forgot about Dr. Goldfoot. Price did some pretty funny stuff when he got the chance. Egghead was one of my favourite Batman characters.

Does anyone remember the Hilarious House of Frightenstein? I don't know how widely it was shown, but I used to enjoy it on Saturday mornings. Funny Canadian kids' show from the early 70s, with wacky characters doing various silly shticks, and Price introducing each segment with a poem, as well as doing the opening and closing of the show. I've heard the producer pestered the hell out of Price to get him to do the show when he happened to be visiting Hamilton, Ontario, where it was produced, and they shot all of the intros in a day. Voila, a big horror star becomes a regular cast member. Not sure how true it is, but it would explain what Price is doing on a show produced at a local TV station in Hamilton.