ChikPapa Very disappointed :(

Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Brennan Camacho Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

GL84 Arriving in town to inherit a family-owned castle, a man and his wife find the local villagers warning them away in fear of a curse about an ancestor crucified and burned for being a witch, and they soon fear it has returned and set out to stop him from reliving his actions.This is one of Price's more underrated efforts. One of the most impressive elements here is that this one really joins the others in the others in the series by making the mood in here very apparent from the outset. The opening scene is extremely moody, with the large amounts of fog, the dark night, and the angry mob make for great Gothic undertones while parlaying the perfect set-up used for the story of witchcraft and secret curses displaying the right action for the sequence as well. That is also stated elsewhere, as the de-rigeur castle is one of the better ones from the time period that looks suitably spectacular with the long hallways leading off into the distance, the large elaborate and brightly-detailed paintings, cobweb filled rooms, candle-lit rooms and large, open Gothic chamber-spaces also adding to it's charm and are all mood- inducing ways of getting the best out of the film, and it works marvelously. Likewise, with the cliff-top locale and the constant, raging thunderstorm blaring away in the background it makes for quite an impressive effort. This is aided along nicely by the idea of the curse coming back to the present-day inhabitants which makes for a great overall viewing experience, and carries on the usual antics found in these types of Gothic efforts. It feels quite modern because of this, and it's hard to believe that it came from the early 60s by going far more into those traditional tropes featured here and even making this quite violent for it's time mixing between the supernatural antics of his curse and the mutants of the original story. The remains of the curse that was left is pretty gruesome to watch, and they have some impressive make-up work as well as seeing several people lit on fire, another is viciously killed, and a corpse is seen in all it's burnt glory which is all quite enjoyable. The ending is pretty exciting, from the secret experiments down in the basement with his resurrection spells leading into the by-now- usual ending of a burning down castle that makes for some nice action sequences as the flames get higher and higher with the fun of the approaching crowd and the chaotic action leading to a fine finale. Finally, getting together Price and Chaney is a great coup and allows for two greats of the genre opportunities for scenery- chewing performances, and both do commendable jobs. There's only one real factor to this one that holds it back which is the somewhat stumbling pace. It moves a little slow compared to most modern horror films as after the promising set-up, the film slows a bit down in the middle section with his gradual descent into possession following their exploration of the castle really taking up a bit too much time than normal. This is the only real complaint about this one.Today's Rating/PG-13: Violence

Leofwine_draca You might be forgiven for thinking this is another Corman/Poe film, but the funny thing is that it's not. The film is instead based on a story by the master of weird monsters, H. P. Lovecraft, called THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD. The film is a cracking one too, if you've seen any of the other Poe films that Corman churned out then you'll know what to expect. Ruined and crumbling mansions, cobwebs and spiders, fog-enshrouded graveyards and characters who are unable to tear themselves away from the past, and so remain trapped there forever.Vincent Price stars, as per usual, and gets to grips with not just one personality but two in this film. Yep, there's one body and two personalities struggling to gain dominance over the other. This leads to plenty of mental battles for supremacy between the two, giving Price ample opportunity to be pleasant and friendly and sinister and evil too. It's a great role and Price gives it his best, although he is more subdued here than in his other films, more the victim than the perpetrator. Debra Paget appears in her last film before retirement and is a good damsel in distress. And lo and behold, lurking around in the shadows is none other than Lon Chaney Jr. playing the loyal manservant. Chaney has only a small role with little dialogue but his presence is felt in the nostalgic horror fan's heart.I'm probably biased in liking this film, because I love Lovecraft's stories. Although the film is only loosely based on its sources there are still things cropping up familiar to Lovecraft fans, such as the Necronomicon and also a slimy monster living in a pit. When this monster appears at the end of the film the camera is distorted so that we don't see it clearly, this was probably to hide the budget but it just makes things eerier. The mutants too are scarily effective, especially when they appear out of the mist like ghosts to encircle our heroes. Corman relishes the opportunity to burn down his setting once again, and also includes a twist ending which suggests that the survivors might not live happily ever after. And it's been a while since I've seen any torch-wielding villagers running about and burning things down. On top of all this, there are also a few references to other films like THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY and CITY OF THE DEAD. THE HAUNTED PALACE is an enjoyable and brooding horror with the cast and director on top form, and so makes for rewarding viewing.

utgard14 Charles Dexter Ward (Vincent Price) arrives in the creepy village of Arkham with his wife Ann (Debra Paget) to look at a large mansion he inherited. The villagers are none too happy to see Ward as he is the descendant of a warlock that placed a curse on Arkham a century before when he was burned at the stake. The curse, they believe, is responsible for the large number of mutants in their village. Ward soon finds himself being possessed by the spirit of his ancestor, who seeks revenge on the descendants of the villagers who killed him.Another great Roger Corman 'Poe' movie, though this owes only the title to Poe. The story is H.P. Lovecraft's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" and it's one of the better adaptations of a Lovecraft story to film, even if it's a loose one. Vincent Price is excellent, as you probably expect. Lon Chaney, Jr. has one of his better later roles. He replaced Boris Karloff, who was ill at the time of filming. This was Chaney's only Corman movie. Beautiful Debra Paget and busty Cathie Merchant provide the sex appeal. This was Paget's last film. Leo Gordon, Frank Maxwell, Elisha Cook, Jr. and the other villagers are all good support. Nice music, cinematography, and direction. Cool sets, costumes, and makeup. An entertaining Gothic horror movie that fans of Corman and Price will love.

TheLittleSongbird I don't consider The Haunted Palace one of Vincent Price's or Roger Corman's best. I do put Pit and the Pendulum, The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher and especially Masque of the Red Death above it, but it is a very good film and worth checking out. It does get a little ponderous at times in the middle and while eerie in tone the music score is over-the-top. However it is well photographed and has beautiful sets. The writing has some fun and macabre moments and the story delivers its suspenseful atmosphere and creepy scares wonderfully even if the enacting terrible revenge angle is familiar territory. Corman's direction is secure also. The acting is very good. Debra Paget before she retired is beautiful and not too bland. Lon Chaney is wonderful, and his entrance is one of The Haunted Palace's creepiest moments. Even better is Price, he is in a double role here and he is deliciously evil. All in all, very good and very enjoyable, I just wish that it had more attention. 8/10 Bethany Cox