Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See

Connianatu How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

sol- Obsessed with the unlikely possibility of being buried alive just like his cataleptic father was, a celebrated artist dedicates all his spare time to building a tomb that he can escape from should such an event ever occur in this Edgar Allan Poe adaptation from Roger Corman. With Poe and Corman's name on the project, it seems easy to label 'Premature Burial' as a horror film, but it is much more a psychological thriller and character study of a paranoid individual. Ray Milland is both intense and empathetic to watch as his obsession takes full swing with his escapable tomb nothing short of spectacular when he eventually shows it off. There are some spooky moments also though, and while the film has a tad too much fake fog and fake spider webs for its own good, the whistling of two gravediggers provides a lot of genuine chills in lieu of a traditional music score. All that said and done, what ultimately happens to Milland, despite his preparation, it is a touch too easy to predict, and while there is a thought-provoking twist thrown into the mix, it vexingly subtracts from what is otherwise a great study of paranoia. Many have complained about Milland being cast over Corman stalwart Vincent Price, but Milland is just as effective here as in the better known 'X', and a solid supporting cast including Heather Angel and Alan Napier certainly helps.

Hitchcoc This is a fun story if one doesn't think too much. Ray Milland stands in for Corman's usual suffering protagonist, Vincent Price. Milland lives with catalepsy, which makes a person appear dead, even if he is not. He lives in abject fear of being buried alive. He then builds a state of the art crypt with numerous fail-safe devices that can be employed if he finds himself in his suspended state. It seems if he could just get someone to leave him on a shelf if they think he is dead, it would work out better. Hazel Court plays his suffering wife. He is a true nut who believes his father had been buried alive, even though his sister tells him that is not so. The thing is that there are so many things that happen, as we reach a conclusion, that require some big time suspension of disbelief. Still, it's quite entertaining watching Milland being dragged down by his fears.

Sean Jump One of Roger Corman's lesser-known Poe features, The Premature Burial is a fine film with an excellent cast that is handicapped by an unfortunate lack of thrills and a slow pace. The plot, of course, is derived from a famous short story by Edgar Allan Poe, though much embellished. The slow-burning tale is well-handled by the outstanding cast, who do their best to make up for the competent but rather workmanlike script by Charles Beaumont and Ray Russell. Ray Milland is convincingly moribund as the paranoid nobleman who suffers from a consuming fear of being buried alive. Hazel Court, who also stars in Corman's most renowned Poe film, The Masque of the Red Death, is ravishing as Milland's dreamy wife, while Richard Ney is solid in the role of a doctor who struggles to comprehend the nature of Milland's morbid delusions, which become increasingly disturbing as the narrative progresses. Alan Napier, who of course plays Alfred in the 1960s Batman TV series, is stalwart in a straight role as Hazel Court's father. Corman's direction is as usual expert, and the beautiful Gothic sets are literally drenched in atmosphere, while the whole world outside of Milland's picturesque manor seems practically drowned in waves of rolling fog. In fact, this is not so much a horror film as a Gothic melodrama. There are a few jump scares and near the end a smattering of murders, but this is a very subtle and understated movie that may disappoint those looking for something more like The Pit and the Pendulum or the aforementioned Masque of the Red Death, which while still literate and relatively subtle also have their over-the-top moments. The Premature Burial is far more restrained, and even the climax, with its inevitable body count, is nearly bloodless and frankly not especially visceral or frightening. Pacing aside, the film works anyway because of its serious screenplay and direction and professional cast, and if it isn't Corman's best Poe film it is still very much worth a viewing.

amosduncan_2000 "The Premature Burial" was Poe's only story with a happy ending, as the tormented narrator decides to write off "bugaboo tales, like this one," and stay on the sunny side. Might he have also said "no more mediocre movies?" Ray Milland made his great contribution to shlock movie culture with this hilariously grouchy performance in "Frogs," he does what he can here but it does tend to underline how important the presence of Vincent Price was to these Poe films. Poe's interesting tale ( the title phobia was already a horror cliché by the time he got to it) is turned into a rather overwrought revenge saga with too much phony smoke. Though Floyd "David's dad" Crosby does his usual excellent work. All in all it's an O.K. time if you like this sort of thing.