The Raven starring Vincent Price.
This is a revisit for me.
I'd watch this years ago and was firmly disappointed by it.
At the time I found it to be incredibly slow, I may have even fallen asleep during a part of it.
I was just bummed out that it wasn't actually a 'The Raven' story being narrated by Vincent Price.
Just think of it. And almost single actor feature film where we see Vincent Price monologues the story and reacts to all the taunting and belittling of a raven let losse into his home. A Tale of insanity and depression of one man lamenting the love of his Lenore.
Instead what we get is a strange story of Vincent Price's character going through the first motions of that story. But then being interrupted by his daughter who's also living with him. Which completely Alters the tone of what the original story was going for with the isolation.
But that's the least of this story's issues for the very Raven that pops upon his chamber door. He's this kind of brash, loud-mouthed wizard who was turned into a raven by a different Wizard who's played by Boris Karloff.
Now it's a completely different film.
We descended away from the cold and hunting story of The Raven and have now plunged into the Whimsical world of Magic, goblins, witches and wizards, spells and incantations. Something that feels more at home in a light-hearted Dracula sequel.
Vincent Price has to help the Raven turn back into a man and then accompanies him to the home of the wizard who wronged him. So that the man who was a raven could get his revenge.
An action that Vincent Price didn't want to do as he wanted to keep himself out of the business of that wizard.
But then he discovers that the soul of his lost love was present at the castle and now has to investigate.
Once they're there he does discovered that this woman was his lost love. She didn't die but in fact ran away and pretended that she had died because she didn't love him anymore.
What the heck movie are we even watching?
Do we have any semblance to the original Raven?
Because after this Vincent Price and Boris Karloff or going to have a Magic Duel in where they tried to kill and maim one another.
And although it doesn't work with the source material it is quite a fun scene in itself.
I think that's why I enjoyed this movie so much more the second time around.
I knew what I was getting into.
If you come into this movie wanting the Raven you will be miserably disappointed. If you're coming here looking for a silly magic battle between two of the most wonderful actors of the 20th century then you'll be pleasantly surprised.
It's an okay movie aimed more at the Juvenile audience than the mature. It can get a little slow at points but it's only an hour and 20 minutes long so it's not a slog to get through. And any scene with Vincent Price and Boris Karloff are just instantly lighten up anyways.
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