HOUSE OF WAX (1953) In the wicked performance that crowned him the movies’ master of the macabre, Vincent Price plays a wax sculptor plunged into madness when an arsonist destroys his life’s work. Unable to use his flame-scarred hands, he devises a murderous way of restocking his museum. Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones and Charles Bronson co-star. THE HAUNTING (1963) Robert Wise directed this first screen version of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn come to the house to study its supernatural phenomena. Or has the house drawn at least one of them to it? “Guaranteed to chill you” (John Stanley, Creature Features). FREAKS Tod Browning (1931’s Dracula) directs this landmark movie – long banned, now highly lauded – in which the true freaks are not the story’s real-life sideshow performers, but “normals” who mock and abuse them. This unique ensemble play big-top troupers who inflict a terrible revenge on a trapeze artist who treats them as subhumans. DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1941) One man is a paragon of virtue. The other is a murderous creature of the London night. They are the same person. Spencer Tracy headlines this version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale whose visual flourishes include a dreamscape in which carriage horses whipped by Hyde transform into the women in his life (Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner).
Rating: 
(out of 8 reviews)
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September 25, 2010
#1
Review by Kathy
Rating:
Let’s see…
“Freaks” has been out for years and is still available. It includes wonderful commentary by David Skal.
“House of Wax” has also been available on DVD for years. It also is still available and includes the original “Mystery of the Wax Museum” as a bonus.
“Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde” also – available for years and still is as a double feature DVD with the Frederick March version of this film.
“The Haunting” is on DVD.
Dear TCM: I love you. Everyone does. Your network is part of every Premium Package on cable. And I own – or will own as soon as I get the newest “Forbidden Hollywood” – all of your DVD releases.
But why waste time and materials releasing movies that have been easily available for ages? Some with more value for the money.
When I think of the movies that you could be releasing in this set. “Orphan films” that for some reason no one will put on disc. Films we can only see on your network when we’re lucky.
Just off the top of my head, why these films when Howard Hawks’ “The Criminal Code”, “Five Star Final” (both with Boris Karloff in supporting roles prior to “Frankenstein”), “Page Miss Glory” with Marion Davies, Dick Powell and Pat O’Brien and “This Land Is Mine” with Charles Laughton and Maureen O’Hara (someone must want it – they sell a region 2 version of it here on Amazon) can’t find distribution?
If you wanted a sci-fi set, what about “Colossus of New York”, “The 27th Day”, later William Castle films or – I’ll never understand this never being on DVD – “Island of Lost Souls”?
These are the kinds of films that make people spend the money for that Premium Package to have your network in their homes. These are the kinds of films that you should be making the effort to get onto DVD and seen by people.
The movies in this set and those others you plan to release on the same day are great films. Unfortunately, if even you would rather double-dip films with proven sales records than champion lesser known classics…lovers of great old black and white films like myself are lost.
Please tell me you’re not going “AMC” on us.
September 25, 2010
#2
Review by W. Smith
Rating:
For those hoping this new package set would contain remastered prints or new material, look elsewhere. These seem to be the exact same content as the previously released individual editions of each film, except rendered on 2 double-sided discs (This means that the 1933 film Mystery in the Wax Museum, which originally appeared on the flip-side of House of Wax, is not found here, even though they forgot to remove reference to the film from the House of Wax menu screen!)
All films are presented in original aspect ratios (meaning only The Haunting is widescreen). Trailers, commentary tracks and supplemental material from the initial releases of The Haunting, House of Wax and Freaks are carried over here.
September 25, 2010
#3
Review by calvinnme
Rating:
… and that would be the deletion of the 1941 version of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde and replacing it with the 1932 version of the same film. The 1932 version was made before the production code went into effect and allowed you to see Mr. Hyde in all his debauchery along with Miriam Hopkins as the girl of the street caught in his grasp. The two are available as a double feature in Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Double Feature (1932/1941).
Frea ks (1932) was misunderstood at the time of its release, but is now highly regarded as a horror classic. Director Tod Browning really had a vacuum to fill after Lon Chaney’s death ended their successful partnership. This film is an example of his finest work post-Chaney. It is about Hans, a little person in a circus attracted to a beautiful but evil woman who marries Hans for his money and plans to murder him. When the other circus “frea ks” find out about Hans’ bride’s plans, they extract a cruel but fitting revenge. This film is available in a more deluxe edition that includes commentary. Audiences were troubled by this one when it came out because people with actual disabilities were used rather than actors and actresses in makeup.
The Haunting (1963) is more effective in this version than in the 1999 version with all of the special effects. You actually never see anything in this film – you just hear the sounds and experience the horror of Julie Harris’ character as she stays in a haunted house along with a group of people as part of an experiment framed by a psychiatrist. This is currently available separately as The Haunting
House of Wax (1953) is a remake of a precode version of this same film made in 1933. This 1950′s version has both advantages and disadvantages when compared to the precode version. The 1950′s version has the advantage of Vincent Price as the mad sculptor and a very young Charles Bronson as his brutish assistant. However, the 1930′s version had Glenda Farrell as the brassy newspaper woman trying to solve the case of a bunch of disappearances with Fay Wray as the damsel in distress that the mad doctor has his eye upon. The 1950′s version has the damsel in distress as the female lead, with no equivalent to Glenda Farrell in sight. You can compare the two yourself by purchasing House of Wax, which is a double feature including both versions of the film. The color on the 1953 version of this film was very “runny” on the original DVD. Let’s hope it’s been cleaned up some.
If you’re really curious about Warner Horror and can stand to spend just a little bit more, I highly suggest Hollywood’s Legends of Horror Collection (Doctor X / The Return of Doctor X / Mad Love / The Devil Doll / Mark of the Vampire / The Mask of Fu Manchu). Most of the films have commentary in that collection.
September 25, 2010
#4
Review by Annie Van Auken
Rating:
Warner’s TCM GREATEST CLASSIC FILMS COLLECTION is a series of over two dozen twin packs. The four titles in each set are dubbed one per side on two flip discs. Except for promo trailers there’s no bonus features, but what you –do– get are quality transfers of well-preserved ever-popular films for a single low price.
TCM HORROR COLLECTION contains one each from the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s and ’60s.
SYNOPSES–
FREAKS
Tod Browning’s bizarre side show spectacle includes such human oddities as Siamese twins, a giant, a dwarf, a strong man, sword swallower, bearded lady, half man/half woman, living skeleton, armless girls, pinheads and a limbless fellow who looks like a big worm in his form-fitting knitted sheath. Here, the plot of a conniving trapeze artist is secondary to the weirdest sights you’ve ever seen.
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE
Victor Fleming (WIZARD OF OZ; GONE WITH THE WIND) directed this 1941 adaptation of R.L. Stevenson’s story of a scientist who invents a transforming potion. The good doctor’s other persona is distilled evil. After several metamorphoses, the homicidal Hyde seems to be taking over permanently. Superior cast in one of the finest Jekyll/Hyde interpretations.
HOUSE OF WAX
Originally a 3-D picture, this Vincent Price classic about a facially disfigured sculptor who dips real humans in molten wax for his NYC statue museum features Charles Bronson’s first credited screen role (Igor), TV’s Morticia Adams (Carolyn Jones), and a climactic plunge into an enomous vat of steaming goo. (Watch for an uncredited cameo from STAR TREK’s Grace Lee Whitney.)
THE HAUNTING
There were two unrelated 1963 films known as “The Haunting.” This is far and away the better of them. Here, a doctor investigating paranormal phenomena invites to Hill House the exploratory participation of a psychic, a clairvoyant and the creepy old mansion’s soon-to-be owner. Is the mysterious presence they feel genuine or an example of mass hysteria/hallucination?
Also recommended:
Warner’s TCM MURDER MYSTERIES set includes these film noir classics: “Maltese Falcon” (1941), “Postman Always Rings Twice” (1946), “Big Sleep” (1946) and “Dial M for Murder” (1954).
Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.
(7.9) Freaks (1932) – Wallace Ford/Leila Hyams/Olga Baclanova/Roscoe Ates/Henry Victor/Hilton Sisters/Schlitze/Johnny Eck/Josephine Joseph/Frances O’Connor/Peter Robinson/Koo Koo/Prince Randian
(6.8) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) – Spencer Tracy/Ingrid Bergman/Lana Turner/Donald Crisp/Ian Hunter/Barton MacLane/C. Aubrey Smith/Sara Allgood/Billy Bevan (uncredited: Hillary Brooke)
(7.0) House of Wax (1953) – Vincent Price/Frank Lovejoy/Phyllis Kirk/Carolyn Jones/Dabbs Greer/Charles Bronson (uncredited: Grace Lee Whitney)
(7.8) The Haunting (1963 – Julie Harris/Claire Bloom/Richard Johnson/Russ Tamblyn/Fay Compton/Lois Maxwell
September 25, 2010
#5
Review by Byron Kolln
Rating:
Four marvelous late-night horror classics will be included on this double disc collection from Warner/TCM’s “Greatest Classic Films” collection. Including:
HOUSE OF WAX: The 3D favourite with Vincent Price as a deranged wax sculptor who chases poor Sue Allen (Phyllis Kirk) all over turn-of-the-century New York so that she might ‘pose’ for his Marie Antoinette waxwork statue. Sadly this disc will not include the bonus original “Mystery of the Wax Museum” starring Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill, which was featured on the original stand-alone DVD.
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE: The acclaimed 1941 remake directed with great Freudian subtext by Victor Fleming. Spencer Tracy gives an amazing performance as the man literally torn between two personalies–and two women–Lana Turner and Ingrid Bergman.
THE HAUNTING: A dream cast–boasting Claire Bloom, Julie Harris and Russ Tamblyn–heads this truly disturbing horror gem directed by Robert Wise. A movie which created the benchmark for such later efforts as “The Legend of Hell House”.
If you haven’t bought any of the previous stand-alone releases for these titles, this will be a smart purchase.