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10 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Tell me again!, 24 February 2005 Author: Brandt Sponseller from New York City
This is a compilation of three short films based on Nathaniel Hawthorne works--Heidegger's Experiment, Rappaccini's Daughter and The House of Seven Gables. All feature Vincent Price in a lead role. In Heidegger's Experiment, Dr. Carl Heidegger (Sebastian Cabot), obsessed with his deceased fiancée for 38 years, discovers a possible fountain of youth. But will restored youth bring happiness? In Rappaccini's Daughter, Professor Rappaccini (Price) discovers a "treatment" that will prevent his daughter from committing or being subjected to the same evils as his wife. And in The House of Seven Gables, a 150-year-old injustice leads to a unshakable curse.First, a "warning" of sorts to potential viewers who are not acclimated to films of bygone eras. When compared to modern horror such as Saw (2004), Twice-Told Tales is relatively slow, talky, stagy, and uneventful. It may even be relatively slow, talky, stagy and uneventful compared to many films of its era. That doesn't mean it isn't a good film. But if you're not acclimated to the style, it takes some getting used to.It's definitely worth getting used to, because these three short films by director Sidney Salkow are atmospheric, captivating stories, full of horror if you are able to slow yourself down and be absorbed by them. The film's fine technical elements--the sets, costumes, cinematography, lighting, music and so on--help draw one in to the proceedings.As with most Hawthorne, the stories have strong moral subtexts, often hinging on just deserts for questionable ethical decisions, which are often themselves made with an aim of protecting ethical "purity" in some way. Or in other words, a few bad decisions combined with trying to do the "right thing" often leads to horrifying situations due to a kind of karmic retribution--basically kicking oneself in the bum. There are occasionally innocent parties--such as Rappaccini's daughter, but they tend to be few and far between. Speaking of Rappaccini's Daughter, it's interesting to note that this could easily count as an early sci-fi tale from Hawthorne.For horror fans, the most important aspect of the film is that Twice-Told Tales' scenarios are macabre and frequently terrifying. Although you certainly shouldn't expect gore in a film like this, there are a few skeletons, crispy critters and a surprising amount of blood in one segment. But gore in itself doesn't necessarily produce the feeling of being horrified, which is more a sinking feeling in the pit of one's stomach at the realization that everything has suddenly gone to hell. Although I agree that gore wouldn't hurt (I'm a big Fangoria fan, too), what creates the horrific in Twice-Told Tales are the impeccably established characters and relationships followed by tragic changes in their relationships. Salkow and the cast slowly but flawlessly build tension in this way, and all of the segments have wonderfully nihilistic endings. Only the House of Seven Gables offers a slight glimpse of hope at the end.Twice-Told Tales isn't the first compilation film or even the first horror compilation film, but it is one of the earlier, better and influential examples. Salkow's impact on horror wasn't to end here, as he went on to co-direct the excellent Price vehicle The Last Man on Earth in 1964, which was a big influence on subsequent films such as 28 Days Later (2002). He also directed a few episodes of "The Addams Family", before finishing out his career with a few westerns.
8 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Unusual Vincent Price trilogy, 6 November 2002 Author: funkyfry from Oakland CA
Excellent little drive-in thriller thinly disguised as a literary adaption. Seeing all-time screen scream queen Beverly Garland share the screen with the master Vincent Price is a joy to fans of hammy acting everywhere! Richard Denning is also there with very strange hair and his usual straight mannerisms. Some pretty weird, morbid tales, done with some intelligence while still giveing lots of opportunities for gore of the hanging skeleton variety. I especially liked the second story, with the killer plant, as I thought it was a refreshing idea and that the colors in the garden were quite nice. A worthy competitor to AIP's other excellent trilogies of terror.
8 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Great old horror film!, 25 July 2002 Author: (heinzelmaennchen@econophone.ch) from Basel, Switzerland
I may not be very objective in reviewing this movie, because I've seen it for the first time when I was young and was very impressed then, an impression, which one doesn't forget of course... I still love it, each time when I see it again, because of the three intelligent stories (one about an elixir of life and a tragic love triangle, one about a poison which separates two lovers, and one about a haunted house), which of course in view of the movie's age don't contain splatter elements but unfold a subtle horror and especially because of the atmosphere with the wonderful kitschy set and colors, which gives the movie, beside of the dated special effects, the typical and irresistible charm of old trash...
6 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Excellent sixties omnibus, 8 January 2006 Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England
Twice-Told Tales is a trio of horror stories based on the writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Each story stars horror maestro Vincent Price, and this allows the man to show his range in a series of different roles throughout the film. All of Price's roles allow him to show his dark side, but it's the way that he is allowed to show this that makes each one stand out. Vincent Price is my favourite horror actor, and he's arguably the best ever. The fact that he stars in each segment of this film is reason enough alone to see it. The fact that every tale is good is another one. In true omnibus style, the first story is the least memorable; but it's still well worth seeing. We follow two friends who discover a virgin spring in the crypt of one of their loves. This story is good because it follows the ever-present dream of ever-lasting life. The way that the plot builds is somewhat predictable, but still good as we get to see the great horror master turn his performance around from do-gooder to something more sinister. Not the best opener to an omnibus film; but a long way from the worst.The second story is by far the best and, in a way, it's a shame that this story was a part of the omnibus. The second tale is a fairytale horror story of love, protection and madness and follows the tale of an overbearing father that takes steps to ensure that his daughter doesn't sin like her mother did. This story is a variation on the classic 'Romero and Julliet' story, and takes in all the tragedy of that tale by its conclusion. Tale number two is highly original and would make this film worth viewing even if the other two tales were absolute rubbish (which, of course, they're not). The third and final segment is the weakest of the trio, but still manages an excellent Gothic style and a solid story. The reason it's the weakest is mainly because it's really slow; but once it gets started, this tale of greed, witchcraft and murder provides a satisfying end to this trio of stories. With a running time of two hours, Twice-Told Tales is a very long omnibus; and it could have done with being a bit shorter. However, this doesn't harm it too much, and if you're a fan of sixties horror, and/or Vincent Price, this will be a must see.
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful: 3 is the charm!, 9 August 2005 Author: Lee Eisenberg (eisenberg.lee@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA
In "Twice-Told Tales", Vincent Price does what he does best: be mysterious. He appears in three macabre stories. In the first, he plays a man helping another man try to resurrect his dead fiancée. In the second, he plays a man who has a most unusual relationship with his plants. In the third...well, let's just say that there's a dark old house (you can figure it out from there).I try to imagine being a horny teenager going to see these movies back when they were first released. This would have been the perfect movie to see while on a date with a girl. Thank God that even in the darkest days of "family fun", you could always count on Vincent Price!
6 out of 8 people found the following review useful: Vincent Price can tell me whatever he wants and how many times he wants!, 17 April 2006 Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
"Twice-Told Tales" is a wondrously fascinating horror omnibus and probably one of the most underrated genre efforts of the entire sixties. I'm ashamed to admit that I wasn't really familiar with Nathaniel Hawthorne's writings before (apart from multiple adaptations of "the Scarlet Letter") but, even though he's not as prominent as Edgar Allen Poe or H.P Lovecraft, his stories are pure Gothic goodness and morbidly poetic horror material. Each of the three tales told here are magnificent, albeit slightly suffering from their shortage and I'll definitely continue to look for the long-feature film version of "The House of Seven Gables", as I know it's available somewhere. The first tale; Dr. Heidegger's Experiment, is an atmospheric appetizer handling about an ancient horror topic, namely the search for eternal youth. Life-long friends Alex and Carl fortuitously discover that the water dripping on the coffin of Carl's dead bride contains the power to restore their own youth and even to resurrect the unfortunate Julie. But the revival of old friendships sadly also emerges hidden secrets and forbidden passions from the past. There are some excellent set pieces used in this first episode and the brief use of special effects is well-staged and definitely ahead of its time. Vincent Price shines as the initially reluctant guinea pig and his sudden transformation into deceptive Adonis is believable. Sebastian Cabot and Mary Blanchard are very adequate in their supportive roles. The second story is arguably the best and unquestionably the most ingenious one of the three. "Rappacchini's Daughter" also is one of the few horror tellings that ever managed to frighten me with its content. Price this time stars as the tormented scientist Rappaccini, who pumped his poor daughter Beatrice so full of poison that she absorbs the color and life out of everything she touches. Supposedly to protect her from all the evil in this world, but now the young beauty can't return the honest love of new student in town Giovanni. This particular tale is haunting, saddening and petrifying all at once! No matter how selfish and monstrous the crimes of Price's character are, he's a hurt soul and you're more likely to pity him rather than to loath him. The flower garden, where most of the story is filmed, is truly enchanting and Joyce Taylor is simply mesmerizing as the poor Beatrice. The tragic climax to this tale could have come straight from Shakespeare's repertoire. The third and final tale in this marvelous horror anthology is called "The House of Seven Gables" and revolves on a feud between two families that still lives on after several generations. Gerald Pyncheon and his sister Hannah desperately seek a hidden vault in their family mansion and the only person who knows where it might be located is Jonathan Maule, descendant of the architect who originally designed the house. But Jonathan won't help, because his ancestor was cowardly killed by the Pyncheons for falling in love with the wrong girl. Gerald's attractive wife Alice turns out to be a spiritual link between the two families and able to clear up several ancient mysteries. As mentioned above, this tale suffers the most from being part of an omnibus. The screenplay was adapted from an entire novel and thus a lot of Hawthorne's thoughtful sub plots and character drawings were lost in the 45 minutes tale. Still, it's a very decent 'haunted house' premise with nice scenery and a handful of genuinely suspenseful moments. Vincent Price is at his most fiendish here and there's quite a lot of bloodshed. Perhaps I'm over-rating this film slightly, but it deserves a bit of extra attention! It's a wonderful film, rich on symbolism and Gothic charm and it would be a damn shame if true horror fans let it pass by them.
5 out of 7 people found the following review useful: Under-Rated Horror Gem, 2 April 2002 Author: BaronBl00d (baronbl00d@aol.com) from NC
Nathaniel Hawthorne is not Edgar Allan Poe. His stories do contain elements of horror and terror, but much of it is fodder for the religious symbolism that tears through much of his work. That being said, some will find the three tales used in Twice-Told Tales comparitively slow to those of Poe. What they lack in speed, however, they more than make up for in thematic exploration, symbolic meanings, and suspenseful pacing. The first story is Dr. Heidegger's experiment. Vincent Price and Sebastion Cabot play two very old friends that get together on the good doctor's birthday. Both men talk about the harsh realities of growing old, but Cabot talks of his growing old more as a means to be with the one he loved so many years ago, the woman who died on their day to be wed, and now reposes in a crypt nearby outside. A storm opens the crypt, the two men investigate and find that the body of the girl has not aged at all thanks to some trickling water that seems to keep it in its natural state upon death. The doctor takes the water and experiments with its powers on himself, his friend, and the corpse. The end result becomes Hawthorne's look at human beings...given a second chance. Would they change or do the things that brought them unhappiness any different? The story, although changed greatly from the original Hawthorne story, is visualized very nicely with Price turning in one of his more subtle performances and Cabot doing a splendid job. The second story is Rappicinni's Daughter. It tells of a girl that has been altered by her scientist father to not touch any living thing. This way she will always be pure....innocent of the evils of men and, in particular, unknown to the touch of men. The story is highly symbolic and beautifully directed. Price plays the scientist who specializes in plants of unknown origins. A well-crafted selection to be sure. The third story is easily the weakest because it tries cramming a novel into an anthology sized space. The House of the Seven Gables tells of sins of a past family against another and how these sins have been borne by the family manse. Some of the special effects here are rather good, but the acting by Richard Denning and Beverly Garland is not so good. Price carries the segment with his slightly over-the-top performance and a real acting gem is given by Jacqueline de Wit as his sister. All in all, the three tales are very representative of Hawthorne's unique vision, his religious background, and taut narration. This is a good film, but it's not a Poe film...once that is realized maybe some viewers can appreciate it on its own merits rather than a constant intentional or unintentional comparison to the king of horror.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: at least two third satisfying, 19 February 2003 Author: postmanwhoalwaysringstwice from usa
Episodic films, such as this one are not always winners. At times they feel like there wasn't enough material for a feature, so they kind of flubbed it. I'm mainly thinking of films like "Four Rooms" and others along those lines. I think the horror genre is the exception to this rule(think "Tales from the Crypt" (1972) and "Creepshow" (1982)). With "Twice-Told Tales" there are three stories to enjoy and there's a fair chance that at least two of the three will excite your imagination. The first is a story about friendship, love, and immortality. The third is a variation on the old haunted house seen in many old chillers. The second, and my favorite of the three, is just so twisted I don't know if anything can be said about it to not spoil it for you. Here's an attempt ... it's an extreme version of Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" 'A'. Well worth a look!
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: Great Price Flick, 2 November 2008 Author: whpratt1 from United States
Missed this 1963 film classic with Vincent Price doing his usual thing after his big stardom started to fade away and he turned to horror films and made a very outstanding contribution to the greats like Boris Karloff and many more. This film features the writing of a very famous author, Nathaniel Hawthorne who will hold your interest in which Vincent Price plays all three main actors in all the tales which involves very strange behavior of a father to wants to protect his daughter from the sins of the world and has given her a secret power which destroys everything she touches. You will definitely enjoy all of these tales and the acting is outstanding by Beverly Garland and Sebastian Cabot. Enjoy.
2 out of 3 people found the following review useful: First two stories are good., 16 October 2000 Author: beach-11 from Anaheim, CA
The second story is the best, but the first one is good. If you watch this movie, do not bother viewing the third one, which is a shortened version of "The House of Seven Gables" with Vincent Price in the villain role [he was the hero in the much superior 1940 version].Other good things about this movie are the music and the sets [especially in the first tale].
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