(1970)
Dir - Gordon Hessler
Overall: MEH
The second film in so many years that had Vincent Price playing a malevolent witchhunter, (1968's Witchfinder General being the other one), Cry of the Banshee has a noticeable air of redundancy to it. The same could be said about House of Usher and The Pit and the Pendelum from the previous decade though, which also can fairly be seen as two different versions of the same movie. In any event, this would be the last pairing of Vincent Price and director Gordon Hessler, (with Christopher Wicking likewise returning to re-write the screenplay), and it is neither particularly unique nor terrible. Price rarely participated in any horror movies squarely on the side of terrible, but he is also not really given too much to work with in order to elevate anything here beyond the realm of mediocrity. The script is not without its share of inconsistencies and in fact a major plot point revolves around Price's Lord Edward Whitman acting quite out of character and letting a proven witch and her coven escape into the woods instead of doing away with them as he does anyone else who is simply accused of being in league with evil Pagan deities. An opening title sequence by Terry Gilliam certainly helps a little bit though.
(1970)
Dir - Kenneth Johnson
Overall: GOOD
This television production made by American International Pictures has a simple enough premise of Vincent Price in different period costumes and wigs reciting four different works from Edgar Allan Poe. Primarily shot as a live theater piece, (Price is not literally sitting with a book of Poe's works in front of him, but has in fact memorized them as a monologue as he would on stage), Price is unhinged in the very best of ways. Considering that most of Poe's works are from the perspective of an individual succumbing to madness, the horror icon lets loose here, enthusiastically sinking his thespian claws into each performance as feverishly as anyone ever has. The camerawork has a hard time keeping up with his physical mannerisms occasionally, but otherwise the presentation is solid by making the most out of the minimal setup and only indulging in some production enhancements with the final "The Pit and the Pendulum" segment. Aside from that one, other popular pieces "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado" are also present, though it is nice that the lesser-known "The Sphinx" is given a spotlight as well.
(1974)
Dir - Jim Clark
Overall: MEH
One of the final films by Amicus Productions, Madhouse whether intentionally or coincidentally represents sort of an end of an era for its star Vincent Price. As the semi-autobiographical horror actor Paul Toombes, (Dr. Death), Price is haunted by his own real life movies, clips of which are shown from several. While he was anything but washed up or bitter about his typecasting in horror, his prolific output in the genre did take a sabbatical after this film which pays homage to and also knowingly parodies some of his renowned and popular works from the previous decade and some change. The premise starts off promising enough yet after awhile, it becomes a bit silly as so many people in and around Toombes' television comeback keep being outlandishly done away with while the production never gets shut down and no arrests ever get made. Plot issues persist elsewhere, frequently becoming more odd and awkward as it goes on. The spirit to make it a campy and macabre romp is present, but it never quite delivers. At least not in the way that the Price movies it references and aspires to deliver. The Dr. Death make-up is cool and Peter Cushing is dressed as Dracula in one scene though, so there is that.
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