Customer Reviews

TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Horror (House of Wax 1953 / The Haunting 1963 / Freaks / Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1941)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

... 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.

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.

Four great movies for the price of about one. Can't beat that. I think most people are familiar with the content here, with the possible exception of Tod Browning's "Freaks", which may be the best of the lot. I do prefer the Frederic March ('32) version of "Hyde", but the '41 Spencer Tracey version has the benefit of getting to enjoy the considerable assets of Lana Turner & Ingrid Bergman. The Haunting is a classic that I seem to watch every year around Halloween w/o it getting "stale". And House of Wax, a classic Vincent Price performance. Its amazing how many people think Price just made horror films, but I've been noticing more & more here lately what a fine dramatic actor he was in non-horror roles, although he usually portrays a villainous character. Now , for all of the people that left 3 or less stars and whined about these movies being already available. Do you really think everybody bought these DVDs when they first came out? I think its pretty clear that the target buyer is the classic movie newcomer and people that couldn't afford to buy the individual movies. You gripe about WB just wanting to make money. Uh, isn't that a priority in running a successful business. Ever hear of capitalism? Four movies at this price is a bargain. I only wish that I didn't already own 3 of the 4 included here.

I love the movies it came with.. Some real old classics.
*House of Wax 1953 with Vincent Price..
*Freaks
*Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde
*The haunting 1963
The haunting is a very hard movie to get so for the price you get all these movies. If you love old classic movies then this is the purchase for you.. There are tons of movies so see under TCM.. Love all these movies ..

DVD arrived almost immediately it seemed. Thank you. Already saw the "Jekyll & Hyde", perfect print. Also needed "House of Wax", & am always glad to have a good widescreen copy of "The Haunting"....
Donald W

I have seen two of these movies before, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the House of Wax and I had real good memories about them. So I decided to buy them and keep them as my own collection. These movies have a good plot and are movies that you can see them over and over again. I will share them with my children since they were very young when they came out.

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

This is a great way to spend a scary night with a horror movie marathon. First, House of Wax with Vincent Price what a gem a fast moving film with Price in a great make-up job as the villan. Look for Charles Bronson in an early role. The Haunting is one of the most underated thrillers of all time. Robert Wise handles a solid cast in one of the best ghost stories ever put to film.
Freaks is the movie that horror fans still debate whether it is horror or just exploitation. Watch and decide for your self. I really enjoyed the commentary on this one very informative. Dr.Jeckyll and Mr.Hyde is the weakest for horror fans but still worth a look to see Tracey's only horror movie role. All in all a great way to collect some of the finest horror films out there from a bygone era.

At first glance, it's almost difficult to understand this DVD collection's purpose. All 4 films have been released previously on DVD, and TCM hasn't remastered any of them. In other words, they appear pretty much the same as they've always looked in this format.
That being said, there are still plenty of new film buffs just waiting to discover moviemaking magic like the efforts contained here; and since not everybody can afford to purchase a shiny, pristine copy of EVERYTHING...this is actually a fine introduction to 4 very different styles of horror filmmaking.
Let's face it, on most single-disc or double-disc compilations, there's usually one dud amongst the treasure. Not here-the 1941 version of 'Dr Jekyll' pales in comparison to the 1932 masterpiece, but it's still a great piece of cinema. And how could it not be, with the wonderful Spencer Tracy digging his teeth into such a juicy role?
House of Wax, from 1953, is also a remake-but unlike 'Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde', this version is every bit the equal of the original. You can thank the utterly fascinating Vincent Price for that, in a performance that doesn't allow you to take your eyes off of the '50's King of Horror'.
Even better is Robert Wise's 'The Haunting', a truly disturbing, if dated, work that can be looked upon as a transitional film, bridging the more innocent Hammer and Giant Insect films of the 1950's to the psychological horror that would soon be shocking audiences throughout the '60's. (Of course, 'The Haunting' was preceded by Hitchcock's monumental, and superior, 'Psycho'). Be sure to stay far, far away from the '99 Michael Douglas/Catherine Zeta-Jones remake; that putrid effects-fest remains one of the worst films ever made that dared to call itself a 'ghost story'.
Of course, the prize here is Browning's 'Freaks', a film that one simply MUST see in their teenage years, before "jaded" replaces "wide-eyed". This true classic so frightened British audiences when it was first made in 1933 that it was banned, shelved, and not seen again for decades. The director's use of genuine circus 'freaks' remains shocking and disturbing to this day.
If your idea of great horror is the 'Friday the 13th' series, then feel free to spend your money elsewhere. But to those who appreciate the art of the psychological terror film, as well as those who have the ability to place an old piece of cinema in it's proper perspective, this great set gives you lots of chills for a less-than-scary price.

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.