22. The Haunted Palace (1963), dir. Roger Corman, broadcast 13 May
The latest Cellar Club screening, and a really good one! It was the only entry from Corman's Poe cycle which I hadn't seen, though of course in fact it isn't a Poe story at all. Instead, it's based on H.P. Lovecraft's 'The Case of Charles Dexter Ward' (framed by few lines of Poe's poetry), which I also haven't read, so it was all new to me. Extremely visually accomplished and a perfect role for Price.
22.The Haunted Palace (1963), dir. Roger Corman, broadcast 13 May
Original tweet-along thread
Individual tweets:
Evening, Cellar Dwellers! Looking forward to this one, which I have not seen before. I like the dark, sombre tone of the opening credits already. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
Oh, and a beautiful first shot with the mist, the boat the lamps and the sound of the lapping water. Cracks of thunder were the icing on the cake! #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
This is visually stunning so far! I'm pretty sure that girl's scream was dubbed, though. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
I'm liking this set-up. I was expecting a ghostly manifestation of the long-dead warlock, but it looks like instead we'll get his descendant gradually driven mad as the vengeful spirit possesses him. I.e. a perfect role for Vincent Price. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
The dialogue for Price so far is absolutely spot on, too. He's deliberately being set up as a worldly, modern man, at ease with himself and possession of a light, slightly wry sense of humour. All presumably to be deconstructed as he is driven insane. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
Was just thinking much the same... The point underlined by the way the tolling of the church bell seemed to break the spell and drive them away.
[This was in relation to a scene where a group of local people with physical disabilities, supposedly caused by Joseph Curwen's curse, encircled Charles Dexter Ward, approaching him slowly and menacingly.]
Can anyone who knows more about Lovecraft tell me more about the significance of Charles Dexter Ward showing up 110 years after Joseph Curwen's death? It's making me think of a Roman saeculum, which Augustus claimed was 110 years long. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
Was Lovecraft likely to be evoking that deliberately, was he thinking of something else, or is it just kinda random? #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
Sorry, meant to link to the Wikipedia page above: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saeculum A saeculum was supposed to be the longest possible human lifespan - which does make a sort of sense for this story. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
That dialogue just then about "your blood is my blood" instantly reminded me of Dracula: "flesh of my flesh; blood of my blood; kin of my kin; my bountiful wine-press..." But the line in Dracula is drawn in turn from the Bible: https://biblehub.com/genesis/2-23.htm #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
In both contexts, it's obviously meant to present us with the horrible spectacle of a Satanic figure twisting the words of the Bible. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
He's making a list, he's checking it twice,
He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice,
Dexter Ward is coming to town.
Nah, they're all naughty, and they're all gonna burn!
#CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
[At this point, Charles Dexter Ward had a list of the descendants of Joseph Curwen's enemies in the town, and was killing each one horribly before tearing their name off the list.]
I feel like we might be headed towards another flaming inferno... #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
Hooray! 🔥🔥🔥 #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
I like the many layers of flames, giving depth to the scene. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
Well, that was superb! Would gladly watch that again, and hope I'll find plenty of opportunities to do so. Thanks everyone for your insights into Lovecraft, Charles Beaumont and more as we went along! #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
22.The Haunted Palace (1963), dir. Roger Corman, broadcast 13 May
Original tweet-along thread
Individual tweets:
Evening, Cellar Dwellers! Looking forward to this one, which I have not seen before. I like the dark, sombre tone of the opening credits already. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
Oh, and a beautiful first shot with the mist, the boat the lamps and the sound of the lapping water. Cracks of thunder were the icing on the cake! #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
This is visually stunning so far! I'm pretty sure that girl's scream was dubbed, though. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
I'm liking this set-up. I was expecting a ghostly manifestation of the long-dead warlock, but it looks like instead we'll get his descendant gradually driven mad as the vengeful spirit possesses him. I.e. a perfect role for Vincent Price. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
The dialogue for Price so far is absolutely spot on, too. He's deliberately being set up as a worldly, modern man, at ease with himself and possession of a light, slightly wry sense of humour. All presumably to be deconstructed as he is driven insane. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
Was just thinking much the same... The point underlined by the way the tolling of the church bell seemed to break the spell and drive them away.
[This was in relation to a scene where a group of local people with physical disabilities, supposedly caused by Joseph Curwen's curse, encircled Charles Dexter Ward, approaching him slowly and menacingly.]
Can anyone who knows more about Lovecraft tell me more about the significance of Charles Dexter Ward showing up 110 years after Joseph Curwen's death? It's making me think of a Roman saeculum, which Augustus claimed was 110 years long. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
Was Lovecraft likely to be evoking that deliberately, was he thinking of something else, or is it just kinda random? #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
Sorry, meant to link to the Wikipedia page above: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saeculum A saeculum was supposed to be the longest possible human lifespan - which does make a sort of sense for this story. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
That dialogue just then about "your blood is my blood" instantly reminded me of Dracula: "flesh of my flesh; blood of my blood; kin of my kin; my bountiful wine-press..." But the line in Dracula is drawn in turn from the Bible: https://biblehub.com/genesis/2-23.htm #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
In both contexts, it's obviously meant to present us with the horrible spectacle of a Satanic figure twisting the words of the Bible. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
He's making a list, he's checking it twice,
He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice,
Dexter Ward is coming to town.
Nah, they're all naughty, and they're all gonna burn!
#CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
[At this point, Charles Dexter Ward had a list of the descendants of Joseph Curwen's enemies in the town, and was killing each one horribly before tearing their name off the list.]
I feel like we might be headed towards another flaming inferno... #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
Hooray! 🔥🔥🔥 #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
I like the many layers of flames, giving depth to the scene. #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd
Well, that was superb! Would gladly watch that again, and hope I'll find plenty of opportunities to do so. Thanks everyone for your insights into Lovecraft, Charles Beaumont and more as we went along! #CellarClub #TheFilmCrowd