The Oblong Box [DVD]

Another Price/Poe movie that is worth watching. I found the movie a highly interesting gothic horror mystery-thriller. It is as creepy as it is suspenseful.

Julian Markham (Price) and his brother Edward Markham (Williamson) spent some time in Africa doing some dirty deeds. Edward's face becomes disfigured by a witchdoctor and he is held like a prisoner by his own brother Julian. When Edward escapes he ends up in the home of Dr. Newhartt (Lee) and begins to wear a red mask to hide is disfigured face. Edward wants answers as to why he was the victim of witchcraft and becomes vengeful in doing so.

I do recommend this film for those that enjoy Poe, Price, Lee and classic horror, mysteries and thrillers.

8/10

This was the last film American International Pictures did in the Poe series and unfortunately has little to do with the Poe classic. Much tragedy hit this film as it was being produced, with one of the screenwriters dying 11 days into production. What's up with that? The Oblong Box

The film has a lot of atmosphere, dark colors, eerie Psycho-like music and debauchery from colonial Britain ripping off the Africans and treating them badly. In retaliation for killing a boy from a tribe that worked a family-owned plantation, one of the Markum brothers got a voodoo curse (the start of the film has Edward being nailed to a tree, ouch). It's a very pro-Black, anti-colonial Britain film in a lot of ways.

Edward returns to England mad (as in totally nuts) and Julian (Vincent Price) has Edward locked and chained in his room. Unable to escape, Edward hatches a plot with a witchdoctor and Julian's family lawyer, Trench. Trench has a mind of his own however, and in the confusion kinda "forgets" that Edward is pretending to be dead in an oblong box and ends up being buried alive.

That would have been the end of the film right there but for Christopher Lee's character, a creepy doctor who likes to experiment on cadavers, the warmer the better. As Dr. Newhartt collects Edward's remains, the remains reach up and attempt to choke the good doctor and through blackmail gets his cooperation.

The overall story is somewhat predictable with a few twists and turns to keep the viewer entertained. The prostitutes in a bar, the barfights, the murders that Edward performs (but the blood is so fake and the slashing of the throats looks very unrealistic).

Four stars are mainly for the sympathetic Julian and the murderous Edward (played callously by British actor Alister Williamson). Edward's on and off sexy maid girlfriend Sally (Sally Geeson) was a bit flighty and weird but cute, in a horror sort of way. Hilary Dwyer (Witchfinder General (aka The Conqueror Worm from Matthew Hopkins) and Cry of the Banshee / Murders in the Rue Morguealso with Price) plays the overemotional fiancee to Julian.

Recommend seeing with Scream and Scream Again, the second film where several of the actors in Oblong Box return for an encore.

The Oblong Box / Scream and Scream Again

Love the film and the DVD cover. The quality of the DVD was excellent.

This truly a GREAT MOVIE 2 watch. Almost everything and everyone in this movie are OUTSTANDING. The only item that would need a little work on is the blood. MGM could have spent a little more money on props/effects. It is very obvious that paint was used because of the bright color, density and thickness. Edgar Allen Poe,Vincent Price and Christopher Lee's works are real Classics. This is originally referred to as Edgar Allen Poe's Classic Tale of The Living Dead, The Oblong Box. If you are interested in Edgar Allen Poe, I found this website to really informative: [...]

If a movie called THE OBLONG BOX with Vinny Price and Chris Lee sounds good to you, well, this one is even better than it sounds. But it is very dark; maybe not quite as dark as WITCHFINDER GENERAL, but plenty dark enough. Not really light entertainment, but unusually well-made with fine performances. Don't show this one to little kids.