The Masque of the Red Death/Premature Burial (DVD, 2002, Widescreen Double Feature)

This is a tough DVD to get, but I finally got a copy and I'm glad I did. The first film of this double set stars Vincent Price as Prince Prospero, a spoiled bastard who enjoys inflicting pain on his guests. Oh buddy, he's a real cool jerk, and Price plays it to the hilt. Holed up in his castle to avoid the "Red Death" Vincent plays all kinds of nasty games for his own amusement, ultimately meeting his lord and master, the Grand Poo-bah Satan. This is a pretty trippy show, but even though the plot wanders some ("Hop-Frog" is intermeshed with the "Red Death" story; Price lovingly refers to him as "Hop-TOAD") the costumes are excellent and the acting is very solid; everyone is in fine form. So it's a good way to start a Saturday night, but I would definitely watch this show first because it tends to go on for awhile and if you put this on after midnight sleep may overtake you sooner than the "Red Death" does. "The Premature Burial" is the second movie, and this one is pretty good too. Ray Milland is a paranoid dude with a real hang-up when it comes to death: he's afraid of being buried alive. He goes through some pretty weird stuff to avoid it, too. I don't want to spoil it for you but let's just say this is a pretty cool show as well. I liked both these movies---I'm not sure if they're what I'd call great, but they were both fun and well done; a pretty good double feature for a Saturday night.

The DVD quality was great. Fantastic Vincent Price movie a must for any fan. Roger Corman stuns with the use of color in the Masque of the Red Death. The Premature Burial is fantastic despite the fact that Vincent Price is not in it. Overall a dynamic pair of movies.

MGM MIdnight Movies has finally released the long-awaited widescreen theatrical versions of these two exquisite Edgar Allan Poe-inspired classics, both directed by Roger Corman. The 2.35:1 Panavision picture images are as beautiful today as they were when they were photographed by Floyd Crosby, ASC, over forty years ago. This dual-feature DVD set is a "must have" for all Price-Poe-Corman fans. Thank you, MGM!

Along with "The Abomidable Dr. Phibes" & "The House of Wax," I consider this one of Vincent Price's best films. The price (under $20) was a steal! "Premature Burial" is an inferior film by comparison; "Masque" should have been paired with a better film. Overall, this combination is highly recommended!

i hade the movie masque of the red death on vhs and liked it so i decided to get it on dvd but never receved the dvd