This Roger Corman directed film is loosely based on the Raven by Edgar Allen
Poe.  A wizard (Vincent Price) who had lost his love, Lenore, hears a
tapping on his door.  And then a rapping on his window.  It turns out to be
a raven, that he lets into his chamber.  The raven speaks, and it has the
distinctive voice of Peter Lorre!  The bird begs for the wizard to turn him
back to his normal form.  And when Price does it, we're treated to Peter
Lorre in a bird suit!  Oh my.  Anyway, he does get him back to normal, and a
series of coincidences (or are they?) cause the two sorcerors and their
children to venture out to the castle of a very powerful wizard (Boris
Karloff).  More circumstances lead to a showdown between Price and Karloff -
a sorceror's duel to the death!

This is a campy movie, with lousy jokes, hokey music, and laughable special
effects.  But it does feature some of the best all-time horror actors.  Add
in a young Jack Nicholson, and it's a joy just to watch them all work.  Too
bad that it's a comedy and that it's too silly to really enjoy.  This film
didn't age too well.
 
 
 

Quality: 4.0  Visuals: 3.0  Intensity: 4.0  Laughability: 3.5
OVERALL RATING: 3.5