This is a review I have wanted to do for some time, It’s rather nostalgic, echoing back to a world no more, and produced by the most unlikely company, Hallmark, yes, the same one that has all those Christmas movies and the greeting cards. Well, strangely in 1987 the firm produced and released a VHS tape of clips of horror films from the 1950s to 60s (not the 70s or 80s as other critics had suggested or uninformed others), and totaled 30-minutes in length, with Vincent Price as the host. The film also included a small, less than the size of an index card of 10-trivia questions to quiz oneself about what they saw – it’s nothing hard, a cutesy gimmick. Now, while most of the critics of this film just randomly list the films shown within I shall dive a tad more to explain the setup and depth of what is actually shown. However, before I stagger into the film one should note that Pamela Page, with her only horror credit to date and Scott McCormick served as writer with this as his only credit.

Back Cover of VHS

The video opens with a clip of Emile Franchel who served as introductory lecturer on the film Horrors of the Black Museum [1959] speaking about a gimmick called Hypnovista; a side note Emile was a psychologist and hypnotist. The series of quick images of actresses screaming before the actual title appears accompanied by so-called creepy organ music and the title card of Vincent Price. A narrator’s voice starts about a monster oozing its way into one life, The Blob [1958] and the crowd of 50s teenagers running out of the legendary and very real Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, PA. Price then spoke from the theater, stating the reasons for seeing a fright picture, for the scares, not the thespian style, his legendary quips still excel in that charm from his gravely tone. The first clips were Night of the Living Dead [1968], with the common opening the ghoul just killed Johnny and now after Barbara, as who watched it’s an extended piece though doesn’t play the same order as the actual movie. Back to Price, who not often are the monsters were played by relative unknowns, though the next film, “Little Howl on the Prairie” its I Was a teenage Werewolf [1957] which if you didn’t know starred a young Michael London. Once we return to Price noting sometimes the horrors don’t have a face or even a body, noting a scene from Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors [1965] from director Freddie Francis, featuring Christopher Lee on the screen in the segment entitled ‘Disembodied Hand’. Of course, in the many horrors role our host played only fitting and fair to note how humor attributes to films to hence Peter Lorre as magician Dr. Bedlo and Price, Dr. Erasmus Craven, a sorcerer in The Raven [1963] by director Roger Corman; which starred Hazel Court, Boris Karloff, and a young Jack Nicholson. Then onto another classic showing of an Edgar Allan Poe story, The Pit and Pendulum [1961], noting how fearful dungeons could be, but what alarmed by was from the skies and namely beyond, hence Invasion of the Body Snatchers [1956], with a scene showing Kevin McCarthy in the greenhouse watching a pod hatch open. It onward to state about shapeless monsters from other worlds, The Blob [1958], by director Irvin S. Yeaworth makes another appearance this time featuring scene involving Steve McQueen. Price noted the importance the coming preview trailers, which any horror fan can attest to, horror breeds more horror, though he notes sometimes the trailer was better than the actual film. So true then and today; too! Such as Gorgo [1961], the giant lizard who is caught and sold to London, but this mother is displeased with the cruelty, all-in-all the narrator for the trailer who try to give compelling reasons to witness the terror. Next up the Screaming Skull [1958] with John Hudson on the screen, which showcased the gimmick of a certificate of insurance to pay for burial costs if a person dies of fright while watching the movie. Then we have producers Samael Z. Arkoff and Bert I. Gordon two names synonymous with moderate to low budget horror films, with War of the Colossal Beast [1958], note though no year appears for the film until the very end of the clip, strangely it was added in instead of part one, however since it was directed by Mr. Gordon, supposedly on fitting to incorporated Attack of the Puppet People of the same year. A strange transition occurs to ‘Dinosaurs!’ [1960] another film by Yeaworth, though not a horror film, more situated as an adventure meets fantasy. By the 26-minute shown the last film clip The Day of the Triffids [1963], which great way to end this teaser into yesteryear, a classic story and proudly noting the four main leads Howard Keel, Nicole Maurey, Janette Scott, and Kieron Moore. Finally, a few words from Price and then once again showing more of ‘Disembodied Hand’ segment, which incidentally a few times during the run-time.

The Actual Tape from my Collection

First this a must for any horror collector, especially the Vincent Price fanatics, but if enjoy these clip/trailer creations, the best among them is still Terror in the Aisles [1984] hosted by Donald Pleasance. Nevertheless, this does a fitting job of get a fan interest in the mild horrors of a bygone era, and those films one can enjoy during the Halloween season. Once again, the film makes the bad choice of including a film that doesn’t belong in this case Dinosaur just because it contains a certain word doesn’t mean to include in in the horror realm just like with Casper or Bewitched, because they are NOT, a ghost or a witch doesn’t fit the label in simplistic terms. For those curious an average tape can be found on eBay for $4 and make sure the quiz card is included, curious what it looks like, check out the image below.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274446/

IMDb Rating: 6.9/10

Baron’s Rating: 6.5/10

If you care to watch this lost treasure here is the full movie.