The Premature Burial
Reviews
John Chard
She wheels her wheel barrow, through streets broad and narrow... The third in Roger Corman's cycle of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations sees Charles Beaumont & Ray Russell on script duties and Ray Milland star. The story follows Milland's cataleptic Guy Carrell, whose fear of being buried alive like his father drives him to build a tomb that should ensure against such a disaster occurring... Pulpy, Gothic and at times silly, The Premature Burial is still very much a nice slice of Corman pie. Some critics have bemoaned the lack of AIP mainstay Vincent Price for this one, yet that's unfair on Milland who does some neat work as he blends lunacy with sympathy to great effect. Though the plotting lacks any imagination, since it's obvious from the get go that poor Guy is going to find his nightmare become a reality, this frees up Corman to conjure up as much atmosphere as possible. Backed up by Floyd Crosby's sumptuous Eastman colour photography (in Panavision too), Corman is able to craft some genuinely macabre moments. The appearance of genre babe Hazel Court is a pleasing bonus and the set design coming from old sharp eye himself, Daniel Haller, rounds the film out as a pretty effective piece. Nice creepy use of Molly Malone too! 6.5/10
Reno
> An intense thriller from the outside, but full of suspenseful events! A very surprising mystery-thriller from the 60s that I usually won't write reviews for the old flicks, but for this one an exception. The film was based on the book of the same name that sets in the early 19th century. Since it was a short tale the film was just a 80 minutes long. It looked like the film 'Take Shelter', but while progressing its narration totally impressed me with the uniqueness in the development area. However, I did not understand the final scene after all those twists, yet it is obvious an agenda that was achieved. The cast was small and a single location concept where most of them takes place inside a building and its surroundings which were obviously settings. The story was very interesting with turns in every few minutes and incredible performances. This is not a popular film, but surely it deserves more attention for telling a quality tale. Or maybe a remake won't be a bad idea to make it more thrilling product with the availability of the present technical assistant. It is no masterpiece like Hitchcock films, but still worth watching, so I recommend it. 7/10
Wuchak
_**Nice foggy moors, but the premise is odd and the story too one-dimensional**_ A British aristocrat during the Victorian Era has catalepsy and is therefore obsessed with the fear of being buried alive (Ray Milland). His lovely new wife urgently tries to help him (Hazel Court). Heather Angel plays his sister, Richard Ney a colleague and Alan Napier his wife’s father, a doctor. "Premature Burial" (1962) was the third of AIP’s gothic horror flicks of the 60s inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, eight of which were done by Roger Corman, but others were filmed by different directors, like “The Conqueror Worm” (1968), aka “Witchfinder General,” and “The Oblong Box” (1969). Others were Poe-ish in ambiance, yet had nothing to do with the works of Poe, like Corman & Coppola’s “The Terror” (1963). Most of these flicks didn’t follow Poe’s stories/poems very closely despite his name being attached to them. “The Oblong Box,” for instance, features a totally different story. Meanwhile the title of “The Conqueror Worm” was tacked on to “Witchfinder General” in America, along with a quote from the poem, merely to sell tickets. Like “House of Usher” (1960), this one is closer to Poe’s actual story. The colorful Gothic horror sets with a seriously foggy graveyard are great but, like “Usher,” I found the odd story one-dimensional and (melo)dramatically tedious. That is, until the last dozen minutes wherein all hell breaks loose. Speaking of which, the climax features an unexpected twist, even though things could’ve been better explained. I suggest seeing “The Pit and the Pendulum” (1961), “The Conqueror Worm,” “The Terror,” “The Masque of the Red Death” (1964), “The Raven” (1963) and “Tomb of Ligeia” (1964) first. If you want more, check out “Usher” and this one too. AIP was basically the American version of Hammer in England, so devotees of Hammer horror should appreciate it. The movie runs 1 hour, 21 minutes, and was shot at Producers Studios in Hollywood. GRADE: C+
CinemaSerf
Very loosely based on an Edgar Allan Poe story, this is quite a decent - if somewhat claustrophobic - drama that centres around "Guy" (Ray Milland) and his paranoia of being buried alive. The start of the film involves the exhumation of his father's coffin - and here we clearly see evidence that the occupant wasn't quite dead when he was put into the ground. Needless to say, his son becomes just a bit worried that this may happen to him, so he becomes totally preoccupied with ensuring that it cannot - much to the detriment of his marriage to the young, and increasingly concerned, "Emily" (Hazel Court) and his sister "Kate" (Heather Angel). Of course, things are not quite what they seem - the plot offers us quite a few red herrings: we are certainly unsure as to whom the increasingly flakey Milland ought to trust and the pace from old hand Roger Corman builds quite effectively. Thing is, though, Milland is in super-ham mode throughout; his manic eyes and his overdramatised performance rather ridicules what is quite a curious story of fear. Hazel Court - whom I loved in Corman's "The Raven" (1963) doesn't really have much to get her teeth into, and the ending - though quite quirky, isn't great. Still, enjoyable enough to watch though.
Movie Recommendation
X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes1963-07-13A doctor uses special eye drops to give himself x-ray vision, but the new power has disastrous consequences.More...
The Manchurian Candidate1962-10-24Near the end of the Korean War, a platoon of U.S. soldiers is captured by communists and brainwashed. Following the war, the platoon is returned home, and Sergeant Raymond Shaw is lauded as a hero by the rest of his platoon. However, the platoon commander, Captain Bennett Marco, finds himself plagued by strange nightmares and soon races to uncover a terrible plot.More...
Night of the Eagle1962-04-25A woman who may be a witch defends her husband from forces attempting to harm him.More...
Targets1968-08-15An aging horror-movie icon's fate intersects with that of a seemingly ordinary young man on a psychotic shooting spree around Los Angeles.More...
Castle of Blood1964-02-27When a cynical journalist accepts a wager that he won't survive the night in a haunted castle, it unlocks an odyssey of sexual torment, undead vengeance, and a dark seductress who surrenders the gravest of pleasures.More...
Revolver1973-09-27An Italian prison official's wife is kidnapped, and the kidnappers demand that a notorious prisoner be released in order for the man to get his wife back. He gets the man released - but then kidnaps him himself, in order to ensure that the man's colleagues don't kill his wife. Enraged, the gang sets out to free their compatriot and kill the man who took him.More...
The Convent2000-01-21A group of college students break into an abandoned convent and become possessed by demonic spirits.More...
Holidays2016-04-22An anthology feature film that puts a uniquely dark and original spin on some of the most iconic and beloved holidays of all time by challenging our folklore, traditions and assumptions.More...
After Midnight2018-09-28After midnight is a journey into different subgenera of horror seen through the eyes and style of eight different directors. An eight episodes movie that reflects fear and terror in their multiple faces.More...
The Fog1980-02-01Strange things begin to occur as a tiny California coastal town prepares to commemorate its centenary. Inanimate objects spring eerily to life; Rev. Malone stumbles upon a dark secret about the town's founding; radio announcer Stevie witnesses a mystical fire; and hitchhiker Elizabeth discovers the mutilated corpse of a fisherman. Then a mysterious iridescent fog descends upon the village, and more people start to die.More...
The Sword in the Stone1963-12-25Wart is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for him beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give him an education, believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.More...
Saving Private Ryan1998-07-24As U.S. troops storm the beaches of Normandy, three brothers lie dead on the battlefield, with a fourth trapped behind enemy lines. Ranger captain John Miller and seven men are tasked with penetrating German-held territory and bringing the boy home.More...
Shutter Island2010-02-14World War II soldier-turned-U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by troubling visions and a mysterious doctor.More...
Cries and Whispers1972-12-21As Agnes slowly dies of cancer, her sisters are so immersed in their own psychic pains that they are unable to offer her the support she needs.More...
American Beauty1999-09-15Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.More...
Titanic1997-11-18101-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater tells the story of her life aboard the Titanic, 84 years later. A young Rose boards the ship with her mother and fiancé. Meanwhile, Jack Dawson and Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets aboard the ship. Rose tells the whole story from Titanic's departure through to its death—on its first and last voyage—on April 15, 1912.More...
Oppenheimer2023-07-19The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.More...
Pierrot le Fou1965-11-05Pierrot escapes his boring society and travels from Paris to the Mediterranean Sea with Marianne, a girl chased by hit-men from Algeria. They lead an unorthodox life, always on the run.More...
2001: A Space Odyssey1968-04-02Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.More...
12 Angry Men1957-04-10The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other.More...
Similar Movies
No Country for Old Me...
2007-11-09Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon dead bodies, $2 million and a hoard of heroin in a Texas desert, but methodical killer Anton Chigurh comes looking for it, with local sheriff Ed Tom Bell hot on his trail. The roles of prey and predator blur as the violent pursuit of money and justice collide.White Noise 2: The Li...
2007-01-05A man's family brought back from the verge of death, he then discovers he can identify people who are about to die.Rising Sun
1993-07-30When a prostitute is found dead in a Los Angeles skyscraper occupied by a large Japanese corporation, detectives John Connor and Web Smith are called in to investigate. Although Connor has previous experience working in Japan, cultural differences make their progress difficult until a security disc showing the murder turns up. Close scrutiny proves the disc has been doctored, and the detectives realize they're dealing with a cover-up as well.Perfect Stranger
2007-04-11A journalist goes undercover to ferret out businessman Harrison Hill as her best friend's killer. Posing as one of his temps, she enters into a game of online cat-and-mouse.Vienna
2002-09-12A comedy about three men who have reached the lowest rung on the social ladder. This story about lust for life and miracles that are possible only with the aid of extraordinary women unfolds at a place which reflects life, love and death like no other.One Way
2006-10-21To cover up his infidelities and protect his upcoming marriage, a star advertiser helps free an accused rapist by giving a false alibi and suffers the brutal revenge of the victim.Carrie
1976-11-03Withdrawn and sensitive teenager Carrie White faces bullying from classmates and abuse from her fanatically pious mother. When she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers, things take a dark and violent turn.Possession
2022-10-07A priest has been tasked with deciding the location of a new church for the local mining company, which reveals itself to be on top of an old Sami burial ground. After removing the remains, the dead come alive and haunt the settlers.Christmas at Maxwell'...
2006-12-01A successful American family retreat to their summer home on the banks of Lake Erie to find meaning in life, illness, loss, and change this Christmas. With a successful career in the wine business, and two amazing children, what more can a family ask for. But this Christmas will change the Austin family forever with Suzie falling ill. With Andrew struggling over his wife's ill health and the children trying to find peace and solace on their own, only a miracle can help them through this Christmas.Antisocial Behaviour
2007-04-01Jakob Kelser is a lonely man living in a run-down house on the edge of a council estate. After enduring weeks of aggrevation and torment from local youths , Jacob, in a last-ditch attempt to once again lead a normal life, plots his revenge on his unsuspecting tormentors. One by one, they're be taught a lesson. One by one, they meet their deaths.Coast to Coast
2004-04-03Barnaby and Maxine Pierce, an embattled married couple in Connecticut, are on the verge of divorce. Their son is getting married in California and they decide to drive across the country to attend. Along the way, as they visit family and friends, they reflect on their tattered relationship and the events that transpired to create the estrangement.Acts of Mercy
2009-06-14Under the thumb of Nurse Baker, Nurse Maggie Collins struggles to care for the long-term residents of Moss Oak Manor, a home for the elderly. When good intentions are misinterpreted, Maggie must struggle to address issues of ambition and ethics.The Man with Two Face...
2008-12-15John Utterson must crack the mysterious case of his friend Henry Jekyll's disappearance and find out who is murdering the city's finest citizens.Todos los días son tu...
2007-10-08While investigating the terrorist activities of a Basque nationalist group, Mexico City photographer Eliseo (Mario Oliver) becomes obsessed with his neighbor, a gorgeous young separatist named Maria (Bárbara Lennie). But when Maria is murdered, Eliseo is the prime suspect. Pursued by both the police and Maria's killer -- who has slain other Basque separatists -- Eliseo fights to stay alive and clear his name in this fast-paced thriller.Somniphobia
2021-03-30A doctor with the ability to visit people's dreams helps a young woman confront the terrifying reality of her nightmareMad Max 2
1981-12-24Max Rockatansky returns as the heroic loner who drives the dusty roads of a postapocalyptic Australian Outback in an unending search for gasoline. Arrayed against him and the other scraggly defendants of a fuel-depot encampment are the bizarre warriors commanded by the charismatic Lord Humungus, a violent leader whose scruples are as barren as the surrounding landscape.My Life as a Dog
1985-12-12A boy, obsessed with comparing himself with those less fortunate, experiences a different life at the home of his aunt and uncle in 1959 Sweden.Evita
1996-12-14The hit musical based on the life of Evita Duarte, an Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president Juan Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.Conspiracy Theory
1997-08-08A man obsessed with conspiracy theories becomes a target after one of his theories turns out to be true. Unfortunately, in order to save himself, he has to figure out which theory it is.Eight Legged Freaks
2002-07-17The residents of a rural mining town discover that an unfortunate chemical spill has caused hundreds of little spiders to mutate overnight to the size of SUVs. It's then up to mining engineer Chris McCormack and Sheriff Sam Parker to mobilize an eclectic group of townspeople, including the Sheriff's young son, Mike, her daughter, Ashley, and paranoid radio announcer Harlan, into battle against the bloodthirsty eight-legged beasts.