Der Rabe - Duell der Zauberer

When I first saw this movies I was shocked by the humor. I was in the mood for a horror flick, and with actors such as Peter Lorre, Vincent Price, and the incomparable Boris Karlof I was sure that I had hit horror gold. However, after the first minute of the movie I quickly realized that this was not a horror film at all, but a wonderful satire of the horror genre.

What makes this movie work so well is that nobody takes themselves too seriously. In fact, you can tell from the outset that everyone in the cast is in on the joke. I would caution those who are expecting a great performance from Jack Nickleson to be prepared to be disappointed. However, it is plainly evident that he is an excellent actor just waiting to happen.

Is this movie perfect, hardly, but it is definitely worth seeing. If for no other reason than to see the climatic head to head dual of magic between Price and Karlof.

The magician Dr. Erasmus Craven (Vincent Price), who does not belong to the brotherhood of magicians, grieves the loss of his beloved wife Lenore (Hazel Court) and lives in a castle with his daughter Estelle (Olive Sturgess). One day, a raven knocks on his window and Dr. Craven learns that the bird is actually the magician Dr. Adolphus Bedlo (Peter Lorre) that was turned into a raven after challenging the powerful magician Dr. Scarabus (Boris Karloff) that was an enemy of his father. Dr. Craven makes a potion to turn Dr. Bedlo back to the human form and Dr. Bedlo tells that he has seen Lenore in the castle of Dr. Scarabus. Dr. Craven decides to go in his coach with Dr. Bedlo to visit Dr. Scarabus but Estella and Dr. Bedlo's son Rexford (Jack Nicholson) decide to go with them. They find an amicable Dr. Scarabus that invite them to stay for the night. Was Dr. Craven's father wrong about Dr. Scarabus?

"The Raven" is a delightful movie about ambition, treachery and magic, with a wonderful duel of magicians and lots of humor. The raven is hilarious and it is impressive his training with participation in many scenes. The special effects are simple but impressive for a 1963 movie. The cast is excellent with Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff and it is curious to see Jack Nicholson in the beginning of his career. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Corvo" ("the Raven")

Any time you get to see a film with Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Vincent Price in it, don't ever pass it up. You may nevermore get a chance to see this.

Suggested by the classic poem by Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven is set in Medieval Times and in the tongue in cheek spirit of the film, that could mean the theme park. Magician Vincent Price lives in his castle with his daughter and memories of his second wife Lenore who departed a few years back.

As the poem says a rapping came at his chamber door and The Raven enters and it talks like Peter Lorre. When Price restores it to human form it is Peter Lorre. Lorre wants Price to go challenge the chief magician of the society who is Boris Karloff. And as an inducement he tells him that the late Lenore is not so late and that she's alive and living in sin with Karloff.

Who could resist that, but also their children seem to be bonding and that would be Lorre's son Jack Nicholson and Karloff's daughter Olive Sturgess. The four of them go calling on Karloff and indeed find Hazel Court as Lenore very much alive. She's a magician groupie and Karloff's got the biggest wand.

This film is positively infectious, three great players indulging in a contest as to see who can chow down fastest on a living room set. That final magic duel lasting fifteen minutes with no dialog between Price and Karloff is alone worth seeing this for. And remember those two have some of the greatest speaking voices ever in film.

Roger Corman produced and directed a real classic here, don't miss this one when it's broadcast.

Amusing , delightful film produced by American Iternational , James H. Nicholson-Samuel Z. Arkoff , with a monumental team of terror all-star-cast as Price , Lorre and Karloff . This supreme adventure in terror and humor deals with a magician (Peter Lorre) who has been turned into a raven and turns to a former nobleman sorcerer (Vincent Price) for help in this film loosely based on the Edgar Allen Poe poem , though takes only the title . Lorre asks Price to change his raven form into human and he helps him by a mixture of jellied spiders , bat's blood and dead man's hair . Then the two sorcerers , Price hypnotized by the memory of his dead second wife (Hazel Court) and his unfortunate associated go to a storm-surrounded castle inhabited by a rival wizard (Boris Karloff excels as an old sorcerer ) , the wickedest one of all . It gets funnier when our two friends along with their sons (Jack Nicholson as secondary in an enjoyable acting though you'd never guess he'd end up a superstar from his interpretation here , he had previously played ¨Little shop of horrors¨ in another comic performance ) pitting their magic wills against the nasty wizard . And the end takes place a funny duel between Price and Karloff including primitive but effective FX .

This is more of a satire than a true terror movie , it is immaculately staged , stylishly realized , very literate , confidently made and plenty of eye-popping scenes . Terror has strangely been more skillfully spoofed than in this agreeable horror/comedy Corman directed . The picture packs usual Corman's striking scenarios including mists rise the ground , lugubrious castle , shrieks come from gloomy coffins , waves pound open the shore and vague shapes move behind the dismal mansions gone to the bad . Despite the original and incredible X certificate , most children will like this enormously fun film . Colorful cinematography by the series usual , Floyd Crosby . Frightening and atmospheric musical score by Les Baxter .

The motion picture is well directed by Roger Corman and based on Richard Matheson's screenplay . It belongs the successful adaptation Edgar Allen Poe series . After his poverty-budget horror stories deemed many of them minor cult , Corman made the cycle of ¨Tales of Terror¨ which gave huge profits from minimal budgets . This Corman terror period during the 60s with classical horror adaptations also includes writer as H.P. Lovecraft with ¨The haunted palace¨ and result to be the following : ¨Tales of terror¨ , ¨The premature burial¨ , ¨Pit and pendulum¨ , ¨House of Usher¨ and on the sets and leftover from ¨The raven¨ was directed ¨The Terror¨ also with Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson . All of them with a great sense of characterization and period , eerily staged , specially in the scenes where heroes and heroines are lured by spirits , spectres or black cats . In these movies repeat the same technicians , assistants as Monte Hellman , musician composers as Ronald Stein and Les Baxter , Daniel Haller as production designer , cameraman as Floyd Crosby , among others . They were realized as vehicles for Vincent Price with the exception of ¨The premature burial¨ with Ray Milland and Hazel Court which was less successful . The last two pictures in the series , ¨The masque of death red¨ and ¨The tomb of Ligeia¨ were filmed in England to combat rising costs . Corman shot some exciting movies after these , but nothing remotely as interesting .

Clever dialogue, gothic scenery, and three old masters of horror make this film a delight to watch...over and over again. It is not very often one gets a chance to see three horror legends...Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, and Peter Lorre(plus a young Jack Nicholson)...in any movie, especially one with competent and stylized direction by a Roger Corman and a witty script by some guy named Richard Matheson( a legend in the horror and sci-fi genres and the one author that influenced Stephen King more than any other). The talent alone insures success and each of these respective masters delivers in this film. The story has virtually nothing to do with the Poe poem...but who cares with a cast like this. Peter Lorre steals every scene he is in and chews the scenery left and right. Hazel Court has a small role as the beautiful Lenore, and she turns in a good performance as well. But in the end it is the King of Horror and the Crown Prince of Horror...Karloff and Price...that make this movie a magical experience, particularly in their duel of magic at the climax of the film. Get some popcorn, a nice big drink, and turn the lights out and have fun with The Raven.