hrkepler
Verden Fell (Vincent Price), a recently widowed man is convinced his wife Ligeia is still alive. Even meeting another woman Rowena (Elizabeth Shepherd who also fills the Ligeia's part) and marrying her, the man quite get over the death of his first wife. Eerie tale comes to tragic end when Vernon fights with the ghost and his own growing madness.The film is visually rich with every inch of the screen filled with the ruins of abbey and spooky interiors of Verden's mansion. The bright outdoor scenes and dark rooms combines nice contrast that illustrate the Poe's words that end the movie - "The boundaries which divide life from death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends and where the other begins." The many usage of sunlit countryside scenery wasn't very usual in '60s horror films and some of the most haunting scenes take place in bright daylight. Constantly eerie mood flows through the film without giving much rest to the viewer.Perfect finale to Corman's Poe themed series.
Leofwine_draca
Another slice of Edgar Allan Poe, served with extra relish for those of us who are fans of his work. The ubiquitous Vincent Price is on top form as the morose lead, a man who has sensitive eyes (and wears strange glasses) during the day, and is plagued with the memory of his dead wife by night. All of the usual elements from a Poe film are there, from haunting black cats (which actually are essential to the plot this time around) to graves being opened up.THE TOMB OF LIGEIA has a rich Gothic atmosphere, helped by the fact it was filmed in Britain, and good use is made of the Norfolk countryside and settings. The abbey is typically spooky, with secret rooms and passages. All actors and actresses are impeccable and complement the story, imbuing it with a sense of doomed realism from the start. We all know Price is a goner, but the film draws us into the mystery surrounding his wife until the startling and genuinely original ending (which mostly eliminates any supernatural suggestion, but leaves much open to our imagination).Roger Corman once again puts in those shots of burning timbers, in case you were wondering. The thing that really makes the film is Price himself, however; he is superb as the gloomy man trapped in his own fantasies, and his rich voice booms throughout the film in haunting grandeur. This is truly a film from a forgotten age, with a real magic that is rarely captured elsewhere; the genres of horror and romance are blended perfectly. I admit I wasn't expecting much when I put it on, but I have to say that it is now one of my favourites, and one of the best of the whole Corman/Poe cycle.
spotlightne
Slow, lumbering - yet stylish - horror movie which doesn't quite get going for a full hour.For me it was like wading through treacle. It picks up pace in the later stages but by that time I wasn't really bothered how it ended or what happened to the characters.Vincent is his usual self, and Elizabeth Shepherd plays the woman interest. Elizabeth is beautiful but her presence on screen is rather weak.Yes, there's lots of cats jumping and scratching but they weren't scary. Just 4/10 but it really wasn't that good.
matheusmarchetti
"Tomb of Ligeia" was the last of Corman's popular Edgar Allan Poe adaptations of the 60's. Because of how it's totally different in style from the previous entries in the series, many have deemed it as an inferior effort, though I personally think it's the total opposite. There's no doubt in my view that "Ligeia" is Corman's finest Poe adaptation. All the flaws present in his earlier films (even in the more well praised "Masque of the Red Death"), that have become even more visible with aging, have served as a lesson as to what not to do, and are thankfully not present here. The most effective change was the change of setting. Instead of using painted backdrops posing and excessive sound stage interiors posing as European settings, this one was actually filmed on-location in the British countryside, with studio indoors scenes kept to a minimum. The gorgeously photographed exterior locations, with the dark and imposing ruins clashing against the peaceful, idyllic nature surroundings, add immensely to the film's brooding Gothic atmosphere, and it's a real shame it wasn't used more often in other films of the same period. Not since Jean Epstein's haunting "Fall of the House of Usher" in 1928, has Poe's style been so faithfully adapted to the silver screen. This is mostly due to Corman's stylish and original direction, an intelligent script by Robert Towne (of "Chinatown" fame) and to Vincent Price's acting. Without resorting to over-the-top melodramatic gestures (as seen in 1961's "Pit and the Pendulum"), Price plays to perfection a suave, mysterious, eerily seductive and haunted lead - the ultimate Poe lead, and one of his best performances, up there with his work in "Witchfinder General". Elizabeth Sheppard, whom you might remember as the doomed journalist from "Damien: Omen II", is equally effective as the female lead, both as Ligeia and Lady Rowena. As Rowena, Sheppard doesn't go for your typical 'damsel in distress' performance as it could've been, and plays as a much stronger willed, not so innocent, independent, yet likable character. Though her role as creepy raven-haired Ligeia has less screen time, she does manage to leave an impression, and manages to be genuinely creepy. Another bonus is the surreal dream sequence that happens somewhere in the middle of the film. A trademark Corman treat, this scene is filled with vivid colors, brilliantly otherworldly camera-work and bizarre, nightmarish imagery, it's one of the film's scariest moments, and also one of the director's most memorable set pieces. Also, I love the subtly creepy and disturbingly poetic approach Towne and Corman take at the controversial necrophilia subplot. This subject matter would get an equally elegant treatment 10 years later in Mario Bava's "Lisa and the Devil". The film's flaws come basically from the final confrontation between Price and Sheppard, which comes back as a more typical Corman-ending-to-a-Poe-film, coming off as a bit anti-climatic, considering how much build up there was it. Nevertheless, it's fun and stylish, even if it's slightly campy tone doesn't match the otherwise seriousness of all that came after. Overall, an exquisite Gothic gem from the 60's, and essential viewing for fans of the genre. Even if you're not a fan of the director's work, do check it out, as it might as well come off as a pleasant surprise. 9.5/10
