The Val Lewton Horror Collection

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Michael Strangeways · Fri May 13, 2005 7:12 pm

I guess I'll be the one to let the speculating begin since I think it's pretty likely this will be an October box set but when, and what, and what goodies are we gonna get? I'm thinking there'll be a doc on Lewton himself and maybe something on Karloff....Isle of the Dead has some story/pacing problems, but might be the one I'm looking forward to the most...it's got some great lighting and a general feel of dread...plus it scared the crap out of me when I was 10....

porquenegar · #2 Post by **porquenegar** » Fri May 13, 2005 7:29 pm

I passed on the LD set in anticpation of this coming out this year. Can't wait.

godardslave · #3 Post by **godardslave** » Sat May 14, 2005 3:06 am

Michael Strangeways wrote:I guess I'll be the one to let the speculating begin since I think it's pretty likely this will be an October box set but when, and what, and what goodies are we gonna get?

from where did you get October as a date?

Lino · #4 Post by **Lino** » Sat May 14, 2005 8:21 am

I guess that he thought that October being the Halloween month and the Val Lewton films falling in the category of horror and fantastique, it would be a safe bet to assume that. I sure hope so, too - this is my most eagerly awaited Warner boxset this year.

justeleblanc · #5 Post by **justeleblanc** » Sat May 14, 2005 6:04 pm

Call me an idiot, but besides CAT PEOPLE, which other films will be released in this boxset?

justeleblanc · #6 Post by **justeleblanc** » Sat May 14, 2005 10:44 pm

Wasn't there a 3rd CAT PEOPLE made?

justeleblanc · #7 Post by **justeleblanc** » Mon May 16, 2005 8:56 pm

Nope. I just thought there was a trilogy. I seem to remember, and I might be making this up, laserdiscs of a trilogy of CAT PEOPLE films.

justeleblanc · #8 Post by **justeleblanc** » Mon May 16, 2005 9:28 pm

Hrm. You might be right. I'll be sure to check out their trip to the moon though.

#9 Post by **zedz** » Mon May 16, 2005 9:56 pm

JusteLeblanc wrote:Nope. I just thought there was a trilogy. I seem to remember, and I might be making this up, laserdiscs of a trilogy of CAT PEOPLE films.

It's hard to imagine where they could have gone, as Curse of the Cat People is one of the most unconventional sequels I know. Maybe you were thinking of Lewton's The Leopard Man, which, though not related, is probably closer in tone to Cat People than its nominal sequel.

Michael Strangeways · Tue May 17, 2005 5:46 pm

I think October or Fall 2005 was mentioned in one of the HTF chats; not this year, last years...but I could be wrong. I've been known to jump to conclusions before or it could just be wishful thinking....

Brian Oblivious · #11 Post by **Brian Oblivious** » Thu May 19, 2005 2:13 am

See, the problem with asking about "all nine" Lewton classics is that Lewton made 11 films under RKO. I can only assume the two that people omit from their memory are the least-supernatural/horror-related films Youth Gone Wild and Mademoiselle Fifi. Which is too bad, because both are interesting and the latter especially is actually pretty darn good. Add the fact that it's the first of his films to merge fiction with real historical events, and it can be grouped with later films like Bedlam and Isle of the Dead, perhaps even more naturally than the earlier thrillers like Cat People and the Leopard Man can.

tryavna · #12 Post by **tryavna** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 9:46 pm

Brian Oblivious wrote:See, the problem with asking about "all nine" Lewton classics is that Lewton made 11 films under RKO. I can only assume the two that people omit from their memory are the least-supernatural/horror-related films Youth Gone Wild and Mademoiselle Fifi. Which is too bad, because both are interesting and the latter especially is actually pretty darn good. Add the fact that it's the first of his films to merge fiction with real historical events, and it can be grouped with later films like Bedlam and Isle of the Dead, perhaps even more naturally than the earlier thrillers like Cat People and the Leopard Man can.

As much as I'd like to see all 11 released in a Complete Val Lewton boxset, most of what we've heard from the two chats indicates it will just be the 9 "horror" films. Which is actually a bit of a misnomer anyway since Curse of the Cat People can't properly be considered horror either -- it's more of a fantasy about childhood. Of course, I may be -- and I hope to be -- pleasantly surprised about this. Lewton's RKO films are so interesting that I'll be happy to see any of them released in the near future.

dadaistnun · #13 Post by **dadaistnun** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 9:22 pm

The latest Video Watchdog (#120) mentions that "Kim Newman and Stephen Jones recently recorded a commentary track for I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE, to be included in a 9-film Val Lewton box set out next year."

Hopefully that bit about "next year" is incorrect.

#14 Post by **Jeff** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:36 am

According to this post at HTF, it's due on October 4.

dadaistnun · #15 Post by **dadaistnun** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 7:22 pm

Specs and art are up at DVD Times:

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=57451

tryavna · #16 Post by **tryavna** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 8:24 pm

dadaistnun wrote:Specs and art are up at DVD Times:

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=57451

=D>

As we figured, no Youth Gone Wild or Mademoiselle Fifi, but nevertheless...

Woohoo!

godardslave · #17 Post by **godardslave** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 8:37 pm

dadaistnun wrote:Specs and art are up at DVD Times:

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=57451

i like that box artwork.

Michael Strangeways · Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:31 pm

BIG EFFING SMILE HERE....and October 4th is my Birthday...heh, heh..

(and I effing love the cover art)

Lino · #19 Post by **Lino** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 7:28 am

Flippin' heck! Strong contender for Boxset of the year on my book! This is going to be so fantastic! Not to mention the real icing on the cake that is the documentary on the bonus disc! Warner, you have a happy customer here!

Narshty · #20 Post by **Narshty** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:13 pm

Simone Simon commentaries on the CAT PEOPLE films? Simone Simon?? Bloody hell. I bet Criterion didn't have the nouse to get her to participate on their BETE HUMAINE disc before she passed on. I can't wait to hear them.

The whole boxset is mine, of course, but it's the two CAT PEOPLE films that are the ones I'm most excited about, for sentimental reasons. I saw them on a BFI double-bill re-release in one of the creepiest venues I've ever seen a film, when I was about 14, down in the almost totally-empty basement cinema of the ABC Piccadilly Circus. CURSE is very underrated, though it's a whole different kettle of fish from the original - a child's fantasy, basically.

justeleblanc · #21 Post by **justeleblanc** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 4:24 pm

This by far is the most exciting box set since the Lubitsch Laserdiscs.

backstreetsbackalright · Thu Jun 16, 2005 6:13 pm

Glorious, glorious news!!! I'm not sure the details on this release could possibly be more ideal!

Napoleon · #23 Post by **Napoleon** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 12:51 pm

Best release of the year. Best artwork ever. And the price is right too.

This news is so good that it seems surreal.

godardslave · #24 Post by **godardslave** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 4:53 pm

N. Wilson wrote: This news is so good that it seems surreal.

is love surreal? or real?

justeleblanc · #25 Post by **justeleblanc** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 6:34 pm

Honestly, this tops anything that Criterion's released in the last year.

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