Roger Corman directing the like of Vincent Price and Lon Chaney Jr, in a movie inspired by Lovecraft's The Strange case of Charles Dexter Ward (the movie itself have just the title took from Edgar Allan Poe, taken from one of his poem inside "The Fall of the House of Usher"). Even before watching it I was sensing something great, and indeed it is. Even more than 50 years later the movie is still great, with its gloomy atmosphere and fantastic photography. Oh, and Price's performance!! Masterpiece

Did you notice?....... Edgar Allan Poe's name is spelled incorrectly twice in the opening credits, then spelled correctly at the end!

The Haunted Palace (1963) is a horror film that has a certain charm. Vincent Price, in the lead role, is truly the strength of the film, delivering a solid performance that captures attention every time he makes a change in character. The gothic atmosphere is well done, with the high ceilings of the castle and large rooms avoiding any claustrophobic tension, although this could have been replaced by events happening on the sides of the frame to inject more dynamism into the film. The sets and dark ambiance are still very well executed. Unfortunately, the plot sometimes drags, with slow parts that may cause interest to wane. The film could have benefited from more development to make the story more engaging. The special effects are typical of the era, which may feel a bit dated today. In the end, The Haunted Palace remains an enjoyable film to discover, but it won’t leave a lasting impact. It’s a good option for a quiet time, but it’s missing something.

Vincent Price in a gothic horror movie will always appeal to me. That being said, the movie has one major problem: it has many dreadfully slow moments. Aside from the parts that drag, this is great. The acting, the sets, the costumes, the lighting, it's all fantastic. The story is very simple, and has been done to death - even when this was released - a "warlock" (who are we fooling? The guy's a Satanist) is attempting to bring people back from the dead, using black magic. Angry townsfolk - with torches in hand - kill him, but not before he can place a generational curse on them all. Over one-hundred years later, his spirit returns to exact revenge. The creep factor is in full force here: thunderstorms, castle on a hilltop, dense fog, cemeteries. I wanted to like this more, but the pacing issues held it back. That being said, it's still a must watch for fans of gothic horror. Price, Chaney jr., come on!

Wait, I thought to myself once we knew our main chap’s name, this is not Corman-Poe. It’s Corman-Lovecraft! I had to hunt this one down, having not seen it before. Worth the search.