{"id":30716,"date":"2013-04-11T15:45:21","date_gmt":"2013-04-11T22:45:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30716"},"modified":"2020-12-13T13:04:57","modified_gmt":"2020-12-13T20:04:57","slug":"raven-the-1963","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30716","title":{"rendered":"Raven, The (1963)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Men like Scarabus thrive on the apathy of others.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-1963-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-1963-Poster-196x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"196\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-30717\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-1963-Poster-196x300.jpg 196w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-1963-Poster-83x128.jpg 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-1963-Poster-671x1024.jpg 671w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-1963-Poster.jpg 1917w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 196px) 100vw, 196px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAfter helping a magician-turned-raven (Peter Lorre) return to his human form, the son (Vincent Price) of a deceased grand sorceror &#8212; accompanied by his daughter (Olive Sturgess), Lorre, and Lorre&#8217;s son (Jack Nicholson) &#8212; heads to the castle of his father&#8217;s rival, Dr. Scarabus (Boris Karloff), who may be living with Price&#8217;s long-lost wife Lenore (Hazel Court).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Boris Karloff Films<\/li>\n<li>Edgar Allan Poe Films<\/li>\n<li>Fantasy<\/li>\n<li>Jack Nicholson Films<\/li>\n<li>Peter Lorre Films<\/li>\n<li>Rivalry<\/li>\n<li>Roger Corman Films<\/li>\n<li>Vincent Price Films<\/li>\n<li>Witches and Wizards<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nAfter successfully injecting dark humor into the second vignette of their Poe-inspired anthology film <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30675\"><em>Tales of Terror<\/em> (1962)<\/a>, Roger Corman and screenwriter Richard Matheson decided to craft this overtly comedic parody, which  only very loosely adheres to elements of its supposed source material (Poe&#8217;s poem <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Raven\">&#8220;The Raven&#8221;<\/a>). While the premise is clever, the film gets off to a decidedly creaky start, as the humor remains dull at best, and we keep hoping for more biting wit to emerge; it&#8217;s not until Karloff arrives on the scene that things finally begin to perk up &#8212; indeed, he&#8217;s such an engaging presence that whenever his character is part of the storyline, one can&#8217;t help suddenly feeling more involved. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Karloff2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Karloff2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"272\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-57571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Karloff2.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Karloff2-300x128.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Karloff2-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Karloff2-604x257.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Karloff&#8217;s culminating duel with Price &#8212; while marred somewhat by corny low-budget special effects &#8212; remains the film&#8217;s undisputed comedic highlight. Watch for a young, handsome Jack Nicholson, who gives a decent (if not particularly inspired) performance as Lorre&#8217;s son. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Nicholson.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Nicholson-1024x450.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"281\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-57569\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Nicholson-1024x450.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Nicholson-300x132.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Nicholson-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Nicholson-768x338.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Nicholson-1536x676.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Nicholson-604x266.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Nicholson.png 1821w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Karloff co-starred in another Poe-related film entitled <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5017\"><em>The Raven<\/em> (1935)<\/a> nearly 30 years earlier; the two would make an interesting double-bill. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Boris Karloff as Dr. Scarabus<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Karloff.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Karloff.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"272\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30718\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Karloff.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Karloff-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Karloff-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Game performances by the ensemble cast<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Ensemble-Cast.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Ensemble-Cast.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"272\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Ensemble-Cast.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Ensemble-Cast-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Ensemble-Cast-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The fun duel finale<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Duel.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Duel.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"272\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Duel.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Duel-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Raven-Duel-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it&#8217;s worth a one-time look, simply for its fun moments &#8212; and as a cult favorite. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0057449\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=2973&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/classic-horror.com\/reviews\/raven_1963\">Classic Horror Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/moria.co.nz\/horror\/raven-1963.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/london\/film\/the-raven-1963\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Men like Scarabus thrive on the apathy of others.&#8221; Synopsis: After helping a magician-turned-raven (Peter Lorre) return to his human form, the son (Vincent Price) of a deceased grand sorceror &#8212; accompanied by his daughter (Olive Sturgess), Lorre, and Lorre&#8217;s son (Jack Nicholson) &#8212; heads to the castle of his father&#8217;s rival, Dr. Scarabus (Boris Karloff), who may be living with Price&#8217;s long-lost wife Lenore (Hazel Court). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Boris Karloff Films Edgar Allan Poe Films Fantasy&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30716\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30716"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30716\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57572,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30716\/revisions\/57572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}