THE RAVEN

US, 1963, 86 minutes, Colour.
Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Hazel Court, Jack Nicholson.
Directed by Roger Corman.

Based loosely on Edgar Allan Poe material. Filmed several times in early silent and talkie films, Roger Corman has given the story a satiric treatment. Adaptor and director of many Poe stories, for example 'The Fall of the House of Usher', 'The Pit and the Pendulum', 'The Tomb of Ligeia', Corman this time satirizes the horror films and the conventions that he presents so well. He satirizes his usual star Vincent Price. The screenplay is by the screenwriter of so many of Corman's adaptations, Richard Matheson. At this time Matheson had also written the 'Comedy of Terrors' with the same three stars. This film was directed by Jacque Tourneurs. 'The Raven' is typical Corman material, done with parody.

1. The impact of Roger Corman's horror films of the sixties? His adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe? The success with Vincent Price in the central role? Themes of horror, fear? Why a parody of Poe, the horror films, audience horror and fear responses? The satire on the genre and its conventions? The effect on their audiences and their expectations?

2. Corman's usual style: Panavision, colour-photography. stock material, score? The importance of the special effects? especially the magic tricks, the talking raven?

3. The background of Poe and his interests, the poetry. Vincent Price's reciting of the poem 'Lenore, the serious tone and the expectations raised? The clash of the comedy with the serious beginning? Price's final quotation?

4. Vincent Price and his style, its popularity, the chill, the comedy, the parody? Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff and their reputations, their acting in serious films, in comedies? Their skill, their mocking themselves and audience expectations?

5. The plot and its period atmosphere? Craven and his success, his daughter? His skills? Dr Bedlo and his defeat, his being the Raven, his meanness, betrayal? His relationship with his son? Lenore and her death, her fickleness? Dr Scrabus and his victory? His reputation? His defeat? Comic ingredients? Medieval magicians and their clashes?

6. How well did the film develop the plot intricacies? Dr Bedio as the raven and as himself? His betrayal, the build-up of the clash between Craven and Scrabus? The subplot of the expected romance? Lenore and the conventions of the fickle wife?

7. The strengths of the characterisations,. the way that each of the magicians was illustrated? Their differing attitudes?

8. The basic conventions of the love story and their place in this film?

9. The torture sequences, the horror and the pain?

10. The trick photography for the tricks, the mundane tricks? The build-up to the climax and its mockery?

11. Why is a satire on serious horror film so enjoyable? Mock heroic? What does it say about our capacities for horror films?