Plot: What’s it about?
Although horror movies aren’t often known for their excellent performances, there was a time when genre pictures housed superb, remarkable workers. The rare glimmers of talent we see these days simply cannot compete with names like Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasance, and of course, the immortal Vincent Price. A truly gifted, beloved performer, Price starred in countless horror and suspense films and by the end of his career, proved himself to be the watermark by which genre workers would be judged. His skills were immense and while he often had less than top level material to work, Price was always able to bring out the best in his characters. So even when the writing was weak, Price elevated his own performance to ensure the movie never suffered as a result. In this hour long interview, Price reveals endless details about his life and career, from films to television to radio, he covers it all. As always, his intelligence and charm shine through and make this piece an informative, enjoyable presentation. So sit back and relax, as we learn all about Vincent Price and his Sinister Image…
A true legend of not just horror movies, but cinema on the whole, Vincent Price will forever be known as one of the all time greatest. As we all know, he made his mark in the horror genre, but also dabbled in other areas and did well, though he always returned to the scares, much to the delight of audiences worldwide. This excellent hour long interview examines his career from its start, details how he became involved in movies, and of course, his personal outlook on horror movies and the entertainment business on the whole. An in depth, very insightful session, this interview never fails to delve into Price’s mind, to learn about not only Price as an actor, but also Price as a person. This is easily one of the best interview sessions I’ve ever seen, with constant insight and no promotional content in the slightest. If you’re even a casual fan of Vincent Price, then this disc is a must have, no two ways about it. All Day Entertainment has taken a superb interview program and then tacked on a handful of related supplements, making for one hell of a good disc. As such, I am giving Vincent Price: The Sinister Image my highest recommendation and I commend All Day for their terrific work on this release.
Video: How does it look?
The program is presented in a full frame transfer, as intended. I found the image here to be solid all around and free from any serious problems, though some small flaws do surface. As this was filmed as part of a low budget television series, you can’t expect feature film level visuals, but as I mentioned, the program does look good here. I found the print to be clean and the image is sharp on the whole, but I did see some minor compression issues at times. Not the kind of errors to be overly concerned about, but some small flaws are present. The colors are bright and natural, while contrast is level throughout as well. The program is simple and basic in terms of visuals and since it looks good in most respects, I won’t complain much.
Audio: How does it sound?
As this is an interview session, the audio is simply dialogue and little else, which means we have a basic, but effective track here. I noticed no hiss or distortion, so the interview unrolls with no background problems, which is good news, of course. The vocals are clean and crisp at all times here, with no signs of muffled comments or any kind of volume errors. As such, the interview moves ahead with no obstacles and none of Price’s excellent stories will be lost, which is all we can ask in this case.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A nice selection of extras can be found here, including an audio interview with Price that clocks in at over forty minutes in length. This piece covers some of the same ground as the main interview, but takes more time on some subjects and also looks at some other areas, so make sure you give it a listen. Next up is a half hour radio program titled Escape!: Three Skeleton Key, in which Price handles some eerie voice work. As Price was well known for his radio work, it is nice to have an example included here and it proves to be an enjoyable program. Then we have a half hour television special The Wild Weird World of Dr. Goldfoot, which is a total hoot and an episode of Half Hour to Kill, titled Freedom to Get Lost. The latter is part of an anthology series and makes a welcome addition, since Price is in fine form within the show itself. Rounding out the disc is a selection of over two hundred still photos, some of which are of Price himself, some behind the scenes stills, and others the more traditional movie stills.
