Horror Extreme Movie Catalog

This DVD produced by "The Roan Group" features two of my favorite Vincent Price horror/suspense films: "The Bat" and "House On Haunted Hill", both of which were released in movie theaters the same year (1959).

"The Bat" is a creaky old-dark-house kind of tale, and stars Price along with the great Agnes Moorehead. Although not exactly nail-bitingly intense, it still emits a great deal of entertainment (including several unintentionally funny moments -- or at least I *think* they're unintentional). But, no matter. This movie is still very fun all the way around. And Miss Moorehead is always a treat on screen.

"House On Haunted Hill" is a William Castle-directed feature, which automatically means a fun outing at the movies! Castle's "gimmick" in movie theaters for this film was called "Emergo", which entailed a "flying skeleton" jumping out at the audience at just the proper moment in the film. Must have been pretty cool for kids back in '59!

Each film on this disc is shown in Widescreen format, with the original Mono soundtrack. And the picture quality looks A-OK. Very pleasing indeed (especially considering the fact neither film has been enhanced for 16x9 televisions). Aspect Ratio for each of these black-and-white films on this DVD is 1.66:1. The audio for each movie is 1.0 Dolby Digital (Mono).

The DVD is double-sided (therefore no disc art), with one movie residing on each side. There are no extra bonus features at all. But each movie does include several chapter breaks. There's a Chapter List included on a paper insert inside the DVD's Keep Case.

These two late-'50s flicks are essential viewing for any serious (or even casual) Vincent Price buff.

There are no extras on this Roan DVD, not even a menu. If you need extras, do not purchase this. If you want see two movies that are sharp and crisp then look no further. The sound is good. I heard no hiss. Both movies are interesting and well acted.