'The Premature Burial' was the third film in Roger Corman's series of eight Edgar Allan Poe themed movies. Unlike 'House of Usher' and 'The Pit and the Pendulum' this one stars Ray Milland instead of Vincent Price because Corman went to produce that film without AIP who had exclusive contract with Price. Compared to Price, Milland's performance is less manically intense, but rather subtle with playing around with character's inner demons and sufferings. The film occasionally seems little campy and outdated, but these misty graveyards still work when watching alone after midnight. Although the film's story is little different from Poe's original by the same title, the film is quite well put together and surprises us with a little (perhaps, over dramatic) twist at the end. Nonetheless, 'The Premature Burial' is nicely creepy tale about paranoid obsession and living on the verge of madness.Recommended for Gothic horror/mystery fans.

Obsessed with the unlikely possibility of being buried alive just like his cataleptic father was, a celebrated artist dedicates all his spare time to building a tomb that he can escape from should such an event ever occur in this Edgar Allan Poe adaptation from Roger Corman. With Poe and Corman's name on the project, it seems easy to label 'Premature Burial' as a horror film, but it is much more a psychological thriller and character study of a paranoid individual. Ray Milland is both intense and empathetic to watch as his obsession takes full swing with his escapable tomb nothing short of spectacular when he eventually shows it off. There are some spooky moments also though, and while the film has a tad too much fake fog and fake spider webs for its own good, the whistling of two gravediggers provides a lot of genuine chills in lieu of a traditional music score. All that said and done, what ultimately happens to Milland, despite his preparation, it is a touch too easy to predict, and while there is a thought-provoking twist thrown into the mix, it vexingly subtracts from what is otherwise a great study of paranoia. Many have complained about Milland being cast over Corman stalwart Vincent Price, but Milland is just as effective here as in the better known 'X', and a solid supporting cast including Heather Angel and Alan Napier certainly helps.

Ray Milland stars in this Roger Corman directed version of the Edgar Allan Poe story as a wealthy man with a morbid and all-consuming fear of death and being buried alive welcomes his beautiful fiancée(Hazel Court) to his castle. Happy at first, his fears soon return, and after falling into a cataleptic state, learns that being buried alive wasn't the only thing he should have been watching out for...Oddly dull and slow film has some atmosphere but feels flat, and doesn't make an effective use of its source material. Was filmed earlier as a good episode of the Boris Karloff hosted series "Thriller", with the same title and premise! A misfire in the Corman produced Poe adaptations of this period.

"The Premature Burial" was Poe's only story with a happy ending, as the tormented narrator decides to write off "bugaboo tales, like this one," and stay on the sunny side. Might he have also said "no more mediocre movies?" Ray Milland made his great contribution to shlock movie culture with this hilariously grouchy performance in "Frogs," he does what he can here but it does tend to underline how important the presence of Vincent Price was to these Poe films. Poe's interesting tale ( the title phobia was already a horror cliché by the time he got to it) is turned into a rather overwrought revenge saga with too much phony smoke. Though Floyd "David's dad" Crosby does his usual excellent work. All in all it's an O.K. time if you like this sort of thing.