Yes I'm shocked myself that I rate it so low because it is an entertaining movie. However when you get comedy when you were expecting horror the whole perspective and enjoyment changes. I should have known this was not going to be horror the moment that Vincent Price's character bumped his head against a telescope and than not much later followed by the funny talking raven. But I have the intention to watch every Poe based movie from Corman so I kept watching until the end. It was interesting to have next to Price some other "horror" icons such as Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre. And there is actually a young Jack Nicholson in there, actually quite handsome. Good to know he did not always had that ugly face thus unrecognizable here. So yes the story is simple and rather dumb and it does have some nice colorful magic effects but despite the medieval setting it lacks atmosphere. Price, Karloff and Nicholson in a comedy role I can take that but not from Peter Lorre. He is one who becomes irritating and annoying when playing a buffoon. This guy must be given a horror role!

The Raven (1935) and The Raven (1963) are two completely different movies - one has nothing to do with the other. The Raven (1963) is not a remake of the 1935 film. The ONLY similarities between the two films are: Boris Karloff stars in both films, both are inspired by Poe's poem "The Raven" and both are good classic horror films - that's it! The stories of the two movies are quite different from each other.I forgot just how cute this film is until I watched it again! Quite a funny horror-fantasy film. Where else can we see Price dropping eggs on Karloff's head lol. Three legendary stars Lorre, Price and Karloff and an up and coming Jack Nicholson that show us their humorous side.Yes this is worth watching - if you like a good comedy-horror and fantasy film classic! 8.5/10

"What is that tapping? Who is rap-rap-rapping at my chamber door?" These words might indeed come out of the mouth of the peaceful sorcerer (Vincent Price) whose recital of the Edgar Allan Poe poem opens this American International horror comedy with a rather child-like nature to its storytelling structure. The rap-rap-rapping is a talking raven who demands a potion consisting of ingredients like "dried bat's blood" and "dead man's hair", but Price doesn't utilize those old-fashioned ingredients for his magic. He depends mainly on his own magic wand like finger, but fortunately for Lorre (who provides the voice of the wise-cracking blackbird), Price's deceased father's laboratory has dusty old bottles of all that stuff, including ingredients he doesn't need like "endtrails of depressed horse".Yes, Roger Corman's tongue was in his cheek when he put together this variation of the famous poem, and he obviously had a lot of fun in having the screenplay written. Lorre, of course, has ulterior motives for contacting Price, and that includes introducing him to Price's father's old rival (Boris Karloff) who isn't the sweet old man he seems to be. Price has a deceased wife (Hazel Court) who isn't quite dead and a sweet daughter (Olive Sturgess) from a first marriage. In one of the most bizarre castings, Jack Nicholson plays Lorre's son (!), the handsome hero who sweeps Sturgess off her feet. Their challenge, though, is to make it out of Karloff's sinister castle alive, and that leads to a duel in magical feats between Price and Karloff.Don't let the supernatural tale fool you into thinking this is all devilish nonsense. It is nonsense, but only in the most humorous of ways, and the audience can enjoy the joke along with Corman and the other creative people involved in its making. The duel between Karloff and Price is done with great comical effect, making it almost as animated as the duel between Merlin and Mad Madam Mim in the Disney classic "The Sword and the Stone". Then there is the ending which proves the intention of bringing in a young audience which seems to end with the villain's demise but has a nice twist. Lorre steals every moment he is on screen, having ad-libbed many of the raven's hideous wisecracks to which Price gets the final word in a hysterical finale.

In 1935, Boris Karloff starred in a movie called "The Raven" - a movie that had little to nothing to do with Edgar Allen Poe's poem. Fast forward 28 years. In 1963, Boris Karloff starred in a movie called "The Raven" - a movie that had little to nothing to do with Edgar Allen Poe's poem. Let's talk about the '63 version.Your first thought about a movie called "The Raven" (and that stars Vincent Price and Peter Lorre, along with Karloff) is that you're going to find a horror movie, or at least a decent mystery or suspense thriller. Those expectations are dashed quickly. This is, after all, directed by Roger Corman. There's nothing frightening or mysterious about this. Instead the movie goes for laughs, as two rival sorcerors/wizards/magicians (Price and Karloff) go head to head with each other, with Lorre stuck in the middle - sometimes a raven, sometimes a man, sometimes a bit of both. Yes, it's a rather silly movie, which unfortunately creates expectations by being named after Poe's poem. From time to time it works in that it brings forth a few chuckles - but it doesn't accomplish much else.To give them credit, the cast seemed to take this seriously enough and played their parts well, although I understand from what I've read that the three leads did recognize the sheer silliness of it all and had their share of fun while making it. But a few chuckles and a decent cast aside, this just isn't a particularly good movie. In the end, what's most interesting about it is probably an appearance by a very young Jack Nicholson as the Lorre character's son. In terms of quality, his performance wasn't notable, and to be honest I didn't even recognize him until I saw his name in the closing credits. That, along with the team of Price, Lorre and Karloff) makes this movie a curiosity, but it doesn't make it good. (3/10)