Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- macabre
- theatrical
- eerie
- classic horror marathon
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the Poe portmanteau entertaining and stylish, with strong gothic performances, though some considered it dull, trashy, or less substantial than Corman's best Poe adaptations.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The feature adapts three separate Edgar Allan Poe stories: Morella, The Black Cat, and The Case of M. Valdemar.
Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Basil Rathbone perform heightened tales of vengeance, murder, death, and supernatural consequence.
The stories repeatedly organize their suspense around a dead wife, murder, burial, and a body maintained at the threshold of death.
The Black Cat especially blends wine-tasting rivalry, drunken behavior, murder plotting, and flamboyant comic performances.
Films like Tales of Terror, and why
Dead of Night
shared gothic horror, literary adaptation, theatrical performances, and anthology structure
The Masque of the Red Death
shared roger corman direction, vincent price screen presence, poe adaptation, and ornate gothic atmosphere
The Pit and the Pendulum
shared poe-inspired horror, blackly comic tone, and stylized psychological terror
Creepshow
shared portmanteau horror format, macabre humor, and supernatural anthology storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Roger Corman
- Release Date
- 1962-07-04
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (213)
Cast
- Vincent Price
- Peter Lorre
- Basil Rathbone
- Debra Paget
- Maggie Pierce
- Joyce Jameson
- Leona Gage
- David Frankham
- Lennie Weinrib
- Wally Campo
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ScreenPix Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Tales of Terror about?
- Roger Corman turns three Edgar Allan Poe nightmares into a lavishly theatrical triptych of vengeance, murder, and supernatural death.
- What is Tales of Terror like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Tales of Terror as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Tales of Terror violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Tales of Terror as moderate.
- What did critics think of Tales of Terror?
- Critics generally found the Poe portmanteau entertaining and stylish, with strong gothic performances, though some considered it dull, trashy, or less substantial than Corman's best Poe adaptations.
- Which films are like Tales of Terror?
- Films with a similar feel include Dead of Night, The Masque of the Red Death, The Pit and the Pendulum, and Creepshow.
- How long is Tales of Terror?
- Tales of Terror runs 89 minutes.
- Where can I watch Tales of Terror?
- In United States, Tales of Terror streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ScreenPix Amazon Channel .
