In Arkham, Massachusetts, villagers rise up to rescue a girl from the suspicious Joseph Curwen (Vincent Price). They find the girl brainwashed. They declare Curwen had taken her soul and burn him at the stake. With his last words, he curses the villagers, and vows revenge upon them and their descendants. It's 110 years later. Charles Dexter Ward (Vincent Price) and his wife Anne arrive to take possession of his inheritance, the Curwen house. They dismiss the local legend of a curse.
While it's advertised as Edgar Allan Poe, this owes more to a H. P. Lovecraft story. It has the Necronomicon. It has Vincent Price although I'm sure that using him as Charles Ward is the best. It may be more compelling to have that character as an innocent at the beginning which would require someone other than Price. Vincent Price can play the spirit of Curwen as he distorts Charles Ward's personality. With a younger man as Ward, he could really turn into a brute. He could murder with viscous violence instead of standing around crossing out names on a list. The character could turn into a brutal animal and up the intensity. Nevertheless, this is pretty good. It just doesn't have the visceral violence that the story requires.
While it's advertised as Edgar Allan Poe, this owes more to a H. P. Lovecraft story. It has the Necronomicon. It has Vincent Price although I'm sure that using him as Charles Ward is the best. It may be more compelling to have that character as an innocent at the beginning which would require someone other than Price. Vincent Price can play the spirit of Curwen as he distorts Charles Ward's personality. With a younger man as Ward, he could really turn into a brute. He could murder with viscous violence instead of standing around crossing out names on a list. The character could turn into a brutal animal and up the intensity. Nevertheless, this is pretty good. It just doesn't have the visceral violence that the story requires.