Classic Horror 4 Movie Pack: Five, The Mad Magician, Man Who Turned to Stone, Terror of the Tongs

Mill Creek has issued a great compilation with 3 of 4 films that were previously available only as pricey MOD disks from Sony/Columbia. It is great value for money (I paid $8.39 here at amazon.com).The clear winner in my mind is FIVE, Arch Oboler's tale of post-nuclear survival. I think it's a better movie than THE BUBBLE and benefits greatly from a tight script with strong characterizations. It seems surprisingly progressive in its handling of racial tension and avoids a preachy tone as much as possible. I'd say it's as good as Oboler's best radio scripts. The cinematography is outstanding in its use of light, texture and shot angles and really bumps the film up a notch. Also notable is the sparse use of music, using a natural soundscape to emphasize the loneliness of the survivors. Highly recommended.A close second is the absolutely delightful MAD MAGICIAN, with Vincent Price playing a disturbingly perverse amalgam of HOUSE OF WAX and THE LODGER. Originally filmed in 3D, creative use of camera angles enhances the film even in 2D without appearing gimmicky except for 2 or 3 scenes. It has the look and feel of a film more expensive than what it probably cost. Price plays this to the hilt, and there are some delightfully cornball stereotypes. A sense of menace is nonetheless maintained throughout and there is not a dull moment as the proceedings go increasingly off the rail. Great fun !TERROR OF THE TONGS was previously on the ICONS OF ADVENTURE set, which every member of this group probably owns. It's notable for being little brother to the more lurid STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY and having Christopher Lee in a proto-Fu Manchu role. Solid entertainment from Hammer, with the feel of one of the better Harry Alan Towers productions.The least of the films is THE MAN WHO TURNED TO STONE, which is a missed opportunity. A great idea unimaginatively executed, it's still watchable but clearly at least one rung below the other films. In the hands of a better director this could have been Grand Guignol cinema, but instead feels like a generic potboiler quickie that looks 10 years older than it is. Huston's MOBY DICK's Queequeg is completely wasted as the title character. Nonetheless, it is quite watchable and quietly perverse.Transfers for all are crisp and sparkling with minimal print damage and probably from HD masters. I watched them upscaled to 1080p in a 54-inch set and was completely satisfied.Unbeatable at twice the price.

Four Columbia horror flicks on 2 single sided dual layer discs. Arch Obler's 1951 post nuclear drama "Five" seems a bit odd for this collection but it's pretty good as are the 1954 "House of Wax" ripoff with Vincent Price called "The Mad Magician" (originally in 3-D but presented here flat) and Hammer's 1961 "Terror of the Tongs". The real snoozer is in this bunch is the Sam Katzman produced "The Man Who Turned to Stone" which as I recall was originally paired with the equally as dreadful (Sam Katzman again!) "Zombies of Mora Tau" when I attempted to stay awake for that abysmal double feature at a Saturday matinee way back in 1957. I think I'd rather turn to stone than watch this one again…so I didn't!Three out of four for a bargain price is pretty good though. The transfers provided by Columbia are all fine and thankfully in their original theatrical aspect ratios, 1.33:1 for "Five", 1.78:1 for "Terror of the Tongs" and 1.85:1 for the other two. As expected no extras or scene menus, each feature having only a few chapter stops. Nothing really great here but again considering the low price it's a most worthwhile purchase if you like this sort of thing as I do!

Back when I was very young, I stayed up late to watch "Fight Theater" at 11:30 on a Friday night on our local CBS affiliate. The featured film was "Terror of the Tongs." The one scene I remember is the hypnotized dude taking a hatchet to kill another man on the docks of mainland China. I hadn't seen the film since then until now and while it is a 2nd bill Hammer film, it stars Chris Lee as his audition to become Fu Manchu years later. Roger "The Master" Delgado also appears---in fact, most of the "Chinese" characters are played by white men. The film does allow for a Hitchcock type shock in the middle of the film and it's highly satisfying. The other films are commendable but this treasure is worth having. When will see "Strangler of Bombay?"

I hesitated to get this DVD because I had not heard of three of the movies. I am so glad that I got them! These are all pretty good films for their time, and interesting even now. The least of the films is The Man Who Turned to Stone. The best is a tie to me - Five and then Terror of The Tongs. The latter is a Hammer film with Christopher Lee and script by Jimmy Sangster. It is in color and has some ridiculous aspects, but Christopher Lee again makes the film. Makeup is bad but costumes are good. Five is a surprisingly good movie. It is not horror, but about the aftermath of a nuked world. It has very good actors and excellent photography. Vincent Price is in The Mad Magician - that is good enough. I am very pleased with this set of four films and glad that they are made available so many decades later. Highly recommend.

Good prints of hard to find films. The Mad Magician is rather bland, but it does feature Vincent Price. The Man Who Turned to Stone is just about the weirdest film you will ever see.Terror of the Tongs is a winner, with Christopher Lee practicing his future role as Fu Manchu, here as a Tong leader who is ruthless and savage, but knows when's he's lost. Five is a post-apocalypse "classic" of the era, filmed in a half-completed Frank Lloyd Wright house in the mountains. Savage and relentless, Five still sort of holds up.

Five- story of the last remaining people on earth after war. Four men and one woman; what could go wrong?Mad Magician- Vincent Price plays a magician wanna be in the 1890's. His boss is a cruel jerk and really deserves to be murdered. Good thing magicians have so many tricks up their sleeves. Ava Gabor of Green Acres fame plays Price's exwife.Man of Stone- what better place to perform human experiments than a girls reformatory?Terror of Tongs- not cooking tongs, this story is about the Tong gangsters in 1910 Hong Kong.

Good prints of some rather rare horror movies. the best is The Mad Magician with Vincent Price giving a solid performance. If you can purchase it at a good price this set offers good value for older film fan. Although for younger viewers the four movies will probably come across as dated and a bit of a non-event.

The first film - 'Five' - is utterly dire and boded badly for the rest. However, thereafter things picked up considerably and there was much to enjoy in the other three. All bare bones though - not even a subtitle to be found.

Good selection

love all of them, great fun to watch...arrived in perfect condition.

Excellent.