The Raven

The Raven (1963) is an American horror-comedy directed by Roger Corman — watch online on iFILM. Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff play three rival sorcerers whose petty grudges and magical duelling make for one of the genre's genuinely funny pictures. A young Jack Nicholson shows up in a supporting role, four years before Easy Rider.

Sorcerer Erasmus Craven (Price) has been mourning his missing wife in gloomy isolation when a talking raven lands at his door. The raven is actually a fellow wizard, Bedlo (Lorre), transformed as punishment by the villainous Dr. Scarabus (Karloff). Craven restores him to human shape; Bedlo repays the favour by revealing that Craven's wife is very much alive — and living with Scarabus. The three of them head for the castle.

Richard Matheson wrote the script from Poe's poem in name only: the talking bird is where the resemblance ends. Corman shot the whole thing in fifteen days on leftover sets. The result is essentially a comedy of veteran horror actors who know exactly what the audience expects and are having too much fun to deliver it straight. Stream The Raven (1963) online on iFILM.