The Dan Curtis Macabre Collection (Dracula (1973) / The Turn of the Screw (1974) / Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1968) / The Picture of Dorian Gray (1973))

Customer Reviews:

poor audio on discs 3 & 4. Beware!.......2007-09-01

The DORIAN GRAY and TURN OF THE SCREW discs presented me with the same audio problem described by other reviewers: the actors sound like thier mouths are full of cotton. I played the discs on several different DVD players with the following results: no audio problem on Sony players, inaudible dialogue on Panasonic players. (JEKYLL/HYDE and DRACULA discs played perfectly on ALL players.) Conclusion: DORIAN GRAY and TURN OF THE SCREW discs contain defect making the audio incompatible with some players. MPI continues to ignore the problem.

Where's Dan Curtis's FRANKENSTEIN in this set?.......2007-07-21

I remember watching all these on ABC's late-night "Wide World of Entertainment" back in the '70's. Palance is good as DRACULA, which actually does identify him as Prince Vlad, but too much of the story is
streamlined (no Renfield!). I don't recall much of TURN. Palance was great as JEKYLL/HYDE, as was Simon Ward as DORIAN GRAY. However, I am sad to see that the collection omits the truly touching FRANKENSTEIN with Bo Svenson as the most sympathetic portrayal of the Monster I've ever seen.

Sound problem apparently solved.......2006-12-12

I'm simply reviewing the sound issue mentioned in a previous review, since the story and picture are great. I was hesitant to order this since a few reviewers stated that the 3rd & 4th discs(Dorian Gray & Turn Screw) were almost inaudible and further, MPI knew nothing about it. Well, i think its the old "failure to admit a mistake" stance on MPI's part. I received my set yesterday and not only is the sound fine on these last two discs, IT'S ACTUALLY LOUDER THAN THE FIRST TWO DISCS(Dracula & Jekyll). It seems they overcompensated for the problem of volume. With it comes a little more hiss, but i'd rather be able to hear these great movies. So order freely without fear.

a great set of movies from dan curtis.......2006-05-04

in the 70's dan curtis gave t.v. some of its best horror movies and shows,the 4 in this collection are the best.
1.dracula features jack palance as the count and it is a very nice production.
2.turn of the screw stars lynn redgrave as the governess to two possised children.
3.dr.jekyll and mr. hyde stars jack again and is a very good take on the oft told tale
4.the picture of dorian gray is good but to me is the weakest of the lot.
still a very nice collection of movies to run a cold streak up your back.

Excellent Value.......2004-03-12

This package contains four films either produced or directed by Dan Curtis, creator of TV's "Dark Shadows." The most successful piece is "The Picture of Dorian Gray", featuring a moodier, more atmospheric interpretation than the classic film starring George Sanders (not yet on DVD, alas). The Dracula adaptation stars Jack Palance as the nefarious Count, and follows the novel much more closely than the Lugosi or Christopher Lee versions. Still, it's not as gripping as it could be.

Palance also stars as Jekyll/Hyde, and this film is easily the weakest of the bunch. Overlong and plodding, it never catches fire. Palance's understated performance is a plus, and there are several strong sequences, especially at the beginning, but towards the end it starts to drag.

The Turn of the Screw is excellent, a definitive adaptation of the Henry James novel. (The review below mentions an audio problem on this disc, but I didn't experience anything like that.) It's not often that I find a horror flick genuinely scary, but this one does the trick.

These films were (I believe) made for TV, so the video quality isn't great and the audio is mono. The films are also sold separately, so you're not forced to buy them all. But this package is the better value.

DVD:

DVD

DVD