I saw this twice, just shy of fifty years ago, when I was six. I developed a huge pre-pubescent crush on Stella Stevens from it, and there are scenes that have stayed with me to this day. Can wait to finally get to revisit it.
That should be VS in the title (Vinegar Syndrome).
Great news from Vinegar Syndrome! Have only seen this from an old VHS transfer and I enjoyed it quite a lot! Had been searching for this title since I watched the television ad back in 1973! Surprised me how similar "Murder by Death" was to "ARNOLD" and even featured Elsa Lancaster in BOTH films!
I've been trying to see this since I was a kid and read the capsule review in the Terror on Tape book. Finally found a low-quality VHS rip days before this was announced but I guess I can wait until another 7 1/2 months...
I saw this twice, just shy of fifty years ago, when I was six. I developed a huge pre-pubescent crush on Stella Stevens from it, and there are scenes that have stayed with me to this day. Can wait to finally get to revisit it.
Same with me! Not the crush on Stella Stevens, but the scenes that stuck with me since I was a kid. I watched the VHS rip that's out there a couple years back, and it didn't hold up as well as I'd hoped, but I'll probably pick it up and give it another shot in HD.
When wealthy, eccentric Lord Arnold Dwellyn dies, his funeral also doubles as a wedding: Arnold gets hitched to his mistress Karen, who will inherit his vast estate...if she agrees to meet several conditions. This includes remaining in his mansion with Arnold’s corpse by her side. Karen—along with Arnold’s ex-wife, his brother, and several members of his family—are unhappy with this arrangement, but desperate to get their hands on Arnold’s vast wealth, which allegedly includes a pile of money hidden somewhere on the grounds. But as each of the guests attempt to break or subvert the conditions of Arnold’s will, the consequences end up being lethal and Karen finds herself caught up in a series of grisly murders. Has Arnold returned from the dead to take revenge on his greedy loved ones, or is there a living, breathing killer lurking around the mansion?
With a stacked cast of Hollywood legends including Norman Stuart, Stella Stevens, Elsa Lanchester, Roddy McDowall, and Farley Granger, among others, ARNOLD, is a glorious nod to the old dark house chillers so popular during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Director Georg Fenady offers a tribute to everything from the lush early Hammer horrors to Roger Corman’s colorful cycle of gothic thrillers, with an extra helping of macabre humor, all filtered through a 70s drive-in movie sensibility. Vinegar Syndrome is delighted to present the Blu-ray debut of this delirious B movie treat, freshly restored in 4k from its 35mm interpositive!
This looks familiar, I must've caught it partially on tv one day. Looks like a good film to to pair with "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." Is that Stella singing the theme?
If you look to an earlier post (one of the first) you will see that Shanni Wallis sings that title song so robustly to "ARNOLD"! Shanni Wallis shows up even in the film as Arnold's first wife! If you look up her career, you will see she was in multiple musicals including "OLIVER"! (1968) and she even turned up in episodes of Rod Serling's "The Night Gallery".
My jaw dropped and my heart skipped a beat when I saw an all-time favorite of mine was finally getting the home video justice it deserves.
I put up this tribute website 22 years ago, and with the blessing and participation of the late Andrew Fenady, the film's producer, as well as interview contacts with Stella Stevens and Jamie Farr.
If you look to an earlier post (one of the first) you will see that Shanni Wallis sings that title song so robustly to "ARNOLD"! Shanni Wallis shows up even in the film as Arnold's first wife! If you look up her career, you will see she was in multiple musicals including "OLIVER"! (1968) and she even turned up in episodes of Rod Serling's "The Night Gallery".
Actually, her name is Shani with one n...and she also was in and sang in Terror In The Wax Museum.
If you look to an earlier post (one of the first) you will see that Shanni Wallis sings that title song so robustly to "ARNOLD"! Shanni Wallis shows up even in the film as Arnold's first wife! If you look up her career, you will see she was in multiple musicals including "OLIVER"! (1968) and she even turned up in episodes of Rod Serling's "The Night Gallery".
After looking her up, I recognize her voice from Oliver! now. Didn't realize she was in Night Gallery, I'll have to keep an eye out next time I go through the show.
So Vin Syn really held this release ("ARNOLD" )until the very end of September? I'm seeing a 9/26 release date (this coming Tuesday) but my August pre-order is still listed as "unfulfilled" and I have not seen any information about this being shipped out. Has anyone either received their order or shipment confirmation? DiabolikDVD showed the title ready to ship last week--so what gives?
Looked good, but after noticing Norman Stuart ("Arnold") blinking in the opening marriage scene, I did find myself watching to see if he'd do it again the rest of the movie.
Always the danger having a live actor play a dead person
Watched this today. For some reason I thought this was going to be more of a comedy horror type film, but it was actually quite darker than expected. Overall, this was actually a pretty good film.
Happy to hear that people are receiving this title and the transfer is pleasing! Not so pleased that Vinegar Syndrome has dropped the ball getting my order out in a prompt manner. My order was only just shipped and isn't scheduled to arrive until this coming Thursday.
Mystery solved: received "ARNOLD" yesterday via USPS Media Mail. I spent extra to get free shipping and this is the trade off. So you get what you pay for! My boyhood self has been patiently waiting to see this film properly since 1973 when I saw the commercial advertising the film on television during its short theatrical run! Yes, I cheated several years ago watching a crappy VHS transfer compressed onto YouTube. But this is like seeing the film for the first time! Actually the full frame (open matte) VHS revealed at least one fleeting shot of the stage lights and end of the set during the wake at the beginning which leads to a marriage. This has been corrected, when framed at 1.85:1 format. Film grain is nicely resolved and there is much detail to appreciate in the various sets and costumes. I am pleasantly satisfied to add this title to my library for the sake of nostalgia if nothing else. Vinegar Syndrome has done a fine job with the transfer, but there is only one extra: a video essay of the history of this same old dark house mystery plot device being used in Hollywood in one form or another over the years. Really needed a theatrical trailer and TV commercial spots to round out the offering of special features!
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Arnold (1973)- coming from VS in September 2023
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