Three Edgar Allan Poe Adaptations Starring Bela Lugosi (2020) Eureka

[roiroiroi]

• Limited Edition Set [2000 copies]
• O-Card Slipcase
• 48-PAGE collector’s booklet featuring new writing by film critic and writer Jon Towlson; a new essay by film critic and writer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas; and rare archival imagery and ephemera

Three Edgar Allan Poe Adaptations Starring Bela Lugosi Blu-ray Trailer

Eureka EntertainmentEureka Entertainment has provided us with an promotional trailer for the upcoming Blu-ray release of Three Edgar Allan Poe Adaptations Starring Bela Lugosi. The two-disc box set will be available for purchase on July 20.

This trio of classic 1930s horror films Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Black Cat, and The Raven is also distinguished by a trio of factors regarding their production. Most notably, each film is based on a work by master of the macabre Edgar Allan Poe. Part of the legendary wave of horror films made by Universal Pictures in the 30s, all three feature dynamic performances from Dracula's Bela Lugosi, with two of them also enlivened by the appearance of Frankenstein's Boris Karloff. And finally, all three benefit from being rare examples of Pre-Code studio horror, their sometimes-startling depictions of sadism and shock a result of being crafted during that brief period in Hollywood before the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code's rigid guidelines for moral content.

Director Robert Florey, who gave the Marx Brothers their cinema start with The Cocoanuts in 1929, worked with Metropolis cinematographer Karl Freund to give a German Expressionism look to Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), with Lugosi as a mad scientist running a twisted carnival sideshow in 19th-century Paris, and murdering women to find a mate for his talking ape main attraction. Lugosi and Karloff teamed forces for the first time in The Black Cat, a nightmarish psychodrama that became Universal's biggest hit of 1934, with Detour director Edgar G. Ulmer bringing a feverish flair to the tale of a satanic, necrophiliac architect (Karloff) locked in battle with an old friend (Lugosi) in search of his family. Prolific B-movie director Lew Landers made 1935's The Raven so grotesque that all American horror films were banned in the U.K. for two years in its wake. Specifically referencing Poe within its story, Lugosi is a plastic surgeon obsessed with the writer, who tortures fleeing murderer Karloff through monstrous medical means.

Significant and still unsettling early works of American studio horror filmmaking, these three Pre-Code chillers demonstrate the enduring power of Poe's work, and the equally continuous appeal of classic Universal horror's two most iconic stars.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

• High Definition presentations for all three films, with The Raven presented from a 2K scan of the original film elements
  
• Uncompressed LPCM monaural audio tracks
• Optional English SDH subtitles
• Murders in the Rue Morgue Audio commentary by Gregory William Mank
• The Black Cat Audio commentary by Gregory William Mank
• The Black Cat Audio commentary by Amy Simmons
• The Raven Audio commentary by Gary D. Rhodes
• The Raven Audio commentary by Samm Deighan
• Cats In Horror a video essay by writer and film historian Lee Gambin
• American Gothic a video essay by critic Kat Ellinger
• "The Black Cat" episode of radio series Mystery In The Air, starring Peter Lorre
• "The Tell-Tale Heart" episode of radio series Inner Sanctum Mysteries, starring Boris Karloff
• Bela Lugosi reads "The Tell-Tale Heart"
• Vintage footage
• New Interview with Critic And Author Kim Newman
• PLUS: A 48-PAGE collector s booklet featuring new writing by film critic and writer Jon Towlson; a new essay by film critic and writer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas; and rare archival imagery and ephemera

£24.99 at Amazon.

[rossbirks]

Just a note but the second audio commentary on The Black Cat by Amy Simmons is not actually on the disc nor is it mentioned on the back cover so looks like it was dropped at the last minute.

[CrockettandTubbs]

There's two versions of Murders in the Rue Morgue -

(from dvdcompare.net):

The Film - Theatrical Version (60:37)
*The Film - Reconstruction (60:19)

*Rue Morgue Easter egg:

Highlight “Still Gallery” and arrow left to highlight the film’s title on the menu screen to play Gary L. Prange’s reconstruction of the original assembly of the film (60:19).

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by CrockettandTubbs

Gary L. Prange’s reconstruction of the original assembly of the film (60:19).

I'll have to give it a watch some time. I enjoyed the film, but not as much as The Black Cat and The Raven. It did feel a little rushed and disjointed.

[-shadow-]

I should pick this one up, love me some Lugosi.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by -shadow-

I should pick this one up, love me some Lugosi.

Be quick! It's now only available through marketplace sellers on Amazon, so I'm guessing Eureka are close to selling out their 2000 copies.

[Aclea]

Having the Shout set I was going to wait for a price drop on their Murders in the Rue Morgue, but the alternate cut on the Eureka swing it for me.

Still copies at Zavvi for those who dare...

[-shadow-]

Gave Zavvi a shot, no need for a rush, so we'll see whenever they'll be able to shit.

[rapta]

Wow, selling far quicker than anticipated. I guess Eureka underestimated the demand on this one! I wonder if they'll drop anything in the inevitable reissue? Would be a bit cheeky if they just ditched the slipcover and nothing else.

[tangerinewolf]

This is the print of Murders in the Rue Morgue from the French release which has added music throughout film, is it not?

There was music in Eureka's preview trailer of the The Morgue segment. There was no music in the original release except for the beginning and end credits.

[Aclea]

It has both soundtracks.

[LAPrice]

Eureka are on a bit of a roll recently. Kwaidan selling out then this. Maybe the fact that a big percentage of their back catalogue fell out of print over the last couple of years makes people jump on their releases straight away.

[nishomac]

Selling like hot cakes, grabbed one zavvi using Laybuy. Hope they don’t cancel it.

[Douglas R]

The Stills Gallery on Murders in the Rue Morgue doesn’t seem to work. Clicking on it shows just one still and nothing else.

[jackranderson]

Just grabbed one, trying to cut down but I don’t wanna miss out on this one and then have to pay double or even triple on eBay.

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by rapta

Wow, selling far quicker than anticipated. I guess Eureka underestimated the demand on this one! I wonder if they'll drop anything in the inevitable reissue? Would be a bit cheeky if they just ditched the slipcover and nothing else.

I don’t think this is being reissued.

[AlexJRascal]

Originally Posted by Douglas R

The Stills Gallery on Murders in the Rue Morgue doesn’t seem to work. Clicking on it shows just one still and nothing else.

Left and right arrow (on the remote, I mean) moved through the images for me.

It could be that it doesn't roll through them if left unprompted - I didn't have the patience to wait and see if it would move on automatically.

[justwannaboogie]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

I don’t think this is being reissued.

The way they worded the announcement made it sound it like this was strictly limited to a set amount of units, hence I put an order in asap. Who knows though, they might reissue if it proves popular.

[rapta]

Originally Posted by adamhopelies

I don’t think this is being reissued.

Pretty sure all they've said so far is that it's 2000 copies 'and that's it'. I don't think they've explicitly said they won't reissue either disc afterwards, but generally if they were just making the slipcover first print-run only they wouldn't reissue it formally as a separate release. Not to mention they wouldn't create new extras if they didn't plan to make money from the license of three studio titles.

I reckon they may reissue The Black Cat/The Raven as a 1-disc release, and maybe even Murders in the Rue Morgue separately too, and especially as this is already OOS through many retailers in the first week of release. Let's wait and see though - it took them ages to reissue that first Buster Keaton features set!

[Douglas R]

Originally Posted by AlexJRascal

Left and right arrow (on the remote, I mean) moved through the images for me.

It could be that it doesn't roll through them if left unprompted - I didn't have the patience to wait and see if it would move on automatically.

Yes that works. Not the usual way galleries work!