"Comedy of Terrors" isn't quite as amazing as you'd think it would be with such an all star cast, but on the other hand, it's still pretty good. I think modern audiences who are accustomed to the rapid-fire gag delivery of Zucker Brother movies might find this one a bit pokey, but that turns out to be part of the movie's charm: It takes its time with the setups to each major zinger, and allows plenty of time between the one-liners so the audience can relax and enjoy the setup.
Vincent Price shows once again that he can do a comic character very well indeed, especially when the character doesn't have a single redeeming feature. And it's fun to watch "Waldo Trumbull" get comeuppance after comeuppance as his lazy,mean ways inevitably backfire on him - especially at the end.
Boris Karloff steals every scene he is in, and basically steals the movie itself with his rambling, disjointed eulogy for the guy whose name he can't remember. It really is a wonderful moment, worth the entire movie to see.
The movie also keeps things fresh by keeping a cat around to act as a "straight man" for some of the goofier stunts and Three Stooges inspired moments. I'm not sure what the deal is giving a cat named "Orangey" film credit as "Rhubarb" and then calling him "Cleopatra" in the movie itself - probably an in joke by the movie's cast and crew.
Anyway - a lot of fun if you like this sort of thing, but don't be expecting "Monty Python" or "Airplane!" - this is all about mood and setting and slow burns and good actors playing bad people.
Vincent Price shows once again that he can do a comic character very well indeed, especially when the character doesn't have a single redeeming feature. And it's fun to watch "Waldo Trumbull" get comeuppance after comeuppance as his lazy,mean ways inevitably backfire on him - especially at the end.
Boris Karloff steals every scene he is in, and basically steals the movie itself with his rambling, disjointed eulogy for the guy whose name he can't remember. It really is a wonderful moment, worth the entire movie to see.
The movie also keeps things fresh by keeping a cat around to act as a "straight man" for some of the goofier stunts and Three Stooges inspired moments. I'm not sure what the deal is giving a cat named "Orangey" film credit as "Rhubarb" and then calling him "Cleopatra" in the movie itself - probably an in joke by the movie's cast and crew.
Anyway - a lot of fun if you like this sort of thing, but don't be expecting "Monty Python" or "Airplane!" - this is all about mood and setting and slow burns and good actors playing bad people.