This 1963 movie, “The Raven,” directed by Roger Corman and written by Richard Matheson, takes inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem while playfully mocking the series of Poe adaptations that were popular at the time. It's funny in a way that recalls later films like "Young Frankenstein," but presented in vibrant color. A trained raven is quite good, and Hazel Court stands out among the cast; Jack Nicholson appears as a young man here. The film tells the story of a former sorcerer (Vincent Price) who helps a smaller magician transformed into a raven (Peter Lorre), at the request of a powerful wizard (Boris Karloff). When word spreads that the ghost of the sorcerer’s deceased wife (Hazel Court) has been spotted at the wizard's castle, they set off to investigate, accompanied by the sorcerer’s daughter and the magician’s son (Olive Sturgess & Jack Nicholson). Fans of Marvel’s Dr. Strange might find “The Raven” interesting because some elements clearly influenced Stan Lee & Steve Ditko when creating that comic book character. The concept of a "sorcerer supreme," Dr. Strange's initial appearance, which resembled Price, and the final magical battle—featuring both blasts of energy and protective barriers—are all present. Dr. Strange first appeared in *Strange Tales* #110 shortly after “The Raven’s” release. Because the film was made quickly, in just 15 days, the elaborate sets were still standing for a few days before they were torn down. Corman swiftly created a script with Leo Gordon and brought Karloff & Nicholson on board for this fast-paced project, which resulted in “The Terror,” released five months later. Boris Karloff remarked that it was amusing how quickly Roger moved around filming scenes just ahead of the demolition crew. “The Terror” is quite different from “The Raven”; it’s a serious Gothic horror film similar to Hammer films like “Dracula, Prince of Darkness.” If you're looking for a more somber early 60s horror movie using those same impressive sets, that would be worth watching. It’s difficult to draw comparisons between the two because they have such different tones, but I prefer “The Terror,” which includes an early directorial effort from Francis Ford Coppola in a striking section filmed in Big Sur, California. “The Raven” runs for 1 hour and 26 minutes and was filmed in Los Angeles. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB