We’re not a shopping site, as regular readers know, but every now and then, we come across a bargain that we think the Cladrite Clan will appreciate knowing about, and on those occasions, we just have to share.
Today’s deal is especially apt for this time of year, as no filmmaker’s work better represents the spirit of Halloween than the pictures of producer Val Lewton.
Lewton worked with a number of directors and rarely had a big budget with which to work, but each of his pictures exhibits the understated eerieness that has made him one of the most acclaimed motion picture producers of the 1940s. These aren’t gory, shocking pictures, even by the standards of the day, but they get under your skin with their moody atmosphere and sense of creeping dread.
We’re confident that most of our readership is familiar with at least a few of Lewton’s efforts—Cat People (1942) and its sequel, The Curse of the Cat People (1944), I Walked with a Zombie (1943), and The 7th Victim (1943), for example.
The six-disc boxed set we’re recommending to you today, The Val Lewton Collection, includes those four titles, plus The Body Snatcher (1945), Isle of the Dead (1945), Bedlam (1946), The Leopard Man (1943), and The Ghost Ship (1943)—nine movies in all, every one a creepy view. Also included are a pair of documentaries, Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy (2005) and Martin Scorsese Presents: Val Lewton–The Man in the Shadows (2007).
Amazon offers this set for just under $49, and that’s not a bad price at all, at ten bucks under the list price. DeepDiscount.com sells it for about three dollars less, which is an even more tempting price.
But we’ve got a real steal for you on this great boxed set: You can buy it here for just $22.98, shipping included (you might have to pay tax, depending upon where you live, but it’s still a bargain).
If you’ve an old movie buff, this is a no-brainer. And if you’re curious about what frightened your parents or grandparents (or even, perhaps, your great-grandparents), here’s your chance to find out.
This set also makes a great gift (hey, like it or not, the holidays are just around the corner) for any movie buff on your list.
Don’t worry about picking one up for us, though—we already bought ours.
I got mine a while back, and it did not disappoint.