The Veil | Boris Karloff | For everyone, not just Karloff fans

The Veil | Boris Karloff | One More Step Beyond

DVDs:

The Veil

	The Veil Boris Karloff Image Entertainment, 2001 average customer review:based on 14 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Two years before Thriller, Boris Karloff hosted The Veil, a never-broadcast ten-episode pilot of a TV horror anthology for the Hal Roach Studios in 1958. Boris also starred in nine of The Veil's ten episodes, making this a rare treat for Karloff fans. This special double-disc set includes all ten 26-minute episodes, directed by such genre luminaries as George Waggner (The Wolf Man) and Herbert L. Strock (I Was a Teenage Frankenstein), and starring such familiar faces as Patrick Macnee (The Avengers), Robert Hardy (Psychomania), Niall MacGinnis (Curse of the Demon), Clifford Evans (Kiss of the Vampire), Morris Ankrum (Earth vs. the Flying Saucers), Eve Brent (Gun Girls), and even a young George Hamilton. So please join Boris Karloff for another journey into the world of the unexplainable which lies behind...The Veil.

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For everyone, not just Karloff fans

I can't say I was ever much of an outspoken Karloff fan, but will say that this series was an excellent chance for him to show some range in his acting. The Veil has actually made me a Karloff fan and feel it's a shame he was not in more visible dramatic film roles later in life.

The Veil itself as mentioned on other reviews is indeed a lot like ONE STEP BEYOND, though the production values seem a bit higher and had better directing. Each episode of The Veil has a feel more akin to a mini-movie due to its directing, cinematography and fine acting.

Each episode, due to these high caliber production values, is very enjoyable to watch. Each story moves along at a fine pace and the music punctuates in just the right places, creating a enjoyably creepy atmosphere. There are very few special effects and the ones present are pretty simple. I think this demonstrates how the power of suggestion can be far superior to getting hit over the head with special effects in order to put everything didactically on screen. Perfect examples of ruining or completely destroying a truly supernatural mood would be movies like THE HAUNTING (1999)and to a lesser extent the new movie 1408.

I'd like to reiterate what others have said, that the prints are pristine. I don't know how or why they are in such good shape (maybe the sitting in a vault with no usage for years theory?) but they are.

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One More Step Beyond

These short episodes were very well done in all aspects. Boris Karloff as the host and actor is very entertaining. My personal favorite is the episode with the interesting take on the old story of the Lady of the Lake. Most communities with a lake nearby have a similar tale. In Dallas, Texas, it's the Ghost of White Rock Lake. I grew up here and over the years have heard several different stories surrounding the phenomenon. Thanks for bringing these old stories back to life!

Maybe wait for a used copy....

As others have said, if you're a Karloff fan, this is a must-own, although be aware it's far from his best work....
As far as the show itself, the picture clarity is wonderful, but the stories themselves end up being rather flat, despite the obvious care taken with production values. There simply seems to be a lack of drama, for want of a better word. There's a reason this show never saw regualr broadcast. A shame; Boris near-wasted again......

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

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