Why So Blu?

The Vincent Price Collection (Blu-ray Review)

Horror icon Vincent Price has finally had the arrow of the magical Blu-ray wheel land on his name this year.  Just recently his classics House of Wax and The Fly have been brought to the format.  Now, masters of horror Blu-ray, Scream Factory have gotten their mits on 6 of his classic works.  Four of them come from the famous Edgar Allan Poe/Roger Corman years.  Scream Factory brings all new transfers of the films loaded with Commentaries, interviews and other goodies in this set.  The highlight being these intros and outros filmed for an airing of his movies on PBS decades ago.  For someone of my generation, stuff like this is how we were introduced to Vincent Price, so high marks for including these little gems.  This set was a pretty big undertaking.  So, let’s get started to see if this set is the perfect accompaniment for your Halloween season celebrations.

Disc 1

The Pit And The Pendulum 

Set in 16^th century Spain, Francis Barnard rides to the castle of Nicholas Medina to investigate the mysterious death of his sister (also Medina’s late wife).  When reaching the castle he comes up a depressed and haunted Medina accompanied by his own sister Catherine.  Barnard is irritated from hearing different reasons for his sister’s untimely death until the family physician Dr. Leon arrives to give him yet another reason: heart failure.  While the three are in their stay in the castle, many a paranormal acts happen to suggest that the late Elizabeth may be alive and other haunting secrets regarding the Medina family past are revealed.

Directed by Roger Corman, this Poe tale treats one to a classic, patient gothic horror tale of the 60s.  While the film mentions a pit and a pendulum, you’ll be hanging in suspense until the final reel to see it.  This is a dark and spooky mystery that features very little action.  It’s mostly based through the telling of tales, some stylish flashbacks and clues left around.  It is a short film, but those without patience for these older horror tales will probably not be converted.  Although, I urge to stick around til the end as the payoff is quite good.

There is a lot to like in this classic horror mystery.  The sets for this film are rather fantastic.  This old gothic castle features much great looking upholstery and caverns.  There is also some good classic costuming as well.  The devices of torture look as though they are actual relics and not just some movie props.  The flashbacks in this movie have a wonderful flare to them as well.  While it may just be one solid color dominating the screen, the image combined with the lighting and score is quite creepy and definitely the highlight point of the film.  And if you enjoy that, the opening and closing to the film with the seeping colored liquids is super cool as well.

Since this is a Vincent Price box set, I must speak of his performance in each outing.  While there may be a bit of camp theatrics at times in the film, Price is still top notch.  I was quite amazed at how disturbed and drowned his sadness he was as Nicholas Medina.  This is a man just absolutely lost in his role, transcending the performance to a whole new level.  And to prove the man’s commitment, he absolutely becomes another person when he becomes his father later in the film.  The transformation comes off as natural, but there is a clear and distinct difference between the two as if there were two separate actors playing the parts.  While the film may not come in chronological order in terms of this set, this was a terrific performance to kick off the run of six films.

The Pit And The Pendulum is like The Bride Of Frankenstein in that it doesn’t give you the title’s goods until the very end.  It’s on your mind the entire time until you get there, creating a weird sense of suspense and anticipation.  Like there’s something you know that the other characters don’t yet.  But in waiting, we’re delivered a charming vintage gothic horror tale that keeps you guessing and makes you curiously awaiting each next turn in this “ghost” story.

Video 

Swinging back and forth is the 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoding.  The 2:35.1 framed picture gets better the further into the film it gets.  It’s not a clean print, there’s minor scratches and specs are plenty abound, but this enhances the feel for this film.  The interiors in the movie greatly outdo the outside shots (mostly just establishing shots).  Stock footage is clearly stock footage.  Skin tones tend to flicker at times during the feature.  The beginning of the film is kind of stale and flat, but once we enter the castle, the image is a bit more 3 dimensional.  There’s a good dose of boldness of color and detail is quite good for a film of this quality.  This isn’t a masterful presentation, but it’s a very good one for a film of this ilk.

Audio 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA track gives you the original feel for the audio, but it feels as if nothing has been polished.  Plenty of sections in the film display the dialogue sounding a bit muffled.  It’s a very analog sounding track.  There are hisses and some light light pops present coming from the source.  The volume level is idea and most of it is clean enough.  In a way the audio is a compliment to the age and time of the feature, which some fans will appreciate, but I can’t help but wonder if maybe a little bit more could have been done with this track.

Extras 

All the extras are presented with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio.  As this is a dual feature disc and an older film, the extra content (and new extras at that) is a little bit on the light end.

Audio Commentary By Producer And Director Roger Corman – Legendary film producer and director Roger Corman gives a scene by scene insight on filming the movie as well as insight on his technique and making the effects in the film.

Play With Vincent Price Introduction And Final Words For ‘The Pit And The Pendulum’ (HD, 4:08 & 1:51) – From a local Iowa station’s series, Vincent Price introduces the broadcast of the film with his normal deviancy.  He also gives a tid bit here or there about the film’s impact and production.

Pit And The Pendulum: Rare Prologue (HD, 5:06) – From the television version (as it was too short for the 2 hour time slot), a new intro scene featuring the character of Catherine in an insane asylum about to recall the events of the film.

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:28)

Photo Gallery – 45 stills featuring publicity shots, behind the scenes, lobby cards and posters.

The Masque Of Red Death 

This Poe tale follows the final day(s) of Satanist Prince Prospero as he shelters people from the scare of “Red Death” put upon a village.  This has resulted from his visit to a poverty stricken village where he first discovers it.  He orders the village burned and takes with him 3 prisoners.  They comprise of a woman Francesca and her father and lover who both stood up to the evil prince.  Prospero plans to have the two men duel to the death for the entertainment of the wealthy and hopes to convert Francesca to Satanism.  Little does he know, its only a matter of time before the “Red Death” calls his number.

First off, this is a beautiful film.  The colors, sets and lighting for this thing are incredible.  The gothic looking aesthetic is just the icing on the cake.  Right away you can tell this is a film that filmmakers like Dario Argento would draw inspiration.  I particularly enjoyed the interconnected colored rooms that there were a few scenes going back and forth between them.  The whole palette of this thing is just gorgeous.  The Masque of Red Death is an absolute ace in the visual department (this Blu-ray is the perfect forum for it too, but that section is below).

People liking a lot of action in their horror films probably won’t find a lot of interest in this or likely this set.  But maybe keep an open mind.  This film features some very disturbing and creepy stuff.  All the Satanist related stuff, the chants and the speaking in Latin can get a little unnerving no matter your belief system.  And with a gothic setting and tone, anything is possible.  While there’s more horror to this film, it does share that same type of horror aura with The Seventh Seal.  And not just because they both have cloaked doomsday messengers at their core.  It’s about people trying to procrastinate and find ways and options to escape the inescapable plague that is death.  It’s for this reason that Roger Corman scrapped his plans to do this as the first film in his Poe sequence, as it wasn’t too far removed from The Seventh Seal at the time.  He didn’t want people to feel he was just trying to cash in and rip it off.

This is a highly entertaining vintage horror film for those with patience and looking for something be led with visual flare.  And I ask that you do.  I found this film to be quite creepy, very dark and sinister.  Vincent Price is very low on the camp here (it comes out in the finale) this time out.  But, man, this guy sure knows how to play a vile rat bastard.  I can’t think of anyone who can play evil in so many different, so many convincing ways and not repeat himself.  His overconfident arrogant Satanist Prince Prospero is top notch and absolutely drives this films intensity and fear.

Video 

The rating of this 1080p MPEG-4 AVC picture may be closer to a 4, but I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt.  For most of this 2:35.1 frame, you are treated to an absolutely gorgeous picture.  There are some specs here and there and heavier in just a few spots.  There’s also some flickering a weathered appearance for a few seconds whenever a scene is fading in, out or into another scene.  Aside from that, the image is quite striking and 3 dimensional.  The skin tones are very solid and consistent.  Detail is very high.  The colors in this thing are rich and very vibrant.  And with the emphasis on color in this film, whether it be costuming or a set is very important.  This image is more incredible than any little blemish that shows its dating.  The detail is also very high and apparent for in the fabric and the surfaces of the sets.

Audio 

Once again, the 2.0 DTS-HD MA is very analog sounding.  However, this is a cleaner more boisterous track.  The dialogue is very clear in a good majority of it.  There are only a few moments where the dialog is a bit muffled.  There aren’t any real instances of hissing and popping either.  Effects sound good and clear.  This is a solid track, representative of its original presentation, but nothing too amazing.  It gets the job done and nothing more.

Extras 

All the extras are presented with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio.  As this is a dual feature disc and an older film, the extra content (and new extras at that) is a little bit on the light end.

Audio Commentary With Steve Haberman – Screenwriter and film historian Steve Haberman gives a scripted account The Masque of Red Death and the Corman Poe movies and some Corman history.  And in case you were wondering, this is the guy who wrote Dracula: Dead And Loving It.

Play With Vincent Price Introduction And Final Words For ‘The Masque Of Red Death’ (HD, 3:59 & 2:29) – From a local Iowa station’s series, Vincent Price introduces the broadcast of the film with his normal deviancy.  He also gives an insight on the upcoming films in the broadcast series.

Interview With Producer And Director Roger Corman (HD, 18:52) – An older interview with Corman as he goes over not only Masque, but the history of and other films in the Poe series.

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:12)

Photo Gallery – 51 stills from behind the scenes, promotional images, lobby cards and posters.

Disc 2

The Haunted Palace 

In 1765, Joseph Curwen was burned at the stake for crimes of sorcery in the town of Arkham.  Right before being engulfed in flames he put a curse upon the town.  One hundred and ten years later, nothing has been forgotten.  The ancestors of the townsfolk still live in fear that one day Curwen may return and seek revenge.  Charles Dexter Ward arrives in town.  A legacy of Curwen, Charles is the striking image of him.  He has come to Arkham to inherit the old residence.  Charles is met with disdain from the townspeople and told to leave.  His wife and he check out the residence, but are so bothered by the townspeople they decide to just sell the place and leave.  But before they do, Charles is overcome with something…or someone and wants to stay.  The spirit of Joseph Curwen lives on and is trying to return through the body of his distant great great grandson.

I immediately noticed The Haunted Palace has a unique look in comparison to what came before.  Instead of pushing a lot of colors, this was more toned down and very bleak.  What I loved most about the spooky aesthetic is that it looked and played very much like a Universal Monster Picture of the 30s and 40s if it was shot in color.  The sets and exteriors give much the same vibe as a Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula or Wolf Man tale.   This little tale of possession may not be as notable as though, but its very much pushing to be in a league with them.

Once again we are treated to Price in a dual role.  He’s impeccable as both.  Price has worked hard to make each character unique.  The man is able to fully transform himself from one to the other.  And its worth noting he’s going back and forth quite a bit in this film.   The man is really good at being intimidating and scary in so many ways.

Speaking of Universal Monsters, Lon Chaney Jr. plays a character in this adding to his incredible gallery of monster performances.  In this film he is Simon Orne, the sort of butler/housekeeper who is very ogre/goon-like in appearance.  No matter the quality of the movie (this one’s good) its always awesome to see two iconic performers of different eras in the horror genre come together and share the screen together.  In this one they are both at odds and working together (well, mostly working together).  Chaney’s Simon is quickly not to be trusted and becomes quite a creeper himself.

The Haunted Palace is a fun, smaller scale period piece horror tale.  It was meant to be a full on HP Lovecraft story, but the studio forced Roger Corman to mesh in some Poe due to its popularity.  I think it’s a fun little possession/ghost story that can be an enjoyable piece of film history for adults and horror fans and maybe be enough to spook the little ones!

Video 

This gothic horror is freshly displayed in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC.  The 2:35.1 frame is a darkly beautiful site to see.  It has minimal specs/scratches/film damage and features some rather stunning shots for a film of this age.  Some of the makeup effects are revealing due to the high definition nature of the transfer, but I don’t think that’s a bother.  This possession tale has plenty of wonderful clear images and detail.  Very good picture quality.

Audio 

The DTS-HD MA 2.0 stream is solid.  It’s akin to Masque’s quality.  The voices are clean and clear at an appropriate volume.  I really enjoyed the sound effects in this one.  The scene where Price flicks a lighter and lights a man on fire sounded terrific through my sound system.  I really enjoyed the mix on that.  I replayed it like 3 times before moving ahead.

Extras 

This disc features two commentaries that aren’t even as long as the film when combined.  I’ve heard of commentaries ending just before the credits roll, but this is new to me.

Play With Vincent Price Introduction And Final Words For ‘The Haunted Palace’ (HD, 3:47 & 1:29) – Another piece from this PBS series.

Audio Commentary By Lucy Chase Williams And Richard Heft – Two author’s recite scripted thoughts and insight on Vincent Price and The Haunted Palace.  An actor does an impression of Vincent Price when using quotes and passages.  Its only 40 minutes long, so it ends well short of the feature’s closing.

Audio Commentary By Tom Weaver – Another scripter author commentary.  This one features a recorded interview with actress Debra Paget.  This one only last 30 minutes, so it’s a quick listen.

A Change Of Poe: Interview With Producer And Director Roger Corman (HD, 11:15) – The director discusses how he wanted this to be a full on Lovecraft story, but through production the studio forced him to add Poe elements due to their success.

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:13)

Photo Gallery – 41 stills from promotional photos, behind the scenes, lobby cards and posters.

The Fall Of The House Of Usher 

Phillip Winthrop travels and enters the House of Usher, in hopes of meeting with fiancée, Madeline and returning home with her.  They are given a roadblock in the form of Madeline’s brother Roderick.  Roderick claims that the family is cursed with madness.  He forsees Madeline’s future lineage to be overcome with this curse if she leaves.  During a scuffle with her brother in the night, Madeline falls dead and is buried.  A distraught Phillip is on his way back home, when one of the help in the House of Usher reveals to him a secret regarding Madeline that has him sticking around the house just a little while longer.

This is the film that started the Roger Corman cinematic Edgar Allan Poe craze in theaters.  It’s got all the sets and elements that would be further explored upon in later entries.  Try as I might, I’ve never been too big of a fan of this one.  I know this is a biggie amongst fans, but it’s just felt like a story that’s being stretched as thin as it possibly can for me.  And it comes off a little boring.  It might just be a story that I’m not a fan of.  I’ve seen a stage production of it and felt very much the same way.  The elements and pieces of things I’ve liked in the other films are present here, and its cool to see the genesis, but this one is just not for me.

Vincent Price is almost unrecognizable from his usual self in this one.  He’s got a striking full head of blonde hair and is missing his signature mustache or even notable facial hair.  His role in this one is very similar to his in The Pit And The Pendulum.  His performance is one of a haunted, cautious and fearing man.    But it’s also one of a stubborn man and one who is pretty vile toward his sister.  It’s a fine performance, but there are more masterful ones in this set.

Video 

The House Of Usher is seen in a solid 1080p MPEG-4 AVC transfer.  The level of detail is pretty good and sharpness is moderate in the 2:35.1 frame.  This one is comparable to Pit and Haunted Palace in terms of quality.  There are welcome specs and print wear on this.  As I’ve said before, it adds to the experience for me when watching these.  I appreciate the work Scream Factory goes to making these appear in a way that suggests their theatrical presentation and the era from which the film was released.

Audio 

For being the oldest film in the lot, it boasts a more impressive 2.0 DTS-HD MA track than some of the others.  Dialogue is at a fine level and clear and concise.  Effects and score levels are ideal.  There is a nice genuine crispness to the foley effects work.  It’s a solid track harkening back to how this film is supposed to sound, while keeping it from showing signs of severe dating.

Extras 

This disc seems has plenty of interview and insight material to sink your teeth into.  The archived radio interview with Price himself is a real treat, as up to this point the only stuff with him offered is the intros and outros before and after each film.

Play With Vincent Price Introduction And Final Words For ‘The Fall Of The House Of Usher’ (HD, 4:10, 2:47) – This appears to be the first part of the PBS series.

Audio Commentary By Producer And Director Roger Corman – Corman once again gives another detailed account of shooting the film.

Vincent Price Retrospective Commentary With Lucy Chase Williams – Lucy gives another scripted reading of some of her work on Price.  The actor who does the impersonation of Price returns.  Once again, this is only 32 minutes.

Audio Interview With Vincent Price (41:05) – A 1988 interview with Vincent Price going over the many triumphs of his career.

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 3:32)

Photo Gallery – 50 stills featuring promotional photos, behind the scenes, lobby cards and posters.

Disc 3

The Abominable Dr. Phibes 

Men in the medical field are turning up murdered in many mysterious ways.  One eaten alive by bats, another stung by a swarm of bees in his home.  There’s a mysterious mute figure and a female accomplice committing these deeds, but who are they?  The police discover all the victims are connected with a Dr. Vesalius.  It turns out that Vesalius and his team failed to on surgery involving our hooded figure’s wife long ago.  He was thought to have perished in a fiery auto accident upon discovering the news of his wife’s death. But, alas, he’s our mysterious figure, Dr. Anton Phibes.

I’m gonna come out and admit I’ve never seen this one.  Oh my was I missing out.  And when watching this set it was an incredibly refreshing experience to jump out of the gothic Poe era and into something moder…er 70s.  This little film has a wonderful sense of style and is beautifully photographed.  Its early enough 70s that It still looks like 60s.  There’s a wonderful palette of colors on display in this doom and gloom, yet somewhat comedic serial killer film

Vincent Price’s most notable feature is his voice.  It was quite surprising to me when he came out as this mute killer, his mouth never opening.  You do get to hear his voice, but its slightly distorted.  Its an interesting choice for Price and a bold move for the director to take a chance on putting him in a position like this.  And it works.  This performance is quite menacing and Price looks more terrifying than he has in this entire set.  You can just sense a feeling of unforgiving anger and revenge in just the facial mannerisms on display.  It’s a challenging role, but to no surprise, Vincent Price has absolutely no trouble knocking this one out of the park.

The Abominable Dr. Phibes has had more an influence on today’s landscape than I ever knew.  Watching the film, I was strongly noticing how much it felt very much like an early rendition of both Saw and Seven.  And maybe just slightly, there’s a little bit of Hannibal Lecter/Leatherface in him.  Fans of horror that appreciate its history should definitely be checking this film out.  I don’t think it’ll be scaring anyone any time soon, but it’s got plenty of creepy, weird, campy and gruesome to suit the horror lover’s fancies.  It’s a film I hope I get the time to revisit again really soon.

Video 

The 1080p MPEG-4 AVC transfer is anything but abominable.  This is the MVP of this set.  Detail on surfaces and clothing is high.  There are very few weak spots to be found anywhere in this.  Facial detail is well defined.  Makeup on Price’s face is relevant enough to make it even more effective when he makes his big reveal later in the film.  Colors in the film are striking and completely serving purpose.  You’ll notice from the opening number how they give you a feel for this film and assist the tone set in the story.  The Abominable Dr. Phibes not only is the best film in this set, its also got the best video presentation in the bunch.

Audio 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA track is a nice boisterous performance perfectly complimenting the film.  The playing of the organ at the beginning is loud and striking, hooking you in on this weird journey right away.  The dialogue here is crisp and clear.  There’s plenty of the score to drive this film and its been given its due.  Also Phibe’s voice when played through the phonograph sounds really cool in this track.  Overall this is one of the better tracks on this release.

Extras 

This score may look a little high for the smaller amount of content here, but its based on the value of said content. The commentary tracks are both wealths of information that make the lack of interviews a nonissue.  Also, I particularly loved the Gothic Horrors interview.

Commentary By Robert Fuest – The director is moderated throughout the film, keeping the discussion flowing and relative throughout the feature.  He discusses working with Price and the bold move to direct a movie in which he can’t really speak and his voice is distorted.

Commentary By Justin Humphreys – The author  compliments the film with behind the scenes stories, some anecdotes and a genuine awe and appreciation for the film.

Introductory Price: Undertaking The Vincent Price Gothic Horrors (HD, 13:17) – Duane Huey, he guy who produced the intro segments for PBS featured on all these discs talks about how they came to be.  He talks about working with Price and shows what the house they shot in looks like today.  It also features some outtakes from the shoot.

Trailer (HD, 2:34)

Still Gallery – 106 stills from promotional shots, behind the scenes, lobby cards and posters.

Disc 4

Witchfinder General 

Vincent Price plays Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General.  Matthew goes town to town, scaring the population into thinking there are witches among them.  He then forces some of those people into a false confession and hangs them and collects a fee.  He messes with the wrong town when entering Brandeston.  He kills a priest and takes advantage of his daughter who is also raped by his right hand man.  When Sara’s fiancée, a Roundhead soldier, returns, he seeks out revenge for what has gone down in the town of Brandeston.

This is quite the mean spirited little film.  While it is a product of its time, the film’s themes and events are still quite brutal and disturbing.  There is no happy ending possible here and the damage done is eternal.  The sheer crudeness and idea of what is going on in this film is akin to a film like The Last House On The Left which came years later.  It may not “show” everything, but your knowledge of exactly what happened and personal imagination can lead to a lot.  They do show some stuff, and I find the blood to be right at home with that of an Italian giallo film where it looks like a bright red paint.

Vincent Price brings forth maybe his most reserved role of this entire set.  He was apparently caught of guard with the director of the film and it only helped enhance the performance.  Price has admitted as much.  Hopkins comes across as slightly devilish, but the creepiest thing about him is detached he is emotionally from what he is doing.  He is a man without any conscience and one without any sort of compassion.  Its crazy how with that said, its hard to clap when the man meets his demise.  You’re happy he gets it, but when the axe keeps chopping at him, it gets more questionable as to whether “how far” it’s gone to kill him and what its done to his aggressor because of it.  It’s a weird feeling and I’ll give the director a lot of credit for pulling this off.

Video 

Unfortunately, while being one of the best films in this set, it has unquestionably the weakest visual display of all.  The 1:85.1 framed 1080p MPEG-4 AVC transfer must have had a weak master print being used.  There is an incredibly cold feeling that lays over the entire film.  Colors are very faded and skin tones are just about sheet white.  There are a few scenes that impress, but most have a little bit of a distorting grain carrying along with them.  And the image is a pretty soft one as well, not very big on the sharpness.  I feel like this could benefit from some color timing, but these things get a little bit costly.  While I have my qualms and am not a fan of the picture quality (the weakest I have seen from the distributor) and it is my job to review it and report accordingly, it must be said that they at least have brought Witchfinder General for classic horror fans to Blu-ray.

Audio 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA track fares much better than the video.  It’s a solid track just like the others.  The sound effects, including the thumping of the axe at the end prove nice on the low end.  The dialogue is clear.  The horse clip clops are nice and crisp.  Its an overall above average track that really gets the trick done.

Extras 

This disc is the motherload when it comes to the bonus content.  The interviews with both Prices are probably more than enough for the entire set, let alone just one disc.  The inclusion of all the other Vincent Price trailers just goes to show that Scream Factory just goes out of their way to deliver every possible aspect they can when putting out a release.

Play Movie With Introduction/Outroduction With Vincent Price (HD, 2:55 & 2:03) – Vincent introduces and concludes the movie with his usual panache and devious demeanor.

Commentary With Philip Waddilove And Ian Ogilvy – The film’s producer and actor go over making the film and working with the legendary horror icon Vincent Price.

Witchfinder General: Horror Classic (HD, 25:02) – Authors and Price experts go through the history of the production of Witchfinder General.

Interview With Vincent Price (HD, 1:02:11) – From the show Sinister Image, Price is on to promote Whales Of August.  The interview, however touches that and spans his career.

Interview With Victoria Price (HD, 47:17) – Price’s daughter discusses her point of view on her father’s career.  She discusses him as a father, some of his choices in film and even touches on his role as “Egghead” in the Batman television series.

Alternate Opening And Closing Credits For THE CONQUEROR WORM (HD, 5:52) – The opening and closing of the film, featuring the alternate title and alternate monologues from Vincent Price.

Trailer (HD, 2:06)

Additional Vincent Price Trailers (HD, 18:00) – House Of Wax, Tales Of Terror, The Raen, Tomb Of Ligeia, The Tingler, House On Haunted Hill, The Fly, Return Of The Fly (x2)

Still Gallery – 81 stills from promotional shots, behind the scenes, lobby cards and posters.

Summary 

Not mentioned yet, but also included in this set is a neat little booklet that comes with it.  It features an essay and some photos and posters from each film.  With Universal not giving us a second wave release of their classic monster films this year (damnit!), this makes for a mighty fine substitute.  There is a ton of additional material and insight on each film and the career of legendary horror actor Vincent Price.  Aside from one of the video transfers, there’s nothing really to grobble at, no matter how hard you try.  I’m not sure why the films are in the order they are in, but that may be a matter of tricky distribution rights garnered by the distributor.  Scream Factory has gone further into horror’s past and brought their present day attention to detail and fan pleasing full force.