I've been a horror fan from an early age, and many of the horror movies I first saw were Vincent Price films on late-night TV. As I got older, my tastes turned to more gore and nudity (uh, go figure), and while he never really went away, Vincent Price and his movies kind of made their way off of my radar for many years.
Fast forward twenty-five years or so and the death of one Michael Jackson (stay with me here, this is not another homage to the self proclaimed King of Pop, but he's essential to the story). As everyone will recall, his death brought about a resurgence of his music, and my grade school aged daughter was among the targeted audience. She heard Thriller. Heard it often. Next thing ya know, she's asking me who the man is talking at the end of the song. "It's Vincent Price" I told her. "A great actor who starred in many scary movies years ago." "I want to see one of his movies", she said. "We can make that happen", I said, my heart swelling with pride.
Since then we've managed to watch a few of his movies here and there, like The House on Haunted Hill and The Last Man on Earth, among others, and it's been a real treat. She's become a fan, and my interest has been renewed. He is and will always be a horror legend, a status that is well deserved. His acting was always superb, and his voice could bring chills on a muggy summer night. If you haven't had a chance to watch any of his movies lately make a point to do so. Yes, they will seem tame compared to what is available today, and there will certainly not be the shock value that the horror movies of the last thirty years can boast. But you will find quality acting and good scares that are still alot of fun.
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