The Comedy of Terrors (1964)
An undertaker who hasn't had any 'customers' in a long time is forced to pay one year's back-rent. To get money he starts to kill people, which brings absurd results.
The film establishes its central universe, introducing the protagonists into an escalating conflict. Directed by Jacques Tourneur, this opening movement establishes high visual and thematic stakes that set the narrative journey into motion.
The protagonists navigate escalating complications, ethical dilemmas, and formidable challenges. Starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, the middle act intensifies dramatic momentum toward an inevitable turning point.
The dramatic arcs converge in a decisive climax, resolving interpersonal conflicts and delivering the auteur’s resonant thematic conclusion.
Vincent Price
as Waldo Trumbull
Peter Lorre
as Felix Gillie
Boris Karloff
as Amos Hinchley
Joyce Jameson
as Amaryllis Trumbull
Joe E. Brown
as Cemetery Keeper
Beverly Powers
as Mrs. Phipps
Basil Rathbone
as John F. Black
Alan DeWitt
as RiggsBuddy Mason
as Mr. PhippsDouglas Williams
as DoctorLinda Rogers
as Phipps' Maid
Luree Holmes
as Black's ServantCinematographic negative, aspect ratios & laboratory mastering sheet
| Aspect Ratios | 2.39:1 |
|---|---|
| Camera Systems | Arri Alexa LF / Panavision Millennium DXL2 |
| Negative Format | 35mm / 65mm / Digital Master |
| Printed Film Format | 70mm / DCP Master |
| Sound Mix Formats | Dolby AtmosDTS:X5.1 Surround |
| Laboratory / VFX | Technicolor / Double Negative (DNEG) |
| Color Processing | Color (Rec.709 / DCI-P3 Mastering) |
| Official Runtime | 84 min |
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Weighted consensus from 100K+ verified global cinephile ratings
The pipe organ composition from Hans Zimmer at the edge of Gargantua is monumental. Nolan masterfully balances the vast coldness of relativistic astrophysics with the intimate, multidimensional bond of family. A transcendent achievement of cinema.
"Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, rage against the dying of the light." Michael Caine reciting Dylan Thomas resonates throughout the entire odyssey. Pure cinematic grandeur.
