Afternoon Matinee: The Comedy Of Terrors

starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Basil Rathbone, Joyce Jameson, and Joe E. Brown Written by Richard Matheson. Directed by Jacques Torneur

A horror spoof in which a funeral director, who is in arrears on his rent, aggressively pursues customers to bolster his business-and the fact that they haven't died yet doesn't seem to dissuade him. When I first saw this title at hulu.com I was reluctant to watch it because in general, with a name like that, I thought it would be a little hokey. But, when I saw who was in it, and the fact that it was written by Richard Matheson, I decided to give it a try. And I have to tell you it turned out to be a very good film. Often hilarious (the deathbed scene of Basil Rathbone will make you roll on the floor) and well performed, as well as great cinematography, I think this is one film that may have been forgotten by most people, but for those who rediscover it and watch it again, they will be greatly entertained by some of the classic motion picture stars of the past.