Mick Garris on Twice Told Tales

After the boxoffice success of the Roger Corman Poe cycle it was inevitable that the concept would be co-opted, but since Vincent Price was exclusive to AIP for Poe material, quickie producer Robert Kent decided to tap the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne for a budget-minded ripoff of the Corman omnibus Tales of Terror. At an unusually lengthy 119 minutes it overextends its welcome and the production values are notably chintzy, but the supporting cast is full of recognizable faces, imparting a cozy familiarity to the proceedings.