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The Mystery of Edgar Allan
Poe
AAE-10463 50 minutes
He is the uncontested master of the macabre, a genius whose melancholy nature made his own
life as tragic as one of his strange tales. Edgar Allan Poe's haunting poems and chilling
stories established him as one of the most important men of American letters. But behind
his popularity and artistic success was a personal life defined by broken hopes,
failure and drug addiction. Explore Poe's story, from the death of his parents, to his tragic collapse at age
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Boris Karloff :
The Gentle Monster After his
performance in the classic Frankenstein, he became synonymous
with terror. But behind his gaunt glare and distinctive lisp was the soul and manner of a
cultured English gentleman. He toured in stock companies for years before getting
his big break at age 41, landing the role of the monster in
Frankenstein. His life is chronicled through extensive film clips, old footage and
interviews with family and costars, including his daughter. |
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Bela Lugosi: Hollywood's
Dark Prince In
Dracula, Bela Lugosi created one of the most memorable and imitated roles in film history.
The death of Lon Chaney gave him the role of Dracula in the classic film, and the rest is
history. From his European childhood to his work with the legendary schlock director Ed
Wood, his story is told through extensive clips, interviews with costars and family
including Bela Lugosi, Jr. and rare home movies, stills and personal accounts. |
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Lon Chaney, Jr.: Son Of A
Thousand Faces He
was a stillborn baby whose father shocked him into life by plunging him in an icy lake. As
a famous actor he shocked movie audiences worldwide with his classic portrayals of
monsters like the Wolf Man. Lon Chaney, Jr., inherited more than his father's name. He was
a gifted performer in his own right who created a unique screen persona through fantastic
characters and make-up that would have made his father proud. |
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Haunted History Set From the House
of the Seven Gables in Massachusetts to spectral 49ers in San Francisco, this is a
captivating tour of ghostly America. Visit the gothic New Orleans cemetery said to be the
domain of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, tour California's bizarre Winchester house. You'll
enjoy this haunted trip through the U.S.A. |
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Nightmare: Birth of Victorian Horror Set Discover some
of the greatest Victorian horror that still lives on today. Once written, Frankenstein,
Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the Hound of the Baskervilles became metaphors for
the collective nightmares of an age which found it difficult to face up to progress.
Actual stories behind the legendary tales that explain their enduring popularity today.
Extensive interviews, insights from the journals and letters of the authors. |
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In Search of History: The Real Dracula
Tales of shadowy, bloodsucking figures have occurred in nearly every society, from
pre-Colombian America to Ancient Egypt. But vampires as we think of them today trace their
roots back to one historical figure. From a mountain fortress reached by a stairway of
1400 steps, Vlad the Impailer was a sadist of unimaginable proportions. Legends say that
he impaled hundreds of his enemies on stakes in the plain below his castle, then took
lunch surrounded by the grisly "forest" of his victims, dipping his bread in
their blood! |
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In Search of History: Frankenstein It is the
most famous monster in literature. But is it possible that the story of the grotesque
monster assembled from the parts of cadavers is rooted in the truth? FRANKENSTEIN
investigates the true stories of two men who may be at the heart of the classic tale.
First, travel to the castle near Frankfurt where an 18th century German doctor conducted
gruesome experiments on corpses and live humans! There are startling parallels between
what is known of his experiments and Shelley's tale. |
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In Search of History: Voodoo Secrets No other
religion is as misunderstood, vilified, or viewed with as much hatred and racism. The
common impression is that Voodoo is a garbled mix of black magic, witchcraft and zombies.
Travel to Africa to uncover the origins of this vibrant, enigmatic practice. Voodoo roots
are in the ancient religions of Yorubaland, Dahomey and Kongo. Infused with a major dose
of Roman Catholicism, and tempered by the arduous experiences of the slaves, it is widely
practiced in Haiti, Cuba, the West Indies, Brazil, and the United States. |
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