Isle of the Dead/Bedlam

This set contains two classic horror films from producer Val Lewton.

While rarely considered to be one of Val Lewton's best films, ISLE OF THE DEAD does contain the producer's typically effective use of atmosphere. Set during the 1912 war on a Greek Island, the film focuses on six people who are staying on a remote island in order to escape the plague. Boris Karloff gives his typically strong performance as General Pherides, while Ellen Drew plays a Greek girl suspected of being a vampire. Constant winds and creepy sets illustrate each character's general anxiety as disease and suspicions build to a chilling climax.

An intriguing change of pace from chillmaster Val Lewton, BEDLAM tells the story of an innocent girl imprisoned in a ghastly 18th-century insane asylum. Nell, an aspiring young actress, rejects the patronage of a London nobleman after learning of the aristocrat's indifference to sadistic practices at the local insane asylum. When word of Nell's accusations reach Master Sims (Boris Karloff), the villainous director of the madhouse, the brutal "doctor" attempts to protect his own reputation by casting doubt on the young woman's sanity.