Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Confessions of an Opium Eater (aka Souls for Sale)



Maybe Re-think It
"Confessions of an Opium Eater" (AKA "Souls for Sale") was produced and directed by Albert Zugsmith who brought us "The Private Lives of Adam and Eve," another sensationally titled curiosity that almost seemed, both were filmed on a shoestring budget, like the producer was a scam artist than producing quality films. But then this guy produced Orson Welles's "Touch of Evil" also, in a finer day, apparently. Here Vincent Price, in 1962, was a hot property working pretty much where he could get work, and at AIP he was a hit with the drive-in crowd and Zugsmith's financial bankroll for his film depended on Price. "Confessions of an Opium Eater" was not based on de Quincey's (played by Price) famous book, but re-works the idea. Vincent Price could turn any piece of crap into something watchable. Here he gets another chance. The only other actors are Charlie Chan-like Central Casting stock actors, and Zugsmith shows his penchant for casting Mamie Van Doren in "Adam and Eve" by keeping...

A Most Unusual Vehicle For Vincent Price.
I remember seeing the ads for this movie when it played in my hometown back in 1962. While there were yet no X rated theaters as such, CONFESSIONS played in one of those second tier movie houses which would shortly become one. It wouldn't have mattered as I was too young to see such a movie anyway although I was already a big Vincent Price fan. It took me half a century to catch up with this little gem although in today's politically correct and technologically sophisticated times, it probably won't appeal to many people. However if you have a taste for the unusual or the bizarre or love Vincent Price then you might want to give this one a try.

Shot on a shoestring budget by exploitation producer Albert Zugsmith (SEX KITTENS GO TO COLLEGE, THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ADAM & EVE) and also directed by him, this OPIUM EATER is not an adaptation of the famous Thomas De Quincey work but rather a reimagining of it. Price plays Gerald De Quincey, a descendant of Thomas who 100 years...

Great entertainment, mediocre dvd
The film is as expected, excellent. The DVD however can only be played in stand-alone dvd players and is not recognized by desktop dvd-drives.

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