Weird Tales Collection, The – Volume 1: The Yellow Sign (DVD)
Mike Phalin
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Starring Shawna Waldron and Dale Snowberger
Directed by Aaron Vanek
Distributed by Lurker Films
Have you found the Yellow Sign? Yes, Watchman, I have found it! The DVD is sitting right here next to an assortment of mysterious books that appeared out of nowhere and a broken Sony PS3 … coincidence?
The Weird Tales Collection – Volume 1: The Yellow Sign has a lot going for it as the feature starts with the beautiful Tess Reardon (Shawna Waldron) seeking a new artist to exploit in her gallery. She finds just the right person after discovering by chance that the man from her nightmares is indeed a real, living painter who hasn’t shown off his work in years. Upon her meeting the reclusive and mad Aubrey (Dale Snowberger), things are set in motion that will reveal Tess’ true fate and the secret behind the painter’s haunted building.
The Weird Tales Collection DVD is a entertaining one, but not because of its feature film. Waldron and Snowberger are good in their roles, but the overall feeling of the story never grabbed me. What did keep me glued to the TV were the details. This is a classic case of style over substance. 
There’s so much cool and creepy stuff happening in the background that becomes far more interesting than the relationship between the painter and his model. Maybe next time it would be a wise idea to focus on making more intriguing characters and not fading in deformed mannequins in the background. Overall the The Weird Tales‘ main movie gets a “meh,” but the extras on this rare occasion get the better score.
There are in fact two separate commentaries for The Yellow Sign: clean and risque. What separates the two? Not a whole lot aside from mentioning tits a couple of times. Were they both needed? Nope; one worked just fine as director Aaron Vanek and actress Shawna Waldron divulge the ins and outs of making a low budget film in downtown LA. The stories of what happened behind the scenes would have made for a better film than The Yellow Sign.
Packed in this DVD are two additional short films: Tubilak by David Leroy and The King In Yellow by Emiliano Guarneri. Tupilak is no doubt the strongest picture on the disc. Though in French, it retains a haunting air that many horror stories of today lack and try to make up for with rampant quick cut shots of twitching little kids. The Tupilak is a spirit of revenge that is summoned by a guide when those he is leading leave him for dead in the snowy night. Tight and sweet are perfect words for this short 35mm project. Watch it and decide who your friends really are.
Following at a distant second is The King In Yellow, which uses the exact same quick cut shots I just mentioned. There are some make-up effects, but they don’t make a long enough appearance to be judged good or bad. If the main character had been a little more fleshed out than just some silent kid, there may have been a worthy film here. Kind of a pity.
Chambers in Paris is an amusing documentary on horror author Robert W. Chambers, who wrote the stories on which these films are based. Instead of a well-spoken actor to lead us through Paris and Chambers’ life, we get Christophe Thill reading off cue cards placed high above the camera. The information is abundant, but when it is delivered by a geeky looking chap with a lisp, it’s hard to keep the laughs inside.
The Weird Tales Collection could have done with a bit of touching up, or at least adding a few more short films or documentaries on Chambers and Lovecraft. Fans of both writers can find plenty to enjoy on the disc, but the folks who know of neither may just tilt their heads and shrug their shoulders.
Special Features
Subtitles in English, French, German, Finnish, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese
Chambers in Paris: A documentary on author Robert W. Chambers
Two audio commentaries with Shawna Waldron and Aaron Vanek
Bonus video of audition, slides, and deleted scenes
Short films The King in Yellow and Tupilak
2 1/2 out of 5
Special Features
5 out of 5
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