Tales of Poe

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Audience Member Like a student film gone amuck. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Tales of terror is especially conducive to the anthology format. Short stories are frequently among the best examples of horror pulling the reader quickly into the chilling circumstance with incredible efficiency. Few authors have mastered this technique as well as Edgar Allan Poe. The recent DVD and VOD release by Wild Eye Releasing, 'Tales of Poe' presents three of this Master of Horror's most favorite stories. Mr. Poe is undeniably one of the great American authors often credited with the establishment of the macabre in our literary circles. His stories are unapologetic in how they embrace the dark nature of humanity that lurks hidden in the recesses of even the most sociable of people. By targeting the primordial fears in all of us, his works were able to remain undiminished in their ability to frighten for over a century. In the sixties and seventies, the notable director Roger Corman brought several Mr. Poe's works to the screen, frequently utilizing actors and directors that would go on to become Academy Award winners. This latest telling of three of Poe's story may not that grindhouse flair of the older films. What is present is the epitome of the requirements necessary for performing the works of this man. The stories here induce that uneasy feeling in your mind that steadily expands into fright, the selection of which stories to use in this film had to have been difficult; there is such a rich collection of horror in his oeuvre narrowing it down to three required a considerable amount of serious thought. I must applaud the filmmakers, Bart Mastronardi and Alan Rowe Kelly on their final selections. This team directed and wrote the screenplays doing justice to the excellence of the source material. The dominant theme found throughout Poe's works is a fascination with death, in many instances, it is the ultimate expression of justice, the irrevocable judgment for the darkness a man brings to life. The Tell-Tale Heart In a demonstration of the universal nature of Poe's work is first segment institutes about the significant change in one of his best-known stories. Traditionally the narrator and his victim of both male but in this variation of the story there is a switch in gender. The story unfolds as a first personal account tales of account related to the audience through the first-person vantage point of the Narrator (technique as well as Edgar Allan Poe. The recent DVD and VOD release by Wild Eye Releasing, 'Tales of Poe' presents three of this Master of Horror's most favorite stories. Mr. Poe is undeniably one of the great American authors often credited with the establishment of the macabre in our literary circles. His stories are unapologetic in how they embrace the dark nature of humanity that lurks hidden in the recesses of even the most sociable of people. By targeting the primordial fears in all of us, his works could remain undiminished in their ability to frighten for over a century. In the sixties and seventies, the notable director Roger Corman brought several Mr. Poe's works to the screen, frequently utilizing actors and directors that would go on to become Academy Award winners. This latest telling of three of Poe's story may not that grindhouse flair of the older films. What is present is the epitome of the requirements necessary for performing the works of this man. The stories here induce that uneasy feeling in your mind that steadily expands into fright, the selection of which stories to use in this film had to have been difficult; there is such a rich collection of horror in his oeuvre narrowing it down to three required a considerable amount of serious thought. I must applaud the filmmakers, Bart Mastronardi and Alan Rowe Kelly on their final selections. This team directed and wrote the screenplays doing justice to the excellence of the source material. The dominant theme found throughout Poe's works is a fascination with death, in many instances, it is the ultimate expression of justice, the irrevocable judgment for the darkness a man brings to life. The Tell-Tale Heart in a demonstration of the universal nature of Poe's work is first segment institutes about the significant change in one of his best-known stories. Traditionally the narrator and his victim of both male but in this variation of the story there is a switch in gender. The story unfolds as a first personal account tales of a result of the Narrator (Debbie Rochon). Ms. Rochon is one of the preeminent Scream Queens in the horror film genre. With over 200 screen credits she has been a staple of horror films 1980s.When we first see her, she is a nurse whose white uniform covered with red streaks formed by copious quantiles of blood dripping down her face and body forming dark pools on a bathroom floor. This story is one of the most frightening accounts of the overwhelming power of guilt. The main portion of the story unfolds through a flashback. The camera angles are extreme in their departure from the traditional point of view style. Obtuse angle positioning the camera in locations impossible for the human eye impart a surreal feel to this segment. Ms. Rochon is a private duty nurse hired to care for Miss Lamarr (Alan Rowe Kelly), a former movie star from the era of silent movies. Miss Lamar's home was once opulent but now seems more like a museum, a shrine to the past. The patient is frail with the eccentricities often associated with someone whose fame has long since dissipated. Faithful to the original short story the narrator becomes fixated on the old woman's one opaque eye. The obsession spirals into a single focus that she has to murder the old woman After accomplishing that goal the nurse is driven completely insane by guilt manifested as the unyielding pounding of the victim's heartbeat. Setting the story in an insane asylum provides a fresh twist of the macabre to a familiar story. The Cask The basis for this second segment is Poe's 'Cask of Amontillado.' After the confirms of a hospital the setting is that of a lush, verdant vineyard, the section opens during a festive occasion, the wedding of wealthy wine connoisseur Fortunato Montresor (Randy Jones) to Miss Gogo (Alan Rowe Kelly), a crude, boorish woman. The cinematography is brighter and well defined providing a stark contrast to the previous segment. The cheerful mood is apparently a façade for many of the guests. This impression is related to the viewer by the smirks on the faces of the guests. The camera pans around the crowd emulating an amateur wedding videographer. One guest inquires of the groom whether he had a prenup, but the host declines to answer. Fortunato leads his bride and guests down ancient stone steps to deep beneath the house. The Montresor wine cellar is famous for its treasure trove of rare and expensive vintages.one of the guest (Zoe Daelman Chlanda), appears to be psychic and responds to something which causes her to collapse. Since the story is about a century, old spoilers are improbable but suffice it to sat there is again a twist as to who gets trapped behind a wall, the infusion of greed, lust, and jealousy combined with some visceral bloodshed makes for an imaginative interpretation of a classic. Dreams The final offering in this trilogy of terror culled from several poems written by Poe provides the most surrealistic motif of the three. The dominant poem contributing to this segment is.'A Dream Within a Dream'. A young woman, a young woman (Bette Cassatt) is on her deathbed consumed by nightmarish delirium. The audience is pulled along for a journey through an ever-changing series of unreal landscapes.The dying woman guided by the kindly presence of the Angel of Dreams (Caroline Williams), moves from one dream to the next, there is an inexplicable sense of beauty to some of the dreams contrasted with scenes disturbing in nature. This section is better experienced than overly analyzed, Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member "Tales Of Poe" takes 3 tales from the mastermind himself Edgar Allan Poe and weaves them into a modern anthology film to show off. Does this work though or leave viewers wishing for the something closer to the original? First off we have "The Tell Tale Heart" one of Poe's most popular stories. They really did take all the stops for giving them a darker feeling and making sure that costumes and even sounds were done right for this. If you know the story at all you are able to follow along quite easily and even for those who don't know this is the easiest of the 3 stories to be able to follow. This one does boast some good set designs though and does end on a rather gory note. Next up is "The Cask of Amontillado". This one has by far the best set designs and has some decent acting with it as well. The acting doesn't always hold up though espcially in scenes where more emotion is required and the actors don't portray it as it should be. Sadly though the story can be quite confusing and even with knowledge of the story can take some time to match up and click through for the viewer. The special effects towards the end do a good job but this one just seemed to go on for a little too long. To close it up is "Dreams". Starring a few big names it does boast some great visuals but the short itself is heavy and slow. It turns into a film that looks nice but leaves you ready to clock out from it, it doesn't help either that the entire thing is very confusing. Tales Of Poe could of done better with some better acting in parts and especially if the shorts were in a different order. The Tell Tale Heart should go out last being the best instead of setting the film up so well only for everything else to fall short. Overall hardcore Poe fans might enjoy this but casual fans likely will have a harder time following the stories especially the last one. Score : 3/10 https://apocalypticdemise.com/2016/11/13/tales-of-poe-review/ Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Tales of Poe

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