The Fall Of The House Of Usher (1928) aka La Chute De La Maison Usher

3.5 / 5 Apr '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: James Sibley Watson, Melville Webber
Written by: Edgar Allan Poe
Actors include: Herbert Stern, Hildegarde Watson, Melville Webber
Genre: Horror, Surrealism
Length: 14 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Even though I've seen other versions of this tale, I've got to say that this was incomprehensible. Maybe I'm a moron, or maybe it's just entirely unclear, and they got carried away with surrealism. It's spectacular as far as the visuals go, the interplay of light and dark and shadows and movement are impressive. The technics used with the layering and reverse cinematography and so forth are also very notable for the time. It's elegant and even creepy, perhaps the not knowing helps this. Still I couldn't help but want more from the actual story, even for a short film. It's something to see on an artistic level most definitely but I thought it was lacking in some departments.

Availability:  On DVD as part of this set:

The Fall Of The House Of Usher (1928) aka La Chute De La Maison Usher

4.5 / 5 Feb '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Jean Epstein
Written by: Edgar Allan Poe, Luis Buñuel
Actors include: Jean Debucourt, Marguerite Gance, Charles Lamy
Genre: Horror
Length: 63 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is insanely imaginative, and lovely to look at, it's very much art in the form of a film. Great care seems to have been taken to ensure that just about every shot looks amazing, even the experimental technics are fascinating. To add to this Jean Debucourt and Marguerite Gance were spectacularly creepy and both were brilliant in their portrayals. The plot is about a fellow named Allan who is a friend of a fellow named Usher who people seem to be terrified of. Usher lives with a Doctor, and his sickly wife Madeline. Usher is obsessed with painting Madeline's portrait, but with every portrait she gets sicker. The story as it goes on becomes a little less clear, but it was rather gripping regardless. It's hard to believe it's only 63 minutes long as a lot is packed into this film. Definitely worth watching for fans of early cinema, it was beautiful and haunting...it just could have used a bit of tightening towards the end.

Availability:  On DVD

The House Of Usher (1960) aka The Fall Of The House Of Usher

3.5 / 5 Jan '10
Tagline: Edgar Allan Poe's overwhelming tale of EVIL & TORMENT
Directed by: Roger Corman
Written by: Richard Matheson, Edgar Allan Poe
Actors include: Vincent Price, Mark Damon, Myrna Fahey
Genre: Horror, Drama, Romance
Length: 75 minutes
Banned: Norway

Review:
Though I did like this I didn't think it was as amazing as it could have been. Honestly I knew nothing of this story going into watching this, and this is the first version of the story I've seen. It's got atmosphere down pat as it's very much in the style of so many Hammer films which is a good thing. Also who can resist Vincent Price? He plays a rather strange blonde fellow who lives in a creepy castle with his Sister Madeline. After a Suitor named Phillip comes round for Madeline he's soon warned that she cannot leave the house. It seems their is some sort of family curse that causes family members to die when they consider leaving. As soon as Madeline makes up her mind to try to leave with Phillip bad things start happening, it's like the house is trying to kill them! Something really strange is going on there and the story is an amusing little one really. It is surprising, it's very gothic feeling and it's entertaining, it just wasn't one of my favorites is all.

Availability:  On DVD