Warning: The following contains major spoilers for The Fall of the House of Usher and the works of Edgar Allen Poe.
In recent years, Mike Flanagan has become known for emotional adaptations of classic horror literature. After a series of original films, Flanagan brought Stephen King’s famously unfilmable novel Gerald’s Game to life then set his sights on the work of Shirley Jackson. His Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House dramatically expanded the legendary story and brought us all to tears with an intimate examination of parenting through the years. Flanagan followed this with The Haunting of Bly Manor, a mind-bending take on The Turn of the Screw, and The Midnight Club, a spooky mashup of Christopher Pike’s YA bibliography.
For his latest Netflix series, Flanagan tackles the work of Edgar Allan Poe. Following the wealthy Usher family, the director takes some of his trademark liberties to...
In recent years, Mike Flanagan has become known for emotional adaptations of classic horror literature. After a series of original films, Flanagan brought Stephen King’s famously unfilmable novel Gerald’s Game to life then set his sights on the work of Shirley Jackson. His Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House dramatically expanded the legendary story and brought us all to tears with an intimate examination of parenting through the years. Flanagan followed this with The Haunting of Bly Manor, a mind-bending take on The Turn of the Screw, and The Midnight Club, a spooky mashup of Christopher Pike’s YA bibliography.
For his latest Netflix series, Flanagan tackles the work of Edgar Allan Poe. Following the wealthy Usher family, the director takes some of his trademark liberties to...
- 11/10/2023
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
This post contains spoilers for "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" may only be a few thousand words long, but in Mike Flanagan's sprawling and savage new Netflix series, it takes a whole lot longer for the members of House Usher to reach their ultimate fate. Across the series' eight episodes, members of the wealthy pharmaceutical family die disturbing and complex deaths at the hands of a curse patriarch Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) and his sister Madeline (Mary McDonnell) agreed to years ago. In a clever twist, though, each death ties back to a famous (or lesser-known) story or poem from the famously bleak author, all of them reimagined for a modern audience.
Flanagan's "The Fall of the House of Usher" is entertaining whether or not you recognize the stories behind its goriest moments, but the filmmaker...
Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" may only be a few thousand words long, but in Mike Flanagan's sprawling and savage new Netflix series, it takes a whole lot longer for the members of House Usher to reach their ultimate fate. Across the series' eight episodes, members of the wealthy pharmaceutical family die disturbing and complex deaths at the hands of a curse patriarch Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) and his sister Madeline (Mary McDonnell) agreed to years ago. In a clever twist, though, each death ties back to a famous (or lesser-known) story or poem from the famously bleak author, all of them reimagined for a modern audience.
Flanagan's "The Fall of the House of Usher" is entertaining whether or not you recognize the stories behind its goriest moments, but the filmmaker...
- 10/12/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
This article contains spoilers for The Fall of the House of Usher.
To say there’s a lot going on in The Fall of the House of Usher is to put it lightly. This Netflix title is…
– The latest (and likely final) spooky Netflix series from horror maestro Mike Flanagan before he moves on to his new overall deal at Amazon.
– A deeply angry allegory about the human wreckage wrought from the opioid crisis.
– An adaption of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Fall of the House of Usher.”
– An Easter egg and reference bonanza of the rest of the Gothic literature titan’s classic works.
While all of those elements are of equal importance, it’s the Poe aspects that really shine through. Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher may just be the most effusive love letter to America’s spooky uncle that has ever been penned.
To say there’s a lot going on in The Fall of the House of Usher is to put it lightly. This Netflix title is…
– The latest (and likely final) spooky Netflix series from horror maestro Mike Flanagan before he moves on to his new overall deal at Amazon.
– A deeply angry allegory about the human wreckage wrought from the opioid crisis.
– An adaption of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Fall of the House of Usher.”
– An Easter egg and reference bonanza of the rest of the Gothic literature titan’s classic works.
While all of those elements are of equal importance, it’s the Poe aspects that really shine through. Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher may just be the most effusive love letter to America’s spooky uncle that has ever been penned.
- 10/12/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
There’s at least one death in almost every episode of The Fall of the House of Usher. Well, in seven out of eight, if I have to be specific. There’s also a lot of cynicism, self-reflection, long monologues, both in prose and poetry, and a whole lot of Edgar Allan Poe in it. As you all know by now, the series is an adaptation of Poe’s famous short horror tale of the same name, by modern-day horror master Mike Flanagan. But it is more than just that, as Flanagan has folded in a lot of other macabre horror tales of Poe, as well as so many references and easter eggs.
If you are familiar with Flanagan’s style of adapting classic horror into morbid, deeply moving sentimental pieces, then this should not surprise you. However, Poe’s work is unlike anyone else’s, and Flanagan has done total justice to that here.
If you are familiar with Flanagan’s style of adapting classic horror into morbid, deeply moving sentimental pieces, then this should not surprise you. However, Poe’s work is unlike anyone else’s, and Flanagan has done total justice to that here.
- 10/12/2023
- by Rohitavra Majumdar
- Film Fugitives
“The Head,” The Mediapro Studio’s biggest hit, is advancing towards a third season, Ran Tellem, Tms head of international content development, confirmed Tuesday at Iberseries & Industria Platino.
“‘The Head’ started out something like four years ago as a limited series only for six episodes and now it’s going into third season, so you might say we never lived up to our promises,” Tellem joked on stage at an early Iberseries panel, entitled Creative Content Strategies, where he shared the stage with former Netflix international head Erik Barmack, now at L.A.-based Wild Sheep Content.
Season 3 has yet to receive a production greenlight. The Mediapro Studio aims to produce ‘The Head,’ Season 3 out of Spain. Beyond that, Tellem gave few details. Currently in development, the series is being written by writers from four countries in three different continents.
“What we do each season in order to keep the...
“‘The Head’ started out something like four years ago as a limited series only for six episodes and now it’s going into third season, so you might say we never lived up to our promises,” Tellem joked on stage at an early Iberseries panel, entitled Creative Content Strategies, where he shared the stage with former Netflix international head Erik Barmack, now at L.A.-based Wild Sheep Content.
Season 3 has yet to receive a production greenlight. The Mediapro Studio aims to produce ‘The Head,’ Season 3 out of Spain. Beyond that, Tellem gave few details. Currently in development, the series is being written by writers from four countries in three different continents.
“What we do each season in order to keep the...
- 10/3/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Stars: Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Kyliegh Curran, Carla Gugino | Created by Mike Flanagan
When I read that Mike Flanagan was planning to turn The Fall of the House of Usher into an eight-hour mini-series for Netflix I did a major double take. I’ve read the story, and I’ve seen an astounding number of takes on it, from Roger Corman’s classic to reimaginings like The Fall of Usher and Lady Usher. But there was no possible way I could see someone getting eight hours of material out of it.
And I was right, rather than an adaptation of one story The Fall of the House of Usher is an adaptation of Poe’s works en masse with Roderick and his sister Madeline Usher reinvented as heads of a Sackler like pharmaceutical empire.
The first episode, “Upon A Midnight Dreary” opens at the funeral of...
When I read that Mike Flanagan was planning to turn The Fall of the House of Usher into an eight-hour mini-series for Netflix I did a major double take. I’ve read the story, and I’ve seen an astounding number of takes on it, from Roger Corman’s classic to reimaginings like The Fall of Usher and Lady Usher. But there was no possible way I could see someone getting eight hours of material out of it.
And I was right, rather than an adaptation of one story The Fall of the House of Usher is an adaptation of Poe’s works en masse with Roderick and his sister Madeline Usher reinvented as heads of a Sackler like pharmaceutical empire.
The first episode, “Upon A Midnight Dreary” opens at the funeral of...
- 9/26/2023
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
If you’re a person with simmering rage directed at the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma for their alleged contributions to the opioid epidemic, chronicles like Hulu’s Dopesick and Netflix’s Painkiller face a major stumbling block when it comes to delivering resolution: When one side of the ledger has hundreds of thousands of deaths and the other has a few settlements and some bankruptcy filings, reality can be a real bummer. No such restrictions confine Mike Flanagan in his latest spooky-season Netflix limited series.
Half creative writing project tied to a freshman seminar on Edgar Allan Poe, half horror-filled karmic catharsis, Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher is a bluntly entertaining exercise. It’s easily the most specifically topical of Flanagan’s Netflix minis, fueled by an often palpable anger. But that anger frequently gets in the way of the thematic richness that gave The Haunting of Hill House,...
Half creative writing project tied to a freshman seminar on Edgar Allan Poe, half horror-filled karmic catharsis, Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher is a bluntly entertaining exercise. It’s easily the most specifically topical of Flanagan’s Netflix minis, fueled by an often palpable anger. But that anger frequently gets in the way of the thematic richness that gave The Haunting of Hill House,...
- 9/26/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Few literary figures have achieved the same kind of pop culture afterlife as Edgar Allan Poe. Much like Franz Kafka, the idea of Poe has become conflated with the writer's most famous works: The tragic, haunted figure, scribbling away feverishly by candlelight, only pausing occasionally to fling open the shutters of his window and gaze out into the night beyond with fear and trepidation.
This romantic notion makes Poe an intriguing character who has carried well into other mediums. There are hundreds of comics based on the author and/or his works (even teaming up with the Dark Knight in "Batman: Nevermore"), as well as stage plays, radio shows, books, and, of course, movies. The controversial master of silent cinema, D.W. Griffith, directed the first film based on the author, "Edgar Allan Poe," back in 1909, and actors including Joseph Cotton, Klaus Kinski, and Ben Chaplin have all played the gloomy author on screen.
This romantic notion makes Poe an intriguing character who has carried well into other mediums. There are hundreds of comics based on the author and/or his works (even teaming up with the Dark Knight in "Batman: Nevermore"), as well as stage plays, radio shows, books, and, of course, movies. The controversial master of silent cinema, D.W. Griffith, directed the first film based on the author, "Edgar Allan Poe," back in 1909, and actors including Joseph Cotton, Klaus Kinski, and Ben Chaplin have all played the gloomy author on screen.
- 4/8/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
The Mediapro Studio is teaming with Spanish director Jorge Dorado and author Cuca Canals on detective thriller “The Young Poe” in a bid to build a second English-language international franchise on the heels and of the scale of “The Head,” sold to 90-plus territories and Tms’ biggest breakout hit to date.
Enrolling one of the biggest IPs in literary history, Edgar Allen Poe, the series adapts the hit novel saga of Spain’s Cuca Canals, co-screenwriter of Bigas Luna’s celebrated “Jamón Jamón” movie trilogy.
Canals’ novels imagine Poe as a precocious, irrepressible, neurotic and highly Gothic 11 or 12 year-old in 1820 Boston, grounding in true events of Poe’s childhood the extraordinarily analytical and morbid mind which Edgar Allen Poe brings to his fiction – whether 1841’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” commonly regarded as the first modern detective story, or the horror short stories such as “The Fall of the House of Usher.
Enrolling one of the biggest IPs in literary history, Edgar Allen Poe, the series adapts the hit novel saga of Spain’s Cuca Canals, co-screenwriter of Bigas Luna’s celebrated “Jamón Jamón” movie trilogy.
Canals’ novels imagine Poe as a precocious, irrepressible, neurotic and highly Gothic 11 or 12 year-old in 1820 Boston, grounding in true events of Poe’s childhood the extraordinarily analytical and morbid mind which Edgar Allen Poe brings to his fiction – whether 1841’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” commonly regarded as the first modern detective story, or the horror short stories such as “The Fall of the House of Usher.
- 3/16/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Fear is an intricate emotion, which triggers visible physical reactions but profoundly affects one’s psyche in ways far more destructive. It thrives on uncertainty as it serves to prevent us from facing danger and experiencing pain. It’s because of this that death, the most certain part of our mortal lives, ranks high on the list of things we fear. It can happen anywhere, at any time, for countless reasons, it’s permanent, and yet its aftermath is unknown.
Enthralled by this idea, Edgar Allan Poe explored humanity’s relationship with its fatal destiny by writing fiction that focused on the supernatural, on evil, and alternate realities, attempting to decipher this terrifying concept. “Extraordinary Tales," Raul Garcia's animated anthology, takes five of these stories by revered writer and transforms them into stylistically distinct shorts that are as visually striking as they are spine-chilling.
The Spanish animator became fascinated with Poe and his otherworldly stories at an early age, but worked on an array of projects before finally bringing one of his favorite authors to the screen by simultaneously honoring numerous other artists that have influenced his career. Each of the five segments in "Extraordinary Tales" is inspired by a different aesthetic, which makes for an eclectic showcase of what 3D animation could be beyond the mainstream conventions.
To make the film an even more compelling affair, Garcia was able to recruit some of the most important and iconic voices in genre cinema. Bela Lugosi reappears from beyond the grave thanks to a previously unreleased recording, Christopher Lee returns to horror one final time to narrate one of the episodes, Roger Corman continues to demonstrate his love for Poe by voicing one of the characters, and Guillermo del Toro shows his voice acting talents in an unexpected fashion.
During our conversation Garcia talked about his artistic influences, being an independent animator today, getting to work with his childhood heroes, and the biggest mistake horror films make when trying to instill fear.
How did you fall in love with Edgar Allan Poe's stories? What was the seed that sparked this fascination with his work that compelled you to create this beautiful animated anthology?
Raul Garcia: The seed was planted when I was bout 12-years-old because the firs adult book I read was a compilation of Poe’s stories. That was the first book for grown-ups I read [Laughs]. Then there was my passion as an avid comic book and graphic novel reader. I’ve always leaned towards the dark side, so it was the perfect combination. Since then, I’ve been a fan of horror literature and science fiction and fantasy as well. That first book was the seed that started it all.
Edgar Allan Poe’s stories have been adapted countless because it seems like they lend themselves to interpretation and experimentation. How did you approach the material to make your animated versions distinct from the rest?
Raul Garcia: There are thousands of different film adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe’s works everywhere. Obviously, the ones that most of us know are the ones done by Roger Corman in the 60s with Vincent Price, which were not really adaptations because they only used the titles as an excuse to make a horror film. When I decided to make my version of Poe’s stories, I wanted to respect the original material or to at least get closer to what his stories are really about. Most other adaptations I’ve seen sort of follow the story but they never satisfy me as an audience member or as a reader. I wanted to get closer to the spirit of the stories more than than to the text itself. I didn’t necessarily want to do it verbatim, but there are some lines of dialogue that I’ve taken literally from Poe’s writings. I wanted to make adaptations that distilled the essence of what attracted me about these stories in the first place.
Each segment has a very particular stylistic approach. While they are all beautiful in their own right, each showcases an eclectic mix of textures and influences. How did each visual style originate?
Raul Garcia: Everything started with “The Tell-Tale Heart," which was the first short I made for this project, which originally was supposed to be a one-off. This was a story that I wanted to tell with art inspired by one of the greatest comic book artist there is, Alberto Breccia. He was Argentine comic book artist. It was about adapting his style to this story. Departing from this decision I created a set rules for myself, which I would apply to the rest of the stories. Since for this first story I had used Breccia’s art as the basis, I thought that for the rest of the stories I would try to reconnect with all the artistic influences I’ve had in my life and apply them in a way that had something to do with the spirit of the each story. I searched for things that attracted in terms of artistic styles and I tried to adapt them into the world of animation to make these short films.
For example, in “The Fall of the House of Usher,” the idea was for the characters to look as if they were carved out of wood, like if they were figures that belonged to Czech animator Jirí Trnka. In “The Masque of the Red Death,” the biggest influence was Egon Schiele and Bruegel. Egon Schiele worked with oil paint, but he used very thin layers of paint which made his works look like watercolors. I tried to resemble that to create moving painting for that’s story. That short is one of my favorites, because in Poe’s original story there is no dialogue except for the line that’s in the short. It’s all very descriptive. This really represented a challenged that allowed me to have fun during the process of creating it. I’ve always tried to find those distinct approaches because this is a 3D animated film and I wanted to stay away from the style that all 3D animated films have today. They are all rendered in the same manner with photorealist textures. I tried to make something much more pictorial, so that the audience wouldn’t know if they were watching something done in 3D, 2D, in oil paintings, or made out of cut-outs.
The segment based on “The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar” looks very much like if it was a 2D animated film. It's interesting to hear it was all 3D.
Raul Garcia Yes. Poe wrote that story as if it was a real case or the study written by a scientist taking notes from an experiment. When it was published people thought that the case in the story actually happened. People though that what they were reading were the notes taken by a scientist that had brought a corpse back to life. Having this in mind, my approach to find the right style was to look at medical illustrations and to make the animation look like if it was taken from a medical journal. However, and because I think I should also tell you about the bad experiences, I have to admit that approach didn’t work. I didn’t like how it looked. It felt very cold and calculated. But then, I reread the story and realized that this story was over the top, very exaggerated. Then I thought about the horror comic books that I read when I was kid, which shared this outrageous and exaggerated spirit.
That’s when I decided to make this story based on the look of horror comic books from the 50s, which were printed on cheap paper and only used four different color inks. They were printed using the Cmyk color model, so the color spectrum used was very small. Colorists, who used to be very underpaid, did what they could with these four colors. Sometimes in one panel a face was blue and in the next one the same face was red, and nobody cared about having any sort of continuity [Laughs]. I applied this color limitation to this story. Besides the fact that the style is very much inspired by those comic books, the animation is also animated as if it was 2D. In computer animation each second is created by 24 frames and each one of these 24 frames is different. In 2D animation, to save time and money, you create 12 drawings and each drawing is used twice. In one second created of 24 frames you really only have 12 frames. I tried to do it this segment using this process as if it was 2D because it gives the animation a different cadence in comparison to the rest of the stories.
Then you have “The Pit and the Pendulum,” which is in a sense hyperrealist even though it still feels like there are elements of fine art in it.
Raul Garcia: That one was interesting because the original story takes place in a prison and there is only one character. When I started thinking about how to make these stories, what I wanted was to experiment with different types of animation and see how far we could get in terms of technology. Initially, I wanted to make this segment using motion capture. At the time I thought that films made using motion capture always looked bad, and I wanted to know why! [Laughs]. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a motion capture team to make it. At that moment the challenge changed, and we decided to make something hyperrealist - something I personally hate [Laughs]. I decided we should make something hyperrealist but with more traditional 3D animation and see how refined and subtle we could make it without using motion capture or any real life references. That’s how the style for this one came about, which I think it’s a blend between Goya and Nicéphore Niépce and the beginning of photography, mixed with those prisons that Piranesi drew in his carvings. What I’ve tried to do is give myself the pleasure and luxury to explore the universes of the artists I admire.
One of the many remarkable qualities of the film is that every segment captures the unsettling tone of the stories. The macabre atmosphere, regardless of which style you are using, is subtle but always present. At times it's truly terrifying.
Raul Garcia: Let’s remember that one of the biggest problems with horror cinema is showing too much. When horror turns into gore, when you show the monster, the killings, and the blood, it loses its suggestive powers. It loses part of what makes a horror film a horror film, which is that the images you see develop in your brain and you become the one imagining what you are not seeing on screen. You give the audience a bit of information, and he or she fills in the blanks with the most horrifying things they can think of. That was a key element I wanted to preserve. I didn’t want to make to make something very graphic, but instead maintain that mental introspection so that the viewer could put himself in that situation and imagine what’s happening.
In terms of the voice cast, you managed to put together and incredible cast including a voice from beyond the grave in a sense. The legendary Bela Lugosi returns thanks to your film. How did you obtain this recording?
Raul Garcia: It was a stroke of luck. I’m originally from Spain, so I’ve always read Edgar Allan Poe’s works in Spanish and at some point I wanted to enjoy the original material in English. For several years now I’ve been collecting narrated versions of Poe’s works. When I was getting ready to make “The Tell-Tale Heart, “ I discovered a recording of Bella Lugosi narrating this tale on Ebay. It was a cassette tape that was a copy of the original. It was the copy of the copy, of the copy, of the copy [Laughs]. When I finally got it the first thing I did was contact Bela G. Lugosi, his son who handles the Bela Lugosi’s state, and I discovered that this recording had never been published or released. Bela G. Lugosi didn’t even have in his archive, as it had been lost. Nobody had heard it and it hadn’t been exploited at all. I restored it as best as I could, but since I made that short in 2006 the technology was probably not as good as it's now. I tried to digitally polish it as much as possible to remove the static sound. But even though I wasn’t completely successful, I think that this static you hear gives the narration an unsettling quality. It sounds like something from another time that has returned after many years.
He was an icon in the horror genre, which makes it even more special for a film like "Extraordinary Tale."
Raul Garcia: Absolutely. This was the first short I did, so when I decided that it would instead be an anthology of several shorts, the bar was very high in terms of the voices that I could use. If the first one is someone as big as Bela Lugosi, who could be next? That pushed me to seek voices that meant something in the world of science fiction, fantasy and horror. The next short I made was “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and evidently Christopher Lee was the number candidate on my wish list.
How did you manage to get Christopher Lee to be a part of the film? "Extraordinary Tales" is the last film project he worked on before, unfortunately, passing away.
Raul Garcia: Unfortunately, as you point out, it's his last film appearance. But on the other hand, we were so fortunate to have his talent because it was really an incredible experience to work with him. It was very emotional for me, I was working with my childhood idol. It was great. When I recorded his voice, Christopher Lee was 89-years-old. He wasn’t very interested in revisiting horror cinema because at the time he was focused on becoming the lead singer of a heavy metal band [Laughs]. He was recording an album that was sort of like a heavy-metal-rock-opera based on the Charlemagne’s life. He was so passionate about it. It was hard to believe that an 89-year-old man had so much energy to do that. When I showed him the artwork he changed his mind and he agreed to do it. It was also funny that he didn’t want to go to a recording studio to do it. We set up a recording studio in his home so he could record it whenever he felt inspired.
Then you have Guillermo Del Toro, who has become Hollywood’s genre master working in horror, fantasy, and science fiction, and more recently in animation. How did he come on board?
Raul Garcia: Guillermo and I have been friends since the time he lived in Spain, and when I was searching for voices that were meaningful and important in the horror and fantasy genres he was high on my list. I know that deep inside Guillermo has a thing for acting, which he never talks about [Laughs]. I asked him to narrate the short and he agreed immediately. Then we had to chase him for a couple years because he has been extremely busy in the last few years, and we could never find the right time to do it. In the end we did it and Guillermo really gave it his all. His narration is very interesting and intriguing because it’s not the Guillermo we know. It’s a different facet of his talent that nobody knew about
Tell me about the process of creating the frame narrative in which Poe, in the shape of the iconic raven, has a dialogue with Death. This conversations connect the five major segments and give insight into the tormented mind of the artist.
Raul Garcia: I wanted to make a feature-length work and I didn’t like the idea of just putting one short after the other. It felt to me like it would look like a shorts program at a festival without any relationship between them, when in fact the relationship between them is Poe and his personal story. These interludes or framing segments where the last to be produced and at that point we were out of money, out of time, out of patience, out of everything [Laughs]. As I was working on each of the shorts the framing story that would unite them changed. Initially I wanted to unite the stories with this epic framing narrative where we would see the last day in Poe’s life as he went drunk from bar to bar until he dies. Then it changed to a story where Poe was lonely walking down the street towards the cemetery and finding different things that would remind him of his stories along the way.
As we got farther into production of the five major segments the framing narrative kept on changing and becoming shorter. In the end it became this dialogue between Poe and Death, which is like Scheherazade and the One Thousand and One Nights, where they tell each other stories. Poe wants to postpone his own death, while Death wants to convince him that if he is so miserable he might be better off dead. The biggest problem I faced, and which was truly a nightmare, is that as a viewer I don’t really like anthology films where there are connecting segments in between the stories, like George A. Romero's "Creepshow." As a viewer, when we get to the interludes or the framing narrative, what I’m thinking is, “Come on, Come, on, start the next story already!” [Laughs]. That’s why I really thought about the rhythm of these segments to try to precent the viewer from thinking, “I don’t want to see this. I want to see the next story.” I also wanted to give the viewer small doses of information needed for the whole story to make sense and for it to have structure.
Why do you think Edgar Allan Poe became so fascinated, even obsessed, with death and the darker and more disturbing aspects of the human condition?
Raul Garcia: Poe lived in a very romantic time. His life was the life of the typical tortured artist. His mother died when he was very young and his wife also died very young. In the Victorian era the health standards and life expectancy weren’t very high, thus death was a constant possibility lurking around. Besides this, his turbulent life turn him into a taciturn man with mental health issues. I think this really had an effect in the obsession he had with death. More than with death in general, he was obsessed with the possibility of being buried alive and discovering that he had to hold on to life even after death.
His work definitely set a precedent in the horror genre and in literature as a whole.
Raul Garcia: He was the first one to write horror stories. Without Poe probably Sherlock Holmes wouldn’t have been written because when Poe wrote the adventures of Dupin, like The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Purloined Letter, he was setting up the basis for what would become the detective novel. In a way Poe was a big influence for Conan Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes. I think he really did influence many artist of the time like Baudelaire, who was a big fan of Poe, and who was the one that brought attention to Poe’s work in Europe. That’s how another generation of writers like Lord Dunsany, Ambrose Bierce, and many others were influenced by Poe’s stories.
Besides working in the U.S. you've worked in animated projects in Spain and Latin America, what's the most difficult aspect about creating animation in countries that are not necessarily seen as animation producers or that perhaps haven't fully developed the infrastructure for it?
Raul Garcia: I’ve worked in animation for a long time. I started in Spain and I wanted to make feature films. That desire to figure out how to make animated features brought me to the U.S. to work for Disney. Now things are different, in recent years technology has made it easier to make animated films than it used to be maybe 15 or 20 years ago. This has made it possible for the latent talents that are in countries without a tradition in animation to explore, learn, and create work. The biggest problem in countries that don’t have a tradition in animation or a film industry, is that precisely, that it’s not an industrial activity as it is in Hollywood where there are clear production procedures. Because of this we all become snipers making our films any way we can and crossing our fingers to get distribution so people can see them.
In a certain way working in animation has become very democratic because now anyone with the right technology can at least prepare a project from home in order to attract investors. Some people can even set up a small home studio and start working. Making features is much more complicated and expensive, but on the other hand, and thanks to this ubiquity and the decentralization of animation, anyone even in a small town can work with an animation program, stay in touch with people in other parts of the world, and manage to produce a film. That’s what we’ve done with "Extraordinary Tales,”although the film is a co-production between Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain and the U.S, in the end Mexican talent worked on it, people all over Spain worked on it, and even people in Honduras worked on it doing some modeling. With small teams across the world we managed to unite everyone’s talent to make the film.
"Extraordinary Tales" is finally opening in the U.S. Now that the cycle for this film is getting to its final stage, are you already working on your next project? Are you pursuing another horror writer to adapt into animation?
Raul Garcia: Independence can be tough. Without a studio to back you up, when you finish a feature and want to start a new project you have to start from zero. The next thing I want to do is to bring to the screen a novel by Cornelia Funke, she is also the voice of Death in “Extraordinary Tales.” She is a German author who wrote the novel “Inkheart,” which was made into a film a few years ago. The book I want to adapt is called “Young Werewolf,” but my version would be titled “Bitten." I’m still trying to find the initial financing that will allow me to get started and get things going. Once the initial financing is secured the rest becomes easier, and just like with “Extraordinary Tales,” we can make a film with the cooperation of several small studios. For example, another film I worked on was the Mexican animated feature “El Americano,” which was mostly made in Tijuana but also had teams in Puebla and Los Angeles. It’s possible, but you do have to have the financial infrastructure behind you so this can work. In the world of independent animation there are many projects that are never completed because they lack that structure.
"Extraordinary Tales" is now playing in L.A. at the Sundance Sunset Cinemas and In NYC at IFC Center.
Enthralled by this idea, Edgar Allan Poe explored humanity’s relationship with its fatal destiny by writing fiction that focused on the supernatural, on evil, and alternate realities, attempting to decipher this terrifying concept. “Extraordinary Tales," Raul Garcia's animated anthology, takes five of these stories by revered writer and transforms them into stylistically distinct shorts that are as visually striking as they are spine-chilling.
The Spanish animator became fascinated with Poe and his otherworldly stories at an early age, but worked on an array of projects before finally bringing one of his favorite authors to the screen by simultaneously honoring numerous other artists that have influenced his career. Each of the five segments in "Extraordinary Tales" is inspired by a different aesthetic, which makes for an eclectic showcase of what 3D animation could be beyond the mainstream conventions.
To make the film an even more compelling affair, Garcia was able to recruit some of the most important and iconic voices in genre cinema. Bela Lugosi reappears from beyond the grave thanks to a previously unreleased recording, Christopher Lee returns to horror one final time to narrate one of the episodes, Roger Corman continues to demonstrate his love for Poe by voicing one of the characters, and Guillermo del Toro shows his voice acting talents in an unexpected fashion.
During our conversation Garcia talked about his artistic influences, being an independent animator today, getting to work with his childhood heroes, and the biggest mistake horror films make when trying to instill fear.
How did you fall in love with Edgar Allan Poe's stories? What was the seed that sparked this fascination with his work that compelled you to create this beautiful animated anthology?
Raul Garcia: The seed was planted when I was bout 12-years-old because the firs adult book I read was a compilation of Poe’s stories. That was the first book for grown-ups I read [Laughs]. Then there was my passion as an avid comic book and graphic novel reader. I’ve always leaned towards the dark side, so it was the perfect combination. Since then, I’ve been a fan of horror literature and science fiction and fantasy as well. That first book was the seed that started it all.
Edgar Allan Poe’s stories have been adapted countless because it seems like they lend themselves to interpretation and experimentation. How did you approach the material to make your animated versions distinct from the rest?
Raul Garcia: There are thousands of different film adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe’s works everywhere. Obviously, the ones that most of us know are the ones done by Roger Corman in the 60s with Vincent Price, which were not really adaptations because they only used the titles as an excuse to make a horror film. When I decided to make my version of Poe’s stories, I wanted to respect the original material or to at least get closer to what his stories are really about. Most other adaptations I’ve seen sort of follow the story but they never satisfy me as an audience member or as a reader. I wanted to get closer to the spirit of the stories more than than to the text itself. I didn’t necessarily want to do it verbatim, but there are some lines of dialogue that I’ve taken literally from Poe’s writings. I wanted to make adaptations that distilled the essence of what attracted me about these stories in the first place.
Each segment has a very particular stylistic approach. While they are all beautiful in their own right, each showcases an eclectic mix of textures and influences. How did each visual style originate?
Raul Garcia: Everything started with “The Tell-Tale Heart," which was the first short I made for this project, which originally was supposed to be a one-off. This was a story that I wanted to tell with art inspired by one of the greatest comic book artist there is, Alberto Breccia. He was Argentine comic book artist. It was about adapting his style to this story. Departing from this decision I created a set rules for myself, which I would apply to the rest of the stories. Since for this first story I had used Breccia’s art as the basis, I thought that for the rest of the stories I would try to reconnect with all the artistic influences I’ve had in my life and apply them in a way that had something to do with the spirit of the each story. I searched for things that attracted in terms of artistic styles and I tried to adapt them into the world of animation to make these short films.
For example, in “The Fall of the House of Usher,” the idea was for the characters to look as if they were carved out of wood, like if they were figures that belonged to Czech animator Jirí Trnka. In “The Masque of the Red Death,” the biggest influence was Egon Schiele and Bruegel. Egon Schiele worked with oil paint, but he used very thin layers of paint which made his works look like watercolors. I tried to resemble that to create moving painting for that’s story. That short is one of my favorites, because in Poe’s original story there is no dialogue except for the line that’s in the short. It’s all very descriptive. This really represented a challenged that allowed me to have fun during the process of creating it. I’ve always tried to find those distinct approaches because this is a 3D animated film and I wanted to stay away from the style that all 3D animated films have today. They are all rendered in the same manner with photorealist textures. I tried to make something much more pictorial, so that the audience wouldn’t know if they were watching something done in 3D, 2D, in oil paintings, or made out of cut-outs.
The segment based on “The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar” looks very much like if it was a 2D animated film. It's interesting to hear it was all 3D.
Raul Garcia Yes. Poe wrote that story as if it was a real case or the study written by a scientist taking notes from an experiment. When it was published people thought that the case in the story actually happened. People though that what they were reading were the notes taken by a scientist that had brought a corpse back to life. Having this in mind, my approach to find the right style was to look at medical illustrations and to make the animation look like if it was taken from a medical journal. However, and because I think I should also tell you about the bad experiences, I have to admit that approach didn’t work. I didn’t like how it looked. It felt very cold and calculated. But then, I reread the story and realized that this story was over the top, very exaggerated. Then I thought about the horror comic books that I read when I was kid, which shared this outrageous and exaggerated spirit.
That’s when I decided to make this story based on the look of horror comic books from the 50s, which were printed on cheap paper and only used four different color inks. They were printed using the Cmyk color model, so the color spectrum used was very small. Colorists, who used to be very underpaid, did what they could with these four colors. Sometimes in one panel a face was blue and in the next one the same face was red, and nobody cared about having any sort of continuity [Laughs]. I applied this color limitation to this story. Besides the fact that the style is very much inspired by those comic books, the animation is also animated as if it was 2D. In computer animation each second is created by 24 frames and each one of these 24 frames is different. In 2D animation, to save time and money, you create 12 drawings and each drawing is used twice. In one second created of 24 frames you really only have 12 frames. I tried to do it this segment using this process as if it was 2D because it gives the animation a different cadence in comparison to the rest of the stories.
Then you have “The Pit and the Pendulum,” which is in a sense hyperrealist even though it still feels like there are elements of fine art in it.
Raul Garcia: That one was interesting because the original story takes place in a prison and there is only one character. When I started thinking about how to make these stories, what I wanted was to experiment with different types of animation and see how far we could get in terms of technology. Initially, I wanted to make this segment using motion capture. At the time I thought that films made using motion capture always looked bad, and I wanted to know why! [Laughs]. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a motion capture team to make it. At that moment the challenge changed, and we decided to make something hyperrealist - something I personally hate [Laughs]. I decided we should make something hyperrealist but with more traditional 3D animation and see how refined and subtle we could make it without using motion capture or any real life references. That’s how the style for this one came about, which I think it’s a blend between Goya and Nicéphore Niépce and the beginning of photography, mixed with those prisons that Piranesi drew in his carvings. What I’ve tried to do is give myself the pleasure and luxury to explore the universes of the artists I admire.
One of the many remarkable qualities of the film is that every segment captures the unsettling tone of the stories. The macabre atmosphere, regardless of which style you are using, is subtle but always present. At times it's truly terrifying.
Raul Garcia: Let’s remember that one of the biggest problems with horror cinema is showing too much. When horror turns into gore, when you show the monster, the killings, and the blood, it loses its suggestive powers. It loses part of what makes a horror film a horror film, which is that the images you see develop in your brain and you become the one imagining what you are not seeing on screen. You give the audience a bit of information, and he or she fills in the blanks with the most horrifying things they can think of. That was a key element I wanted to preserve. I didn’t want to make to make something very graphic, but instead maintain that mental introspection so that the viewer could put himself in that situation and imagine what’s happening.
In terms of the voice cast, you managed to put together and incredible cast including a voice from beyond the grave in a sense. The legendary Bela Lugosi returns thanks to your film. How did you obtain this recording?
Raul Garcia: It was a stroke of luck. I’m originally from Spain, so I’ve always read Edgar Allan Poe’s works in Spanish and at some point I wanted to enjoy the original material in English. For several years now I’ve been collecting narrated versions of Poe’s works. When I was getting ready to make “The Tell-Tale Heart, “ I discovered a recording of Bella Lugosi narrating this tale on Ebay. It was a cassette tape that was a copy of the original. It was the copy of the copy, of the copy, of the copy [Laughs]. When I finally got it the first thing I did was contact Bela G. Lugosi, his son who handles the Bela Lugosi’s state, and I discovered that this recording had never been published or released. Bela G. Lugosi didn’t even have in his archive, as it had been lost. Nobody had heard it and it hadn’t been exploited at all. I restored it as best as I could, but since I made that short in 2006 the technology was probably not as good as it's now. I tried to digitally polish it as much as possible to remove the static sound. But even though I wasn’t completely successful, I think that this static you hear gives the narration an unsettling quality. It sounds like something from another time that has returned after many years.
He was an icon in the horror genre, which makes it even more special for a film like "Extraordinary Tale."
Raul Garcia: Absolutely. This was the first short I did, so when I decided that it would instead be an anthology of several shorts, the bar was very high in terms of the voices that I could use. If the first one is someone as big as Bela Lugosi, who could be next? That pushed me to seek voices that meant something in the world of science fiction, fantasy and horror. The next short I made was “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and evidently Christopher Lee was the number candidate on my wish list.
How did you manage to get Christopher Lee to be a part of the film? "Extraordinary Tales" is the last film project he worked on before, unfortunately, passing away.
Raul Garcia: Unfortunately, as you point out, it's his last film appearance. But on the other hand, we were so fortunate to have his talent because it was really an incredible experience to work with him. It was very emotional for me, I was working with my childhood idol. It was great. When I recorded his voice, Christopher Lee was 89-years-old. He wasn’t very interested in revisiting horror cinema because at the time he was focused on becoming the lead singer of a heavy metal band [Laughs]. He was recording an album that was sort of like a heavy-metal-rock-opera based on the Charlemagne’s life. He was so passionate about it. It was hard to believe that an 89-year-old man had so much energy to do that. When I showed him the artwork he changed his mind and he agreed to do it. It was also funny that he didn’t want to go to a recording studio to do it. We set up a recording studio in his home so he could record it whenever he felt inspired.
Then you have Guillermo Del Toro, who has become Hollywood’s genre master working in horror, fantasy, and science fiction, and more recently in animation. How did he come on board?
Raul Garcia: Guillermo and I have been friends since the time he lived in Spain, and when I was searching for voices that were meaningful and important in the horror and fantasy genres he was high on my list. I know that deep inside Guillermo has a thing for acting, which he never talks about [Laughs]. I asked him to narrate the short and he agreed immediately. Then we had to chase him for a couple years because he has been extremely busy in the last few years, and we could never find the right time to do it. In the end we did it and Guillermo really gave it his all. His narration is very interesting and intriguing because it’s not the Guillermo we know. It’s a different facet of his talent that nobody knew about
Tell me about the process of creating the frame narrative in which Poe, in the shape of the iconic raven, has a dialogue with Death. This conversations connect the five major segments and give insight into the tormented mind of the artist.
Raul Garcia: I wanted to make a feature-length work and I didn’t like the idea of just putting one short after the other. It felt to me like it would look like a shorts program at a festival without any relationship between them, when in fact the relationship between them is Poe and his personal story. These interludes or framing segments where the last to be produced and at that point we were out of money, out of time, out of patience, out of everything [Laughs]. As I was working on each of the shorts the framing story that would unite them changed. Initially I wanted to unite the stories with this epic framing narrative where we would see the last day in Poe’s life as he went drunk from bar to bar until he dies. Then it changed to a story where Poe was lonely walking down the street towards the cemetery and finding different things that would remind him of his stories along the way.
As we got farther into production of the five major segments the framing narrative kept on changing and becoming shorter. In the end it became this dialogue between Poe and Death, which is like Scheherazade and the One Thousand and One Nights, where they tell each other stories. Poe wants to postpone his own death, while Death wants to convince him that if he is so miserable he might be better off dead. The biggest problem I faced, and which was truly a nightmare, is that as a viewer I don’t really like anthology films where there are connecting segments in between the stories, like George A. Romero's "Creepshow." As a viewer, when we get to the interludes or the framing narrative, what I’m thinking is, “Come on, Come, on, start the next story already!” [Laughs]. That’s why I really thought about the rhythm of these segments to try to precent the viewer from thinking, “I don’t want to see this. I want to see the next story.” I also wanted to give the viewer small doses of information needed for the whole story to make sense and for it to have structure.
Why do you think Edgar Allan Poe became so fascinated, even obsessed, with death and the darker and more disturbing aspects of the human condition?
Raul Garcia: Poe lived in a very romantic time. His life was the life of the typical tortured artist. His mother died when he was very young and his wife also died very young. In the Victorian era the health standards and life expectancy weren’t very high, thus death was a constant possibility lurking around. Besides this, his turbulent life turn him into a taciturn man with mental health issues. I think this really had an effect in the obsession he had with death. More than with death in general, he was obsessed with the possibility of being buried alive and discovering that he had to hold on to life even after death.
His work definitely set a precedent in the horror genre and in literature as a whole.
Raul Garcia: He was the first one to write horror stories. Without Poe probably Sherlock Holmes wouldn’t have been written because when Poe wrote the adventures of Dupin, like The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Purloined Letter, he was setting up the basis for what would become the detective novel. In a way Poe was a big influence for Conan Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes. I think he really did influence many artist of the time like Baudelaire, who was a big fan of Poe, and who was the one that brought attention to Poe’s work in Europe. That’s how another generation of writers like Lord Dunsany, Ambrose Bierce, and many others were influenced by Poe’s stories.
Besides working in the U.S. you've worked in animated projects in Spain and Latin America, what's the most difficult aspect about creating animation in countries that are not necessarily seen as animation producers or that perhaps haven't fully developed the infrastructure for it?
Raul Garcia: I’ve worked in animation for a long time. I started in Spain and I wanted to make feature films. That desire to figure out how to make animated features brought me to the U.S. to work for Disney. Now things are different, in recent years technology has made it easier to make animated films than it used to be maybe 15 or 20 years ago. This has made it possible for the latent talents that are in countries without a tradition in animation to explore, learn, and create work. The biggest problem in countries that don’t have a tradition in animation or a film industry, is that precisely, that it’s not an industrial activity as it is in Hollywood where there are clear production procedures. Because of this we all become snipers making our films any way we can and crossing our fingers to get distribution so people can see them.
In a certain way working in animation has become very democratic because now anyone with the right technology can at least prepare a project from home in order to attract investors. Some people can even set up a small home studio and start working. Making features is much more complicated and expensive, but on the other hand, and thanks to this ubiquity and the decentralization of animation, anyone even in a small town can work with an animation program, stay in touch with people in other parts of the world, and manage to produce a film. That’s what we’ve done with "Extraordinary Tales,”although the film is a co-production between Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain and the U.S, in the end Mexican talent worked on it, people all over Spain worked on it, and even people in Honduras worked on it doing some modeling. With small teams across the world we managed to unite everyone’s talent to make the film.
"Extraordinary Tales" is finally opening in the U.S. Now that the cycle for this film is getting to its final stage, are you already working on your next project? Are you pursuing another horror writer to adapt into animation?
Raul Garcia: Independence can be tough. Without a studio to back you up, when you finish a feature and want to start a new project you have to start from zero. The next thing I want to do is to bring to the screen a novel by Cornelia Funke, she is also the voice of Death in “Extraordinary Tales.” She is a German author who wrote the novel “Inkheart,” which was made into a film a few years ago. The book I want to adapt is called “Young Werewolf,” but my version would be titled “Bitten." I’m still trying to find the initial financing that will allow me to get started and get things going. Once the initial financing is secured the rest becomes easier, and just like with “Extraordinary Tales,” we can make a film with the cooperation of several small studios. For example, another film I worked on was the Mexican animated feature “El Americano,” which was mostly made in Tijuana but also had teams in Puebla and Los Angeles. It’s possible, but you do have to have the financial infrastructure behind you so this can work. In the world of independent animation there are many projects that are never completed because they lack that structure.
"Extraordinary Tales" is now playing in L.A. at the Sundance Sunset Cinemas and In NYC at IFC Center.
- 10/24/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
From thrillers to sci-fi to horror, here's our pick of 20 films from 1986 that surely deserve a bit more love...
A fascinating year for film, 1986. It was a time when a glossy, expensive movie about handsome men in planes could dominate the box-office, sure (that would be Top Gun). But it was also a year when Oliver Stone went off with just $6m and came back with Platoon, one of the biggest hits of the year both financially and in terms of accolades. It was also a period when the British movie industry was briefly back on its feet, resulting in a new golden age of great films - one or two of them are even on this list.
As ever, there were certain films that, despite their entertainment value or genuine brilliance in terms of movie making, somehow managed to slip through the net. So to redress the balance a little,...
A fascinating year for film, 1986. It was a time when a glossy, expensive movie about handsome men in planes could dominate the box-office, sure (that would be Top Gun). But it was also a year when Oliver Stone went off with just $6m and came back with Platoon, one of the biggest hits of the year both financially and in terms of accolades. It was also a period when the British movie industry was briefly back on its feet, resulting in a new golden age of great films - one or two of them are even on this list.
As ever, there were certain films that, despite their entertainment value or genuine brilliance in terms of movie making, somehow managed to slip through the net. So to redress the balance a little,...
- 8/26/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
One of the most versatile and brilliant writers in history, Edgar Allan Poe was an American author who helped to influence scores of other literary greats.
Active during the 1840s and 1850s, Poe dabbled in mystery and detective writing, he helped to continue the emergence of the science-fiction genre of literature, and was part of the American Romantic Movement – even becoming the first well-known Us-born author to attempt to earn a living through his literary works alone.
Best known for his poems “The Raven”, “The Bells” and “Eldorado”, Poe also wrote several short stories, including “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, “The Gold-Bug” and “The Black Cat”.
Interestingly though, Poe also tried his hand at other forms of literature – writing one play (“Politian”) and one completed novel (“The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket”) during his lifetime.
But aside from his brilliant works, Poe’s life itself also makes for fascinating reading.
Active during the 1840s and 1850s, Poe dabbled in mystery and detective writing, he helped to continue the emergence of the science-fiction genre of literature, and was part of the American Romantic Movement – even becoming the first well-known Us-born author to attempt to earn a living through his literary works alone.
Best known for his poems “The Raven”, “The Bells” and “Eldorado”, Poe also wrote several short stories, including “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, “The Gold-Bug” and “The Black Cat”.
Interestingly though, Poe also tried his hand at other forms of literature – writing one play (“Politian”) and one completed novel (“The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket”) during his lifetime.
But aside from his brilliant works, Poe’s life itself also makes for fascinating reading.
- 3/17/2015
- by Chris Waugh
- Obsessed with Film
Well it’s that time of year again – the one where websites across the globe churn out Top 10 list after top ten list. So why should we be any different?! Yet whilst we may be following the predictable end of year lists, I can guarantee that my list is anything but predictable, featuring films from across the globe: including the Us, Canada, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and even good old Blighty!
This year more than ever there has been film after film that knocked it out of the park for me – which is why my Top 10 list has Two sections: the Top 10 and then the pick of 35(!) more brilliant movies (I would have loved this list to be a Top 45, honestly). So what’s my criteria? Well it has to be a movie I’ve seen this year, one that was released this year, i.e. making its UK debut,...
This year more than ever there has been film after film that knocked it out of the park for me – which is why my Top 10 list has Two sections: the Top 10 and then the pick of 35(!) more brilliant movies (I would have loved this list to be a Top 45, honestly). So what’s my criteria? Well it has to be a movie I’ve seen this year, one that was released this year, i.e. making its UK debut,...
- 12/19/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
I’m very excited about the recent growth of comic book creators in the Midwest and in the Saint Louis region in particular. Creators Jim Mahfood, Cullen Bunn and Matt Kindt have established themselves in the industry and have gained quite a following but still show up at local events every year and their diversity will hopefully show that anyone can make comics. And hopefully, next year, we’ll have two comic book conventions where aspiring creators can talk to and learn from both national and local creators. Personally, I think it’s a great time to be into comics, especially with the world of digital distribution making it easier to get your work out there independently.
The Empty Man #1
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Colorist: Michael Garland
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Price: $4 (digital)
So I kind of feel terrible about what happened with local writer Cullen Bunn...
The Empty Man #1
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Colorist: Michael Garland
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Price: $4 (digital)
So I kind of feel terrible about what happened with local writer Cullen Bunn...
- 6/13/2014
- by Chris Melkus
- Destroy the Brain
The following is a list of all comic books, graphic novels and specialty items that will be available this week and shipped to comic book stores who have placed orders for them.
Adhouse Books
Bad-Ventures Bobo Backslack Gn, $14.95
Antarctic Press
Gold Digger #211, $3.99
Archie Comic Publications
Archie Double Digest #251, $3.99
Sonic The Hedgehog #261 (Ben Bates Regular Cover), $2.99
Sonic The Hedgehog #261 (Tracy Yardley Is It Summer Yet Variant Cover), $2.99
Avatar Press
Caliban #3 (Facundo Percio Dark Matter Cover), $9.99
Crossed Badlands #55 (Christian Zanier Regular Cover), $3.99
Crossed Badlands #55 (Matt Martin Fatal Fantasy Cover), $3.99
Crossed Badlands #55 (Christian Zanier Red Crossed Incentive Cover), Ar
Crossed Badlands #55 (Christian Zanier Torture Cover), $3.99
Crossed Badlands #55 (Gabriel Andrade Wraparound Cover), $3.99
Crossed Volume 9 Hc, $27.99
Crossed Volume 9 Tp, $19.99
Dicks End Of Time #1 (John McCrea Regular Cover), $3.99
Dicks End Of Time #1 (John McCrea Classic Moment Incentive Cover), Ar
Dicks End Of Time #1 (John McCrea Offensive Cover), $3.99
God Is Dead #14 (Jacen Burrows Regular Cover), $3.99
God Is...
Adhouse Books
Bad-Ventures Bobo Backslack Gn, $14.95
Antarctic Press
Gold Digger #211, $3.99
Archie Comic Publications
Archie Double Digest #251, $3.99
Sonic The Hedgehog #261 (Ben Bates Regular Cover), $2.99
Sonic The Hedgehog #261 (Tracy Yardley Is It Summer Yet Variant Cover), $2.99
Avatar Press
Caliban #3 (Facundo Percio Dark Matter Cover), $9.99
Crossed Badlands #55 (Christian Zanier Regular Cover), $3.99
Crossed Badlands #55 (Matt Martin Fatal Fantasy Cover), $3.99
Crossed Badlands #55 (Christian Zanier Red Crossed Incentive Cover), Ar
Crossed Badlands #55 (Christian Zanier Torture Cover), $3.99
Crossed Badlands #55 (Gabriel Andrade Wraparound Cover), $3.99
Crossed Volume 9 Hc, $27.99
Crossed Volume 9 Tp, $19.99
Dicks End Of Time #1 (John McCrea Regular Cover), $3.99
Dicks End Of Time #1 (John McCrea Classic Moment Incentive Cover), Ar
Dicks End Of Time #1 (John McCrea Offensive Cover), $3.99
God Is Dead #14 (Jacen Burrows Regular Cover), $3.99
God Is...
- 6/9/2014
- by Adam B.
- GeekRest
We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes details on zombie-themed charities working to fight Cancer, DVD release details for Raze, first details on Autumn Moon and The Infected, and much more:
The Walking Hope Charity Details: “Do you Relay like I do? Are you a supporter of Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society? Are you a fan of the AMC Show “The Walking Dead?” Yes…Yes…and Yes!! This shirt is for you! All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society via Rfl!
The Walking Hope has broad support of fans and cast and crew of the show like Melissa Mcbride, Norman Reedus, Addy Miller, Kyla Kenedy, Jon Bernthal, Steven Yeun, Emily Kinney, Lauren Cohan, Brighton Sharbino, Chad Coleman and more!
Each year, millions of people in 21 countries take place in Relay For Life events.
The Walking Hope Charity Details: “Do you Relay like I do? Are you a supporter of Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society? Are you a fan of the AMC Show “The Walking Dead?” Yes…Yes…and Yes!! This shirt is for you! All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society via Rfl!
The Walking Hope has broad support of fans and cast and crew of the show like Melissa Mcbride, Norman Reedus, Addy Miller, Kyla Kenedy, Jon Bernthal, Steven Yeun, Emily Kinney, Lauren Cohan, Brighton Sharbino, Chad Coleman and more!
Each year, millions of people in 21 countries take place in Relay For Life events.
- 4/27/2014
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Even after all these years, the tales of Edgar Allan Poe still send shivers down our spines, and a new indie anthology is ready to share some of the man's most macabre with a whole new audience. Read on for the skinny on P.O.E.: Project of Evil!
Italian horror maestros re-imagine seven Edgar Allan Poe tales in this dark, twisted anthology. Brain Damage Films is set to release the English-language, Italian-made disturbing horror anthology on DVD and On Demand May 6th across the Us and Canada.
Following up the successful 2011 film P.O.E.: Poetry of Eerie, in which 15 international directors were brought together to recreate 13 different Edgar Allan Poe stories, some of the original filmmakers have regrouped for this newest experiment.
While the original film's focus was the poetic and macabre dimension of the infamous Boston author, this sequel focuses instead on the bloody, violent,...
Italian horror maestros re-imagine seven Edgar Allan Poe tales in this dark, twisted anthology. Brain Damage Films is set to release the English-language, Italian-made disturbing horror anthology on DVD and On Demand May 6th across the Us and Canada.
Following up the successful 2011 film P.O.E.: Poetry of Eerie, in which 15 international directors were brought together to recreate 13 different Edgar Allan Poe stories, some of the original filmmakers have regrouped for this newest experiment.
While the original film's focus was the poetic and macabre dimension of the infamous Boston author, this sequel focuses instead on the bloody, violent,...
- 4/22/2014
- by Steve Barton
- DreadCentral.com
Stars: Cristiano Morroni, Dario Biancone, Angelo Campus, Santa De Santis, Francesco Malcom, Paolo Ricci, Alessandro Rella, Federica Tommasi, Desiree Giorgetti, Mario Cellini, Roberto Nali, David D’Ingeo, Virgilio Olivari, Claudio Zanelli, Lucio Zannella | Written and Directed by Donatello Della Pepa, Angelo & Giuseppe Capasso, Edo Tagliavini, Alberto Viavattene, Nathan Nicholovitch, Domiziano Cristopharo, Giuliano Giacomelli
Yet another release from Brain Damage Films, Poe: Project of Evil is a horror anthology, this time of a higher calibre than the likes of the recently reviewed Dead on Appraisal. A follow-up to P.O.E.: Poetry of Eerie, this film sees some of the original filmmakers regroup for another filmic experiment which brings the tales of Edgar Allan Poe to life through the distinct lens of Italian horror with spoken English. Whilst Poetry of Eerie‘s focus was the poetic and macabre dimension of the infamous Boston author, the sequel Poe: Project...
Yet another release from Brain Damage Films, Poe: Project of Evil is a horror anthology, this time of a higher calibre than the likes of the recently reviewed Dead on Appraisal. A follow-up to P.O.E.: Poetry of Eerie, this film sees some of the original filmmakers regroup for another filmic experiment which brings the tales of Edgar Allan Poe to life through the distinct lens of Italian horror with spoken English. Whilst Poetry of Eerie‘s focus was the poetic and macabre dimension of the infamous Boston author, the sequel Poe: Project...
- 3/30/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
The following is a list of all comic books, graphic novels and specialty items that will be available this week and shipped to comic book stores who have placed orders for them.
Aam Markosia
Endangered Weapon B Gn, $12.99
Aardvark Vanaheim
Low Society (One Shot), $4.99
Abstract Studios
Rachel Rising #19, $3.99
AC Comics
Femforce #164 (Cover A Eric Coile), $9.95
Femforce #164 (Cover B Eric Coile), $9.95
Alternative Comics
Magic Whistle #13 (not verified by Diamond), $3.99
Amigo Comics
Rogues #4, $3.99
Amryl Entertainment
Cavewoman The Many Faces Of Meriem Cooper (Devon Massey Regular Cover), $3.75
Cavewoman The Many Faces Of Meriem Cooper (Devon Massey Special Edition Cover), Ar
Antarctic Press
Victorian Secret 2013 Summer Catalog (One Shot), $3.99
Victorian Secret Agents Owlls Of Ironwork Isle #2 (Of 5), $3.95
Ape Entertainment
Genie The Genius #1 (Of 3), $2.99
Archaia Entertainment
Cyborg 009 Hc, $24.95
Ardden Entertainment
Mythopolis #1 (Cover A Marco Tunni), $3.99
Mythopolis #1 (Cover B Marco Tunni), $3.99
Mythopolis #1 (Cover C Carlos Zuniga), $3.99
Mythopolis #1 (Cover D Des Taylor), $3.99
Aspen Comics
Executive Assistant...
Aam Markosia
Endangered Weapon B Gn, $12.99
Aardvark Vanaheim
Low Society (One Shot), $4.99
Abstract Studios
Rachel Rising #19, $3.99
AC Comics
Femforce #164 (Cover A Eric Coile), $9.95
Femforce #164 (Cover B Eric Coile), $9.95
Alternative Comics
Magic Whistle #13 (not verified by Diamond), $3.99
Amigo Comics
Rogues #4, $3.99
Amryl Entertainment
Cavewoman The Many Faces Of Meriem Cooper (Devon Massey Regular Cover), $3.75
Cavewoman The Many Faces Of Meriem Cooper (Devon Massey Special Edition Cover), Ar
Antarctic Press
Victorian Secret 2013 Summer Catalog (One Shot), $3.99
Victorian Secret Agents Owlls Of Ironwork Isle #2 (Of 5), $3.95
Ape Entertainment
Genie The Genius #1 (Of 3), $2.99
Archaia Entertainment
Cyborg 009 Hc, $24.95
Ardden Entertainment
Mythopolis #1 (Cover A Marco Tunni), $3.99
Mythopolis #1 (Cover B Marco Tunni), $3.99
Mythopolis #1 (Cover C Carlos Zuniga), $3.99
Mythopolis #1 (Cover D Des Taylor), $3.99
Aspen Comics
Executive Assistant...
- 9/10/2013
- by Adam B.
- GeekRest
The following is a list of all comic books, graphic novels and specialty items that will be available this week and shipped to comic book stores who have placed orders for them.
Angry Viking Press
Evil Diva Volume 2 Gn (not verified by Diamond), $12.99
Swipe Gn (not verified by Diamond), $12.99
Archaia Entertainment
Classic Space 1999 To Everything That Was Sc, $24.95
Mouse Guard Legends Of The Guard Volume 2 #2 (Of 4), $3.50
Archie Comic Publications
Archie #647 (Dan Parent Regular Cover), $2.99
Archie #647 (Jeff Shultz Variant Cover), $2.99
Betty And Veronica Double Digest #215, $3.99
Sonic Super Special Magazine #8 (Sticker Spectacular), $9.99
Sonic The Hedgehog #252 (Ben Bates Regular Cover), $2.99
Sonic The Hedgehog #252 (Sega Variant Cover), $2.99
Sonic The Hedgehog Select Volume 8 Tp, $11.99
Aspen Comics
Charismagic Volume 2 #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Vincenzo Cucca), $3.99
Charismagic Volume 2 #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Mirka Andolfo), $3.99
Avatar Press
Absolution Rubicon #3 (Daniel Gete Electric Blue Incentive Cover), Ar
Absolution Rubicon #3 (Daniel Gete Happy Kitty Premium Cover), $9.99
Absolution Rubicon #3 (Daniel Gete Regular Cover...
Angry Viking Press
Evil Diva Volume 2 Gn (not verified by Diamond), $12.99
Swipe Gn (not verified by Diamond), $12.99
Archaia Entertainment
Classic Space 1999 To Everything That Was Sc, $24.95
Mouse Guard Legends Of The Guard Volume 2 #2 (Of 4), $3.50
Archie Comic Publications
Archie #647 (Dan Parent Regular Cover), $2.99
Archie #647 (Jeff Shultz Variant Cover), $2.99
Betty And Veronica Double Digest #215, $3.99
Sonic Super Special Magazine #8 (Sticker Spectacular), $9.99
Sonic The Hedgehog #252 (Ben Bates Regular Cover), $2.99
Sonic The Hedgehog #252 (Sega Variant Cover), $2.99
Sonic The Hedgehog Select Volume 8 Tp, $11.99
Aspen Comics
Charismagic Volume 2 #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Vincenzo Cucca), $3.99
Charismagic Volume 2 #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Mirka Andolfo), $3.99
Avatar Press
Absolution Rubicon #3 (Daniel Gete Electric Blue Incentive Cover), Ar
Absolution Rubicon #3 (Daniel Gete Happy Kitty Premium Cover), $9.99
Absolution Rubicon #3 (Daniel Gete Regular Cover...
- 9/3/2013
- by Adam B.
- GeekRest
This month sees the release of Beyond Rue Morgue, an anthology of original stories featuring Edgar Allan Poe’s Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, the world’s first literary detective. The book features stories from authors such as Clive Barker, Joe R. Lansdale, Jonathan Maberry, and Weston Ochse, and we have Mike Carey’s story for you to read right now:
“Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ introduced the world to its first literary detective, Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, and established many literary devices used in future fictional detectives, including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Now Dupin’s legacy continues in brand-new tales of ratiocination, mystery, and the macabre. Experience the further exploits of Dupin as he faces enemies both human and otherworldly; follow the adventures of his grandson, the Pinkerton detective; learn the fate of Dupin’s great-granddaughter; discover how Dupin connects his creator,...
“Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ introduced the world to its first literary detective, Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, and established many literary devices used in future fictional detectives, including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Now Dupin’s legacy continues in brand-new tales of ratiocination, mystery, and the macabre. Experience the further exploits of Dupin as he faces enemies both human and otherworldly; follow the adventures of his grandson, the Pinkerton detective; learn the fate of Dupin’s great-granddaughter; discover how Dupin connects his creator,...
- 7/22/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
We recently told you about Beyond Rue Morgue: Further Tales of Edgar Allan Poe's 1st Detective, an anthology of original stories featuring Poe's beloved character Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, and now we have an exclusive excerpt to share.
The book was released today, July 16th, by Titan Books; and its stories feature Poe's iconic creation Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, the world's first literary detective. The excerpt is from the tale entitled "The Vanishing Assassin" by Jonathan Maberry (visit his official site here).
Click here for our exclusive Beyond Rue Morgue excerpt!
Synopsis:
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue introduced the world to its first literary detective, Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, and established many literary devices used in future fictional detectives, including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.
Now Dupin’s legacy continues in brand-new tales of ratiocination, mystery, and the macabre.
The book was released today, July 16th, by Titan Books; and its stories feature Poe's iconic creation Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, the world's first literary detective. The excerpt is from the tale entitled "The Vanishing Assassin" by Jonathan Maberry (visit his official site here).
Click here for our exclusive Beyond Rue Morgue excerpt!
Synopsis:
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue introduced the world to its first literary detective, Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, and established many literary devices used in future fictional detectives, including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.
Now Dupin’s legacy continues in brand-new tales of ratiocination, mystery, and the macabre.
- 7/16/2013
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Whether you do your summer reading by the pool, at the beach, or in the A/C, here are three new releases that should be on your radar: an anthology featuring Edgar Allan Poe's Detective Dupin, an historical horror novella, and a zombie tale from an Active Duty soldier.
First is news of Titan Books' Beyond Rue Morgue: Further Tales of Edgar Allan Poe's 1st Detective, an anthology of original stories featuring Poe's iconic creation Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, the world's first literary detective.
Synopsis:
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue introduced the world to its first literary detective, Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, and established many literary devices used in future fictional detectives, including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.
Now Dupin’s legacy continues in brand-new tales of ratiocination, mystery, and the macabre. Experience the further exploits of Dupin as he...
First is news of Titan Books' Beyond Rue Morgue: Further Tales of Edgar Allan Poe's 1st Detective, an anthology of original stories featuring Poe's iconic creation Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, the world's first literary detective.
Synopsis:
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue introduced the world to its first literary detective, Le Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin, and established many literary devices used in future fictional detectives, including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.
Now Dupin’s legacy continues in brand-new tales of ratiocination, mystery, and the macabre. Experience the further exploits of Dupin as he...
- 7/5/2013
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
Get Franco! Australia bans another film Directed, co-written and edited by Alberto Viavattene, the horror short film Morgue Street, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's story, was scheduled for a screening at the A Night of Horror Film Festival, which runs until April 21 in Sydney. However, some serious problems arose: Two days prior to the show, the Australian Classification Board, the same bastions of morality who denied a classification for Travis Mathews' gay -- and sexually explicit -- sort-of love story I Want Your Love earlier this year -- thus irritating James Franco, who created a protest video -- , put a stake through Morgue Street's heart with an Rc -- "Refused Classification" -- rating, officially as a result of "material that is considered to offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults." Left bleeding by the Australian censorship board, Morgue Street cannot...
- 4/18/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
By Seth Metoyer, MoreHorror.com
The trailer for the indie short film Morgue Street (based on the Edgar Allan Poe story "The Murders in The Rue Morgue") recently caught my eye.
Check out the trailer yourself below the information about the film that author Jack Ketchum (The Woman) called "impressive and perverse".
I've also included a larger poster and a couple movie stills for you to chomp on. Check it!
About Morgue Street:
"Morgue Street" is an Italian short movie directed and edited by Alberto Viavattene and based upon the story "The Murders in The Rue Morgue" by Edgar Allan Poe. It is slated to be part of the anthology "Poe 2 - Project of Evil".
The screenplay was written by Emiliano Ranzani (who also photographed the movie) and Viavattene himself: it tells the story of two prostitutes, mother and daughter, played by Desiree Giorgetti (star of "Morituris" and "Ritual:...
The trailer for the indie short film Morgue Street (based on the Edgar Allan Poe story "The Murders in The Rue Morgue") recently caught my eye.
Check out the trailer yourself below the information about the film that author Jack Ketchum (The Woman) called "impressive and perverse".
I've also included a larger poster and a couple movie stills for you to chomp on. Check it!
About Morgue Street:
"Morgue Street" is an Italian short movie directed and edited by Alberto Viavattene and based upon the story "The Murders in The Rue Morgue" by Edgar Allan Poe. It is slated to be part of the anthology "Poe 2 - Project of Evil".
The screenplay was written by Emiliano Ranzani (who also photographed the movie) and Viavattene himself: it tells the story of two prostitutes, mother and daughter, played by Desiree Giorgetti (star of "Morituris" and "Ritual:...
- 9/24/2012
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Based on the gruesome mysteries of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven, starring John Cusack, Luke Evans and Alice Eve out now on DVD and Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Pictures (UK). Lock your doors and brace yourself as this Saw-esque thriller keeps you gripped to the very end.
We have three copies of the Blu-ray to give away.
Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta, Ninja Assassin), this suspenseful horror sees Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack, Being John Malkovich) join forces with young Baltimore detective, Emmet Fields (Luke Evans, Immortals) to hunt down a serial killer. Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey) also join the cast to help solve the string of violent killings.
When a mother and daughter are found brutally murdered in 19th century Baltimore, detective Emmett Fields makes a startling discovery. The crime resembles a fictional murder described in gory detail in the local newspaper...
We have three copies of the Blu-ray to give away.
Directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta, Ninja Assassin), this suspenseful horror sees Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack, Being John Malkovich) join forces with young Baltimore detective, Emmet Fields (Luke Evans, Immortals) to hunt down a serial killer. Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey) also join the cast to help solve the string of violent killings.
When a mother and daughter are found brutally murdered in 19th century Baltimore, detective Emmett Fields makes a startling discovery. The crime resembles a fictional murder described in gory detail in the local newspaper...
- 7/31/2012
- by Matt Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
Mickey Spillane grabbed his position in the pop culture pantheon much like his iconic creation, private eye Mike Hammer, made his way through a case: through a sort of literary brute force, blasting away with heavy doses of graphic violence, steamy sex, and a style which reviewers often considered the prose version of a blunt object.
As a mystery writer, Spillane wasn’t as clever as Evan Hunter, nor as introspective as late career Ross MacDonald, nor did he have the insider’s street savvy of George V. Higgins, or the prose command of Raymond Chandler. Read today, some of his stuff seems so familiar and stale and excessive it borders on camp. But, whatever one’s qualitative judgment on Spillane and his canon, there’s no doubt his impact on the mystery genre – and the private eye tale in particular – was both massive and indelible, reaching beyond the printed...
As a mystery writer, Spillane wasn’t as clever as Evan Hunter, nor as introspective as late career Ross MacDonald, nor did he have the insider’s street savvy of George V. Higgins, or the prose command of Raymond Chandler. Read today, some of his stuff seems so familiar and stale and excessive it borders on camp. But, whatever one’s qualitative judgment on Spillane and his canon, there’s no doubt his impact on the mystery genre – and the private eye tale in particular – was both massive and indelible, reaching beyond the printed...
- 5/18/2012
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
Neither the rousing adventure it.s being marketed as nor the disaster I was braced for, The Raven is a fittingly dark and brooding mystery speculating on the fate of American writer Edgar Allan Poe who was found on a Baltimore park bench in a state of dementia in 1849 and died four days later at age 39. Though it.s assumed his death was caused by some disreputable cause such as alcoholism, the details have remained a mystery, all which serves as a springboard for this new film which theorizes he met his end while helping to solve a series of gruesome murders. The Raven is a mixed bag, a familiar serial killer film dressed up in 19th-century drag that.s sporadically enjoyable alternating between camp and seriousness.
The premise of The Raven is someone.s using scenarios from the works of Poe as inspiration for a series of ghastly murders...
The premise of The Raven is someone.s using scenarios from the works of Poe as inspiration for a series of ghastly murders...
- 4/27/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
It seems fitting that Edgar Allen Poe, the author who invented detective fiction with "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" in 1841, should tackle a mystery involving his own stories.
That's the premise of "The Raven," an anti-biopic that casts Poe (John Cusack) as a reluctant hero out to catch a Baltmore serial killer who's using his stories as the basis for some grisly murderousness. Directed by James McTeigue of "V For Vendetta," you might call this one "P For Poe," or perhaps "A For Awesome."
1. The choice to use Poe came after an initial pitch for "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Dead Fish: The Dr. Seuss Murders."
2. For a second we thought Alice Eve was re-enacting a scene as The Bride from "Kill Bill: Volume 2."
3. The killer gets the jump on a generic policeman who has "cannon fodder" written all over him.
4. "Let's see ... Pit? Check. Pendulum?...
That's the premise of "The Raven," an anti-biopic that casts Poe (John Cusack) as a reluctant hero out to catch a Baltmore serial killer who's using his stories as the basis for some grisly murderousness. Directed by James McTeigue of "V For Vendetta," you might call this one "P For Poe," or perhaps "A For Awesome."
1. The choice to use Poe came after an initial pitch for "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Dead Fish: The Dr. Seuss Murders."
2. For a second we thought Alice Eve was re-enacting a scene as The Bride from "Kill Bill: Volume 2."
3. The killer gets the jump on a generic policeman who has "cannon fodder" written all over him.
4. "Let's see ... Pit? Check. Pendulum?...
- 4/26/2012
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
ComingSoon.net's ShockTillYouDrop.com has posted a new "Murderous Vision" promo for Relativity Media's The Raven . In the video, which you can view by clicking here , star John Cusack is heard reciting a sample from "The Mystery of Marie Roget" (a sequel to "The Murders in the Rue Morgue"). In The Raven , opening in theaters on April 27, a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works. A young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) joins forces with Poe (Cusack) to stop him from making his stories a reality. For more exclusive content on The Raven , stay tuned to HellYeahTheRaven.Tumblr.com .
- 4/12/2012
- Comingsoon.net
Relativity Media has released the latest video promo for The Raven, opening April 27th, which mixes film footage with prose from the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
In the exclusive "murderous vision" spot you'll find after the jump, the film's star - John Cusack - is heard reciting a sample from The Mystery of Marie Roget (a sequel to The Murders in the Rue Morgue).
In The Raven, a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works. A young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) joins forces with Poe (Cusack) to stop him from making his stories a reality. Alice Eve and Brendan Gleeson co-star.
V for Vendetta's James McTeigue directs. Head inside for the video!
Read more...
In the exclusive "murderous vision" spot you'll find after the jump, the film's star - John Cusack - is heard reciting a sample from The Mystery of Marie Roget (a sequel to The Murders in the Rue Morgue).
In The Raven, a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works. A young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) joins forces with Poe (Cusack) to stop him from making his stories a reality. Alice Eve and Brendan Gleeson co-star.
V for Vendetta's James McTeigue directs. Head inside for the video!
Read more...
- 4/12/2012
- shocktillyoudrop.com
A drunken, drug-taking, penniless Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack) spends the last week of his brief life staggering around a gloomy Baltimore in 1849 pursued by a ludic copycat serial killer, who recreates gory scenes from Poe's morbid stories, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Pit and the Pendulum" among them. It's a moderately entertaining thriller that (contrary to the claims of its writers and director) throws little light on Poe's character and none on the mystery surrounding his death. The chief influence clearly comes from Douglas Hickox's classic thriller Theatre of Blood (1973), in which the cinema's supreme exponent of Poe, Vincent Price, plays a sadistic old actor exacting revenge on the London theatre critics' circle by dispatching them one by one in gory death scenes from Shakespeare.
ThrillerJohn CusackEdgar Allan PoePhilip French
guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
ThrillerJohn CusackEdgar Allan PoePhilip French
guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
- 3/12/2012
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Here's a historical high-concept pitch I couldn't resist: Edgar Allan Poe plays detective. What a terrific idea, the American literary greats reinvented as sleuths: "Emily Dickinson Investigates!"; "The Crime Casebooks of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald!" But no one's as suited to the job as the father of American literary Gothic. Poe, after all, is generally credited with inventing the whodunit in his story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue".
- 3/11/2012
- The Independent - Film
A satirical nightmare about a washed-up Edgar Allen Poe taking on a serial killer inspired by his stories has some nice touches
Literary journalism and celebrity are the subjects of this satirical nightmare fictionalising the last days of Edgar Allan Poe, who was found before his death in 1849 roaming the streets of Baltimore in a state of delirium; it is directed by James McTeigue and written by Hannah Shakespeare and Ben Livingston. John Cusack is wittily cast as the washed-up Poe. He is on the skids, always broke and hungover; the city's newspaper will no longer publish his literary reviews and the glory days of his celebrated macabre tales are a distant memory. Then a serial killer and No 1 Poe fan starts rampaging through the city, re-enacting the plots of classic stories such as The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Pit and the Pendulum, daring Poe to catch...
Literary journalism and celebrity are the subjects of this satirical nightmare fictionalising the last days of Edgar Allan Poe, who was found before his death in 1849 roaming the streets of Baltimore in a state of delirium; it is directed by James McTeigue and written by Hannah Shakespeare and Ben Livingston. John Cusack is wittily cast as the washed-up Poe. He is on the skids, always broke and hungover; the city's newspaper will no longer publish his literary reviews and the glory days of his celebrated macabre tales are a distant memory. Then a serial killer and No 1 Poe fan starts rampaging through the city, re-enacting the plots of classic stories such as The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Pit and the Pendulum, daring Poe to catch...
- 3/9/2012
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
The film may have been pushed back from March to April 27, but the publicity machine for literary thriller The Raven – James McTeigue’s dark thriller starring John Cusack as the doomed author Edgar Allen Poe, who joins forces with a young Baltimore detective (Immortals’ Luke Evans) to hunt down a mad serial killer whose murders are inspired by his writing — moves forward. Below, we have your exclusive first look at the new poster, which is appropriately cryptic and chilling.
As McTeigue told EW last summer, “ does one like The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Pit and Pendulum and...
As McTeigue told EW last summer, “ does one like The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Pit and Pendulum and...
- 1/24/2012
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW - Inside Movies
Since at least the 1940's, a mysterious man dressed all in black with a white scarf visited author Edgar Allan Poe's grave in Baltimore each year on Poe's birthday. But in 2010 the visitor failed to show. The same thing happened in 2011.
As of Thursday (Jan. 19), the mysterious man -- whose custom was to leave three roses and a half-empty bottle of cognac -- failed to show for the third time, leading Poeists to declare the tradition officially dead.
A group of diehard fans gathered at Poe's original resting place at a Baltimore cemetery late on Wednesday, but reports the Associated Press, only three impersonators appeared.
"It's over with," Poe House and Museum Curator Jeff Jerome says. "It will probably hit me later, but I'm too tired now to feel anything else."
Still, fans may inaugurate a new tradition of reading Poe's works graveside each year to mark the occasion.
As of Thursday (Jan. 19), the mysterious man -- whose custom was to leave three roses and a half-empty bottle of cognac -- failed to show for the third time, leading Poeists to declare the tradition officially dead.
A group of diehard fans gathered at Poe's original resting place at a Baltimore cemetery late on Wednesday, but reports the Associated Press, only three impersonators appeared.
"It's over with," Poe House and Museum Curator Jeff Jerome says. "It will probably hit me later, but I'm too tired now to feel anything else."
Still, fans may inaugurate a new tradition of reading Poe's works graveside each year to mark the occasion.
- 1/19/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Baltimore -- Edgar Allan Poe fans waited long past a midnight dreary, but it appears annual visits to the writer's grave in Baltimore by a mysterious figure called the "Poe Toaster" shall occur nevermore.
Poe House and Museum Curator Jeff Jerome said early Thursday that die-hard fans waited hours past when the tribute bearer normally arrives. But the "Poe Toaster" was a no-show for a third year in a row, leaving another unanswered question in a mystery worthy of the writer's legacy. Poe fans had said they would hold one last vigil this year before calling an end to the tradition.
"It's over with," Jerome said wearily. "It will probably hit me later, but I'm too tired now to feel anything else."
It is thought that the tributes of an anonymous man wearing black clothes with a white scarf and a wide-brimmed hat, who leaves three roses and a half-empty...
Poe House and Museum Curator Jeff Jerome said early Thursday that die-hard fans waited hours past when the tribute bearer normally arrives. But the "Poe Toaster" was a no-show for a third year in a row, leaving another unanswered question in a mystery worthy of the writer's legacy. Poe fans had said they would hold one last vigil this year before calling an end to the tradition.
"It's over with," Jerome said wearily. "It will probably hit me later, but I'm too tired now to feel anything else."
It is thought that the tributes of an anonymous man wearing black clothes with a white scarf and a wide-brimmed hat, who leaves three roses and a half-empty...
- 1/19/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
The new trend in Hollywood seems to be taking figures from the past and reimagining them as contemporary action heroes. The best recent example of this trend is, of course, Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes films, which take Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's eccentric, measured detective and remake him as a screwball, manic brawler. But now, with The Raven, director James McTeigue is upping the odds by revising not a fictional character, but a real person.
In The Raven, John Cusack portrays a crime-solving Edgar Allan Poe, which sounds ridiculous on its face, but after some consideration, it makes a little sense.
It's common knowledge that Poe was one of the great horror authors, but it's less known that he's also credited as the father of contemporary detective fiction. His 1841 tale The Murders in the Rue Morgue features the character C. Auguste Dupin, who is considered to be the original "great detective.
In The Raven, John Cusack portrays a crime-solving Edgar Allan Poe, which sounds ridiculous on its face, but after some consideration, it makes a little sense.
It's common knowledge that Poe was one of the great horror authors, but it's less known that he's also credited as the father of contemporary detective fiction. His 1841 tale The Murders in the Rue Morgue features the character C. Auguste Dupin, who is considered to be the original "great detective.
- 10/20/2011
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
Over the course of his long writing career, Edgar Allan Poe wrote some pretty grisly stories. There was "The Pit and the Pendulum," in which a man is strapped to a table under a slowly-lowering swinging blade; "The Tell Tale Heart," which was about a murderer tortured by the sound of a beating organ; "The Murders In The Rue Morgue," in which is the tale of an orangutan who brutally killed two women; and many, many others. So what would happen if a murderer decided to start those ideas and bringing them to life? That's exactly the story behind James McTeigue's The Raven. The first trailer for the film has arrived online. You can check it out below or in HD over on Apple. Overall it's not a bad preview. The scream at the beginning is an interesting and immediate way to set the mood and at the very...
- 10/7/2011
- cinemablend.com
.Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality..
-Edgar Allan Poe
Relativity Media invites you to remember the life of Edgar Allan Poe. October 7th, 2011 marks the 162nd anniversary of macabre-master Edgar Allan Poe.s untimely and mysterious death. To celebrate Poe.s life, and support Relativity Media.s upcoming theatrical release of The Raven on March 9, 2012, please see background information on the film, along with little-known facts about Poe.s life and a compendium of his works. The highly-anticipated gritty thriller directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) stars John Cusack (Being John Malkovich) in the role of Poe, in addition to Luke Evans (The Three Musketeers), and Alice Eve (Men In Black III ). The Raven.s official trailer will debut tonight on G4.s .Attack of the Show. and will premiere on Apple tomorrow!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theravenmovie...
-Edgar Allan Poe
Relativity Media invites you to remember the life of Edgar Allan Poe. October 7th, 2011 marks the 162nd anniversary of macabre-master Edgar Allan Poe.s untimely and mysterious death. To celebrate Poe.s life, and support Relativity Media.s upcoming theatrical release of The Raven on March 9, 2012, please see background information on the film, along with little-known facts about Poe.s life and a compendium of his works. The highly-anticipated gritty thriller directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) stars John Cusack (Being John Malkovich) in the role of Poe, in addition to Luke Evans (The Three Musketeers), and Alice Eve (Men In Black III ). The Raven.s official trailer will debut tonight on G4.s .Attack of the Show. and will premiere on Apple tomorrow!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theravenmovie...
- 10/6/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Relativity Media has released another fantastic poster for director James McTeigue's new Edgar Allen Poe murder thriller The Raven, witch stars John Cusack as Poe, Luke Evans, Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. I love this design it's simple, but the message is loud and clear. I also really liked the previous poster design that was unveiled during Comic-Con.
This is looking like it's going to be a great entertaining movie. The stuff I saw at Comic-Con was great, and I love the dark gothic look that it has. The film tells a fictionalized story of the last five mysterious days of Edgar Allen Poe’s life, following Poe as he joins the hunt for a serial killer whose murders are inspired by his own stories. In a previous interview McTeigue explained went into some more detail on the plot saying,
There's basically a serial killer loose in...
This is looking like it's going to be a great entertaining movie. The stuff I saw at Comic-Con was great, and I love the dark gothic look that it has. The film tells a fictionalized story of the last five mysterious days of Edgar Allen Poe’s life, following Poe as he joins the hunt for a serial killer whose murders are inspired by his own stories. In a previous interview McTeigue explained went into some more detail on the plot saying,
There's basically a serial killer loose in...
- 8/22/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
What’s that tap, tap, tapping at your door? It’s the new promo poster for Relativity Media’s The Raven, starring John Cusack as Edgar Allen Poe. Think a film about a long-dead author will be a real snoozer? If the bloody poster doesn’t change your mind, hit the jump to find out more.
Imagine being killed by the wicked machine in Poe’s The Pit and Pendulum, or maybe a fate straight out of The Murders in the Rue Morgue is more to your fancy. There’s a serial killer running around 1850′s Baltimore and he’s using Poe’s work as inspiration for his crimes. The nut-job apparently idolizes Poe because he leaves clues at the scene of the crime and says Poe is the only one that can catch him.
The movie is fiction but it’s done in a way that could make your imagination run wild,...
Imagine being killed by the wicked machine in Poe’s The Pit and Pendulum, or maybe a fate straight out of The Murders in the Rue Morgue is more to your fancy. There’s a serial killer running around 1850′s Baltimore and he’s using Poe’s work as inspiration for his crimes. The nut-job apparently idolizes Poe because he leaves clues at the scene of the crime and says Poe is the only one that can catch him.
The movie is fiction but it’s done in a way that could make your imagination run wild,...
- 7/22/2011
- by Marty Shaw
- Movie Cultists
Relativity Media has released this great movie poster for James McTeigue's new Edgar Allen Poe murder thriller The Raven, witch stars John Cusack as Poe, Luke Evans, Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. This really is a beautiful poster design.
I'm actually excited about this movie, everything I've seen from is so far looks solid. I love the dark gothic look that it has, and I'm a fan of Poe's work. Even though this is a fictionalized story, I still think it will be a sold film. At least that's what I'm hoping for. The film tells the story of the last five mysterious days of Edgar Allen Poe’s life, following Poe as he joins the hunt for a serial killer whose murders are inspired by his own stories. In a previous interview McTeigue explained went into some more detail on the plot saying,
There's basically...
I'm actually excited about this movie, everything I've seen from is so far looks solid. I love the dark gothic look that it has, and I'm a fan of Poe's work. Even though this is a fictionalized story, I still think it will be a sold film. At least that's what I'm hoping for. The film tells the story of the last five mysterious days of Edgar Allen Poe’s life, following Poe as he joins the hunt for a serial killer whose murders are inspired by his own stories. In a previous interview McTeigue explained went into some more detail on the plot saying,
There's basically...
- 7/21/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
This is our first official look at John Cusack in the upcoming Edgar Allen Poe film The Raven. The film is being directed by James McTeigue, and is a fictionalized story of the last five mysterious days of Edgar Allen Poe’s life, following Poe as he joins the hunt for a serial killer whose murders are inspired by his own stories. The film has been described as a cross between Edgar Allan Poe's classic short story/poem The Raven and David Fincher's Se7en. So we can expect it to be a dark, atmospheric film. McTeigue explained some of the plot in a interview saying,
There's basically a serial killer loose in 1850's Baltimore and he's using Poe's stories as his methodology, so then he leaves clues at each murder and says it's up to Poe to find him before he kills (again).... does one like The Murders in the Rue Morgue...
There's basically a serial killer loose in 1850's Baltimore and he's using Poe's stories as his methodology, so then he leaves clues at each murder and says it's up to Poe to find him before he kills (again).... does one like The Murders in the Rue Morgue...
- 6/24/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Given that he wrote about people who were slowly tortured, buried alive, and haunted by seemingly malevolent animals – and also married his 13-year-old cousin — it’s really saying something when you creep-out Edgar Allan Poe.
But that’s what happens in The Raven (out March 9), starring John Cusack as the doomed author in a fictionalized story set in 1849 about the hunt for a serial killer who takes macabre inspiration from his tales.
Click through for more about the story …
The serial killer in The Raven uses inspiration from Poe the way the murder in Se7en borrowed his motif from the Seven Deadly Sins.
But that’s what happens in The Raven (out March 9), starring John Cusack as the doomed author in a fictionalized story set in 1849 about the hunt for a serial killer who takes macabre inspiration from his tales.
Click through for more about the story …
The serial killer in The Raven uses inspiration from Poe the way the murder in Se7en borrowed his motif from the Seven Deadly Sins.
- 6/24/2011
- by Anthony Breznican
- EW - Inside Movies
Facsimile of Edgar Allan Poe's original manuscript for "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", from the Susan Jaffe Tane collection, Cornell University. Image via Wikipedia.
On this day in 1841 in Philadelphia, Pa, Edgar Allen Poe’s first detective story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” was published in Graham’s Magazine.
It has been called the first detective story ever, with C. Auguste Dupin as the first true detective in fiction, the precursor of everyone from Sherlock Holmes to Scooby Doo, from Veronica Mars to Angel Investigations, from Castle to Psych. The Dupin character established many literary devices which authors have used ever since: the brilliant detective, his friend who serves as narrator, and the last revelation being presented before the reasoning that leads up to it.
And of course, without detective stories, we don’t have Detective Comics… which means we don’t have either DC or Batman.
On this day in 1841 in Philadelphia, Pa, Edgar Allen Poe’s first detective story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” was published in Graham’s Magazine.
It has been called the first detective story ever, with C. Auguste Dupin as the first true detective in fiction, the precursor of everyone from Sherlock Holmes to Scooby Doo, from Veronica Mars to Angel Investigations, from Castle to Psych. The Dupin character established many literary devices which authors have used ever since: the brilliant detective, his friend who serves as narrator, and the last revelation being presented before the reasoning that leads up to it.
And of course, without detective stories, we don’t have Detective Comics… which means we don’t have either DC or Batman.
- 4/20/2011
- by Glenn Hauman
- Comicmix.com
New lead casting for the ABC TV pilot "Poe" set to start lensing in Toronto March 14, 2011, includes Brit actress Natalie Dormer ("Captain America: The First Avenger") who will play the character 'Celeste'.
Principal photography for the Warner Bros. TV pilot will run to March 31, produced by Terry Gould for executive producers Alex Graves, D.Lin, B. Kern, C. Hollier.
To be directed by Graves, from a script by Chris Hollier ("Alias"), the crime procedural "...follows 'Edgar Allan Poe' (Chris Egan) as the world's first detective, as he uses unconventional methods to investigate dark mysteries in 19th-century Boston".
Also cast is actress Tabrett Bethell, who will play Poe's companion 'Sarah'.
The real E.A. Poe, who died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 40, was a writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the 'American Romantic Movement'.
Poe, who died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 40, was noted as a writer,...
Principal photography for the Warner Bros. TV pilot will run to March 31, produced by Terry Gould for executive producers Alex Graves, D.Lin, B. Kern, C. Hollier.
To be directed by Graves, from a script by Chris Hollier ("Alias"), the crime procedural "...follows 'Edgar Allan Poe' (Chris Egan) as the world's first detective, as he uses unconventional methods to investigate dark mysteries in 19th-century Boston".
Also cast is actress Tabrett Bethell, who will play Poe's companion 'Sarah'.
The real E.A. Poe, who died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 40, was a writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the 'American Romantic Movement'.
Poe, who died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 40, was noted as a writer,...
- 3/10/2011
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
ABC's upcoming Warner Bros. TV pilot, "Poe", is prepping to start shooting in Toronto, March 14 to March 31, produced by Terry Gould for executive producers Alex Graves, D.Lin, B. Kern, C. Hollier.
To be directed by Graves, from a script by Chris Hollier ("Alias"), the crime procedural "...follows 'Edgar Allan Poe' (Chris Egan) as the world's first detective, as he uses unconventional methods to investigate dark mysteries in 19th-century Boston".
Also cast is actress Tabrett Bethell, who will play Poe's companion 'Sarah'.
The real E.A. Poe, who died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 40, was a writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the 'American Romantic Movement'.
Poe, who died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 40, was noted as a writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the 'American Romantic Movement'.
Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre,...
To be directed by Graves, from a script by Chris Hollier ("Alias"), the crime procedural "...follows 'Edgar Allan Poe' (Chris Egan) as the world's first detective, as he uses unconventional methods to investigate dark mysteries in 19th-century Boston".
Also cast is actress Tabrett Bethell, who will play Poe's companion 'Sarah'.
The real E.A. Poe, who died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 40, was a writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the 'American Romantic Movement'.
Poe, who died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 40, was noted as a writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the 'American Romantic Movement'.
Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre,...
- 3/7/2011
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
ABC reports they have picked up a pitch for a new TV pilot, starring the character of American author 'Edgar Allan Poe' in a crime procedural, following Poe, as "the world's first detective as he uses 'unconventional' methods to investigate dark mysteries in 1840's Boston..."
Script is by Chris Hollier ("Alias").
Poe, who died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 40, was noted as a writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the 'American Romantic Movement'. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre.
Poe's early short stories featured Parisian detective 'C. Auguste Dupin', laying the groundwork for future detectives in literature. Poe's stories "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", "The Man That Was Used Up", "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt" and...
Script is by Chris Hollier ("Alias").
Poe, who died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 40, was noted as a writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the 'American Romantic Movement'. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre.
Poe's early short stories featured Parisian detective 'C. Auguste Dupin', laying the groundwork for future detectives in literature. Poe's stories "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", "The Man That Was Used Up", "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt" and...
- 1/26/2011
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Following the recent announcement of NBC's Wonder Woman reboot, ABC has decided it needs its own high-concept crime-fighting genre series. So, to that end, the "alphabet network" has turned to the logical choice: Edgar Allan Poe.
Yes, ABC has picked up a pilot called Poe, written by Chris Hollier (Alias), described as a "crime procedural following Edgar Allan Poe as the world's very first detective, using unconventional methods to investigate dark mysteries in 1840s Boston." While this sounds kind of out there on the surface, it's not really that farfetched.
While Poe is widely recognized as the inventor of the contemporary horror story, it's less well known that he's also credited as the father of detective fiction. His 1841 tale The Murders in the Rue Morgue features the character C. Auguste Dupin, who appeared in two other Poe tales and is the original "great detective." So much so, in fact, that...
Yes, ABC has picked up a pilot called Poe, written by Chris Hollier (Alias), described as a "crime procedural following Edgar Allan Poe as the world's very first detective, using unconventional methods to investigate dark mysteries in 1840s Boston." While this sounds kind of out there on the surface, it's not really that farfetched.
While Poe is widely recognized as the inventor of the contemporary horror story, it's less well known that he's also credited as the father of detective fiction. His 1841 tale The Murders in the Rue Morgue features the character C. Auguste Dupin, who appeared in two other Poe tales and is the original "great detective." So much so, in fact, that...
- 1/26/2011
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
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