The Fall of the House of Usher /The Pit and the Pendulum
by Roger Corman
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DVD details
Actor: Eleanor LeFaber, Harry Ellerbe, Mark Damon, Myrna Fahey, Vincent PriceDirector: Roger Corman
Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
Cinematographer: Floyd Crosby
Editor: Anthony Carras
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); French (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 160 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-02-15
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: American International Pictures (AIP)
DVD Reviews of The Fall of the House of Usher /The Pit and the Pendulum
DVD Review: The Very Afflicted Mr. Usher
Summary: 4 Stars
[This review is part of my 31 days of Halloween series.]
I am focusing on HOUSE OF USHER in this review because PIT & THE PENDULUM is not a big favorite of mine, but it's ok for kids--as is HOUSE OF USHER.
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER is one of the very best productions of the Roger Gorman-Vincent Price horror series. It is based on Edgar Allen Poe's masterpiece, very Lovecraftian & one of my personal favorites.
There are only 4 characters (which was certainly a plus for the budget) & the 4 actors & director Gorman are up to the challenge of making a well-acted & suspenseful film.
The central theme of both the book & the movie is that of a degenerate family line who physically & spiritually poisons not only their own ancestral home, but their very presence also pollutes the environment around them. The current residents are a brother and sister who, although not evil in themselves, are the end of the family line. The sister is prone to attacks of catalepsy & the brother suffers from a really killer case of neurasthenia. Both of these medical conditions were sort of "in vogue" near the end of the 19th century.
In its most extreme manifestation, catalepsy can cause a victim to actually appear dead. Fear of premature burial had some people so upset that elaborate precautions were made to prevent such a horrible fate--including above ground burial & a bell alarm system above ground that could be triggered from within the coffin, etc.
Neurasthenia was more of a "rich person's ailment" that could be the result of alcoholism, stress, etc. One cure involved electro-shock therapy. In Brother Usher's case it is obviously attributed to family inbreeding & psychosis. He can literally hear a pin fall & it drives him absolutely crazy--as if he wasn't already crazy enough! Vincent Price is in top form as the very afflicted Mr. Usher.
The entire condition of the family has degenerated to such a degree that the house itself is literally falling apart & sinking at the same time. The image of this at the film's conclusion is convincingly portrayed in a stark, expressionist style--as is the weird painting gallery depicting the evil Usher ancestors.
There is a very interesting dream sequence (as in MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH next on my list) that is still very cool to watch.
This is a movie kids can enjoy too.
Transylvania
Transylvania
The Masque of the Red Death / The Premature Burial
Entire Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe: Photographic & Annotated Edition
DVD Review: Classic Vincent Price
Summary: 4 Stars
I've loved these movies since I was a kid. No one can give you the creeps like Vincent Price, and no one can pull off a low budget horror film like Roger Corman. This is a great addition to any Halloween party. Make some popcorn, turn out the lights and enjoy.DVD Review: Great Classics
Summary: 4 Stars
If you like Vincent Price, you'll love this combo. I am a Poe fan and think Price portrays the exact character Poe imagined. If you like Edgar Allan Poe's poetry and know nothing of Vincent Price, I think you'll be impressed with the representations.DVD Review: From the king of classic horror...
Summary: 5 Stars
This double-feature is amazing!
Both movies feature fan-favorite Vincent Price as the star, whether he is playing a menacing widower gone mad, or a menacing older brother attempting to bring justice to his fallen sister.
You'll be lured in by the great acting skills of Price and the classic tales of Poe don't ever lose their charm either.
Movies might be a bit long, so book a whole night in front of the television-it'll be worth it!
DVD Review: "Naraka, Gehenna, the Pit! ....and the Pendulum...
Summary: 4 Stars
the razor's edge of destiny" is what the AIP Poe based film the Pit and the Pendulum is - a combination of good writing (Matheson) good art direction, good acting (Price; Steele; Carbone - I don't believe I said that) and believe it or not good direction (Corman). Price was at his best in this role (actually two roles) and Karen Steele the Horror Scream Queen never looked finer. I was very surprised at Carbone in this as I had only seen him in a couple of very low budget pics and I never thought much of what I saw. I bought this two movie disc for the "Pit" as the Fall of the House of Usher I always considered the weaker of the two films (despite the fact it was made first and "P&P" was the follow up). Primarily "Fall" tends to drag on a bit too long, both films based on only a scintilla of material relative to what was begat on film. Nonetheless these were both great works put together by Corman/Matheson and fortunately this dvd (except for the lack of English subtitles) has got some nice extras like commentary from Corman (he actually mentions shooting "P&P" in 15 days), trailers and a prologue to the "Pit" filmed much later for television release (as a treat watch the prologue than watch the "Pit"), it'll make you start to think. To the gentleman who commented about the missing footage of the woman being walled in, I believe it shows up later in a Price flashback sequence as the men are unearthing his wife's remains. These types of films go well beyond the vomit and blood slasher horror films you see today. This is what horror was supposed to be and the expansion of these Poe works to movie length doesn't harm the stories as they still feel of Poe's work. If you enjoy classic horror, buy this dvd for the "Pit" and enjoy the "Fall" for free!
Description of The Fall of the House of Usher /The Pit and the Pendulum
The Fall of the House of UsherLegendary scare-masters Vincent Price and Roger Corman serve up a diabolical nightmare from screenwriter Richard Matheson that drips with "brooding evil and sinister suspense" (The Film Daily)! Based on Edgar Allan Poe's chilling tale about a family driven to savage bloodlust by a power beyond their wildest fears this terrifying story of "murder madness and necrophilia" (Cue) proves that there's no place like home for horror!Running Time 70 MinThe Pit and the PendulumHappily-ever-after goes under the knife in this "eerie [and] excellent" (The Hollywood Reporter) saga of murder madness and forbidden desire. Starring Vincent Price as a man teetering on the brink of insanity (while his wife plots to push him over it) this "spine-tingling thriller" (Redbook) is a "lush elegant and bloody" (Cue) tale of razor-sharp terror!Running Time 70 MinSystem Requirements: Running Time 140 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:?HORROR Rating:?NR UPC:?027616910875 Manufacturer No:?1006946General DVDs
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