The Mysterious House of Usher

The Mysterious House of Usher

I was little boy when I first saw a Vincent Price i sitll think he is one of the greatest horror actors all time. He truly had such a charm to him. House on Haunted Hill was the the movie i saw as my frist movie of his horror movies. So i am begining halloween month with The Mysterious House of Usher for a horror movie review.It is truly something I feel embodies the classic gothic horror that is a big part of the genre. So lets begin the review.

The Fall of the House of Usher/House of Usher  (1960) review

The Fall of the House of Usher/House of Usher was the first of seven (eight, if you want to count The Haunted Palace) films that Roger Corman directed for American International Pictures, based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. It is one of best entries in the series to my eyes. Roger Corman’s brilliant adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling tale is one of the greatest achievements in cinematic horror that does really stand test of time. It is hard to pick a best Roger Corman Poe movie. Vincent Price turns in one of of his finest performances he ever did on the screen in this horror classic but he always amazes in any movie anyway.

Madness on flim really is such a tricky thing at times to have on screen without it being silly. It’s at this point that I must mention one of Corman’s creative collaborators composer Les Baxter really makes such a wonderful soundtrack. The magical charm of this film is its wonderful acting by its cast. It is something about them they bring to life the wonderful gothic tale of Edgar Allan Poe. The Fall of the House of Usher is a terrific example of Roger Corman’s ever widening circle of gothic, directorial accomplishment. That it stays faithful to the darker tones of its source material but has some of its own way to it too. If The Raven was a delicious farce trading on how easily camp follows theatricality, Usher is something very different, something genuinely creepy and despite the modest claims of its director, it’s very effective that really underlines the magical charm of the orginal tale yet giving way to something totally new.

The perennial 1960s American Gothic setting, and a mood-board for spooky, autumnal vibes. The Usher mansion itself beings a monument to the fissures of familial desolation, from mental illness to egomania and the lingering, perpetual stench of Death rising from the crypt. Probably Roger Corman’s most tasteful Poe adaptation, and so assured that its moments of dreamy color and swift action are both visceral and psychological. When Vincent Price is on screen, nothing else matters, even as he is only one harrowing piece of a larger atmospheric tapestry that will set out to really make you watch the movie no matter what. Everything is personified in Vincent Price’s melodramatic portrayal of lead character Roderick that i feel you will simply enjoy to watch from start to finish. The film is short and sweet at eighty minutes but really makes best use of all of this time but it makes very good use of its time. You simply must see this classic movie today. Needless to say, it’s easy to understand why House Of Usher (also known as The Mysterious House Of Usher or The Fall Of The House Of Usher) stands out as a high mark in Roger Corman’s filmography. It’s a delightful horror picture that will tantalize and terrify while it spirals us headfirst into madness that you must see today I will be revisiting more of these poe movies soon this month. So I may review them all. I hope you join me for them.