- Directed by Raul Garcia
- Written by Edgar Allan Poe, Raul Garcia, Stephan Roelants
- Stars Christopher Lee, Bela Lugosi, Julian Sands, Guillermo del Toro
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 13 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4IDwG_FMpM
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone
It’s an animated collection of Edgar Allan Poe tales, with some very famous voice talent and interesting animation styles. Even Kevin, who normally doesn’t care for animated films, was impressed with this one.
Synopsis
I’m not going to spoil the individual stories, as these are fairly straightforward retellings of some of the most famous stories of all time. If you don’t already know these Poe stories, then watch this film for a quick version of each.
In the wraparound story, a creepy, mysterious woman talks to a raven while visiting a cemetery. She says that the crow is obsessed with death, and he’s a poet. Poe himself even. Credits roll.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Narrated by Christopher Lee. A young man goes to visit his sickly old friend and his very strange sister in an even stranger, crumbling old house. Could a curse be involved somehow?
The Tell Tale Heart
Bela Lugosi narrates this one. A strange black and white telling about a young man, an old man, and a creepy vulture-like eye. Mayhem and guilt ensue.
Back in the cemetery, the statue continues to talk to the crow about death and the crow’s refusal to join death.
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
Julian Sands narrates this one, a tale of mesmerism and death. Can hypnosis prevent death, or does it just make it worse?
The Pit and The Pendulum
Narrated by Guillermo Del Toro. The Inquisition sentences a man to death. There are rats and a pit involved.
The Masque of the Red Death
Not really narrated, but features the voice of Roger Corman as Prince Prospero, a man who throws a lavish party at a bad time and comes to regret it when an unexpected guest arrives.
Back in the cemetery, the raven wants to make sure his words will never be lost to time, and death assures him that they won’t be. The bird then flies off into the light.
Commentary
These aren’t full readings of the classic Pow stories; these are abridged and shortened versions, but the plots and twists remain. There are long quotes from the source material at points, but a lot of the repetition and excess description has been cut out.
The animation style is quite interesting. The first segment looks like it’s all computer generated, but done in an exaggerated style with paperlike textures. The second is almost entirely black and white with a few splashes of red. The third looks very much like pages from a comic book. The final story looks like an animated oil painting. They’re all very well done.