The Fall of the House of Usher

Granted, Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Fall of the House of Usher" leaves plenty of room for loose filmic interpretation. Ivan Barnett, however, chose a rather questionable direction with a relatively dumb take on the story. There is a decent atmosphere and a few auspicious horror moments, but the framing scene depicting a group of British gentlemen who listen to the story and comment on it spoils even that somehow promising horror mood. It all looks more like a television play with amateur comedians, and this overplaying and theatricality significantly weaken the film. It doesn’t even come close to its ten-year-younger version by Roger Corman. (2018.12.02)