He winces as he admits to Philip that “sounds of any exaggerated degree cut into my brain like knives”. Price convincingly portrays the afflicted man as weary and in pain. He plays a villain that the audience can actually sympathize with even while they disapprove of his heinous actions. With his hair dyed blonde, Price gives an excellent performance as the oversensitive and paranoid Roderick Usher. What really sets this film apart is neither the ornate furniture nor the sinister artwork (by Burt Schoenberg) hanging on the walls nor the atmospheric tonethough all are goodbut the acting of Vincent Price. She is also driven mad, and when she escapes, she seeks vengeance upon Roderick, as The House of Usher collapses in a fiery inferno, leaving Philip the sole survivor. Because of an “affliction of the hearing,” Roderick can hear even the faintest sounds, and he is driven mad by Madelines desperate struggle within her coffin. Roderick is aware of this, however he decides to bury her alive anyway. Philip is unaware that Madeline is still alive but in a cataleptic state. Heartbroken, Philip attends Madelines funeral with Roderick. An argument occurs between Madeline and Roderick and she apparently dies by unknown causes. Eventually, Philip decides to take Madeline with him against Rodericks wishes. He is reunited with Madeline, whom he intends to marry, but their passion is countered at every turn by Roderick Usher (Vincent Price), her brooding brother who is convinced that the Usher line is cursed and that he and his sister are dying. He is let in and asked to take his boots off, a strange request but Winthrop complies. Knocking on the front door, he is greeted by the Ushers elderly butler Bristol (Harry Ellerbe). He is seeking Madeline Usher (Myrna Fahey), a young woman he had known in Boston who apparently left him and her life for the confines of her ancestral home. The film begins with young Philip Winthrop (played by Mark Damon) traveling the barren woods around the Usher estate on horseback. Here, Matheson expands the premise of the short story without ever abandoning its tone and melancholy mood. The films screenplay was written by Richard Matheson, a fantastic writer best known for his work on TV shows like The Twilight Zone and Star Trek as well as novels like I am Legend, Incredible Shrinking Man, and Stir of Echoes. Though Corman has the habit of repeating himself several times, his manner is so friendly and quaint that one doesnt mind too much. The commentary by Corman is very interesting and insightful. Like many DVD aficionados, I now realize how much I was missing when I first saw this film on TV in that dreadful “pan and scan” format. The House of Usher has never looked so good, and the widescreen presentation helps the viewer better appreciate the depth and scope of the shots Corman was attempting within his rather limited budget, set, and shooting schedule (the film was shot in only 15 days). Reasonably priced, the disc sports a fine transfer (enhanced for widescreen TVs), the original theatrical trailer, and a running commentary by director Roger Corman himself. MGMs DVD release of The Fall of the House of Usher (the title in the film is actually The House of Usher) is an excellent addition to the library of any classic horror film fan. Phibes and Theater of Blood), these Poe films are among his best, and The Fall of the House of Usher stands as the noteworthy seminal first in the series. Sandwiched in between Prices timeless 1950s sci-fi and horror run (including The Fly, The Tingler, and The House on Haunted Hill) and early 1970s revenge fantasies (the superb Abominable Dr. They were directed by Roger Corman for American International Pictures and were inspired by the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe. MGM, with its “Midnite Movies” series, for example, has recently released a couple classic Price films that he did in the 1960s. With the advent and popularization of DVD, many of the actors films have been resurfacing, and Ive had the pleasure of reliving some films that I hadnt seen in 15 or so years and discovering those that I had missed. When I was young, I can recall Vincent Price films being a staple of the Saturday afternoon and late night “creature feature” TV programming. The Fall of the House of Usher, DVD released 2001 by MGM Home EntertainmentĨ0 minutes, Dolby Digital Mono, Audio Commentary by Roger Corman, Original Theatrical Trailer. The Horror Movie Magazine You Can Really Sink Your Teeth IntoĬurrent issue archives contents search subscribe The House of Usher Still Stands
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