andrewjkd I must admit, I had never seen any version of an Edgar Allan Poe work. I had not taken as much interest in the subject at school, when we read "The Black Cat", "The Cask of Amontillado", and "The Fall of the House of Usher". Each was eerie and haunting in its own way. But I never payed much interest in the creepy Poe-like stories. Then I stumbled on this film version when I was on the Internet. It was available via Google Video, and, as I had nothing else to do, I spent 15 minutes watching it. And I was very impressed. The film captures the very essence of all Poe's work. His theme of insanity is excellently illustrated. Live burial, a signature Poe plot line, is illustrated also.The film takes into account the original story, but makes it its own. A few minor points of interest were changed. Main character Roderick Usher, lives in the frightening house with his wife Madeline. This was changed from the original story, as in the original story Roderick and Madeline were brother and sister. In the original story, Roderick was portrayed as a raving madman, while in this film Roderick more or less trapped by his fears as opposed to insanity. Madeline is a very convincing, creepy character in her own right.The special effects, very impressive for the time period, pervert the main point of interest enough to brace yourself and keep you guessing. Various scenes are perverted in dimension and angle for added horror and intrigue. Most of the movie features the plot line in the center, with either a never-ending staircase or tall pile of books on either side. The musical playing in the background was skillfully composed and performed. It has an eerie, haunting tone.This film is a not-miss for anyone who enjoys horror films, and Poe in general.

Jenabel_Regina_del_Mundo Intriguing early experimental treatment of Poe from the same filmmakers who would bring us the even more astonishing "Lot In Sodom" in 1933. Doesn't compete with the equally avant-garde feature length version made at the same time by Jean Epstein & Luis Bunuel, yet stands well on its own. More of a tribute to UFA & German Expressionism than an outright imitation, with specific nods to Caligari, Der Golem, and Faust. Visually rewarding for lighting, cinematography, sets, makeup. Compiled in a skewed fashion reminiscent of the structure of a nightmare. Captures the wonderfully gloomy, morbid atmosphere of Poe's work, the claustrophobic ambiance of "Usher" in particular. A treat for fans of the genre, in addition to being sufficiently unusual & brief (just over 12 minutes) to hold the average viewer's attention. At one time, this film was available on an anthology videotape called "American Avant-Garde" along with the aforementioned "Lot In Sodom." Great stuff if you're lucky enough to track it down.

paul1314 As a devotee of vintage horror and silent era in particular this should have been meat and drink to me. With a feature being released at the same time, commercialism was not one of the movie's flaws, but the reduction of the Poe tale to a vignette of a little over 10 minutes is woeful.

Apostic This example of cinema is composed as avant garde expressionism. It uses various prism shots, multiple exposures, slow motion (forward and reverse), and inventive uses of sets and miniatures. Creative and experimental, it's a showcase for the filmmakers. However, this is to story telling what ballet is to story telling; you'd have to have some familiarity with the original to make sense of the action. Not meant for human consumption. There's a fine line between "artistic" and "arty," and like most ultimately pointless examples of avant garde, this carefully crafted work is pretentious enough for easy derision by the common observer.