Edgar Allan Poe's Lighthouse Keeper (2016)

Edgar Allan Poe’s Lighthouse Keeper: Directed by Benjamin Cooper. With Vernon Wells, Matt O’Neill, Rachel Riley, Monty Wall. Marooned on a remote peninsula and haunted by frightening specters, a young man must confront the grotesque denizens of the night, or heed the Lighthouse Keeper’s cryptic warning to, ‘Always keep a light burning!’

“Love Edgar Allan Poe, from reading his timeless stories and the Roger Corman and Vincent Price films where the best of them were creepy and entertaining. Based on an unfinished short story, u0026#39;Edgar Allan Poeu0026#39;s Lighthouse Keeperu0026#39; intrigued me with a great concept and the reviews here were nowhere near as bad as feared. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEspecially when the rating was very low, which from personal experience recently has not been a good sign. Most of my recent low-budget viewings with low rating and mediocre to terrible reviews have been as bad and in some cases even worse. But I went with my gut instinct and saw u0026#39;Edgar Allan Poeu0026#39;s Lighthouse Keeperu0026#39; anyway because it did seem like it would be one of my better recent low-budget viewings. And it actually was, not perfect and the potential is not completely lived up to but in no way is it wasted.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eStarting with the good things, Vernon Wells is great and generally the main performers were better than average. The music is both quirky and ominous and the direction when the film gets going is assured. u0026#39;Edgar Allan Poeu0026#39;s Lighthouse Keeperu0026#39; wisely plays it straight with a little tongue-in-cheek going on and appreciated and admired the more ambitious storytelling when the action properly kicked in.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe characters were not as annoying as feared and donu0026#39;t make as many frustrating and illogical decision making like some films seen recently did (this is always also including bigger budget films that were box office successes if variable critically). Parts are creepy and there is are a few fun set pieces. The threat actually has personality and generated creepiness.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLow budget however does show, the film did need a grander and more elaborate setting while the photography can be too claustrophobic and the effect ropy at best. The dialogue has a lot of cheese and awkwardness and the secondary cast are wooden and some of the chemistry bland.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs said, u0026#39;Edgar Allan Poeu0026#39;s Lighthouse Keeperu0026#39; can drag and the first third is really uneventful and makes one want to bail. Then there is the ending which is rushed and on the wrong side of silly.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOverall, better than expected though very flawed still. 6/10 Bethany Cox”