Usher (Short 2000)

Usher: Directed by Curtis Harrington. With Sean Nepita, Fabrice Uzan, Curtis Harrington, Renate Druks. Young writer Truman Jones travels to the home of old, eccentric poet Roderick Usher. He is seeking wisdom from an aging poet at his creepy mansion.

“A rather flat – and short – version of Poeu0026#39;s classic story. I was looking forward to an updating by Harrington of a classic Poe story (staples of 60s u0026quot;artu0026quot;-exploitation cinema (thanks, Roger Corman), but Harrington isnu0026#39;t up for the task. He throws together the sketchiest of sets to tell the story of some guy named Usher who lives in a big house, with a sister who is going crazy. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut at under-an-hour running time, it still seems drawn out. There is none of the creepiness of the Corman bright and garish version (let alone the surreal visuals of the Jean Epstein silent version) here to keep you interested in a story you know pretty well already.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHarrington has stripped down the elements to make this closer to a home movie – man visits old mansion and odd (crazy?) master of the house to retrieve his fiancé. But without style, is Poe as compelling? Is this horror story interesting without the baroque or Gothic trimmings (or the overacting of a Vincent Price)?u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSomeone notes this is intended to be the first half of an anthology film. Maybe, but I donu0026#39;t see it. My guess is this was shot and when it was cut together it turned out to be a mere 50 minutes, and therefore was relegated to the festival circuit. This is what happens when you donu0026#39;t plan ahead enough.”