Using a duo of Poe stories, George A. Romero and Dario Argento direct this little anthology film. In "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar," Romero presents the stronger of the two as a deceitful couple's (Adrienne Barbeau & Ramy Zada) scheme backfires in the most unearthly way. Reminiscent of a great Tales From the Crypt episode, the modernized story works well as a cautionary warning against capitalism and greed while still doling out some chills. Argento tackles "The Black Cat" while smartly incorporating tidbits from some of Poe's other classics. Despite it being a more faithful adaptation, his portion is the weaker of the two. In an uninspired performance, Harvey Keitel plays the short-tempered lead, Usher. Arguably, this segment contains the most memorable climax, but a few of the scenes lead nowhere and some character choices are more than a little perplexing.
3 boxes of teeth out of 5
2 comments:
The M. Valdemar segment is the best part of Corman's Tales of Terror (1962), too.
I'm looking forward to seeing this one. I'll report back when the disc arrives and I get it watched.
I just saw this one tonight. I love me a good anthology film. The first part felt so familiar to me, but I'm positive I've never this movie before. Kind of like a half-remembered Night Gallery episode. I must have been thinking of Tales of Terror then.
I think a 3 is right on the money. For an anthology movie, both parts dragged a bit. I actually found "The Black Cat" the more satisfying of the two. It kind of reminded me of "Cat from Hell" from the Tales from the Darkside movie (oddly, adapted by George Romero).
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