Poe & Vincent Price Film Series – Experienced at our local KPL

Disclaimer – I do not own these pictures, logos, descriptors and I don’t profess to

Hi all

Our local Library – Kitchener Public Library –  recently posted they were hosting a free three movie event on three Wednesday’s in October ..

Just in time for Halloween, join us for a spook-tacular film series featuring three classic adaptations of the works of Edgar Allan Poe starring the inimitable “master of menace” Vincent Price.

So I thought three things:

1. Hey free .. can’t beat that right?
2. I’ve never seen EA Poe’s films (the three precede my birth but everyone knows the Raven and especially since it was featured on a Simpson’s episode)
3. I liked Vincent Price (remember this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATOTtECYehY)
   1. “The castle lights are growing dim – there’s nobody left but me and him,
      next, you will meet him, Frankenstone, don’t come alone…”
   2. 

So  far I’ve gone to two of the three but I thought I’d put in my observations at this time.

 

Wed. October 3rd: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (1960)

When Philip Winthrop (Mark Damon) visits his fiancée Madeleine Usher (Myrna Fahey) in her crumbling family mansion, her brother Roderick (Vincent Price) tries to talk him out of the wedding, explaining that the Usher family is cursed and that extending its bloodline will only prolong the agony. Madeleine wants to elope with Philip, but neither of them can predict what ruthless lengths Roderick will go to in order to keep them apart.

 

Frankly because this was filmed so long ago in a horror genre but before any really cool effects were developed, I didn’t hold out much hope for “horror” or fear, not like movies like The Nun currently out – no walk-by shock horror.  Yet the poster says THE UNGODLY.. THE EVIL, so let’s see where it went.

Yet it was strangely compelling and that is largely down to Vincent.  He is so deliciously creepy that you know he’s evil and that you shouldn’t cross him.  You know the set is fake and likely not a real outside old Gothic castle .. you have to question why the inside is so creepy, full of cobwebs and lighting issues when you know people live there, and you know the dude showing up on his horse is going to get it somehow – yet having never seen it I enjoyed the whole thing.

Before the film the KPL hosted a green screen picture event, so I got to pose with VP

 

Wed. October 10th: THE PIT & THE PENDULUM (1961)

Having learned of the sudden death of his sister Elizabeth (Barbara Steele), Francis Bernard (John Kerr) sets out to the castle of his brother-in-law, Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price), to uncover the cause of her untimely demise. A distraught, grief-stricken Nicolas can only offer the vaguest explanations of Elizabeth’s death – at first citing “something in her blood”, but later asserting that she quite literally “died of fright”. With Francis determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, the terrible truth will not stay buried long.

 

Having seen the first one I was interested to see what would be different in this one.  I think the set was very similar and perhaps was the same set, slightly different, than the last one and perhaps the same producer/directors but I liked that the poster said it was THE GREATEST TERROR TALE EVER TOLD.  Bold proclamation but then it was 1961.

Again you have the same model really: protective sadistic creepy dude (VP), weak and silly female(s), and an outsider or two to muddy the works and/or get whacked.

Again was intrigued by the whole film and how it wove itself out – it wasn’t that predictable actually – and loved the ending scene (retribution beeyatch).  VP was deliciously creepy in his weird outfits and collars and as he goes mad at some point that was very well done and I felt more scared of that character.

The KPL pre-event was to make a Victorian ruffle out of paper  – you can see me channeling VP here.

 

Wed. October 24th: THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (1964)

While the plague rages outside in the small Italian province, Prince Prospero (Vincent Price), stays confined to the sanctuary of his castle with his aristocratic guests.  Indifferent to the suffering outside, Prospero holds a masquerade ball where the celebrants revel in their debauchery and cruelty, unaware of the mysterious masked stranger lurking in their midst. 

 

The final movie plays next week and I must say I AM looking forward to viewing it and seeing the similarities of how it is differently creepy than the others.  The poster says to LOOK INTO THIS FACE – SHUDDER – TREMBLE – GASP… so this will be fun too.

Will the set be similar – how might they weave the same creepiness into a masquerade ball – what will Vincent wear this time?

The pre-event will be to create a mask worthy of Prince Prospero’s ball so that also will be fun and I can’t wait to see what they have in mind for the masks and what I might create.

SO .. couple of things to take away from this post I guess:

1. Vincent Price is and always creepy (did he ever not do evil?) and EA Poe’s work can stand the test of time – still macabre and evil
2. Search out your local library for free stuff that you will enjoy – they always have something going on.

Cheers all

B