Review of Fall Of The House Of Usher, The

Introduction

In the late 50s and early 60s, Arkoff & Nicholson`s American International Pictures was banging out Hollywood-produced drive-in-fodder horror movies in the Hammer vein. Rich in colour and thick of creepy atmosphere, they regularly raided the works of that happy little camper Edgar Allan Poe for subject material. It was the series that launched the first and most (in)famous of the post-war youth-movie director-producers Roger Corman.

"House of Usher" to give the movie its US release title, is a classic of the Corman legacy. Produced on a startlingly low budget and directed by Corman from a script by sci-fi and horror author Richard Matheson, it`s a simple story about narcolepsy and subsidence. Vincent Price buries Myrna Fahey and she`s so unhappy about it, she comes back to kick his ass.

Gloriously photographed by Floyd Crosby in gaudy Eastmancolor, as with Hammer`s output of the same era the movie is quite tame by today`s standards.

Video

The movie is suffering from wear and tear. Presented in widescreen anamorphic 2.35:1, the width shows up the inadequacies of the production.

Audio

Reproduced in DD2.0 Mono, the screams are particularly shrill.

Features

There is a theatrical trailer in anamorphic 2.35:1 which shows even greater wear and tear than the main feature. The main feature has full subtitles in multiple languages including English.

Conclusion

This started the Poe cycle of the sixties, but is not the most entertaining. Corman fans will revel in it.