Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Edgar Allan Poe's Master of Horror (1960)

The edition released by Sinister Cinema contains two of the three stories that made up the original  version of the film. Missing is a version of the Tell Tale Heart, which according to some reviews I've read is the best of the three stories. On the other hand the two that remain are pretty damn good.

The first story is "The Case of Mr. Valdemar," and it concerns a hypnotist who stops a dying man from actually dying by hypnotizing him at the moment of death. It ends up being a bad idea.

"The Cask of Amontillado" follows and a slow start is grandly paid off by the final ten minutes as revenge is revealed to be a dish served with a really big vat of wine.

Under appreciated actor Narciso Ibáñez Menta stars in all the segments and his great acting helps to sell the stories (his role in the cut third part is listed in the shortened American version)

Also helping to sell everything is the creepy black and white photography which push the proceeding from cinematic experience to a waking nightmare etched on our brains

some day i hope to find the third part

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