the raven (cinema history class)

Session: Pass the Poe -- Hold the Price, week 1
Movie: The Raven  (1935)
Directed by Lew Landers
As always, there may be spoilers here. And the trailer may be NSFW and/or NSFL

Plot:
A surgeon develops a crush on his patient. He saved her life with near-miraculous surgery. But, as skilled as he is, he is even more evil. Hilarity ensues.

Teeing Up:
Keith introduced this session with an explanation. Her wanted to do a month of movies based on Poe stories, but he didn't want to take the easy way out and show a bunch of the Poe-based movies starring Vincent Price. So instead, he's going to concentrate on lesser-known or experimental or weird movies. How did he put it? "This will be some of the weirdest shit I've ever shown you."

Reaction:
We, the class, enjoyed this. There was a strong story, and it was quite original -- although its connection to the Poe poem of the same name is somewhat tenuous. In fact, there are references to several other Poe works, most notably The Pit and the Pendulum. Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff together was a special treat. I myself have limited exposure to them, but I think I prefer Lugosi -- he's more distinctive. And those haunting eyes... Joe and I both noticed that Ian Wolfe is in this (we both know him as Mr. Atoz and Septimus from Star Trek). Though the listing in the credits was wrong. Keith explained that that kind of thing used to happen a lot. An actor would be cast in one role and then moved to another, but the change wouldn't be reflected in the credits. A few of the guys opted not to rate this because it's so different from what they're used to watching they have no basis for scoring it.

The ratings:

• Joe: 9.8
• Dave:9.5 to 9.7
• Sean no rating
• Scott: no rating
• Ethan: 8 to 9
• Me: 8

The Raven fails the Bechdel Test.

Extras: Because of the short running time of The Raven, Keith also showed us an experimental silent adaptation of The Fall of the House of Usher from 1928. This version had lots of odd visual effects that were cutting edge for the time. It wasn't really a retelling of the Poe classic, but more of an acid trip that evoked the story.