42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
What a disappointment!, October 31, 2006
This review is from: Edgar Allan Poe - 11 Poe Tales Hosted By Christopher Lee (DVD)
I love Edgar Allen Poe stories. As an English teacher, I often read one or two during the year with my classes. I bought this DVD set planning to show it to my classes after reading the stories "The Tell Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado." After viewing several of the story dramatizations, I was so disappointed. In "Cask" the story is changed and tries to explain the reason for Montressor's revenge. In my classes we discuss how Poe intentionally leaves out the reason for the revenge. To alter the story like that seems wrong. Plus the 22 minute dramatization is BORING - not worth watching. I would rather leave the details up to the students' imaginations. "Tell Tale Heart" was really horrible - the old man has a RIDICULOUSLY enormous eye. I laughed once and then turned it off. You could NEVER show this to a class of students. The silliness of it ruined the scary story. One piece of advice - DON'T BUY THIS DVD!
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed is an understatement, April 2, 2007
This review is from: Edgar Allan Poe - 11 Poe Tales Hosted By Christopher Lee (DVD)
Imagine my surprise to find this compilation of Edgar Allan Poe short films all based on short works of the great author. As an English teacher, I also love to read Poe stories with my classes, and the thought of showing a visual with these stories was fantastic. I eagerly purchased this, thinking this might be a great resource and future use in teaching the works of Poe.
Imagine my disappointment to find out that the stories are altered, and not very interesting. I was sold on the idea that they would be interesting and detailed, and authentic, especially is Christopher Lee, one of the renown horror geniuses, was host. But, alas, no such luck. Extra details are added in, extra characters are added in to make the stories more "dramatic" and many of the short films are more apt depicting some cheesy soap opera than a Poe work. These short films, for the most part, are devoid of imagination or terror, and are too bland for Poe's style. For instance, "The Masque of the Red Death" was quite a disappointment, even though Lee actually stars in the film!
Like some have said, this is nothing a teacher would want to show in class, namely because they aren't interesting enough for the purchaser to watch. A major disappointment here. Maybe one of these days someone will be able to accurately and successfully depict a Poe story on film.
If you want to view a film BASED on Poe, but not true to the story, you are better off checking out the few Vincent Price films, such as The Pit and the Pendulum or The Masque of the Red Death. These, although somewhat inaccurate, are far superior.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Skip these., January 12, 2007
This review is from: Edgar Allan Poe - 11 Poe Tales Hosted By Christopher Lee (DVD)
Purchased them for research... these are so far deviated from the actual stories, it's pitiful. Many of them are poorly filmed and don't make much sense whatsoever. If you are looking for examples of WHAT NOT TO DO to classic texts, this collection is perfect. If you are looking for solidly researched and brilliantly executed versions of Edgar Allan Poe's work.... look elsewhere.
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