5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Oh Poe Me, February 28, 1999
By A Customer
George C. Scott and Val Kilmer shine in this rendering of E.A. Poe's mystery. The big name stars and excellent scenery add immensely to this take of the story. Short enough to keep you interested all the way through, this one should be checked out if you like Scott or Kilmer or a good detective story. 4 stars for this one. It made me feel like I was back in a high school lit class watching a video on required reading.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A tale told one too many times, May 3, 2006
I love E.A. Poe. Have always adored Ian McShane, whose monster talent goes to waste here. A super cast of the legendary George C. Scott, with a then rising Val Kilmer and Rebecca Demornay. What more could you want? Some emotion for one thing. The cast seems to muddle through a story, with nice locations and super costumes, but as much feeling as if they were doing a rehearsal.
It's flat. I watch it for McShane, who is never flat. Could have been so much more.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Competent but nothing special, May 26, 2006
This review is from: Murders in the Rue Morgue [VHS] (VHS Tape)
The Poe stories most often adapted for movies or TV are the horror tales ;his pioneering detective stories featuring the somewhat dessicated C August Dupin are less often tackled .Indeed ,it is only The Murders in The Rue Morgue ,that has drawn movie makers on a regular basis .This particular version is a TV movie and is polished and proficient rather than atmospheric in the way the classic early 30's Bela Lugosi version was
George C Scott plays Dupin ,once the most respected police detective in Paris not living in embittered and impoverished retirement following a clash with the new Prefect of Police -played with suitable oily panache by the ever dependable Ian McShane
He emerges from his torpor to investigate a brutal double slaying in the Rue Morgue where 2 women are hacked to pieces;the police are baffled and,in need of a quick arrest they sieze on Dupin's daughters fiancee as the killer .Aided by a young and callow looking Val Kilmer he sets out to prove the innocence of the young man
Scott is fine and tends to overshadow the younger actors like Rebecca de Mornay as his daughter -she never rises above the wooden .Kilmer is fine in a thankless role as a rather dogged but colourless youngster
The climax is rushed but overall this is s decent job of translating the tale to the screen
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