Written on November 3, 2008 at 3:04 am by Rhea Dee

Attack of the Horror Film Series!: The Raven

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By Rhea Dee

Like I said before, my dad raised me on a nice diet of horror films. Some of my favorite flicks were the Poe adaptations that American International Productions (AIP) did back in the 60’s, like Fall of the House of Usher and Pit and the Pendulum. It’s also ‘cause of these films that I think Vincent Price rules. Go Vincent!

I had never seen The Raven before, however, so I was quite pleased when Film Streams chose the film for the series. And after watching it, I can comfortably say that it was my favorite film of the entire series (that I hadn’t previously seen).

So is the film a straight adaptation of the poem by Edgar Allen Poe? Err, no. But that doesn’t cut into the awesome of the movie by any means. What makes the film so charming is that it knows that it isn’t a straight adaptation of the poem.

The film starts with Vincent Price reciting the poem to himself. The famed raven flies through his window and Vincent Price asks him about his dear Lenore; Tell this soul with sorrow laden, if, within the distant Aidenn/It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore/Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.

But instead of replying with his famous “Nevermore” the raven replies with a snarky “How in the hell should I know?”

And thus the similarities between poem and film end. But by this point you could really care less about the frickin’ poem. (I think I just sent a shiver up all my former English teachers’ spines by typing that previous sentence.) From here on out, the film is a classic horror/fantasy/comedy about wizards, magic, and not so well-planned revenge.

Yes, the film is rather silly, but that’s what the film is trying to be. It’s a whimsical magical tale with some of the best seasoned horror actors of the time, and it revels in its status with a confidence not seen in most movies.

Also, Price’s acting is just so incredibly good—a perfect balance of elegance and camp that most actors can never pull off. In fact, all the actors are incredibly good; Lorre is perfect as the bumble drunk wizard out to get the slightly maniacal Boris Karloff. Even the minor turns by Hazel Court and Jack Nicholson (perhaps playing his only non-Jack Nicholson role in the history of ever) are fantastic.

But the reason you should go rent this film right effing now is because of the final wizard duel between Karloff and Price. Watching that on the big screen made me realize that there are a LOT of fantasy movies that owe something to this film (ahem, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). It’s also just a great tongue in cheek battle that’s clever, hilarious and slightly sinister.

Rhea’s Horrorbility Chart for The Raven

Gore: 3

Cheap Shots: 0

Skin Crawling Creepiness: 3

Overall Impression: 10 My favorite of the series.

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Rhea Dee teeters between hipster and geek. (At least that’s what that one quiz said.) She spends her time collecting vintage dresses, daydreaming about Eli Roth, and pondering the genius of John Carpenter soundtracks. She recently started a blog, Girl Heart Horror, where she blabs about how TOTALLY awesome horror is. Like, for serious.