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New movie mixes Edgar Allan Poe and 'torture porn'
Edgar Allan Poe might have been the original "torture porn" author, writing stories about diabolical ways in which characters can die. An upcoming film called The Raven posits a story about what would happen if Poe were faced with the very murders he wrote about. In the movie, at the end of Poe's life, a serial killer challenges him to solve a series of killings inspired by Poe's fiction.
Director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta, Ninja Assassin) revealed some of the classic Poe stories that provide inspiration for his upcoming movie. "'The Raven,' 'Tell-Tale Heart,' 'Premature Burial,' 'Murders in the Rue Morgue,'" McTeigue listed in an exclusive interview Saturday in Hollywood. "There's a whole lot of them. It's actually a pretty cool concept."
What about "The Cask of Amontillado," in which a man bricks up his rival alive in a wall? "Yes, that's in there too," McTeigue said. "It's sort of Se7en meets a series of Poe stories. It's set in 1850s Baltimore, and it's about creating Poe's version of 1850s Baltimore, him moving through it. So it has a lot of the Poe stories interwoven into it."
Of course, the movie is a total work of fiction: The real Poe never solved any serial murders. But within his historical fantasy, McTeigue plans to present an accurate version of the author.
"It's a total fiction, but obviously Poe is, like, a well-known and much-beloved character," McTeigue said. "People know a lot about him, the way he was a bit of a rascal, the way he was a bit of drunkard, the way he married his 13-year-old cousin. He was penniless for most of his life. He touched on consumption, like a lot of people did then, so all those kind of real elements are bled into a fictionalized story."
The Poe of The Raven is 40, so McTeigue is casting actors in that age range. If you've seen pictures of Poe, you know it won't be George Clooney or Brad Pitt up for the role.
"No, I don't think they'd be the right choice," McTeigue said. "I think a lot of people in their mind's eye have a vision of how Poe should look. There's that kind of iconic photograph of him, where his head looks like a light bulb and his hair is out and he's got the little moustache, but he wasn't like that all the time. I want to pay service to that. Clooney and Pitt, they're good actors, but in my vision of it, they're not the people I'm thinking of."
McTeigue has already begun prepping The Raven and expects to begin shooting next year. "I've already done some initial location scouting," he said. "I'm in the middle of casting, and hopefully it'll get going by about mid-March."
What do you think of the mixing of real and fictional in The Raven?
By Falconer at 9:49 AM ON 11/23/09
Now, THIS has potential! Finally, a fresh and original idea from Hollywood, even if it's inspired by an author's style and/or body of work. I will look forward to it, as will many mystery fans, I'd guess.
By lostandconfused at 10:19 AM ON 11/23/09
holy crap someone in hollywood came up with a new idea? quick someone make a movie about THAT. As for actors to play Poe, especially if trying for a similarity of features...how about Marcus Giamatti? He's right age and roughly right appearance (that would of course be brother to Paul Giamatti) and he's not that bad an actor either
By Jwb52z at 10:35 AM ON 11/23/09
It may be new and original, but it sounds cheesy, to me..
By Xcalpro at 10:35 AM ON 11/23/09
Not quite as original as you might think. It is basically Se7en in a different time period.
There are no more original ideas. Everything that could be thought of has already been done.
By asfm at 11:16 AM ON 11/23/09
So it's Castle: The Movie?
By chicagorob1 at 11:28 AM ON 11/23/09
Xcalpro -
How original does something have to be to be new for you? Almost every story in history is based on something else.
This sounds slightly similar to se7en, but then again, se7en is slightly similar to a dozen other movies before it.
It's like saying Star Wars and Star Trek are similar because there are aliens and it's in space.
By mykl at 11:32 AM ON 11/23/09
As long as they make it very suspensful, not as gory as one would think and such I am all for this but I am concerned (and almost certain) they will go visually into the whole “Torutre Porn” area and we will wind up with just “Saw” repackaged with a Poe theme.
By TWKArtist at 11:34 AM ON 11/23/09
He may not quite look like the standard photos of Poe (although a little bit of prosthetic makeup could fix that...) but one of the few actors, I think, who could really do justice to Poe is -- Johnny Depp.
By tati at 12:30 PM ON 11/23/09
I'm cautiously optimistic about this because the cheez factor can be quite high if this is done poorly :P
By smallville at 4:00 PM ON 11/23/09
val kilmer (batman forever) is a distant relative of edgar allan poe.
By Grace at 4:46 PM ON 11/23/09
I like the idea, but I hope the director can pull it off! :) Don't pull a Catherine Hardwick!
By Horn_Doggler at 5:54 PM ON 11/23/09
Ok maybe I'm going out on a bit of a limb here, but from looking at the picture of Poe, I'm thinking this would be a great time for Tom Hanks to take a decidely dark turn for a change, and he can do the acting that will make this work
By Michael at 6:23 PM ON 11/23/09
Is it just me, or does anyone else think it sounds like the people behind this movie are kinda ripping off the idea behind "The Black Cat," Stuart Gordon's second-season episode of MASTERS OF HORROR?
By SpaceBandit at 7:19 PM ON 11/23/09
Michael Sheen (Underworld/Underworld Evolution). It's the eyes, he's the man for the job.
By Mandy at 9:28 PM ON 11/23/09
Okay, this is a pet peeve of mine. I love horror but I HATE the term Torture Porn and I don't think Edgar Allen Poe would have liked to be referred to as the father of Torture Porn. Just because a film has a torture scene or elaborate and cruel way of dying does not make it a form of porm. Just because there are some lunatics out there who get off on it does not mean Edgar Allen Poe should be associated with that. Edgar Allen Poe's work is NOT torture porn. Have a little more respect for the father of modern mystery and while you're at it see if someone can come up with a new term because not all of us who like horror are getting sexually arroused by it.
By Mandy at 9:38 PM ON 11/23/09
'Of course, the movie is a total work of fiction: The real Poe never solved any serial murders. But within his historical fantasy, McTeigue plans to present an accurate version of the author.'
Okay so you have Edgar Allen Poe as a detective and you admit he wasn't a detective in real life but you're going to have an accurate version of him? ... Anyone else see anything wrong with this statement?
This isn't the first time Poe's been a character in a horror movie. He was an angry vampire hunter in Tale of a Vampire with Julian Sands as his rival.
By SweetPuck at 9:40 PM ON 11/23/09
I am in total agreement, Mandy. This is disgusting! I hate that term. Torture Porn?! That is gross! I love horror, but I hate that term. It almost makes one embarrassed to say they like horror. Please find a new term! It is disrespectful of Edgar Allen Poe. He was a horror writer not a porn writer. Period. He would be spinning in his grave if he knew people were calling him the father of Torture Porn. Porn is sexual, horror is not. I am completely offended by this. Are we all silly fourteen year olds saying, "Hmmm... Porn..." Grow up!
By thomas jones at 6:53 AM ON 11/24/09
again, serial killer, really? more murders and violence?
By aberzombie at 8:07 AM ON 11/24/09
@Mandy
The article did not say that Poe was going to be a detective. It stated that a serial killer "challenges him to solve a series of killings inspired by Poe's fiction." It seems a bit premature to complain about how they portray the character, when they don't have a cast and haven't even started filming.
By Hank Jekyll at 9:21 AM ON 11/24/09
I think that Poe should be played by Geoffrey Rush, i mean, obvious right?
By QuantumSam at 9:23 AM ON 11/24/09
Lok at Tom Hanks in "The Ladykillers." It's him!!! Tom!!!! Be Poe!!!
By jdmimic at 9:49 AM ON 11/24/09
@Mandy
I agree that Poe is not torture porn and probably would not like to hear his work called that. Poe is one of my favorite authors and calling it torture porn shows a lack of understanding of the work.
However, I think the term torture porn is appropriate for the type of movies it describes.
It doesn't cover all horror, only those movies in which the whole point of the movie is to see people get tortured to death. Hostel is a great example. There was no point to the movie other than to satisfy voyeuristic, visceral bloodlust.
I love horror movies. I do not care for torture porn. I do not view torture porn as horror. Horror is designed to elicit fear. Torture porn doesn't scare, it is violence for violence's sake.
Psycho is a great example of horror. It provides scares and chills. And yet, it has virtually no blood in the movie. Hitchcock did not require gore to scare. Too many people these days associate horror with bloody carnage. I think that just shows lazy writing and no attention to story or atmosphere which to me are the true hallmarks of horror.
Not to say there isn't a place for carnage and destruction in movies. I love monster movies. I just don't consider them horror. Did Godzilla really frighten anyone?
Course, there are overlaps. Alien and John Carpenter's "The Thing" were both great horror movies. They both also happen to be science fiction, but they are also straight up horror, as well as monster movies. But neither one was torture porn.
By HungChef at 1:35 PM ON 11/24/09
I strongly feel Edward Norton should be a contender for this starring role. He is an amazing actor and would do the role justice.
By emilymargrit at 5:12 PM ON 11/24/09
@HungChef you stole the words from my fingers, man! I was reading through comments looking to see if anyone else had suggested Edward Norton and then you did. He even looks a bit like Poe.
By lorraine at 3:57 AM ON 12/02/09
Sounds like an interesting concept, my only concern is how they portray Poe and who is going to play him in the film other then that I dont see any reason why people who know Poe's work wont go see it.
By bunyan 10 at 12:01 AM ON 01/10/10
---Predictable -conventional -seen-it-already.
HOLLYWOOD = DEADWOOD
By gayman at 2:47 AM ON 01/12/10
I hope they strip out all of the story and dialogue and stuff and add in violence that wasn't in the original story and have all sorts of awesome traps that kill the victims and skinning alive and ripping their guts out and pulling their eyeballs out while they are alive and stuff
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gayman:
I hope they strip out all of the story and dialogue and stuff and add in violence that wasn't in the original story...More »