Edgar Allan Poe was born on 19 January 1809.
How can a man born roughly 80 years before the invention of the motion picture be a psychotronic icon? I think you know the answer to that! Psychotronic filmmakers have made so many films based on his work. And a number of films include him as a character.
Poe exemplifies something interesting about horror. It works as the basis for art in a way that other genres do not. And he definitely saw himself as an artist — a literary critic and poet. So horror allowed him (and many others) to be very creative.
Poe coined the term “unity of effect.” By it, he meant that a work of art should have one overall effect on the reader. Horror is great for doing this. And I think this is what made Poe’s best work so powerful. But he didn’t put the idea into print until later in his career. I don’t know if this explains why I most admire his later work.
“The Pit and the Pendulum” is an amazing example of pure horror. There isn’t much of a plot. It’s just an intense series of horrific experiences. But without a doubt, my favorite Poe story is “The Tell-Tale Heart.” It offers that same intensity told by a deeply disturbed narrator.
Poe reminds me of Philip K Dick. Both men inspire many films. But the films have to deviate strongly from their sources. In Poe’s case, his work is so internal. Consider “The Black Cat.” The main plot element is walling off the wife and (accidentally) the cat. It’s great! But that’s not why the story works. Its brilliance is experiencing a man slowly going crazy.
Rather than present one of the many films based on his work, I want to introduce you all to a TV show Vincent Price made, An Evening Of Edgar Allan Poe. It is just a series of scenes where he performs the stories (1) “The Tell-Tale Heart”; (2) “The Sphinx”; (3) “The Cask of Amontillado”; and (4) “The Pit and the Pendulum.” I highly recommend it. It’s great fun listening to these dense stories told dramatically.
Edgar Allan Poe via Wikipedia. It is in the public domain.
