House of Usher (2008)

User Rating:

3.6/10   

Director:

David DeCoteau

Writer:

Simon Savory (writer)

Release Date:

9 May 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Many have arrived. Few have survived.

Plot:

Victor Reynolds arrives at the notorious House of Usher, whereupon he is greeted by old acquaintances Roderick and Madeline Usher and their servant...

Plot Keywords:

House | Butler | Gay Man | Homosexuality | Homosexual

Cast

Michael Cardelle	...	Victor Reynolds
Frank Mentier	...	Roderick Usher
Jaimyse Haft	...	Madeline Usher
Jack Carlisle	...	Markus
Bart Voitila	...	Sam
Daniel Fugardi	...	Casper
Jill Jacobson	...	Nurse Cabot
Ian Shaw	...	The Narrator (voice)

Also Known As:

Edgar Allan Poe's House of Usher (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content.

Runtime:

USA:83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Rapid Heart Pictures

Quotes:

Victor Reynolds: It’s not about the people in my dreams being conscious of where they are, it’s about me being conscious of where they were. These people existed!

Movie Connections:

References Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. (1920)

Interesting Twist

I'm always fond of writing comments on movies that are either underrated or unnoticed and yet possess some degree of depth or sensibility. When I started watching this movie, I prepared myself for something really profound. But then I saw man-to-man kissing. Not that I have something against that or on movies that contain similar scenes, it's just that I did not intend to watch that kind of movie that afternoon.

For the benefit of the doubt, I continued watching and gave it a try anyway. Soon I started appreciating it – first on the choice of words in the dialogue, quite sensible; and then on the overall script that practically ushers the audience gradually into something bigger, becoming more dreadful by the minute – reason enough for fans of horror and suspense-thriller movies to get hooked up after all; and then the directing that made the actors essentially effective, the narrating, and practically every scene in the movie quite creepy. I could not overlook how the director successfully managed to utilize the main actor's tears in complete silence at the end of the movie to convey lots of messages – could be for a love that ended tragically or because he failed and abandoned someone he loved for quite some time or for the failure of Usher to get him out of such misery. And then there is this quite interesting twist in the end that changed the perspective of the movie. While all along, it was Usher who seemed to be needing a redemption, in the end though, it is the other way around after all.

Yes, the movie contained some partial male nudity and gay relationship but all these seemed to fall into the backdrop as one focuses his attention on the overall message being conveyed by the movie – the fall of the house of Usher is the product of the failure to save a loved one, whether it is in the point of view of Usher, Usher's sister, or even Victor…*