‘A modern passion. An ancient terror.’
The House of Usher is a 1989 horror film about an engaged couple who are involved in an accident on the way to the man’s uncle’s mansion. The young woman becomes trapped in the house with deranged residents and weird happenings.
Directed by Alan Birkinshaw (The Masque of the Red Death 1989; Ten Little Indians 1989; Invaders of the Lost Gold; Killer’s Moon) from a screenplay written by Michael J. Murray (Love Kills; The Masque of the Red Death), very loosely based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Produced by Harry Alan Towers and executive produced by Avi Lerner.
The Breton Film Productions movie stars Oliver Reed, Donald Pleasence, Romy Walthall [as Romy Windsor], Rufus Swart, Norman Coombes, Anne Stradi, Carole Farquhar and Philip Godawa.
Plot:
Ryan and his girlfriend Molly are going to visit Ryan’s uncle, Roderick Usher, at his country mansion. They find, however, that Roderick’s brother Walter has gone insane, and Roderick himself isn’t far behind. Can Ryan and Molly escape from the doomed mansion before the curse of Usher claims them as well?
Review:
Edgar Allan Poe‘s tales of ‘mystery and imagination’ inspired a memorable cycle of horror films in the 1960s, specifically the Roger Corman adaptations – such as House of Usher (1960) and The Masque of the Red Death (1964) – that gained true classic status in the genre.
Three decades later saw various filmmakers, including Corman’s releasing outfit, unleashing a renewed pestilence of Poe titles. Kindness might make us want to call them “re-imaginings,” but cynicism would rather go with pilferages and pastiches, including a second, less fortunate Corman run-in with The Masque of the Red Death in 1989. That same year saw an even less defensible Poe mutation, The House of Usher (although it was not released to a tormented world until three years later).
The 1989 version of The House of Usher isn’t the worst thing that ever happened to Edgar Allen Poe onscreen, but it comes uncomfortably close. Set in the present day despite period costumes, it makes a hash out of Poe’s moody narrative of inbred nobles, premature burials and psychic sibling links (a few authors call “The Fall of the House of Usher” a rare Poe science-fiction story; though that is a little of a stretch).
It transpires that unfortunate Ryan Usher was not killed, but purposely entombed alive in the family crypt. In a detail not found in the Poe original (neither are LA hairstylists), Ryan Usher has a crazy father (Donald Pleasence), a frizzy-haired goof with an unimpressive hobbyist drill attached to one hand, who subsequently escapes from his upstairs cell and goes on a psycho rampage, as the ‘ancient’ mansion, too obviously made of papier-mache, crumbles around the terrified fiancee Molly.
A sadist butler (Norman Coombes) carries a large fish around at odd moments and castrates the family doctor with a hungry rat. His wife (Anne Stradi), a gaunt Billie-Whitelaw type, says the movie’s best line to Molly: “I know you’ve got a lot on your mind, but while you’re here – could you do something with my hair.” None of it makes very much sense, even less of it is scary, and the ending reveals it has all been a daydream.
Prolific international B-movie producer Harry Alan Towers, as was his habit, filmed most of this cheaply in South Africa with some significant actors involved. Here it’s imposing Oliver Reed, game for the role but miscast as the creepy Roderick Usher, a hypersensitive aesthete who can’t tolerate strong scents, bright light or certain colours. Reed is just too robust for such a neurasthenic character, undercutting the concept of a mental and genetically defective bent on perpetuating his justly extinct clan in the name of the aristocracy.
Pleasence is at least in his element as a twitchy lunatic, but the part slips into embarrassment as he dances through the corridors with his Woolworths power tool buzzing for victims. Repeated, painful close-ups of the little drill bit poking through the walls emphasise this House of Usher is only chintzy drywall and plaster, painted and stippled to resemble stone. The most impressive acting is pert Romy Walthall’s pretence that a styrofoam tomb lid is made from heavy granite as she strains to rescue Ryan.
From such low-budget origins did Roger Corman once weave respectable gothic horror, and sometimes diverting camp humour. But New Zealand-born director Alan Birkinshaw shows little flair either way and has a habit of holding shots for a few seconds longer than necessary to milk the few gore scenes for all their worth.
The House of Usher made another addition to poor Poe’s legacy of quaint, curious, and better-to-be-forgotten lore. Quoth the viewer: “Nevermore!”
Charles Cassady Jr, MOVIES & MANIA
Cast and characters:
Oliver Reed … Roderick Usher; Donald Pleasence … Walter Usher; Romy Windsor … Molly McNulty; Rufus Swart … Ryan Usher; Norman Coombes … Clive Derrick; Anne Stradi … Mrs Derrick; Carole Farquhar … Gwen; Philip Godawa … Doctor Bailey; Lenorah Ince … Child; Jonathan Fairbirn … Child
Filming locations:
The Albert Memorial, Kensington Gardens, London, England
Hyde Park Barracks, London, England
Park Lane Hotel, Piccadilly, London, England (Molly and Ryan end their jog)
The Serpentine, Hyde Park, London, England (Molly and Ryan besides it)
South Africa
Technical specs:
1 hour 32 minutes
Audio: Dolby
Notes:
Some of the soundtrack cues were also used in Ten Little Indians (1989).
Related:
THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH 1989 Herbert Lom, Brenda Vaccaro and Frank Stalone hold a Poe party
