The Murders in the Rue Morgue

Considering the fine start in this film, the movie overall was a huge disappointment. Part of that great beginning was the cinematography, a real eye-grabber particularly in the first 5-10 minutes.

The story begins to drag after awhile and it wasn't worthwhile sticking with it all the way - even though I did - because the ending is very unsatisfying.

I didn't recognize Rebecca deMornay, she looked so young. Val Kilmer, too, must have been at the beginning of his career. Being a TV movie, the language was pretty tame, which was nice, but the story just didn't deliver. It's not something I would give a second look.

I've been waiting to see this film for about 10 years. There never was and there NEVER will be a truly great screen adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe. Because it can't be done. Given that Poe is definitely one of my favourite writers, you probably would suggest that I shouldn't watch any movie (or TV movie) based on one of his writings. True. But I love movies, and one of the best I've seen is The Pit and the Pendulum, directed by the great Roger Corman, which is an adaptation of Poe's short story and has virtually NOTHING to do with it. But Corman is Corman and he did 5 or 6 movies based (inspired by...) on Poe, and they're all classics (if you love this kind of cinema), and Vincent Price is absolutely splendid and...enough about history. Therefore, you should never expect a brilliant(or even decent)adaptation of Poe, but if you agree with that and if you are prepared to swallow characters and facts that aren't present in Poe's story (Murders in the Rue Morgue, that is) then you're in for a treat. The lugubrious atmosphere, the fluid camerawork, the impressive production design and the magnificent location all add panache to a well told (by David Epstein) and well directed (by Jeannot "Somewhere in Time" Szwarc) tale. And let's not forget the great, late George C.Scott, whose presence alone makes the film worthwile. And listen closely...If you love Poe just on paper, better stay away! If you haven't read the story (and if you like Scott), stick with it! Just remember - if you want a gore movie, wait till Dario Argento makes his own version. If you want an intellectual/perverse/subversive flick, talk to Polanski or De Palma. This one is just a TV movie.

A detective (George C. Scott) comes out of retirement to help his daughter's fiancé (Neil Dickson) prove that he did not commit a series of murders.

I really enjoyed this film, and was surprised to see it was the only attempt to adapt the Poe tale since the 1930s (the one in the 1970s hardly counts as being remotely close to the source material). While I think some liberties were taken (my memory of the story is not perfect), it follows the general feel and does its best to keep the mystery going as long as it can.

And, indeed, that is what I enjoyed most about the film -- the mystery! How did the killer get in and out of the house? What was the motive? Why did he not want the gold coins? Even though I already knew the story, they successfully brought me along for the ride.

This modest but solid mid-80s TV thriller/horror is the third film version based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story with the same bone-chilling title, but they are all very different. The oldest one, released in 1932, is a delightful contemporary Mad-Scientist movie starring Bela Lugosi. The 1971 version, featuring names like Jason Robards and Herbert Lom, is also typical for its period of release, as it's a slasher set in a flamboyant Grand-Guignol theater. This version, starring the legendary George C. Scott and upcoming young talent Val Kilmer, is perhaps the least spectacular one of the bunch, but it is the adaptation that remains the most faithful to Poe's tale.

Poe's fictional character August Dupin, elegantly depicted by Scott, was actually the first super-intelligent detective. If, during "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", the character of Dupin reminds you of immortal sleuths like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, do realize they were invented by their respective authors much later. At the beginning of the story, Dupin is embittered because he got forced to retire by the obnoxious Prefect of Police. Even a visit from his acolyte Philippe or the engagement of his beautiful daughter Claire can't cheer him up. When the whole of Paris is struck by fear and panic due to the indescribably gruesome murders of two women inside their house, Dupin finally considers focusing on something else than his chess board. Claire's fiancé is the police's only suspect, but Dupin quickly deducts the truth behind the murders is far more unusual.

If you read Poe's tale or seen the previous versions, the climax of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" doesn't come as a surprise, of course, but the film nevertheless remains compelling thanks to the performances and the marvelous decors & scenery. Jeannot Szwarc, a more than competent genre director (and, moreover, French) clearly wanted the recreation of Paris at the turn of the century to be very detailed and accurate. Unfortunately, the pivotal murders occur off-screen. Probably because it's a TV-film production and/or because they are described in Poe's wicked imagination as ultimately savage. Poor us, horror fanatics, we don't get to see anything. Not even any short clips of the ripped apart corpses upon their discovery.

Edgar Allan Poe's story sees another adaptation in this 80s made-for-TV outing starring some names in George C Scott, Rebecca De Mornay and Val Kilmer. It's diverting, but very unexceptional and stagy in the details. In honesty it's the strong performances that really carry this one, especially a stalwart Scott and a headstrong De Mornay. How the cast worked of each other kept me glued. Some atmospherics are etched out nicely, with fitting period details of a turn of a century Paris and there's a dark, grim air lurking about. The deaths happen off screen, but there's something ghastly about them and that's mainly due to its effective use of sound. However the story is all about the investigation/mystery of two murdered women and it's somewhat stiff in its execution of it. Even with the script throwing around ideas, theories in its quest to uncover the motive of the puzzling deaths it just fared as a typical crime plot of outrageous circumstances. Still at least it didn't find itself getting distracted by certain sub-plots. Earnest entertainment.