Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher is one of my top two favourite short stories of all time. I also very much like hot, athletic, shirtless men. But can someone explain to me how anyone was able to come up with a treatment that combines both and still call it Edgar Allan Poe’s House of Usher?
Poe’s story is about an ill man, living with his sister, also ill, that invites an old childhood friend to comfort him during his sickness. I won’t ruin the end, which is terrifying, but at no point do four young, hot, gay men make an appearance—either explicitly or in subtext.
And… “Many have arrived, few have survived?” What?
Don’t get me wrong, I like gay cinema as much as the next non-straight guy (except when it’s low-budget, pretentious, or a re-hash), but this is just silly.
I think it would be less silly if the poster didn’t include a shirtless young man in cheap-looking Hanes boxer-briefs… but that’s just my opinion.
Secondly, I don’t get that tag line at all. Did I miss a reference in the story or something?
Yeah, you haven’t missed anything. In fact, the only visitors to arrive at the house are the narrator and a doctor mentioned in passing, and both survive just fine.
Anyway, I just noticed there’s a trailer on the website! The trailer says that the house—which is now haunted, apparently—eats the souls of men who enter. And the four shirtless guys… They’re the ghostly manifestations of previously consumed souls (definitely a new facet to the story) that, I guess, like to grab other shirtless guys taking bubble baths. So, uh, yeah, I’m thinking the screenwriter never actually read the story.
Well, either that or I was completely wrong when I figured the house was just a symbol for the health and bloodline of the two remaining Ushers, and not, in fact, a supernatural, soul-sucking, possessed house.
All that aside, I’ll probably add this to my Zip.ca list. You know, on account of the… score; yeah, something tell’s me it’s lovely.
I just noticed that my gravatar, unlike yours, is a shirtless guy.
WIN!
….
What?! Hah,if Poe himself saw this poster printed with the title of his famous works..
Ha ha, Hanes is what they’re wearing in the film for sure. I saw it on Here TV and its actually pretty good. The hot men are in this because of Decoteau, its a staple of all his movies. This also means you get some lengthy softcore scenes.
For the record (from what i saw): the 3 guys are workers who previously worked on the house, painter gardener and plumber. Theres an interesting story about how all those that were hired to construct the house died and their bodies were buried beneath it, giving it a thirst for life. Somehow Roderick and Madeline factor into this, meaning that they too need souls to survive. Soon there was nobody willing to go work on the house, the Usher parents died and just Roderick and Madeline are left to keep it going - so their last hope is to invite Victor. Theres lots of other stuff going on too, like how Madeline cant have a baby, metaphors involving ivy and photographs, a dead raven (ha ha) and a brief conversation about metaphysics (!!!)
The person who wrote this must know his/her Poe, a clue is in Victor’s surname (the Reynolds myth), which also gives away the ending which is a very crass reference to Poe’s death.
I’d say the only people who’d get a kick out of this are gay Poe fans with a sense of humour, are there many out there?
I am a Gay man and I love the work of Edgar A. Poe.
and I have NO intention of seeing this movie.
it has nothing to do with the story.
the trailer looks more to me like a gay version of House on Haunted Hill.
and has nothing to do with Poe’s wonderful story. which is annoying.
Id much rather see a much better MORE faithful adaptation of Poes story.
I dont mind seeing good looking half dressed men
but not in a poe story.