Beth Fish Reads: Review: The Raven (Movie)

09 October 2012

Review: The Raven (Movie)

I mentioned last week that today is the 163rd anniversary of the death of American author Edgar Allan Poe. In that post, I introduced you to the movie The Raven, which was inspired by Poe's life and work.

The premise is this: A serial killer is loose in Baltimore in the mid-1800s. Although all the murders are different, Detective Fields (Luke Evans) recognizes the link between them: Each is a reenactment of one of Edgar Allan Poe's (John Cusack) short stories.Working together to track down and stop the killer, the two men use clues left at the crime scenes and study Poe's works. When the killer threatens to make Poe's beloved Emily his next victim, the author will stop at nothing to protect her.

Although parts of The Raven are predictable, its mix of scary and action held my attention. I really liked the sets, props, and costumes, which enhanced the mood and and captured the time period. In addition, Cusack plays a believable Poe, who, near the end of his life, was struggling with alcoholism and was on the downhill slope of fame.

I'm not familiar with the entire list of Poe's work, but it was fun to try to guess the basis of each crime. Some, like the "Pit and the Pendulum," were easy; others were more difficult. Finally, I liked the way the screenwriters took some of the facts of Poe's life and wove them into the storyline.

The BluRay/DVD contains commentary, extended and extra scenes not seen in the theater, and over a dozen features, providing several evenings of entertainment.

The Raven is a good pick for an October night and a great way to remember one of America's classic horror authors. Take a look at the trailer, and if you haven't yet entered my giveaway for a chance to win a copy of the DVD, be sure to fill out the form.

Thanks to Think Jam and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for the opportunity to review this movie.

11 comments:

caite, 10/9/12, 6:16 AM: Well, I do like Mr. Cusack quite a bit ....
bermudaonion, 10/9/12, 6:50 AM: I missed this when it was in the theater for some reason. I know Vance wanted to see it since he's a fan of Poe and Cusack. I'll have to tell him you enjoyed this.
(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea, 10/9/12, 8:20 AM: October is the perfect month for dark stories. I've never seen this one, but Poe is a master and wold love to try it. Thanks for blogging about it.
Daryl, 10/9/12, 8:51 AM: thanks for the review, i am going to wait for it to get to NetFlix
Carrie K., 10/9/12, 9:40 AM: I can't wait to see this one - it never came to our teeny theater, so I missed it!
Zibilee, 10/9/12, 11:21 AM: This is something that I also missed when it was in the theater, and I would love to see it. I am going to have to look for it on DVD when I can. It does sound like it would really capture my attention. Very nice review on it today!
Julie P., 10/9/12, 12:14 PM: Sounds perfect for this time of year. Hope I win!
Sandy Nawrot, 10/9/12, 1:54 PM: OK well I will ignore the Rotten Tomatoes rating and just enjoy this one for the spooky and the Cusak.
Jenn's Bookshelves, 10/9/12, 2:55 PM: I have this on my must-watch list! Just waiting for Red Box to get it in! I agree, this sounds like the perfect movie to watch in October...perhaps for Murder, Monsters & Mayhem?
Unknown, 10/9/12, 6:12 PM: Thanks for the review, I've been wanting to see this one. I'll plan on renting this month.
Anonymous, 10/9/12, 7:26 PM: Thank you for reviewing The Raven, Beth! I went online and rented it on Friday evening shortly before leaving my office at DISH. The movie was downloaded and ready to watch from my Hopper DVR before I even walked in my door. I chose this movie because I am a fan of Poe, and I found the fictionalization of his life and work to be an interesting premise for a film. I thought Cusack played the role of Poe well. I also thought the film was well shot, and the period was captured excellently. I would definitely recommend this movie, especially this time of year.