very atmospheric


A very creepy and atmospheric film with a fun hammy Vincent Price. Roger Corman is a master.

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I'll have to see this sometime soon. It creeped me out when I was a kid.

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you are absolutely right

very atmospheric is the word

good film



I Worship The Goddess Amber Tamblyn


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[deleted]

I didn't find her performance "hammy " at all...maybe in the next feature Pit & The Pendelum, but certinaly not in Usher.

I really went into this with low expectations, seeing only a few of Roger Corman's 80s produced B-horror movies like Humanoids from the Deep & Piranha, I thought I was in for more of the same. Instead I saw a movie that is borderline CLASSIC! Very dark & atmospheric with great use of color & a pretty creepy ending.

***
Recent:
House of Usher (1960): 7/10
The Pledge: 4/10
Haunted Prison: 4/10

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Absolutely. I didn't expect a Corman movie to be that good until now. - great score by Les Baxter (of Yma Sumac and Music From The Ether fame) by the way...

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I really went into this with low expectations, seeing only a few of Roger Corman's 80s produced B-horror movies like Humanoids from the Deep & Piranha, I thought I was in for more of the same. Instead I saw a movie that is borderline CLASSIC! Very dark & atmospheric with great use of color & a pretty creepy ending.


Corman used to pour a lot of effort into his films in his early career despite not having large budgets, but later in his career began producing schlocky junk for the most part. I can understand why you would think what you did, but it really is a shame that his later stuff would define his body of work and potentially put off viewers from these wonderfully well made old-school classics. Don't miss his other Poe films. The Masque of the Red Death in particular tackles some pretty heavy themes and is quite good.

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Whose idea was it for the word LISP to have an S in it? [giveup]

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Yeah, the gloomy atmosphere totally made this film. Moreover, Vincent Price played the role of Roderick Usher with admirable restraint.

"We're all part Shatner/And part James Dean/Part Warren Oates/And Steven McQueen"

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[deleted]

Dean doesn't deserve mention in the same line as those other guys. Worst overrated ham of all time.

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Agreed with the OP! That's the best thing in all Roger Corman's film adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe's stories.

Prostitute: What the *beep* are you doing?
Johnny: I'm gonna kill a bunch of people.

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Indeed this film is!

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Corman's "Poe" series truly is an example of doing the most with a low budget. You had Vincent Price who could practically carry a movie by himself, you had the Gothic story of Edgar Allan Poe, and the low budget meant sets that had to generate tension and fear almost by appearance alone.

Think about it: the fact that The House of Usher doesn't feature any outdoor shots or views through windows really helps to make the audience feel like they're sealed inside the House, almost like a tomb.

I've also read that Vincent Price's fee was the most expensive part of the movie, so there's that.

Can't be too careful with all those weirdos running around.

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Absolutely.
I didn't like Poe's original story when I read it after watching this film, but I love the film: cinematography, art direction, colours, music... I'd wish I could be in that house!!
I love the old Hammer horror films, and this one looks very much like them. Every time I watch it again I try to ignore its American setting and try to imagine the Usher house sitting next to some swamp in the English countryside... That would be perfect.

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I love what Corman did with this picture, and the casting of Vincent Price was just inspired. Of all his tragic heroes, I think Price's Roderick Usher is the most effective, and his look is just great.

Prior to this, AIP just did cheapies. So House of Usher was a big leap for them, and they could compete with Hammer Films. I think they gave them a good run for their money!

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