MovieChat Forums > House of Usher (2008) Discussion > Did anyone truly enjoy this?

Did anyone truly enjoy this?

posted 15 years ago by astream99
14 replies | jump to latest

I struggled through this to the end, but wish I hadn't bothered.
The acting was utterly atrocious. I've seen better acting in porn.
The music score was the most irritating I've ever heard I think. Overly dramatic in places with absolutely nothing going on.
The "special effect" - yes, singular - was below student film quality. Very very far below.
The story was padded waaaaaaaay out with pointless scenes of ultra soft core gay porn. Haven't read the Poe story yet, but I'm pretty sure this has next to nothing to do with it.
The ending was the dumbest I've ever seen in my opinion. There seems to be absolutely no point to the film at all after seeing the ending.

Actually I couldn't find ONE redeeming factor about the whole thing. I guess the only people who will enjoy this are people who enjoy watching almost naked men caressing each other. I'm not homophobic, but it was just purely gratuitous.
Can anyone defend the making of this?

[–] stephanprinz 15 years ago

Short answer: no. One of the worst movies I have ever seen.

[–] talos123 15 years ago

yeah it's padded out with lots of boring, unnecessary softcore scenes, soundtrack way over the top and intefering, but I liked the ending and the lead character Victor (Michael Cardelle) gave a good performance. Some interesting ideas amongst the silliness, like the whole alternate reality thing which is explained at the end. It dared to do something different at least - but was buried in porny cliche.

[–] johantheolive 15 years ago

Ugh this movie was a burden to watch. The first scene with Victor and Usher was so absurdly out of place. It even had music appropriate for porn. The effects were quite bad, and the 'scare' tactics were laughable. The hand in the bathtub? Haha that was rather funny - it just looked like someone was at the foot of the tub with their hand underwater giving him a handjob (that was probably the intent). And the woman in the movie should get an award for the most god awful acting ever. I thought the ending was an interesting idea, but was just poorly done. The plot was awful. You know pretty much the same things at the end as in the beginning. The movie provides a couple vague suggestions as to what's actually supposed to be going on but nothing precise. Then the ending comes along and just cancels out everything else. Then you're left with wondering what was the point. I can't imagine this movie was intended to be anything other than of gay interest.

[–] ctaylor661 15 years ago

I can't imagine this movie was intended to be anything other than of gay interest.

Well, I'm gay and I didn't find it to be of much interest either so I guess no one liked it!

[–] loverofeternity 15 years ago

Strange.

I'm bi-curious, and I enjoyed it.

Guess you have to be straight to remotely like it.

and about that bit regarding how the only people who would like it are those who enjoy watching guys caress each other..

How completely and totally inappropriate. I watched it with my girlfriend.

[–] Dave-36 15 years ago

I didn't think it was great movie by an means but it certainly wasn't unwatchable. If you're familiar with director David DeCoteau's other films, you should expect softcore man on man action. I thought that Michael Cardelle was very good as the hapless house guest, and the actress who played the sister reminded me of Maria Ford in her earlier movies. Basically it's an OK time waster if you like frequently disrobed men, and while it is not scary or thrilling in the least, it is technically well-made for a low-budget film. Fans of the "Friday The 13th" series will no doubt find the score familiar as it was done by Harry Manfredini, the man responsible for the horror franchise's classic music.

[–] talos123 14 years ago

It didn't cancel out everything. I thought it was pretty clever that the ghosts turned out to be the hospital staff. This explains the hands caressing him in the bath tub and on the bed, as no doubt the hospital staff would have had to bathe him and put him to bed (which you see them do, forcefully, at the end).

[–] Devans00 15 years ago

I thought the two main actors, playing Usher and Victor were decent actors. The actor who played the sister, Madeline, on the other hand, was horrible. And her makeup did her no favors. She should have used the same makeup artists as the guys. Unfortunately, she dragged the movie down from pretty good to mediocre.

I liked the location and the costumes but the interior shots didn't match the outside of the house. Who knew a gothic mansion would look like a suburban tract house on the inside?

I hope Michael Cardelle and Frank Mentier get more work. They are way too pretty to be wasted.

The other guys, Markus and the ghosts, fulfilled their duty by standing around partially dressed being spooky.

No two persons ever watch the same movie.

[–] pv61 12 years ago

Mr DeCoteau should use his own stories and not mess up somebody else's.
Mainly 2 things I didn't like. The ''erotic'' scene between Victor and Roderick, they kiss, ok, I understand they have loved each other for a long time. Does the kiss have to last 30 minutes? And the fondling, the idle hands with nowhere to go because they couldn't touch buttocks or penis, it was either legs or chest! Silly and redundant.
Then the underwear guys like coming from a commercial shoot. We all know Mr DeCoteau's style, but sometimes he gets over the line...

[–] mantrhax 15 years ago

Nope, this movie is a piece of ****

[–] IloveTay 14 years ago

I liked this movie

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] BoundByHonor 14 years ago

It's atrocious and not because of the homosexual element which is completely unnecessary anyway. It's horribly bad because it has nothing to do with Poe's short story.

I started watching this thinking I was going to be watching something actually based on the Fall of the House of Usher. Instead they took the short story keeping the names intact, but did away with the mental disorder of the main character (possibly schizophrenia) thematically dealing with melancholy and vampirism with gothic undertones and substituted it with latent homosexuality. Why??? Then they think because they have a shot of Poe's book at the end that gives them the right to carry on the title.

I hope Poe is turning over in his grave because of this POS.

Do not be fooled by what I am saying...try to hear what it is I am not saying

[–] 14 years ago

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