“To those who are squeamish or react nervously to shock, we suggest that when you hear this sound . . . [heart beating] close your eyes and do not look at the screen again until it stops.”
Oh 1960, you magnificent bastard of horrible film making. Start your film with a warning. That will surely improve it. This is another low budget British horror (classic Doctor Who was my childhood babysitter so sometimes I forget to realize just how terrible the production value on some of these films really is) loosely based on Poe’s short story, but also briefly reflecting on the man himself.
The film opens with Edgar having a nightmare that causes him to lash out and scream. A housekeeper and a man named Carl come in, give him some drug he sticks up his nose (yep- snuff will cure it), and leave him alone to hang his head mournfully over a desk. There is a weird cut to Edgar then going to a bar, being tempted by a saucy wench, and going home to look at tastefully naughty photos. Apparently, he wrestles with some issues of a carnal nature, but before he can do anything that could make God cry, Edgar becomes infatuated with a beautiful woman who moves into the neighborhood. This leads to obsession, a lot of pervy spying, non-consensual hugging, a love triangle, scandalous displays of public affection, a cameo by Rue Morgue, a murder most fowl, and the usual beating of the hideous heart expected from this title.
SPOILER ALERT:
You might be wondering, is Edgar our beloved writer? Yes and no. At the beginning of the film, the housekeeper calls him Mr. Poe. Despite the subtitles on my TV continually calling him Poe, the rest of the characters call him Mr. Marsh and he awkwardly introduces himself to the woman as Marsh. Why is this? Bad editing? Well, yes this film is not well edited, but in this case the name change was intentional.
You see, it wall a dream! Carl comes in a second time, wakes up Poe in a house that is far too nice to belong to that struggling writer, and the real Edgar sees the same woman his dream self was obsessed with. Oh no! That was a sarcastic oh no, by the way.
