A Night with Edgar Allan Poe

With tomorrow being Halloween, it was nice to see the rain from the weekend clear and allow us to get out. Not knowing what tomorrow will hold, i was able to get tickets to see to something different: ANight with Edgar Allan Poe.

Tonight I had a chance to sit back and watch a tremendous performance by literary historian Rob Velella. During this hour and a half show at Fort Necessity Nation Battlefield, he was able to channel his energy and take us into the life and words of Edgar Allan Poe with a combination of well-known and lesser-known works including Shadow A Parable, The Oblong Box and of course, The Raven. 

This special evening program was held at the Visitor Center at Fort Necessity National Battlefield and the amazing performance drew a packed house. For me, as a huge Poe fan it was nice to see such such a diverse group on hand to learn about the works of one of the greatest authors of all time. Especially in a performance that was both entertaining and informative. 

Velella, who is an independent literary historian and playwright specializing in American literature of the 19th century, created the perfect character and seemed to flow through the material effortlessly. I would highly recommend checking out a performance if you get a chance.

The Oblong Box (1969)

There is nothing like waking up in the morning to a movie that combined so many classic horror icons. Yesterday, I got to enjoy Edgar Allan Poe , Christopher Lee and Vincent Price  in 1969s The Oblong Box.

Plot/ Aristocrat Julian Markham keeps his disfigured brother, Sir Edward, locked in a tower of his house. Occasionally Sir Edward escapes and causes havoc around the town.

  

This was another film that was very loosely on the writings of Poe. Combine that with the talents of Price and Lee, and you should have a masterpiece. Regrettably, you do not.  This flick definitely maintains a dark, gloomy, gothic atmosphere throughout, and definitely does a great job at staying true to the period. Unfortunately, this flick was mired in bad luck from the beginning and these happenings seemed to impact the entire project. The acting, plot and scripting were constantly in flux, moving in different directions that cause constant continuity issues. Even the performances of Price and Lee were a bit uneven, almost uninspired. In the end, this movie is definitely watchable. It is not the greatest but it is not the worst.