Tales of Poe [Review]

Edgar Allan Poe is most definitely no stranger around these parts. We’ve read his stories/poems, we’ve dissected them to great detail and we have seen a slew of films inspired by his works. His legacy continues to this very day and still people are inspired by his work, which just goes to show how much of an impact the man had, and speaking of which, I got the chance to see another interpretation of a few of his stories via a new anthology flick that is on the horizon.

The film is entitled Tales of Poe, and comes from the minds of Bart Mastronardi, Alan Rowe Kelly, and Michael Varrati, and what we get is a truly stylized take on Poe’s work and it is just brimming with beauty, elegance and downright horror. The anthology consists of three segments which are based on three stories, first is The Tell Tale Heart, then The Cask of Amontillado and finally the lesser known Dreams. Each segment delivers in its own style and it works, so I’ll get straight to it with the first segment.

The Tell Tale Heart is perhaps Poe’s most well-known story and thus Bart Mastronardi and the team have done the story proud. This one is overflowing with elegance. The cinematography is second to none and the lighting is absolutely perfect. This isn’t a dig at indie film, but at times I forget that I am watching an indie film as the production values are out of this world, it’s a stunning piece. Anyway the segment features Debbie Rochon and Desiree Gould, and both pull out excellent performances throughout as the tale plays out in twisted fashion with some excellent gore scenes. I’ll let you guys find out when you get he chance to witness this.

Secondly we have The Cask of Amontillado, and continuing on from the gorgeous locations as the first segment, The Cask doesn’t hold back either, as Alan Rowe Kelly not only delivers on the directing side of things but also in front of the camera too. It’s quite a quirky segment but it fits in well, it almost has a Twilight Zone feel about it but it works well. At times this segment does feel a little drawn out but don’t let that put you off as the set pieces, the make-up and the performances more than make up for the length in this one.

Then finally we have Dreams. Perhaps one of Poe’s lesser known works, but Michael Varrati and Bart Mastronardi deliver something of pure artistic quality. It’s a truly mesmerizing experience as we escape to another world which is full of beauty and terror and delivered with no dialogue. It has this sort of art-house feel about it with colorful characters and I believe this is meant to be interpreted by the viewer so you may have a different take on this than many others but I thought it was executed well as it is definitely a fresh new experience which I think a few of you will love. Amy Steel, Caroline Williams, and Adrienne King as well as the many others involved all nail their performances as they take us on a mystical ride. But I’ll leave it at that, I don’t want to go into detail regarding the story of these as I want you guys to fully experience this with a clear mind.

And there we have it. Tales of Poe is a refreshing ride into the mind of Edgar Allan Poe as it gives us three different and quite quirky takes on his work. My favorite would have to be The Tell Tale Heart, everything about that segment just flowed so well and it was the perfect length. Loved it. Same goes for Dreams, I wasn’t familiar with that Poe story, but the visuals, the acting, it was a blast. But all in all, the segments came together well, and that’s the great thing about anthology films, we get a little slice of several stories and I can see why this one is picking up a whole lot of traction on the festival circuit.

If you get the chance, give this one a watch, I recommend it. in the meantime, check out the trailer below as well as their official Facebook page.