The Black Cat

In my recent review of The Hills Have Eyes 2, I pointed out a ridiculous horror cliche that appears in the film. It has to do with bats. This review has nothing to do with bats...it has to do with cats, specifically a black cat that torments the mind of Edgar Allan Poe.

Yes, I’ll admit it. I’m a Masters of Horror fan. I own all the season 1 DVDs and bought a subscription for Showtime last fall just to watch Season 2 in its entirety (in HD…I’m gay like that). I have enjoyed watching each episode, even the really bad ones like John Carpenter’s Pro-Life and Norio Tsuruta’s Dream Cruise (both from season 2). A few of the episodes really stand out as great filmmaking (one of which I will discuss in this review). I like the hour-long format, and the extras on the DVD’s are insightful. I enjoy being able to see what the directors can come up with on a limited budget. I also love KNB’s effects work. I really hope that this series gets picked up for a third season. Rumor is that George Romero (Monkey Shines) is willing to do one.

The best episode from the first two seasons of Master’s of Horror is The Black Cat by Stuart Gordon. Nothing else comes close. Stuart Gordon and Dennis Paoli have written an exceptional script that interweaves Poe’s life with some of his most famous stories. Jeffrey “Re-Animator” Combs plays Poe perfectly, even resembling the famous writer in appearance. The film begins with Poe suffering from writer’s block, drinking heavily, and taking care of his young, cousin-wife Virginia (Elyse Levesque…she’s hot), who is beginning to show signs of tuberculosis. Poe presents a poem to an editor who publishes his work in order to get some much needed money. The editor offers Poe a miniscule sum for his poetry and asks for another macabre story instead.

I don’t want to give away any further plot details or specific scenes. Suffice it to say that this film delivers in its horror elements—it is dark, eerie, creepy, tense, and surprisingly gory (including a scene with a cat that is reminiscent of a scene in Re-Animator…sorry for going back on my word. I tried to be vague.). Poe’s disturbed mind and intellectual genius are explored in detail. We, the viewers, are given a believable glimpse, however fictional it may be, into Poe’s creative process. The set design, period costumes, and acting are fantastic. Gordon’s direction is top-notch. I highly recommend this to any horror aficionado or fan of Poe’s stories.

If you haven’t kept up with Stuart Gordon’s work recently, allow me to recommend a couple other films to add to your soft-core porn filled Netflix queue. Edmond, which stars William H. Macy (Fargo) and was written by David Mamet, is a disturbing gem. If you’re really in the mood for an uncomfortable film-watching experience, check out King Of The Ants.