The Death of Poe (film)
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| The Death of Poe | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Mark Redfield |
| Produced by | Stuart Voytilla Mark Redfield |
| Written by | Stuart Voytilla Mark Redfield |
| Starring | Mark Redfield Kevin G. Shinnick Jennifer Rouse Tony Tsendeas |
| Music by | Jennifer Rouse |
| Distributed by | Alpha Video (DVD) |
| Release date(s) | November, 2006 |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Death of Poe is a 2006 independent film that tells the tragic story of the mysterious disappearance and death of the American author Edgar Allan Poe.
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[edit] Plot summary
After a textual montage summarizing Edgar Allan Poe's life, the film begins in late September 1849 with Poe about to take a trip to New York City. Mysteriously, he is discovered several days later, raving and incoherent, in a Baltimore gutter. For three days he lay delirious in a hospital until he died. To this day, the actual cause of Poe's death is a mystery. The film chronicles only the last few days of the writer.
Ultimately, the film depicts the popular theory that Poe's death was caused by cooping, a scam where gangs forced people to vote in multiple polling locations for a certain candidate. The film also depicts Poe as suffering from some kind of illness that causes memory loss and seizures. Poe's troubled mind is echoed in the cinematography of the mostly black and white film.
[edit] Production
The film was shot on location in Baltimore and Virginia, and at the studios of Redfield Arts [1]. Principal photography took place in June and July of 2005.
[edit] Cast
- Mark Redfield as Edgar Allan Poe
- Kevin G. Shinnick as Dr. Moran
- Jennifer Rouse as Mrs. Moran
- Tony Tsendeas as Neilson Poe
- Wayne Shipley as Henry Herring
[edit] Distribution
The Death of Poe had its world premiere at the Festival of Fantastic Films in Manchester, United Kingdom on September 30, 2006. The U.S. premiere was at Baltimore's Charles Theatre on October 11, 2006.
The film was released on DVD in the United States by Alpha Video on December 5, 2006. Alpha's release also included two rare early films based on Poe's work: The Avenging Conscience (1914) (D.W. Griffiths' silent film adaptation of "The Tell-Tale Heart"), The Raven (1915), and additional bonus material.
The film was also screened at the Fargo Film Festival in Fargo, North Dakota on March 11, 2007.
[edit] Reception
British film journalist M.J. Simpson described the film as "an impressive and imaginative piece of independent film-making, available at a ridiculously low price and thoroughly worth the time, effort and cash of anyone who has ever enjoyed reading (or watching films based on) the words of Edgar Allan Poe." [1] DVDTOWN.com managing editor James Plath wrote that Redfield's portrayal "really does bring the character to life," however the production "doesn't have the level of acting or script sophistication to make it play in Peoria . . . or anywhere else where Poe isn't revered." [2] This sentiment was echoed by DVD Pub Review, who stated that "Mark Redfield has a lot of talent, but it seems that he tries too hard to do too much." [3] Both Plath and DVD Pub Review lauded the extensive bonus material of the DVD release.
[edit] References
- ^ The Death of Poe - MJSimpson.co.uk. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
- ^ DVD review of The Death of Poe. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
- ^ The DVD Pub reviews Death of Poe. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
