The Fall of the House of Usher

[Blue Jam]

Edgar Allen Poe does Succession? Ambitious but I'm liking
it so far:

[Blue Jam]

On episode 2 now. Prospero Usher AKA "Gucci Caligula" is like Kendall Roy but somehow even more of a drug-addled poor little rich boy. Brilliant.

Loving Mark Hamill in this too, inspired casting.

[Angst in my Pants]

I'm on episode 4, I think this is rather fabulous. I love how the queer characters' queerness is completely unimportant to the plot (so far, at least), that's good representation in my book.

Bruce Greenwood has such a fabulous voice, a bit like Miguel Ferrer's but softer, I could listen to him for ages. In my mind he's the only one who came close to Kevin Conroy's perfect Batman/Bruce Wayne voice work in the DC animated movies. Seeing him play against Mark Hamill in this gives me minor Batman/Joker thrills, even though (I don't think) they ever played opposite each other in those roles.

[iamcoop]

It's very enjoyable in a trashy kind of way, but my partner is watching it with me who usually can't go within an 100 mile radius of anything even slightly scary, so that tells you what you need to know about it's horror credentials.

I also find that everyone is unlikeable but not unlikeable enough for it to be consistently entertaining a la Succession.

Spoiler alert

Rahul Kohli's character was the most entertaining so far for me and he's already been Kittie'd to death

[close]

so that's that.

Totally different beast to Haunting of Hill House but that was miles better than this for me.

[Inspector Norse]

I'm not a big horror guy but I really liked Mike Flanagan's other stuff (well Hill House and Midnight Mass) probably in part because they weren't really horror but instead just intelligent and well-made dramas with some horror stuff hanging off them (more so in the case of Hill House). This looks a bit more flashy and blackly comic than those fairly serious efforts, quite looking forward to it.

[Average Comedy Enjoyer]

Also loved Mark Hamill.

I enjoyed having a pub quiz level knowledge of the titles, themes and plots of EA Poe so got a great deal out of spotting them coming (a laboratory called RUE full of monkeys? I wonder)

Also they got me when I jokingly said "enhance" when they were looking at CCTV and they actually said it, but only to go on a metanrant about how that only happens on TV.

Makes me feel smart.

Mike Flanagan back in good books after having been struck off for the Haunting of Blythe Manor

[Blue Jam]

It's very enjoyable in a trashy kind of way, but my partner is watching it with me who usually can't go within an 100 mile radius of anything even slightly scary, so that tells you what you need to know about it's horror credentials.

I'm not generally into horror with the exception of video games. It just doesn't do much for me in other media. Making another exception for this, and I agree that it's not very scary, although I did find the ending of the second episode to be

Spoiler alert

pure nightmare fuel.

[close]

[iamcoop]

I'm not generally into horror with the exception of video games. It just doesn't do much for me in other genres. Making another exception for this, and I agree that it's not very scary, although I did find the ending of the second episode to be a bit of

Spoiler alert

pure nightmare fuel.

[close]

Aye, that was some cool imagery.

Anyway I'm not trying to be overly negative, it is a fun watch and there are a few creepy moments here and there.

[Blue Jam]

Aye, that was some cool imagery.

Reminded me of

Spoiler alert

DOOM.

[close]

I did wonder if it had been inspired by this news story (spoilery URL):

Spoiler alert

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/lubricant-dispencer-hyrdrochloric-acid-sydney-gay-club-aarows-man-charged-a7214151.html

[close]

...but that's probably because my knowledge of EA Poe's work is woeful. I suppose I should head over to Project Gutenberg and rectify that.

[iamcoop]

Reminded me of

Spoiler alert

DOOM.

[close]

I did wonder if it had been inspired by this news story (spoilery URL):

Spoiler alert

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/lubricant-dispencer-hyrdrochloric-acid-sydney-gay-club-aarows-man-charged-a7214151.html

[close]

...but that's probably because my knowledge of EA Poe's work is woeful. I suppose I should head over to Project Gutenberg and rectify that.

Fucking hell that's a grim story.

I do like the format of taking the Usher story as an overriding theme and then working another Poe theme into each episode. It's a cool idea and fun trying to spot which one it's going to be.

I think my memory is going to shit though, it took my partner to point out by about episode 4 that

Spoiler alert

it's the same woman being the harbinger of doom every time.

[close]

[Blue Jam]

I think my memory is going to shit though, it took my partner to point out by about episode 4 that

Spoiler alert

it's the same woman being the harbinger of doom every time.

[close]

Spoiler alert

Verna. Her name is an anagram of... yep, you get it.

[close]

[Ignatius_S]

I'm on episode 4, I think this is rather fabulous. I love how the queer characters' queerness is completely unimportant to the plot (so far, at least), that's good representation in my book.

Bruce Greenwood has such a fabulous voice, a bit like Miguel Ferrer's but softer, I could listen to him for ages. In my mind he's the only one who came close to Kevin Conroy's perfect Batman/Bruce Wayne voice work in the DC animated movies. Seeing him play against Mark Hamill in this gives me minor Batman/Joker thrills, even though (I don't think) they ever played opposite each other in those roles.

Greenwood and Hamill haven't done Batman and Joker voice work together (although due to how recording, 'together' probably isn't the best choice of words) - I suspect you know this already, but Rahul Kohli has also done DC-related work.

[Ignatius_S]

Edgar Allen Poe does Succession? Ambitious but I'm liking
it so far:

Thanks for the heads-up - I got very excited when I heard that Hamill was attached to it and then promptly forgot all about it. Mary McDonnell Is a big plus for me as well, so looking forward to checking it out!

[Blue Jam]

I'm on episode 4, I think this is rather fabulous. I love how the queer characters' queerness is completely unimportant to the plot (so far, at least), that's good representation in my book.

Another thing it has in common with Succession.

[Angst in my Pants]

Spoiler alert

Verna. Her name is an anagram of... yep, you get it.

[close]

Spoiler alert

heh, I hadn't spotted it was an anagram. Following your post, at first I could only get 'Nevar' and thought it was a bit of a stretch for 'Nevermore'. I feel very, very silly now.

[close]

In terms of its horror credentials, I think Usher is doing a much better job than the neverending American Horror Story franchise which I continue to watch through habit these days rather than enjoyment. AHS seems to have sunk into "look, isn't this weird and/or gross but not actually scary or plot-related" territory since season... actually, now I think about it perhaps it's always been like that. The latest season ('Delicate') is at least off to a promising start given it seems to have an actual story (although it's based on a novel, so that's faint praise).

I'd quite like to read some Poe after all this is done - would anyone recommend his work, and if so a good place to start? Presumably the stories aren't all connected like they are in this series?

[Blue Jam]

I'd quite like to read some Poe after all this is done - would anyone recommend his work, and if so a good place to start?

As it's all out of copyright it can all be had for free here, but I would also appreciate some pointers on a good place to start:

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/481

The names of the characters are mostly taken from other EAP stories, and the Wikipedia page lists them all:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_of_the_House_of_Usher_(miniseries)#Cast_and_characters

[iamcoop]

I would also appreciate some pointers on a good place to start

I know it's a bit 'probably the best of the beatles' answer but just a collected works like this one is the best place to start.

Most of his good gothic stuff is short stories, and a collection like this will most likely feature his classic bangers like Masque of the Red Death, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Black Cat etc. He wrote one full length novel which I never got round to reading but is supposed top be good.

At his best he's a great writer, and was the originator of many of the gothic tropes you still see today.

He also married his cousin when she was 13 and he was 27 so CANCELLED MATE

[Blue Jam]

Cheers @iamcoop! It looks like this one has most of the classic bangers you mentioned (and which are referenced in the Netflix series) so I've got it on the Kindle now.

[Blue Jam]

As a silly aside, I can't watch that trailer in the OP and not giggle at 1.54 where the raven's cry is right on the beat. Why is that so funny?

[iamcoop]

Cheers @iamcoop! It looks like this one has most of the classic bangers you mentioned (and which are referenced in the Netflix series) so I've got it on the Kindle now.

Aye, that looks a good one. Ep 3 of the show is very loosely based on

Spoiler alert

The Murders in the Rue Morgue

[close]

so I'd also read that one if you want the fun of matching them up to the show.

It's also one of my favourite Poe stories despite being utterly ridiculous and not really

Spoiler alert

working as a murder mystery

[close]

.

Anyway, kinda jealous you get to read this stuff for the first time. Perfect season for it as well....

[Angst in my Pants]

Ooh fab, thanks for the recommendations. I think I'm in for a treat, even the titles of the stories are beautifully macabre!

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

This wasn't scary, no (although there was some grim violence in it, particularly the acid bit) but I watched all of it in a few days, so it's fair to say I found it very gripping. That's no surprise, as I was the same with Midnight Mass. I guess I should get around to watching Flanagan's other films and shows (although I did think that Doctor Sleep was merely okay).

Flanagan does like his repertory company, doesn't he? It must be nice for them, getting to play all different sorts of roles - I hardly even recognised many of the returning Midnight Mass cast. McDonnell and Hamill were decent, but their roles were rather one-dimensional, so I hope they get some different notes to play if they work with him again.

[Dex Sawash]

Spoiler alert

yep, you get it.

[close]

Well... eventually

[Blue Jam]

On episode 3 now:

Spoiler alert

Leo Usher wearing a Liverpool FC YNWA hoodie! EDIT: and YNWA knuckle tattoos!

[close]

[chutnut]

I quite want to watch this but I'm really not a fan of Mike Flanagan in general. Does this one have constant overdramatic monologues about people's childhoods and stuff?

[Blue Jam]

Some lovely symmetrical shots in this. Makes me want to see a Gothic horror film by Wes Anderson.

[Blue Jam]

Nice nod to The Hudsucker Proxy in Ep 5! Actually aren't all those NYE scenes also a nod to that film?

[soaking wet, mate]

So many great actings - Verna, Pym, previous CEO guy, Usher's lemons etc. All the top performances really carry it.

But Froderick is amazing. As far as I remember, Henry Thomas has normally just been solid and just there in the previous three series but he's so good in this. Especially when

Spoiler alert

he starts on the cocaine. Even in a key scene where he shouts very serious dialogue very seriously, he gives a little twitchy coke-sniff immediately after the last word, so funny. He's all campy flapping arms and mannerisms, tiny pony tail and oversized shirts but still somehow the biggest prick of them all

[close]

[iamcoop]

I quite want to watch this but I'm really not a fan of Mike Flanagan in general. Does this one have constant overdramatic monologues about people's childhoods and stuff?

Pretty much, yes.

It's about a family dynasty whose members are all fucked up in different ways but I wouldn't say it's too monologue heavy. It doesn't take itself seriously at all and isn't as po-faced as some of Flanagan's other work.

[Blue Jam]

It has a lemon monologue, so if you like Portal 2 you will like this.

That monologue had to be inspired by this, right?