The Fall of the Louse of Usher
The Fall of the Louse of Usher | |
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Directed by | Ken Russell |
Written by | Ken Russell |
Based on | The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe |
Produced by | Ken Russell |
Starring | James Johnston |
Music by | James Johnston |
Release date |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
The Fall of the Louse of Usher is a 2002 British arthouse horror comedy film written and directed by Ken Russell. The film is loosely based on several Edgar Allan Poe stories, notably the 1839 short story "The Fall of the House of Usher".
Plot
[edit]Rock star Roddy Usher (played by James Johnston) is confined to an insane asylum after murdering his wife. During his time there he is given various shock treatments by Nurse Smith (Marie Findley) and Dr Calahari (Ken Russell), resulting in a series of bizarre and nightmarish adventures.[1]
Style
[edit]The Fall of the Louse of Usher features many of Russell's trademarks including sexuality (often taken to extremes such as the showing of an inflatable doll orgy sequence), musical sequences and over-the-top acting. The film incorporates musical and comedy elements, with scenes exaggerating the cheapness of the props, despite primarily being a horror film.
Reception
[edit]Critics generally agreed that the film was not as polished as Russell's earlier work. For example, Paul Higson of The Zone website called the production design "kindergarten level".[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "The Fall Of The Louse Of Usher". British Council Film. The British Council. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
- ^ Higson, Paul. "The Fall of the Louse of Usher". The Zone. Pigasus Press. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
External links
[edit]- The Fall of the Louse of Usher at IMDb
- The Fall of the Louse of Usher at AllMovie
- The Fall of the Louse of Usher at Rotten Tomatoes
- 2002 films
- British comedy horror films
- Films based on horror novels
- Films based on The Fall of the House of Usher
- Films directed by Ken Russell
- 2002 comedy horror films
- Films set in psychiatric hospitals
- 2002 comedy films
- 2000s English-language films
- 2000s British films
- English-language comedy horror films
- Comedy horror film stubs