The Raven

[Demiurge]

John Cusack, playing Edgar Allen Poe... who has been tapped to solve crimes related to... wait for it... Poe's short stories! On one hand, it's Cusack, whom I am unable to hate, but on the other hand- what the ....? Thoughts?

[r3tr0sp3ct1v3]

I originally thought it was a saturday night live skit. I didn't see Andy Sandberg, so I should of known xD

Looks like they are trying to make people of history badass (sherlock holmes, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer, FDR:American Badass)

I kid you not, those last 2 exist. Lincoln one is a book though but still wtf xD

Back on subject, the movie looks awful, forgettable, so stupid it looks funny. This is coming froma huge EAP fan. I love EAP, he is the reason I read as a child and not played outside

I hate how this movie could make people view EAP differently.This generation is dumb enough, they don't need such great authors to be viewed as action stars.

[Triple-J]

I'm not too bothered about the movie itself but I really can't stand this concept of taking historical situations/characters and using them as a gimmick within a fictional story because there's a lot of people out there who are so dumb they'll believe it's real which is something I find very frightening and in some cases almost offensive.

Of course the biggest example of this is Titanic which uses a real life tragedy and the deaths of thousands of people as a means to sell you a very average cliched love story but in another 20 years or so we'll probably have movies like "George W. Bush.....Zombie Hunter!" or "Michael Jackson:the mission to Afghanistan" so what do I know.

[flint757]

Yeah i saw that commercial a couple weeks ago and i was like this can't be real. I wouldn't have a problem with it either if people didn't misconstrue the truth especially since Edgar had such a sad life that it is almost disgraceful. I know people who think the Texas Chain Saw Massacre is real.

[EDIT]

I don't know if I'll see it since I avoided the Shakespeare one they did. I can't remember any others ATM. Movies strongly affect peoples perception of reality though even if by just reinforcing stereotypes that, too me, they should show some responsibility. That being said I don't hate the idea of this movie I suppose either. EAP is by far my favorite authors of all time.

[Demiurge]

Originally Posted by Triple-J

I'm not too bothered about the movie itself but I really can't stand this concept of taking historical situations/characters and using them as a gimmick within a fictional story because there's a lot of people out there who are so dumb they'll believe it's real which is something I find very frightening and in some cases almost offensive.

Regarding Edgar Allen Poe, I'm interested in seeing how it would be handled in that regard. His death wasn't under the most honorable of circumstances, and the popular perception of him is a somewhat-functional drunk who accidentally wrote some incredible pieces, which I never felt was fair. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if they whitewashed his substance-abuse issues... as long as they don't make light of them.

[flint757]

Originally Posted by Demiurge

Regarding Edgar Allen Poe, I'm interested in seeing how it would be handled in that regard. His death wasn't under the most honorable of circumstances, and the popular perception of him is a somewhat-functional drunk who accidentally wrote some incredible pieces, which I never felt was fair. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if they whitewashed his substance-abuse issues... as long as they don't make light of them.

The issue is this is historical fiction so they can do whatever they want. Since he wasn't a real sleuth I see no reason why they couldn't whitewash. Hell they made Sherlock Holmes into an alcoholic OCD dude and he is still liked as a movie character.

[The Uncreator]

[ilyti]

I only hope John Cusack stands out in the rain in this movie.

5 Actors Who Do the Exact Same Thing in Every Movie | Cracked.com

The premise of this film is retarded. A story about a real person copying murders in a work of fiction has been done too many times. I just wonder why Tim Burton isn't directing this, and it's not called Sleepy Hollow 2.

[Odinvader]

Sherlock Holmes did well, so this will too. For that precise reason, I can't help but think this is going to be an unimaginative stunt to acquire profits.

[flint757]

Originally Posted by Odinvader

Sherlock Holmes did well, so this will too. For that precise reason, I can't help but think this is going to be an unimaginative stunt to acquire profits.

That's my thought on it. It will do pretty good. No clue if it will actually be good or not, but the only reason I have a problem with it is the historical fiction aspect of it. All these historical figures are being altered by movies and honestly a lot of people are dumb enough to believe it is real. Excluding that factor I'm slightly intrigued by this film only because I love EAP and if some of his stories through this get visualized that may be pretty cool.

[The Reverend]

Originally Posted by flint757

The issue is this is historical fiction so they can do whatever they want. Since he wasn't a real sleuth I see no reason why they couldn't whitewash. Hell they made Sherlock Holmes into an alcoholic OCD dude and he is still liked as a movie character.

Sherlock Holmes wasn't real...

And he was a cocaine-addicted, OCD bastard. They actually are a doing a good job keeping to the spirit of the Sherlock Holmes writtent by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

One issue with these slippery slope arguments is that the average idiot probably wouldn't know who EAP is anyway, so any disparaging of his character won't really be an issue.

[flint757]

Originally Posted by The Reverend

Sherlock Holmes wasn't real...

And he was a cocaine-addicted, OCD bastard. They actually are a doing a good job keeping to the spirit of the Sherlock Holmes writtent by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

One issue with these slippery slope arguments is that the average idiot probably wouldn't know who EAP is anyway, so any disparaging of his character won't really be an issue.

I made no reference to Sherlock Holme's as historical fiction...it least not intentionally I am aware he is completely 100% fictional . Most people do know of Edgar Allen Poe since it least for Texas Board of Education had me reading plenty of Edgar in High School. Not knowing of someone and then finding out about it through such mediums is exactly the kind of distortion I'm talking about because their only reference to said person is through a fictional movie.

What I meant by figures is like the Abe lincoln movie that came out, Shakespeare, etc. not Sherlock Holmes those were 2 separate ideas and sentences.

[The Reverend]

Then forgive me for misunderstanding you.

I think with things like Titanic, which everybody should know about, being a mystery to twitter users, it's safe to say that quite a few important historical figures are less known than they should be. I think you give America too much credit, Flint, remember how confused The Da Vinci Code had everyone?

[flint757]

Originally Posted by The Reverend

Then forgive me for misunderstanding you.

I think with things like Titanic, which everybody should know about, being a mystery to twitter users, it's safe to say that quite a few important historical figures are less known than they should be. I think you give America too much credit, Flint, remember how confused The Da Vinci Code had everyone?

Ya that was hilarious



I probably do give too much credit, but only because living in a world where it is normal for people to know so little is scary.

[Dan_Vacant]

I thought a edgar alan poe movie would be awesome but now that I know the idea to it I think they should have made a movie using many different stories like Hop-Frog,
The Murders in Rue Morgue, and the raven maybe switch out hop-frog I'm not sure if it would fit. My point it though I think if they combined a few of his stories it would be bad ass.

[ilyti]

^That is basically the concept of this film. Except that he's a part of those stories.

[flint757]

the fall of the house of usher is by far my favorite. I kind of get the approach they took since his stories aren't particularly long. Not justifying it because it looks corny, but that has to do with Cusack more than anything (not a fan).

[ilyti]

This might actually be watchable if it was starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton.

[Dan_Vacant]

Originally Posted by ilyti

^That is basically the concept of this film. Except that he's a part of those stories.

Oh I see, that kinda messes it up then.

[flint757]

This would have been better set after EAP's time and police are just trying to catch a serial killer who is doing the stories. In other words without EAP and sometime in the future from this film. It is korny that they made him a part of the movie. I suppose it could be good though won't know till I see it.

[-42-]

Whenever I see the pit and the pendulum scene I wonder about the logistics. Seriously, imagine being some 19th century construction worker and some tosser wants you to install a thirty foot long death blade on a complex pivot system which drops a set increment after each period in his giant damp stone basement.

"Say, where did you want the manacled stone bed again?"

[flint757]

All of his tales had a psychological affect going on that i doubt will translate well into the movie.

[ilyti]

Originally Posted by flint757

This would have been better set after EAP's time and police are just trying to catch a serial killer who is doing the stories. In other words without EAP and sometime in the future from this film.

I agree. But that might have already been the plot of a TV crime drama.

[flint757]

Originally Posted by ilyti

I agree. But that might have already been the plot of a TV crime drama.

probably

[highlordmugfug]

Originally Posted by ilyti

I only hope John Cusack stands out in the rain in this movie.

That was my very first thought when I saw he'd be in it


And I'm excited for it. I love 'alternative history' type stuff. It's why I love reading Lovecraft, it's why I was excited for Inglourious Basterds, it's why I'm excited for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, so on and so forth.

EDIT: And it's why I should probably be more into DC/Marvel comics than I am.