No one can deny the impact the works of Edgar Allan Poe has had on American literature. You could even make the argument that every single crime and mystery writer has been influenced by Edgar Allan Poe. In fact, it’s not a stretch to say that Poe invented the genre of crime storytelling. In such a short life he was able to light a literary flame that will live forever. Although several of Poe’s short stories have been turned into movies A huge fan of Poe’s short stories I would love to see several of them turned into feature films.
Here are my top 5…
The Murders in the Rue Morgue.
Widely celebrated as the FIRST modern detective story. You can almost unequivocally say that Sherlock Holmes wouldn’t exist if Doyle didn’t have the model of C. Auguste Dupin to draw inspiration from. A feature film of this Poe classic is long overdue.
The Cask of Amontillado.
This short story has actually had a few film and television adaptations over the years, but none truly gives the depth of the story justice. It’s time for a major studio to back The Cask of Amontillado and hire a notable director and elite actors to take the roles in the film. This was the first Edgar Allan Poe story I ever read, and it started a lifelong fascination with the writer’s works. Paramount? Warner Bros? Lionsgate? Someone pick this story up and bring us a feature film ASAP.
The Fall of the House of Usher.
I could see this short story being adapted into a psychological thriller. If you’ve ever read it you know, it has all the makings of a good psychological thriller. Mystery, catastrophic, suspense, mental hurdles for the main character to finally grasp understanding. Attempts have been made to bring this story to film, most notably a low budget adaptation by indie film director and producer Roger Corman… Trust me… It left a lot to be desired…
William Wilson.
Not many other times was Poe able to balance dark humor and shock in such an expert manner than in this short story. I’m also not sure, but this has to be at the least one of the earliest times in recorded history that the concept of a “doppelganger” was mentioned. Great story. With the right actor to portray the tortured and conflicted William Wilson could make an award-winning film.
The Pit and the Pendulum.
In this short story, Edgar Allan Poe effectively creates an encompassing atmosphere of terror that enthralls you. Yea… This story is as dark as they come (literally.) I would love to see a serious attempt to turn it into a feature film.
Conclusion
Edgar Allan Poe was a literary genius that deserves more than indie films and low budget movie adaptations of his works. I definitely think that there’s a strong possibility that we will see at least a few major studio adaptations of a couple of these stories in our lifetimes. But then again… You never know… I’m still confused as to why it hasn’t been done yet…
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