The Raven
2012 Directed by James McTeigue
Synopsis
The only one who can stop a serial killer is the man who inspired him.
A fictionalized account of the last days of Edgar Allan Poe's life, in which the poet is in pursuit of a serial killer whose murders mirror those in the writer's stories.
Cast
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"John Cusack is Edgar Allan Poe"
......AAAAAAAaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahahahahahaaaaaaahahahahahahHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAaaaa
Aaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
ahahahHa
...
Ha ha ha
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Hahah hah hahahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Hahahahahahahahahahaha...
.....no. He isn't... He's John Cusack. -
Ok, so my favourite author of all time is a wise cracking, arrogant, narcisistic bastard with a pet raccoon?
And you have him drudge through a Saw light plot, smothered in annoyingly dense language used in vain attempts to emulate the master?
And you furthermore rape his stories and completely misunderstand what his horror was all about?
Shame on you!
I don't care if this is a fictionalised account of the last days of a historical figure. Invent all you want, this is just plain bad.
Bad and wrong.
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Many of the criticisms of the film seems to be centered on the liberties the story takes with Poe the man and his great literary works. Personally I have little problem with any of these alterations, this is, after all, supposed to be an exaggerated and rather silly thriller. Really, how do you take a story where Poe hunts for a serial killer using his stories as inspiration seriously? What I do have a problem with is how uninspired the whole thing is. If anything it should be even more ridiculous - it should push the Gothic, macabre and Grand Guignol - yet this is all rather half-hearted, pedestrian and forgettable.
Four films into his directorial career and I have…
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Admittedly, the concept of Edgar Allan Poe: Action Detective sounds kind of interesting. Appropriately, "The Raven," a film based on this concept, is kind of interesting. Too bad it is not much more.
The film is not bad looking and the Poe references throughout are fun, if sometimes groan-inducing. Overall, though, "The Raven" is listless, bordering on dull; and, unfortunately, it does not leave its audience with anything memorable.
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The Raven, not just the brand of hair dye employed by John Cusack.
God this is a really poor film. As an idea its sound enough but it's so underwhelmingly explored, marred by a truly atrocious script and some poor leads.
Cusack has always walked a fine line between cool and likeable and downright irritating, but never more (no, that's not a pun) than he is here as Poe in what is essentially his 'Look at me, I can do that Johnny Depp shit too' role. Likewise we have the major mistake of casting Alice Eve as his leading lady; a woman who simply CANNOT ACT. She had shown some mild promise in light BBC drama and small Brit flicks…
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"I am Poe!"
"I know you are; that's why you cant buy your own drinks."
"No! I said I was 'Poe'; not poor!"Get the fuck out of here.
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nevermore.....for the love of god! NEVERMORE.
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Not nearly as bad as it's reputation and more watchable at times then one might expect. Clearly Cage had a scheduling conflict and they brought in Cusack to do his best Cage and he doesn't quite channel him like I hoped, though he does carry potential to be just as nuts.
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Well, here is a movie that had a ton of potential and completely bombed. Like, I'm talking Japan in WWII. It just didn't flow well. Certainly had its moments, but did not come together. A crying shame, because I think a movie in this style could have been fantastic. John Cusack is...comparable to Nic Cage. Interpret that how you like.
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I enjoyed the aesthetics, but i found the acting to be subpar. The plot had potential but ultimately fell flat.
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The Raven has an undeniably awesome concept. Edgar Allen Poe (John Cusack) spends his last few days helping the Baltimore police track down a killer who has been recreating Poe’s most gruesome and grizzly works, whilst chronicling the events in the paper at the murderer’s orders. It’s a pitch that immediately sparks the imagination of any horror fan and opens up the door to a gothic riff on Seven or Saw.
The film starts promisingly as well, after a nicely gruesome opening murder we are introduced to Cusack’s Poe, a down and out drunk and artist, back in town and looking for a little recognition and hopefully a free drink or two. Cusack is clearly having fun in the role…
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Edgar would have had to been drunk to sit through this.
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Redeeming features are the costumes and the fact that the murders are based on Poe stories..actually it really is rather bad. Read Poe/about Poe's life instead, vastly more entertaining and interesting than this.
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It's basically a standard mystery infused with some Poe references. My main problem was with how some of the clues were over-explained. It's as if the writers didn't think the audience would be able to form any conclusions themselves, so everything had to be spelled out for them. But other than this, it was fairly entertaining. Nothing to write home about, but not a waste of time.
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I'm a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe and all I can say is WHAT A SHAME!
Don't. Never again, please and thank you.