Prelude to a Movie Marathon: Roger Corman's Poe Cycle

So all I know about Roger Corman is that he's a legendary b-movie film director/producer and had a cool cameo in Silence of the Lambs, which is kind of why I'm doing this marathon: I feel a bit left out. I hear his name mentioned regularly by film geeks and his peers about the influence he's had - not just through his own work but in giving a leg up to some of the great filmmakers of our time - and so now I want in on the gag.

So why have I gone for his series of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations? Well, because it surprised me that an alleged prolific creator of junk has actually accrued some artistic acclaim for more than just his ability to make stuff fast and cheap. The only film I've seen of his that he's actually directed is The Little Shop of Horrors, which was fun and cute, but I obviously need to experience more.

I'm never sure what to make of people known mainly for being producers and when I hear someone say "cool, this film is produced by..." I'm always a bit sceptical. Oh, so they sat behind a desk and threw money at it? I'm sure that left a crucial creative stamp on it! Basically I'm a follower of directors and cinematographers, so understanding Corman through his body of producer credits wouldn't really be my thing (unless someone can convince me otherwise).

Something else that makes this marathon more attractive to me is that I'm not actually a big fan of horror movies. I prefer ones that are known for their contribution to the art of cinema like The Shining, Don't Look Now and The Thing, so there's usually got to be more in it for me than just the scares and blood. So Corman's Poe Cycle will be (I'm assuming) a lesson in classic gothic horror b-movie cinema... without the frills and high art.

Or will it? Maybe I'll be even more surprised and gain a new found respect for something or someone. That's what I'm hoping to find out from this marathon.

Or maybe I'll just be sick of Vincent Price by the end.

Plus I get the feeling that, since I'm not really into the genre, if I don't watch these films all in one go as a marathon I'll most likely get three films in and not bother to watch the rest. I genuinely believe that I need to commit to a non-stop viewing experience.

So, I'm guesstimating that this is going to take roughly 12 hours: 8 films at about 90 minutes a film (give or take). I'll probably do the marathon at night for a) the right atmosphere b) so any bright daylight won't obscure my vision while watching a series of darkly lit horror films (I often watch films and play games at night for this reason) c) so I don't get any distractions like phone calls etc. and d) if I do a Twitter commentary people won't get so annoyed if it's in the dead of night.

I'll be busy at the weekend so I'll either be doing this tonight (Thursday 19 February) or next week some time. I doubt anyone would want to join in but if you do let me know.

The films will be:

The Fall of the House of Usher (1960)
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
The Premature Burial (1962)
Tales of Terror (1962)
The Raven (1963)
The Haunted Palace (1963)
The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
The Tomb of Ligeia (1964)

Right, let's do this!