Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.

Edgar Allen Poe, “Eleonora”

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I have always been a fan of Edgar Allen Poe. It has always been his poems that I knew and loved. For some reason I just never noticed his other literary works. Yet, I called myself a Poe fan. Now I look back and realize the error of my ways. A few years ago I re-read the Tell Tale Heart. I even made a choose your own adventure for a class based on it, the outcome could be just like the book, or it could be something completely different if you chose a different path. This semester for school I took Honors Mystery Literature. I saw on the class list. Edgar Allen Poe. I immediately became excited. I knew Poe, and I was glad that I would be reading something familiar. My days reading The Raven, Annabell Lee, The Bells, Israfel, Lenore, and so many others. I did read a few of his other tales such as the Pit and the Pendulum, Mask of the Red Death, and The Black Cat. These also sparked my imagination to me.

Now once again I was able to expand my knowledge of Poe. I learned the modern invention of the Detective story came from one of my favorite writers. There would be no Sherlock Holmes, if there was no Edgar Allen Poe. The series of stories with a man named Dupin set the stage for all to come. The Murders in The Rue Morgue, The Mystery of Marie Roget, and The Purloined Letter. Each story listed was new and different. My favorite of these The Mystery of Marie Roget, not because of the story, but because of the real events that occurred. The true story was a New York Murder of Mary Rogers, who was killed in a similar way, and Poe wrote the story set in France and how his detective, Dupin, would solve it. The truth is unsure, but rumors to this day are that after he wrote the story they discovered that Poe was correct. I want to believe this rumor to be true. Though no factual history can prove it that I have read. (I have looked)

We move on to other stories such as The Cask of Amontillado, and The Gold Bug. A story based on a the treasure of the pirate known as Captain Kidd. Captain Kidd we now know today was actually innocent of piracy, but when this story was written he still a famous Pirate. I was thrilled to read these, as well as now I had a series of more Poe Stories for me to read on my own as well.

The semester is over, and a new movie released. If you continue there will be spoilers, I hope you do not mind. The story is about a murderer who is reenacting the killings in many of Poes stories. The police ask Poe to help them solve the story. This is while Poe is courting a young woman in his life after the tragic loss of his past relations. She is then kidnapped and the murderer forces Poe to follow the clues to catch the killer all the while Poe must write stories about the killings or his woman dies. I myself had three suspects. My number one suspect was not the killer, however my number two suspect was. Both of them became suspects to me early on in the film.

Poe’s death in real life is a mystery. He was found weak and ill in a park. They brought him to the hospital and they announced his death 4 days later. None know the truth to his death. what killed him or how he died. This movie eerily sheds light on that subject. It is one of my favorite elements of the film.

Another of my favorite elements of the film is how they weave in the different stories of Poe into the film. Each placed well. I had a fear that they would only highlight the more horror style stories and was pleased to see them use more mysteries and poems than anything. Each of the death scenarios in the Dupin stories were used as well as Cask of Amontillado, Pit and the Pendulum, And the Tell Tale Heart. Other pieces the film referenced were Mask of the Red Death, The Raven, and Annabelle Lee. I am sure there were others that I cannot recall after seeing it. I was very much engrossed in the film and never thought about writing about it until days later.

The colors used and the acting were well done and while the critics and the promotion was not the greatest, I suggest seeing it, especially if you are a fan of Poe. It is a bit gory, but all in the style of Poe. Whatever that means. Take care and my mystery short story shall be posted before months end.