Why We Cannot Wait For: The Raven

Alice Eve in The Raven

Ever since my school days, I have been a sucker for the tales of Edgar Allan Poe.

It was probably all down to BBC2 screening a shedload of the Vincent Price/Roger Corman movie versions like Pit and the Pendulum around that time, but Poe’s work has stayed with me ever since.

Heck, when in the States a few years back I even made sure I detoured through Baltimore just to see his grave and one of his former homes (which is now a neat Poe museum by the way).

Spoofed, parodied and referenced in literature, film and television for decades (including the Simpsons no less), new life will hopefully be breathed into Poe’s tales with the release of The Raven in March – and boy am I excited.

For starters this is far from some hoary old biopic – no, this is something totally different – and fresh.

John Cusack plays Poe, who is forced to help track down a serial killer who just happens to be murdering people using the methods contained in his stories.

Sure, this sort of thing has been done before – Argento’s Tenebre, Romero’s The Dark Half for example.

But throw in the period setting and the legend of Poe himself and you have something worth looking forward to.

The Raven is directed by James McTeigue, who previously helmed, among other films, V For Vendetta – a film I know split audiences, but I certainly enjoyed it.

Throw Cusack into the mix, along with a cast that includes Luke Evans, Brendan Gleeson and Brit babe Alice Eve and the pot is bubbling nicely.

My only fear is that the release date was shifted at the last minute from early this year to March, which can often spell trouble.

But with a trailer that looks as dark and malevolent as the master’s work himself (and a quality poster), I have very high hopes for this one.