In my opinion Stuart Gordon is one of the finest directors of horror today. (Hence why he is included in the Masters of Horror series.) Gordon has a way of taking the best of horror literature and translating it to the medium of film that retains the heart of the original work while also appealing to the dramatic and visual elements that film require. Maybe it is just because he always adapts stories from my two favorite authors of the macabre, H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. Either way, this episode of Masters of Horror is no exception. Stuart Gordon is once again taking on one of the greatest source materials of all time: Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat." For many years "The Black Cat" was my favorite story by Poe. It was so chilling and disturbing to me as a twelve-year-old that I just couldn't help reading it over and over.
So, when I first saw the DVD version of Master of Horror: The Black Cat on the shelf at Wal-Mart I was completely blown away by the cover art. The gory scene of the eye and the quill really stuck out to me. Already it seemed like this was going to be the most true adaption of Poe's story available. There is something so sickeningly dark about Poe that is often missed or satirized in the film versions of his stories. For once I was hoping that I would get a truly dark, truly frightening rendition of Poe's macabre world. I was not disappointed.
I have heard many complaints about the story line choices in this episode of Masters of Horror, but I believe that--at least for the medium of film--the story choices were well conceived and perhaps even brilliant. The story follows the author Poe himself, played by master horror actor Jeffery Combs of course. Poe has had a run of bad luck. His works aren't selling the way he would like them to and he is in desperate need of cash. Between his excessive alcoholism and his wife's failing health he is slowly falling into a world of depression and paranoia. The pubs have all thrown him out, and the doctor--not having been paid in months--has left the small family high and dry.
So, when I first saw the DVD version of Master of Horror: The Black Cat on the shelf at Wal-Mart I was completely blown away by the cover art. The gory scene of the eye and the quill really stuck out to me. Already it seemed like this was going to be the most true adaption of Poe's story available. There is something so sickeningly dark about Poe that is often missed or satirized in the film versions of his stories. For once I was hoping that I would get a truly dark, truly frightening rendition of Poe's macabre world. I was not disappointed.
I have heard many complaints about the story line choices in this episode of Masters of Horror, but I believe that--at least for the medium of film--the story choices were well conceived and perhaps even brilliant. The story follows the author Poe himself, played by master horror actor Jeffery Combs of course. Poe has had a run of bad luck. His works aren't selling the way he would like them to and he is in desperate need of cash. Between his excessive alcoholism and his wife's failing health he is slowly falling into a world of depression and paranoia. The pubs have all thrown him out, and the doctor--not having been paid in months--has left the small family high and dry.
One night Poe snaps and attacks the family cat. He begins to truly doubt his sanity when he realizes the cat, now presumably dead, has come back to haunt him. This leads into the classic elements of Poe's story itself as he tries to murder the cat once again with an ax but instead has a horrible and gruesome mishap.
If you haven't read the story or seen the episode then I don't want to spoil anything. There are many little plot elements I need to leave out so that you can have the same experience I had when I first watched this episode. I was scared, even covered my eyes at one point, and I hardly ever do that.
The main thing I love about this episode is that it is extremely human. It is dramatic and emotional which is something that most horror movies miss out on. They're so busy being "high concept" or gory that they miss the pure and simple empathy that comes with our humanity. Specifically, being a writer and married man myself, I relate to Poe through the entire episode. It managed to be scary yet empathetic all at the same time.
Now, some of the acting may be cheesy and some of the gore a little over the top but that is what makes Stuart Gordon great. It becomes artistic because it is visual story telling at its best. Gordon manages to capture the true essence of Poe's story and Poe's life while still scaring the bejabbers out of the audience.
If you haven't read the story or seen the episode then I don't want to spoil anything. There are many little plot elements I need to leave out so that you can have the same experience I had when I first watched this episode. I was scared, even covered my eyes at one point, and I hardly ever do that.
The main thing I love about this episode is that it is extremely human. It is dramatic and emotional which is something that most horror movies miss out on. They're so busy being "high concept" or gory that they miss the pure and simple empathy that comes with our humanity. Specifically, being a writer and married man myself, I relate to Poe through the entire episode. It managed to be scary yet empathetic all at the same time.
Now, some of the acting may be cheesy and some of the gore a little over the top but that is what makes Stuart Gordon great. It becomes artistic because it is visual story telling at its best. Gordon manages to capture the true essence of Poe's story and Poe's life while still scaring the bejabbers out of the audience.
Summing it Up
"The Black Cat" is by far my favorite episode of Masters of Horror. It captures everything that a good horror story--especially a gothic horror story--should have in it. It is creepy, atmospheric, emotional, gory, and above all--scary. If you choose to watch only one episode of this show then this is the one I recommend.
Deaths: 1
Language: 1
Gore Factor: 4
Sex Factor: 1
Scare Factor: 4
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 5
Deaths: 1
Language: 1
Gore Factor: 4
Sex Factor: 1
Scare Factor: 4
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 5