Edgar Allan Poe's The Oval Portrait (1972)

Barry Coe, Wanda Hendrix, Gisele MacKenzie, Brian Cox

This low-budget Mexican production (originally produced for television) is a tepid but fairly accurate adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's tale, set during the Civil War. The story involves a young woman ... read more haunted by the vengeful spirit of a young bride, whose soul had been trapped for decades within the woman's portrait (painted by her insane husband). The occasionally rich period atmosphere is flattened almost completely by sluggish pacing, badly-dubbed (and equally dull) dialogue, and an insolvent ending which may lead the viewer to believe the filmmakers have lost a few pages of Poe's original text. The entire affair plays like one of Roger Corman's Poe adaptations -- albeit staged without humor, style or verve. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi