AOB 1 - Fall of the house of Usher Analysis.

The fall of the house of usher is a horror film, there are 3 main characters within the film that star in it, Roderick played by Vincent Price, Philip Winthrop played by Mark Damon and Madeline Usher played by Myrna Fahey.
The house of usher is a rather strange film, Philip goes to visit Madeline at her home, she lives at home with her brother Roderick, but Roderick is very protective of Madeline and tells Philip to leave as soon as possible. He constantly tells him that the mansion they live in is haunted and that all of the Usher family are doomed. Philip wants to take Madeline back to Boston with him, but Roderick thinks Madeleine is ill. The film makes the audience think as to whether the usher family are really ill or if it’s Roderick poisoning everyone’s mind. The house shakes quite alot throughout the film, which gives it an eerie feel, it also makes the audience wonder as to whether it’s something to do with Roderick but we find out later on in the film, that the house is situated on a pit and the tremors are just the house shaking, not by a curse, just because of the situation of the house.

The film has the typical conventions that would be found in a horror film such as, a haunted mansion, a protagonist and an antagonist, a “curse” that is supposedly taking over the house.
There is scary music and sound effects included within this film, which helps add the eerie horror effect. The audience are constantly guessed to if theres an “otherness” in the house, like they are being watched.
American International Pictures (turned into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) chose to create just horror films, because it was cheaper for them, they reused shots in other films they created, also they used props from other films, whilst this film was being shot there was a house fire close to where they were filming, so they stopped filming the film and went and filmed the house fire, so they could use it in the film.
Many of the things used and recognised in horror films, don’t have the same impact as what they would have many years ago, they are all clichéd and tend not to scare audiences nowadays because everyone has seen them and recognise them.
Edgar Alan Poe wrote horror so it helps fit into the horror genre better, he knew exactly what all was needed to fulfil horror. Madeleine is the main victim, her top is open, showing her chest, which shows her as being a “sexual instrument” this is often iconic, such as women in the film the witch finder general .
There is a great benefit for using Vincent price in films, simply because the producer knows how he works and also because he was a huge star in that time, he would attract fans of his, to films he starred in.
The audience would of enjoyed the mystery side of this film, because its quite difficult to follow, the film puts things into your head, for example: is there a curse or is it Roderick?