THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE (1986)
If you've been playing along at home, you know that I've reviewed two other adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue*. You might be surprised that this one even exists, as I was. To be clear (and present), the 1932 version - starring a truly bent Bela Lugosi - reigns supreme. This mellow teleplay isn't bad, though. Yes, it was made for television, but the premise doesn't exactly call for an inflated budget or excessive use of corn syrup. In keeping with tradition, the script bears no resemblance to any prior iteration of the Poe short story. And ostensibly, it doesn't veer too far from the source material, but I wouldn't know. Hey, lay off; I haven't read it since high school. Should I start a new paragraph? I'll start a new paragraph.
A vehement George C. Scott plays Auguste, a former inspector who was forced into retirement by his prefect. He is begrudgingly coaxed onto a case by his daughter and by his apprentice (Rebecca De Mornay and Val Kilmer, respectively). The case? A string of brutal killings that has the constabulary perplexed. It should be obvious by the names I just dropped that the cast is simply excellent. This is definitely a performance-driven piece. Be that as it may, I'll admit that I did doze off a couple of times. I won't blame the movie. No, I'll be the bigger man and say that this shouldn't have been a late-night viewing. There is a neat plot twist that I won't spoil, but suffice to say, I dug the final act. Recommended to fans of Murders in the Rue Morgue, Murders in the Rue Morgue, and Murders in the Rue Morgue.
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