Spirits of the Dead (1968) User Reviews (80)

If only Toby Dammit was feature-length...

[tomgillespie2002 · 6/10 · 18 September 2011]

Also known as Histoires Extraordinaires, this film combines three short stories by Edgar Allen Poe, and has each segment directed by a different European director. The first, entitled Metzengerstein, is directed by the man that helmed Barbarella, Roger Vadim. It tells the story of a beautiful yet debauched countess Federica (Jane Fonda) who falls in love with her family rival, Baron Wilhelm (Peter Fonda - bit weird, them being real-life brother and sister), who frees her leg from a trap in the woods. After he rejects her, she orders the burning of one of his villages, and the Baron is killed when attempting a rescue of one of his horses. The horse is taken in by Federica, who becomes obsessed with it once she notices its resemblance to the one painted on a damaged tapestry.

The second story, William Wilson, is directed by French film-maker Louis Malle. It tells a familiar doppelgänger story of the wicked William Wilson (Alain Delon) who is also interrupted by his 'better half' who shares his name and his appearance, but none of his evil ways. After winning a card game against Giuseppina (Brigitte Bardot) through repeatedly cheating, his other half exposes him, and the two face a duel. The third, directed by Federico Fellini and entitled Toby Dammit, follows alcoholic Shakesperean actor Toby Dammit (Terence Stamp) who is brought to Rome to star in an adaptation of the story of Christ, re- imagined as a western. Haunted by visions of a blonde girl who has lost her ball, he goes on a drunken ride through Rome in a Ferrari.

The biggest problem with this film is the variations of quality in the different episodes. Vadim's opener is a pretty poor effort, with a strange storyline focusing on a woman's obsession with a horse. It seems to be nothing more than an excuse to get Jane Fonda into some skimpy medieval outfits. That is all well and good (it was one of the key reasons why I loved Barbarella!) but it's a silly story and a waste of some beautiful cinematography. Malle's second story is a big improvement, but it is clear that his heart is not really in it. Apparently he agreed to take on the job in order to raise money for Murmur of the Heart, and compromised to make the film more accessible to mainstream audiences. But the eroticism of the card game, and the strange atmosphere that is evident throughout make it an enjoyable 40 minutes.

Fellini's final segment is very much the director's own vision. It is so far gone from anything resembling Poe's original vision, it could be easily called Fellini's own. Thematically similar to most of his key works, Terence Stamp's crumbling lead character is the main focus, and his disintegrating sanity is laid out on the screen with a collection of flashing images, bizarre characters, and unconventional camera-work. It is also an attack on celebrity, as the characters that Dammit comes across don't react or flinch at his increasingly strange and unpredictable behaviour. It's a shame that Fellini is restricted to a 40 minute portion of a 2-hour film, as I would have quite happily watched Toby Dammit as a full-length feature. An enjoyable, if unspectacular overall film, with the stories getting notably better as the film goes on.

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Extraordinary like Poe intended it?

[Coventry · 6/10 · 18 April 2006]

I suppose this is the best you get when three acclaimed and prominent European directors interpret the oeuvre of Edgar Allan Poe in their own typical and over-praised filming styles… The Gothic ambiance as well as the poetic darkness of Poe's writings entirely vanish and have to make room for artsy gimmicks and personal trademarks of each director. I'm probably in a minority here, but I prefer directors like Roger Corman when it comes to Edgar Allan Poe adaptations. The seven films in HIS ultimate Poe homage are much more loyal to the original writings and at least Corman wasn't reluctant to focus on the horror aspects of the stories. That being said, "Histoires Extraordinaires" of course isn't a bad film! Horror collaborations between legendary directors are always worth checking out, especially with the eminent cast members – Americans and Europeans – that were involved here! The first story by "Barbarella"-director Roger Vadim is a really weak opener, despite the colorful decors and the unique casting of siblings Jane and Peter Fonda as lovers. "Metzengerstein" revolves on the riotous Countess Frederica who behaves – as the narrator so beautifully says – like a female version of Caligula and takes all her wealth for granted. That is until she meets the handsome Baron Wilhelm who obviously isn't impressed by her flamboyant lifestyle and turns down Frederica's advances. When Wilhelm accidentally dies in an arson she commanded, Frederica becomes an emotional wreck and replaces his image by a large, fiery stallion. I'm sure Vadim's segment is rich on symbolism and perverted undertones, but the screenplay is too dull and slow.

Although most people seem to prefer Fellini's contribution, my choice for best episode of the three is Louis Malle's "William Wilson". The subject matter feels familiar, being another variation on the 'doppelganger'-theme, but the narrative structure is ingenious, there's plenty of suspense & even some bloody action and the acting performances here are far superior to the ones in the other two segments. Alain Delon is simply terrific as the cruel and obnoxious Wilson, a man whose vile crimes are always rectified by his own shadow. Multiple scenes in this episode are disturbing and quite controversial and William Wilson is the only character that is portrayed like a genuine Poe-villain. Brigitte Bardot puts down a courageous performance and the De Sadean climax in which she gets whipped for losing a game of poker is strangely fascinating. If I were to rate each story separately, this one definitely earns a 9 out of 10. "Toby Dammit" was a huge disappointment for me, mostly because Fellini films his own horror-related obsessions and totally ignores Edgar Allan Poe's. The story works well enough as a nightmarish portrait of a drug-abusing actor's descent into madness, but it totally lacks Gothic eeriness. Infant Terrible Toby Dammit arrives in Rome to star in a glorious film production (the first religious western ever!), but he only cares about material rewards, partying and running amok on national television. Pretty soon, he's haunted by the always re-appearing image of a young girl with a skipping rope. This segment is recommend only for Terence Stamp's curious performance and Fellini's terrific use of color shades but, in the context of a Poe-inspired horror omnibus, it's painfully out-of-place.

Three in one

[valadas · 5/10 · 30 June 2002]

One really wonders what made these so different 3 movie directors to make such 3 different movies from 3 less known E. Allan Poe's novels. The first one directed by Roger Vadim is a complete failure. Mr. Vadim replaced the poetry, phantasy and mystery of Poe's work by a lot of cheap eroticism, depicting orgy scenes of third class brothel in a movie which is supposed to take place in 16th century if we give credit to most of the attire shown. It is true that in introduction Poe is supposed to say that epoch is irrelevant in the context of the story but that would require a totally timeless atmosphere not one of 16th century mixed up with Miss Fonda's attire, a mixture of Barbarella's clothes with medieval attire notwithstanding a generous view of her bare legs. Peter and Jane Fonda, two good performers seem totally lost in this uninteresting, dull and very clumsily narrated story. Then comes the story directed by Louis Malle a much more competent director than Vadim, if we remember such masterpieces as Les Amants and Le Feu Follet. Mr. Malle gives us much more consistent direction creating a much more credible atmosphere either by the convincing scenery or the adequate attire. The screenplay is again a bit poor but that's not his fault perhaps. The story of a man haunted by his duplicate is not very original indeed. But Alain Delon makes a good performance and you vibrate much more than with Vadim's movie. Finally we enter Fellinian universe with the 3rd movie. Federico Fellini brings us the usual lot of half freaks half normal people with his incomparable touch of humour but always caricaturing types we may meet in everyday life giving way to our inner fears, fancies and anxieties. This has little to do with Poe of course which is the mere pretext even because the story takes place in 20th century. The end of the story is a bit inconclusive but we may pardon it on account of the vividness of the narration. So we have here more than 3 different stories, 3 quite different narration styles.

Cut out the first two segments and you've got a great Fellini film.

[doktor d · 28 February 2003]

'Spirits of the Dead' (1968), a French-Italian production narrated by Vincent Price, features three Edgar Allan Poe stories adapted for the screen and directed by three of Europe's most fascinating filmmakers of the period (choke!).

Vadim's segment (‘Metzengerstein'), starring Jane and Peter Fonda, is a real stinker. Has Vadim ever made a truly good film? Not really, so at least he's being consistent here by turning Poe's tale into a dull, silly mess. Striving hard for art's sake, he misses the mark each time. Q: Who wants to see Jane Fonda falling in love with Peter Fonda? A: Not me.

Malle's segment (‘William Wilson') is solid but not worth repeated screenings. Of note: Brigitte Bardot gets naked, verbally abused and whipped. No comment as to the merits of these actions or her presence; nevertheless, the tale's ending doesn't quite work.

Fellini's 'Toby Dammit' is classic, freakshow Fellini. Terence Stamp stars as a wasted British film star (looking like an effeminate junkie) and gives an awesomely convincing performance. Ultimately, his character gets a bit out of hand and, uh, loses his head. Good stuff that. It's probably fortunate that Fellini's is the longest and last segment; it is easily the film's strength and highlight. Unlike the first two tales, ‘Toby Dammit' was also released theatrically on its own, yet it is not available separately on dvd.

The ‘Spirits of the Dead' dvd first hit the market as an Image release. This is not the version to purchase. Image used a less-than-satisfactory source print, and the transfer looks crummy. Also, the menu is poorly designed and doesn't work quite the way one wants it to. Later, Home Vision released a higher quality version with four additional minutes of footage, using much finer source material. --- david ross smith

Three stories not all at the same height

[esteban1747 · 6/10 · 26 March 2010]

The stories differ in their messages. The first one,"Metzengerstein", from Roger Vadim, is quite simple and it has plenty of erotic scenes. Jane Fonda showed her beauty at that time when she was married to Vadim. I did not find anything interesting in this story, except that selfish always wants what is denied to them. The second is "William Wilson" with Briggite Bardot vs Alain Delon, who played two roles in this segment. The director Louis Malle probably wanted to show that each person has two faces or characters, one bad and another one good. The problem is that the good one dies normally before the bad. The scenes of this story are very much revolting. Fellini's "Toby Dammit" was the last one, which I saw with some skepticism of being able to understand it. Sometimes you should be inside Fellini's brains to understand what he really wants to say, but incredibly this was understood. An actor already tired of not having his own life and invited to receive an award suddenly he is becoming himself and doing some unpleasant declarations and gestures. The end of his life is his happiness, i.e. when he is able to do what he wanted.

Three stories by Edgar Allan Poe

[frankde-jong · 7/10 · 28 June 2019]

Recently I reviewed "Boccaccio 70" (Fellini, Visconti, De Sica) and that made me curious to another Omnibus film of the '60s "Histoires extraordinaires" (Vadim, Malle, Fellini). The connecting link between the three episodes is that they are all (loosely) based on stories by Edgar Allen Poe. In "Boccaccio 70" the female characters are all strong characters, in "Histoires extraordinaires" they are in the first place male fantasies.

In "Metzengerstein" (director Roger Vadim, star Jane Fonda) baron Metzengerstein has turned into a baronesse (Jane Fonda). The main reason seems to be to showcase the beautiful body of Jane Fonda, who was still in her Barbarella period.

"Toby Dammit" is a mini version of "8,5" (1963, Federico Fellini), this time not about the writers block of a director but about the alcohol problem of a respected Shakespeare actor (Terrence Stamp). The cynical vision of the film industry remains however the same.

Against all odds in my opninion the "William Wison" episode (director Louis Malle, star Alain Delon) is the best of all. It has some similarities with the story of "Jekyll and Hide". In "Jekyll and Hide" the good person is the standard, and the bad person is brought about by chemical drugs. In "William Wilson" the bad person is standard and the good one takes the form of a double.

Gorgeous Fonda, Bardot and Fellini!!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 6 December 2018]

This picture was partioned in three Edgar Alan Poe's tales, the two first are set place few centuries ago, the first one shining through Jane Fonda's breathtaking beauty, fantastic story about power and vengeance directed by Vadim, the second segment with Delon and Bardot has a psychological aproach by Loius Malle, this one maybe the best and is really cutting edge tale, that ended up in an intriguing and ambiguous final, the last and final set place nowadays directed by F. Fellini, there is the worst part, adapted in a surreal and distressed, cocky english actor it decrease the in Fellini esque way, not quite palatable, Toby Dammit disturb the audience whose the pain reachs strongly!!

Resume:

First watch: 2012 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25

Three times Poë.

[dbdumonteil · 6/10 · 12 August 2001]

Or is it so?Because if the first sketch (it's a movie made of three of them)is poesque,then my dog can speak English.Roger Vadim,one of the most overrated French directors,casts the Fonda family (Jane,his then-wife and Peter) as cousins(sic).It's the Middle Ages,folks,and Dame Jane is making it rough all over.Needless to say,from the short story "Metzengerstein",nothing is preserved except a beautiful horse .Only Claude Renoir's splendid color cinematography redeems this one a little.Louis Malle rarely treads on fantasy films ,the exceptions being "black moon" and his sketch here "William Wilson".Poë's short story was very austere,some kind of stream of consciousness.Hence the necessity to add spice to the screenplay:so we have a dissection-scene-with-nudity,and,to top it all ,Brigitte Bardot herself,in a role that was not intended for her in the first place,but for Italian model Florinda Bolkan.The results are so-so,Alain Delon is not poesque at all,and Malle's style cannot generate a doomed atmosphere .Fellini wins hands down.Instead of adapting his style to Poë,he adapted Poë to HIS style,finding astonishing equivalents,with an end of the world feeling,and a smiling and scary little girl playing with a ball.Terence Stamp("Tobby Dammit") easily outclasses the rest of the cast of the three sketches put together.

Terence Dammit Stamp

[arichmondfwc · 8/10 · 29 December 2004]

Three Edgar Alan Poe stories, three directors, a genius director, a great director and a director. The top international stars of their day: Jane Fonda, Peter Fonda, Terence Stamp, Alain Delon and Brigitte Bardot. The Roger Vadim episode with the two Fondas is quite terrible, Jane with her left over costumes from Barbarella, is always watchable but what a mess. Delon and Bardot are fun to watch but the piece looks more a rehash of one of the weakest Hammer horror flicks than a film signed by the great Louis Malle. However, I wouldn't mind sitting through those turkeys once again for the sheer pleasure of the third segment: Fellini's "Toby Dammit" with a superlative Terence Stamp. Unique, unnerving, jaw dropping, funny, delightful gem of a film.

Masters of Cinema Are Not Always Masters of Horror too

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 6/10 · 18 November 2008]

Masters of cinema are not always necessarily masters of Horror, as "Histories Ordinaires" aka. "Spirits Of The Dead" of 1968 proves. This is Poe-based anthology of three parts, directed by Roger Vadim, Louis Malle and Frederico Fellini. All great directors of course, but for a Horror fan it becomes obvious immediately that they were way more biased on the introduction of imaginative artistic elements than on the development of eeriness and suspense. And while the film is certainly not bad, and doubtlessly has its great moments, it sadly lacks the creepy atmosphere and genuine scariness that made other Poe-adaptations, such as Roger Corman's films (starring Vincent Price) such a delight. It may result from ignorance towards the Horror genre, or have other reasons, but while "Spirits Of The Dead" looks good at first, it not a very good Horror film, first and foremost as it simply will not scare the viewer, and furthermore because the atmosphere is simply not eerie enough to do the writings of the great Edgar Allan Poe justice.

The first story, "Metzengerstein", directed by Roger Vadim, stars young Jane Fonda as the beautiful, but cold-hearted Countess Frederica, who lives a life of decadence until she suddenly falls for her cousin, the nature-loving Baron Wilhelm (Peter Fonda). After refusing Frederica, Wilhelm accidentally dies in an arson ordered by her, leaving her devastated and strangely obsessed with a black stallion... The first chapter in the anthology offers some impressive photography, very good performances, and loads of sexual undertones. Yet it cannot fully convince, as the script is not very elaborate, and the whole thing makes little sense. Neither is there a real climax.

The second story, "William Williamson", directed by Louis Malle, is quite a bit creepier, but, then again, it could have been even a lot better. Alain Delon plays William Williamson, a despicable and sadistic man, whose evil deeds are promptly uncovered by a masked Doppelgänger of the same name. Storywise, this second story, which also stars young Brigitte Bardot as a sexy gambling lady, is arguably the best of the three, and it is also very good in terms of photography. Still, it is not really scary.

The third and last story, "Toby Dammit", directed by Frederico Fellini, is the most frequently praised of the three, and it is indeed recommendable, simply for Terence Stamp's terrific performance as the eponymous character. Stamp plays Toby Dammit, a celebrated British actor with a weakness for alcohol, cynicism ad scandals, who tormented by the recurring vision of an eerie girl. When he is invited to the 'Italian Oscars' as an honorary guest, his insanity overwhelms... The third story is primarily recommended for its leading man. Stamp is a brilliant actor, and he really proves his great talent here, as I can not imagine anybody else to fit the role as Stamp does. Stamp's performance, however, is the episode's saving grace, as the story makes little sense and has even less to do with Poe. Fellini was obviously more focused on accentuating his own visual and artistic talent rather than to focus on Poe's writings, eeriness or suspense. All three episodes are narrated in an eerie voice in the French language version, which I saw. Apparently the English language version is narrated by Vincent Price, which makes it interesting to me as Pice is my favorite actor.

Overall, "Spirits Of The Dead" is certainly no bad film, and probably even something every true Horror fan should give a try at least, but it is neither a great Horror flick nor a great piece of art in other respects. Fellini, Malle and Vadim deserve their reputations as masters of cinema, yet one might argue that they should leave the Horror genre to the pros. If you want to see great Poe-based cinema I recommend films such as Roger Corman's entire brilliant Poe-cycle (starring Vincent Price) as well as Sergio Martino's Giallo-masterpiece "Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have The Key" instead. In terms of eerie Gothic atmosphere, even Fellini, Malle and Vadim can never reach the greatness of Horror masters such as Corman, Mario Bava or Antonio Margheriti. This "Spirits Of The Dead" is recommendable, but it is not great Gothic cinema, in my opinion.

Three Disappointing Tales

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 28 April 2008]

"Metzengerstein": the bored and corrupt medieval countess Frederica (Jane Fonda) spends her futile life in orgies and cruelties. When she moves with her friends to one of her castles nearby the lands of her poor cousin Baron Wilhelm (Peter Fonda), she desires him but is not corresponded. When one of her minions burns the stable, Wilhelm dies trying to rescues his stallion and Federica is haunted by her lost cousin.

This erotic female version of Caligula shows the delicious Jane Fonda, who was married to Roger Vadim at that time, wearing sexy costumes very similar to "Barbarella" (of the same year). But the story is weak. My vote is five.

"William Wilson": the sadistic and cruel soldier of the Austrian army William Wilson (Alain Delon) confesses to a priest the cruelties he committed along his sinful life and the participation of his double also called William Wilson in specific moments of his dreadful life.

This short directed by Louis Malle is the certainly the best segment of these adaptations, showing the fight between the dark side and the human part of the same character. Brigitte Bardot is very different with black hair. My vote is six.

"Toby Dammit": the cynical alcoholic and decadent English actor Toby Dammit (Terence Stamp) travels to Rome to make a Catholic Western, but only interested in receiving the Ferrari promised by the production.

This messy segment directed by Federico Fellini uses stylish images and a great performance of Terence Stamp, but the story is confused and the boring conclusion is too long. My vote is four.

My global vote for these adaptations is five.

Title (Brazil): "Histórias Extraordinárias" ("Extraordinaries Stories")

Young Fondas In Love, A Gorgeous Villain, and Toby Dammit

[winkies · 9/10 · 8 March 2005]

I'm a big fan of horror anthologies, especially the Poe/Hawthorne ones from Roger Corman and the Amicus films. Spirits of the Dead, based on Edgar Allen Poe stories and directed by Europe's most acclaimed filmmakers of the time, didn't disappoint...well, except for the first story.

#1, "Metzengerstein," directed by Roger Vadim. A cruel nymphomaniac countess (Jane Fonda) destroys the one man she can't have (Peter Fonda). That's right, this segment's biggest distinction is that it features a romance between real-life siblings Jane & Peter. Maybe I'm just a boor with no appreciation of high art, but watching those two gaze longingly at each other gave me the serious skeeves. Somewhere amongst the implied incest, the near- implied bestiality, and Jane's leftover costumes from Barbarella is the very thinnest of plots and narrative structure. Vadim doesn't seem to have any comprehension of suspense or what it takes to present a story that, if not scary, is at least spooky. You'll be constantly looking at your watch, but don't let "Metzengerstein" discourage you from seeing the other two stories.

#2, "William Wilson," directed by Louis Malle. An angel-faced but throughly rotten and sadistic man (Alain Delon) is hounded by a mysterious man that shares his name. This was a tight, satisfying little story. In contrast to Vadim, Malle is so talented at the art of suspense that he can make a simple card game exciting. Some reviewers have been put off by the scenes of misogyny--and to be honest, they did seem to spill over into exploitation. But I think it was necessary to present just how horrible the main character was, and to contrast it with how attractive he is physically (which to me was the most fascinating aspect of the segment). I found the ending slightly confusing, but still effective & tragic.

#3, "Toby Dammit," directed by Federico Fellini. This segment is so virtuoso and packed with Higher Meaning and Symbolism and Commentary On The Nature Of Man, God and the Devil that it really feels like its own movie. A jaded, alcoholic actor is invited to Rome to film a spaghetti western based on the life of Jesus Christ and attend a bizarre Italian version of the Oscars. The world as seen through Toby's eyes is populated with freaks, liars, and soulless puppets-- no wonder he prefers the Devil (uniquely and quite chillingly presented as a little girl). The scene where he is driving the Ferrari is a little overlong, but the ending is quite jarring and the last shot one of the unforgettable images of cinematic horror. The only real negative is that Terrance Stamp, who gives an incredible performance, has his voice completely dubbed by a French actor. If only we could have heard his own voice! It would be nice if Criterion could put this segment out on its own and give it the attention & study it deserves.

Big stars in unconventional roles !!!

[Dario_the_2nd · 6/10 · 16 September 2003]

`Metzemgerstein' by `Roger Vadim'. This is the story about Countess Frederica, played by Jane Fonda.

This epic isn't the best out of these three. Though Jane Fonda tries to save the story by her beauty and her well-known acting. But this time she doesn't succeed in it. She plays the character of Frederica who has a certain Caligula idea of things. She is the one who decides what is going to happen and taking control over everything and everyone. We see her kissing and fooling around with more then one man or woman.

She loves also very peculiar sort of games. Like hanging a boy and showing she can shoot better as Robin Hood himself. She seems to have interest in everything and nothing, until she meets Baron Wilhelm (Peter Fonda). She feels immediately a big attraction to him. But the Baron doesn't bow for her interest and her beauty, and rejects her. This brings the necessary frustration to the top. And she seeks revenge; even so much she orders to burn his stables. The Baron loves animals and in particular his horses. Suddenly she is fascinated thru a carpet she has, with a black stallion on it. A few minutes later a wild black horse enters her inner court. Nobody can control the horse, except her. From this point on she only lives for herself and her best friend the horse. Because she feeling a lot off guilt thru the fact that the Baron died in the fire trying to rescue his fav. horse.

The moment she gat the news that the Baron died, the carpet burned half way down. She orders that it has to be fixed in the same way as it was before. After a few months the carpet is fixed with one mistake, the eyes of the horse aren't braun like in the org. but red. `Look you changed the colour of the eyes into red, the colour of blood', `No my dear not the colour of blood but the colour of fire.'

So this was 2/3 of the story line. The end I don't wanna spoil for people who want to see it.

This epic is really relaxing. The music the decors, the costumes everything is great. Only the story goes wrong the way it is brought into picture. The suspense, the thrill, the shiver, is in this epic replaced thru a relaxing and enjoyable setting. Everything seems so innocent, joyful and happy, while it should be the opposite. This isn't that great if you have the intention to make a horror epic. All seems to be perfect. Though, like always the costumes worn by Jane Fonda are as ever unbelievable sexy. So for me this one 1/5.



`William Willson' by `Louis Malle' The second epic out of this movie. Alain Delon takes the lead with halfway the story the back up of Brigitte Bardot. The story starts off with Mister Wilson running into a church, desperate for a confession. A murder. The moment the confession starts with the priest that's the moment the story takes off and returns to his child years at school as a boy at the age off 10. He seems to be always the leader and prick of the class as well the school.

He decides always who, what and where happens to whom. Like hanging a schoolboy half naked in a barrel filled with rats. While this is happening, we will see the first time a mysterious child pops up for a few seconds. With only one message, to stop torturing the child.

It goes even stranger when William asks his name. The answer I will keep for myself, so I don't spoil too much. Later in the dormitory he tries to kill this student. For this action he is banned from school. Then the movie takes a jump into time ( 7 years ). So we see William back at the medical University. Same again here, while torturing a woman; the same mysterious figure pops up, with one message. To stop torturing the girl, and at the same time he sets her free. Same story here as before at school, he gets suspended again.

The next time lap we encounter William is when he serves in the army as a Lieutenant. Always in for that extra thrill in his own extreme and perverse way.

Giuseppina played by Brigitte Bardot provokes William first in a word fight. Luitenant Wilson a little impressed by the black haired ( very strange side to see BB with black hair ) woman takes her for a challenging card game. And the rest of the story I will keep once again for myself because I spoiled already enough.

For me this was the best out of the three stories. The whole scene (card game) and the way in was brought into picture is just marvellous. You can feel the tension between the two rivals. It is beautiful filmed, no music no sound nothing. Just the faces and the clicks of the cards popping on the table. This whole scene lasts for about ten minutes but real ten minutes of suspension. Who is gonna win the game and against what price. Well find out for yourself. This is a must to see. Bardot and Delon are putting her on screen some brilliant and marvellous acting. The story is great and filmed in the way it had to be. And it could be the perfect story for the definition off ` The vicious Circle `

So for me 4/5.



`Toby Dammit' by `Frederico Fellini' The third story and the most bizarre of the three. It tells the story of a British famous actor. The story begins in the cockpit of an airplane, the moment we arrive at the airport (Rome) we are taken in a very deranged psychedelic trip. The trip on the airport is filmed in the view person perspective. And we see the most weird and freaky images and people pop up on screen. All flavoured with bright and lots of orange coloured vicinities Also a nice effect the director creates with his psychedelic images is creating the effect that all the other actors and conversations seem to be happening next to the character. This epic is from the start until the end just hell, the hell from a person on a nervous breakdown and completely loosing his mind.

If you see the org. version like I have, you will encounter the same problem as the actor/character has. This part of the movie is almost completely in Italian language. And like we see the character has problems with understanding the Italian men and women so will you. But this brings you closer, and gives you the change to empathize with the character.

Two things that crossed my mind while watching this movie.

1/ Salvo Randone who played Toby Dammit could be a look a like of Christopher Walken. 2/ The racing scene with the Ferrari, resembles in a great way and in many ways the racing scene we see in the beginning of Clockwork Orange.

So for me this one gets 3/5.

So, to end I just wanna say this, don't expect in this movie a lot of gore, blood or nudity. There is but, 0.5% of the movie. But are you looking for some real old good and quality filled movie with some big stars in unconventional roles. In three stories off Edgar Allan Poe, you're in for a good ride. Overall I will give this movie a 7/ 10.

Dario/ [skull]

A lot of style--not a lot of substance.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 18 January 2013]

The style of "Spirits of the Dead" was not very unusual for the 1960s in Europe. Several other films consisted of top directors doing short films as part of an anthology movie, such as "Boccaccio 70". In the case of "Spirits of the Dead", the films are all adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe stories--and in some cases they stray quite a bit from the original source material.

"Metzengerstein" is directed by Roger Vadim and is a film about a sadistic sybaritic noblewoman (Jane Fonda--Vadim's wife at the time). She regularly indulges in all sorts of sexual excesses with her friends, torments her vassals for kicks and is a thoroughly despicable wretch. One day, she sees a distant cousin whose family and hers are rivals. She becomes obsessed by the man (which is interesting, as it's played by Jane's real life brother, Peter) and eventually she does something very evil and spiteful because he will not come to her twisted parties. What's next? See for yourself.

I must warn you that this first film is very dull, slow-paced and is pretty silly and forgettable. The worst part about it for me was seeing Jane's silly costumes. While the film appears set in about the year 1500, her costumes appear to be straight from the Vadim space epic, "Barbarella" and this is utterly ridiculous. And, I noticed that most reviewers disliked this short. As for me, I didn't see a whole lot to like about it other than a rare chance to see the two Fondas working together.

"William Wilson" is directed by Louis Malle, stars Alain Delon. The film begins with Wilson running into a confessional and loudly demanding that the priest listen to him--even though he acknowledges he is not a Catholic. He admits to a murder and then begins a long story of why he did this dastardly act. During this story, Wilson admits to being a complete sadist and is a man who has no remorse or feeling about others. He is a predatory creature--and why he goes to confess is just something you'll need to see for yourself. What's next? See for yourself.

In addition to Delon, this film stars Brigitte Bardot sporting a black wig. She is, as usual, gorgeous. However, you should be forewarned about this film. It is pretty sadistic and nasty in places--and is definitely for adults only. The story is mildly interesting (like a "Twilight Zone" episode) and worth seeing...just don't watch it with your mom or Pastor Jenkins.

"Toby Dammit" is by Federico Fellini. This segment is a treat for die-hard Fellini fans, as it has so much that they will probably love. Much of the film seems like it was inspired by "8 1/2" as well as "La Dulce Vita" as it consists of a very much adored celebrity having sycophants falling at his feet as well as a long procession of weird looking extras. It is 100% style...and not a lot of substance. Terrance Stamp plays this celebrity and he plays it as if he's a boorish jerk strung out on heroin--which you assume the character is. I have noticed that critically speaking, it's the most loved of the three films, though I thought the plot itself was very, very weak. It's more like watching a freak show (again, not unusual for many Fellini films) but without a lot of payoff in the end.

My overall verdict is that despite the ultra-famous directors, the film lacks substance and, believe it or not, the very cheap Poe films directed by Roger Corman are significantly better. The bottom line is that Malle and Fellini have done so much better work than this and it's a film only for completists who want to see everything they've made. A big disappointment for me.

Poe. as pretext

[Kirpianuscus · 5 May 2017]

it is strange to see a film ignoring its artistic virtues. because it is only a puzzle of directors and texts and actors and memories. a sort of experiment. seductive. and full of nostalgia. eccentric. and bizarre. stars, Romanticism, the shadow of Edgar Allen Poe and the mark of directors. it is strange to say what part is most remarkable. because, after the final credits , remains only the drawings in dust. and pieces of old velvet. a good kick to read Poe. again. because, maybe at the first sigh only, the film seems use his work only as pretext. but, like each part of film, it could be an impression.

Agreement Across the Board

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 2 April 2018]

Many of the reviewers were on the same page. I have to fall in line, I'm afraid. The first of the trio, "Mazzengerstein", was just plain dull. You have the beautiful young Jane Fonda becoming an heiress from hell. She runs the show at all times because of her financial power. Don't cross her. However, could they have chosen someone else but brother Peter as the ultimate love interest? Fortunately, I didn't notice him in the credits. Beyond that, the story was slow moving and downright dull. "William Wilson" is a great example for English teachers of the "Doppelganger" story. In this one the young Wilson does terrible things, primarily to women. He is a psychotic. Getting quite Freudian, we see where his corporeal superego moves in to stop him. Unfortunately, in at least one case, the damage has been done. The story works better than the first, but it is hackneyed. In the third, Terrence Stamp, "Far from the Madding Crowd," is an alcoholic actor who comes to Italy to make a weird western. He is accosted by the paparazzi and driven to distraction. Of course, he is drunk the whole time. But in typical Fellini fashion, he is met by a herd of surrealist images. He has been promised a Ferrari and when he gets his hands on it, he goes crazy. We can see this coming, but no one can create a nightmare world like the wonderful Fellini. All in all, I had never heard of this film and hung in there until the highly superior last offering.

"Without me, you no longer exist."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 28 January 2017]

The quote in my summary line was spoken by the 'good' Wilson to the 'bad' Wilson (Alain Delon portrayed both) in the second chapter of this Poe based trilogy, so if you saw it you know what it means. It was the single sentiment that had application to each of the stories presented here because death was involved in each one. Reading a handful of other reviews for the picture here, it appears that many of them simply dismiss the first two segments and favor the 'Toby Dammit' piece directed by Federico Fellini. For myself, I found all three chapters to be about equally worthy.

With the piece on 'Metzengerstein' however, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have had those flagrant, colorful costumes in whatever era the story represented. They're primarily used to augment Jane Fonda's physical assets, who a couple of times provides her own interpretation of riding bareback. No surprise there, as this was directed by Fonda's husband at the time, Roger Vadim, who utilized a similar soft porn technique in the same year's "Barbarella", also starring Fonda. If I had been in charge of the story, my twist ending would have had Peter Fonda's character emerge once again after the Countess (Jane) perishes. I'm sure they could have worked that out.

The piece on William Wilson (Delon) and his doppelganger who kept showing up during stages of his life was an interesting concept. I don't know about Brigitte Bardot as a dark haired beauty though, that was a distraction. Keep an eye on that final card game when Giuseppina (Bardot) loses it all, Wilson deals himself two cards in a row during the final hand. Why wouldn't she call him on it?

The 'Toby Dammit' chapter was based on Poe's novel 'Don't Wager Your Head to the Devil" which makes every bit of sense at the final scene. What I was more concerned about was they never got around to filming that Catholic Western Toby (Terrence Stamp) traveled to Rome for. I thought there was some potential there. Toby himself is an arrogant, spiteful, condescending and neurotic actor who hates his audience, making me wonder why he was treated like such a super star. Served him right at the end of the story when he crashed his Ferrari off the bridge at the behest of his friendly and joyful devil. It wouldn't be the first time a guy lost his head over a pretty young thing.

Omnibus movie filled with weirdos, mystery, horror and greatness (mostly).

[thedarkhorizon · 7/10 · 22 November 2019]

I'm currently studying surreal elements in film and stumbled upon this weird piece of movie making history. First of: I did not know what to expect, as Edgar Allan Poe is my all time favorite writer, but in my imagination the stories are placed in the 18th/19th century and surely filled with a lot of dark romanticism elements. So, a movie adaptation of these beautiful stories... could be - everything.

1.) Vadim's Metzengerstein. I loved the beautiful voice over, narrating bits of the original story. But hell - while watching my thoughts went from "is this actually a very bad film?" to "is this supposed to be medieval period?" to "oh lord, this looks like a fairytale film for children - gone wrong". Overall: I HAD MY FUN! It was great to watch that mix-max of 60s eroticism, random Barbarella costumes, medieval inspired orgies and cliche-mystery elements from fairytales. Overall, I suggest to not take this approach too serious, as many reviews here do. What Vadim did very well, was keeping the 'essence' of a dark romantic gothic-novel: the sentimental elements (love and desire), the mysterious scenery landscapes, the forsaken castle, the mysterious spells - and so on. These are nevertheless elements of a classic gothic novel! It's just that the mix-up of 60s elements and modern film making interrupted that style of narration and makes it absurd (and for many viewers 'lame'). And yes, for those who expected hands-on suspense, they won't get any. But don't forget: Poe wrote overall lovestories. Dark ones, yes. But still.

2.) Malle's Doppelgänger story "Wilson": I really enjoyed that one and would not be too critical about that one, either. Sure, the elements of Doppelgänger is widely known and used in dark-romanticism (and ever since), it's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde all over again. The anatomy theatre scenes are for me quite bizarre (good Lord, I am happy I haven't seen this as a kid! And how did they shoot that cut-scene where they cut the corpse? Is this a real man? Lord...), even though I have seen quite a bit of horror genre films. I loved how Malle made the card game so exciting, without any action tricks, blasting music and so on - that is a true master. In this time, I really think this a nicely executed re-adaptation of a well known topic. Sure, maybe not the most inventive one ever, but effective. Wilson seems quite disturbing - and that was the goal, right?

3.) Fellini! Widely known as the MASTER, als the reviews here rage for this film to be just a Fellini film. Yes, he has his unique language and I really did enjoy every detail of it. The colors, the costumes, the differently lit scenes, the set design, all was on point to underline the main characters rising madness throughout the 40 minutes story. This story focusses very much onto the character (and mental health decline) development of one man... and is it just me or did he resemble Master Poe's old portrait photographs somehow? Deeply psychodelic, colorful, moody and surely Fellini executes the surreal mood and mystery of Poe's story well.

Don't be too harsh on the other two not-fellini-segments, I think there are some Poe-eske elements in there, too. I loved to have all 3 in comparison and would not vote for any to be the 'best' one, as all 3 delighted me and made me question the film and Poe in different ways!

William Wilson supreme

[stuart-288 · 7/10 · 13 February 2007]

Whilst most reviewers seem to agree that the third segment is the best of the three, I have always found Fellini's work to be a bit frantic. To me the most successful story here is the one directed by Louis Malle, 'William Wilson'. The story of a schizophrenic Austrian army officer whose alter-ego continually haunts and demeans himself is brilliantly cast with Alain Delon as the arrogant, psychotic eponymous anti-hero. His card-playing scene with Brigitte Bardot sizzles along with the final gamble being that Delon's character can do whatever he likes to her! His decision shows him to be a sad, misogynistic bully. Sadly (as one reviewer here claims) we don't see Bardot in the buff, but rather a similar-looking actress in a minor role. The piece starts with a startled Delon running away from something but we don't know what. By the end we realise that his character is trying to get away from something he could never escape: his self.

Toby Dammit

[kevino-4 · 9/10 · 10 September 2003]

My vote of 9 is only for Fellini's entry, Toby Dammit. The other two are below the level of the average Twilight Zone, in my opinion. But Toby is so fine that I wish it could have been expanded to feature length. Perhaps the tone of agonized despair wouldn't have held up for 90 minutes but it certainly is great for 40. Stamp is superb. His role isn't easy, he's in every scene and has to descend from a very low point to an even lower one. Terence is completely believable the entire time. I'm not a fan of Fellini but perhaps he found his metier in humanistic horror.

Worthwhile for film-buffs and art-house enthusiasts

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 4 July 2007]

Arty, often alienating tribute to Edgar Allen Poe, with three Poe tales helmed by three top filmmakers, Roger Vadim, Louis Malle, and Federico Fellini. You have to meet this surreal jumble half-way: its mod incoherence is intentional (the picture is 90% ambiance). However, only Fellini's chapter, "Toby Dammit" (featuring a striking Terence Stamp), succeeds with the kind of decadent, kinetic energy the other two entries only hint at. Vadim's "Metzengerstein" is a criminal waste of Jane Fonda (it looks like a too-soon "Barbarella" revival) and Malle's "William Wilson" is handsome but inert. Fellini naturally goes overboard with the type of freaky garishness which became his trademark, yet his visual palette is invigorating, propelling an already fine story to the cinematic hilt. **1/2 from ****

An American icon transformed into Sixties Eurotrash

[LCShackley · 3/10 · 23 December 2011]

There's not much Poe here, except his name. Roger Corman did a better job of sticking to the original stories than this trio of "stellar" directors: Vadim, Malle, and Fellini.

In the spirit of the indulgent 60s, these three auteurs twisted Poe into the shape of their own imagination, rewriting and "sexing up" the stories to appeal to the pompous art-house crowd. There are some beautiful locations and striking visuals, to be sure...plus long, long stretches of boredom (Jane Fonda playing with a horse, Terence Stamp driving drunk). The music is also dated and laughable, especially Nino Rota's pop dreck under the Fellini segment.

Trivia: be on the lookout for Andreas Voutsinas as a bearded courtier in the Vadim segment. He was Jane Fonda's acting coach, but best-known to American audiences as the creepy Carmen Ghia in Mel Brooks's original "The Producers" (released the same year as this film).

Three beautiful and memorable short films make a wonderful anthology

[Galina_movie_fan · 8/10 · 21 December 2006]

"Spirits of the Dead"(1968) - adaptations of three Edgar Allen Poe stories by three European directors, Roger Vadim's "Metzengerstein" with Jane and Peter Fonda, Louis Malle's "William Wilson" (with Alain Delon and Briget Bardout), and Federico Fellini's "Toby Dammit". The universal opinion is that only Fellini's entry is worth watching and it is indeed, spectacular with Terence Stamp fitting so well in the Fellini's freak show that it is impossible to take your eyes off him. The reason I wanted to see the movie so much was the CD that I bought some time ago - a compilation of some of the most beautiful themes composed by Nino Rota for the films of Federico Fellini. "The Ultimate Best of Federico Fellini & Nino Rota" includes the tunes arranged in the medleys for 16 films directed by Fellini. These are the full orchestrations (as heard in the movies they come from) and just listening to the familiar melodies brings back the memories and the images. There was one track I kept listening to over and over. It was written for the Fellini's episode in the "Tre passi nel delirio" aka "Spirits of the Dead" (1968), "Toby Dammit". The soundtrack for "Toby Dammit" simply stands out among the romantic and poetic gems. It is rich, obsessive and creates uneasy and creepy atmosphere which is quite appropriate for an episode that features a desperate actor (Terence Stamp) in a pact with the devil. Besides the score "Toby Dammit" has plenty of great typically Felliniesque images , an unforgettable ending, and not the least, Terence Stamp who might've played one of his best roles as the famous English actor, drugged and drunk out of his mind who arrived in Rome for the Italian Film Academy Awards ceremony. Toby was also offered the role of Jesus in the Catholic Western but all he remembered that he had been promised a Ferrari for participating in the ceremony and Ferrari he will get...with the ride to hell that looks exactly like Rome at night where every turn takes you to the dead end and the Devil only knows the way out but you will pay him a price...

I found all three films interesting and involving in their own terms. I don't agree with the comments that call Vadim's adaptation a failure - it is certainly not. If anything, it is beautiful to look at and listen to and any film featuring Madam Roger Vadim (Jane Fonda was married to the director at the time) wearing the costumes that were certainly inspired by or even reused from "Barbarella" that was released in the same year, 1968 is worth watching. Vadim changed the short story by transforming a protagonist, 18 years old Baron Frederic Metzengerstein into 22 years old Contessa Frederica but he did not change her character. She is rich, bored, corrupted, and ruthless, a "petty Caligula", until she meets her cousin Wilhelm (played by Jane's brother, Peter Fonda). Making siblings playing cousins in love tells us something (or maybe a lot) about Vadim and his mysterious Slavic soul and reminds about Poe's own dramatic love for his first cousin, Virginia Eliza Clemm, whom he married when she was only 13 and whose death at the age of 25 from tuberculosis could have let to decline of his own mental state and his untimely death less than three years after her.

Poe explores in "William Wilson" very popular in the Art and literature subject of a man and his double that represents his conscience, his dark and hidden side. The short story brings to mind such famous works of literature as Hans Christian Andersen's "The Shadow", Adelbert Von Chamisso's "Peter Schlemiel: The Man Who Sold His Shadow", Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" and Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray".

In Louis Malle's short film, Wilson (Alain Delon) confesses his sinful and dreadful life to the priest recalling the outrageous and vicious deeds that have been prevented or disclosed by his exact double whose name is also William Wilson. Two scenes of the short film stand out. The first is a simply chilling Wilson's attempt to perform an autopsy on a living woman and the second – Wilson plays cards, cheating shamelessly, with rich and arrogant Giuseppina (Brigitte Bardot almost unrecognizable in a black wig that does almost impossible – makes her look ugly). While it may be not the best Poe's adaptation and perhaps the weakest of three films in the anthology, two Delons for the price of one is reason enough to see it. I am glad that I finally saw the film that has achieved a cult status with years but is not easily available (I had to wait for several weeks for it from Netflix even after I had bumped it to the top). What started with my interest in the musical score by Rota, ended as a memorable watching experience.

A Colorful Poe.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 3 September 2012]

"William Wilson", directed by Louis Malle, with Alain Delon as the titular hero and his own double, is really pretty good. Delon gets to whip the proud Bridget Bardot, which is going a little too far, although heaven knows she deserves a good licking. The tone of the story is suitably elegant and ironic. The men wear carefully tailored generic uniforms with cream-colored jackets. William Wilson is a naughty boy. He deceives people, breaks hearts, cheats at cards. BUT -- he can't seem to get away with any of it because whenever he pulls one of his stunts, a masked figure calling himself William Wilson shows up and exposes him for the fraud he is. Wilson finally kills his Doppelganger and then himself. It's one of my favorite Poe stories because it's different. Most stories of doubles from this period materialize Freud's "id", the savage part of our minds that we try so desperately to suppress. Examples range from Mr. Hyde to Professor Moriarty. Pure evil. But this double represent Freud's "superego," the conscience. Nicely done.

The last segment was directed by Federico Fellini with photography by Giuseppe Rotunno and score by Nino Rota. I mention this because these two craftsmen make the story unmistakably Fellini's. I don't think the director could have done it without them.

It's based (very loosely) on Poe's "Never Bet The Devil Your Head." Terence Stamp is the internationally famous movie star, Toby Dammit, and arrives in Rome to accept one of those awards like the Palm D'Or or the Oscar. The Rome into which Stamp descends is an hallucinatory vision of hell, beginning with the slightly insane and thoroughly claret-colored airport. What follows is a hilarious parody of an awards ceremony. While a drunken Stamp waits his turn, one after another phony is paraded onto the stage under the blazing lights, striding through studio fog, accompanied by a joyous ruckus. There is a group called The Three Angels From Hell that collectively receive one of these awards. Asked to say a few words, each follows the other and blankly mouths the same appreciation: "I'm very moved by this. All I can say is 'Thank you'." They project the believability of some guy behind the supermarket check-out counter who says, "Have a nice day."

I ought to mention, before describing more of the story, that the focus isn't entirely on the awards ceremony. Stamp has to be interviewed on a TV program first, for instance, and -- throughout -- there are all sorts of inexplicable and bizarre goings on. At the interview, a carefully groomed and very beautiful woman steps before the camera and lauds the interviewee. Then she slowly and deliberately drops to her knees, still grinning, puts her nose on the floor and crawls away. Is she deranged? Is the director irretrievably mad? No! It's just her way of taking herself off camera and crawling out of the way so that the interview can get started. Other whimsical events and shots take place, too many to mention.

At any rate, Terence Stamp is so liquified at the awards ceremony he can only stagger to the stage. It's been suggested to him that he recite something from Shakespeare, "the most famous poet in the world -- second only to our Dante." But keep it short. Short Shakespeare. We don't want to bore the audience. Stamp's face is a ghastly death mask of agony as he begins some well-known lines from "MacBeth" but he quits, tells the audience and the staff what they can do to themselves, stumbles outside, gets into his Ferrari and speeds away.

The story slows down considerably despite the Ferrari's speed and the reckless laughter of the drunken maniac behind its wheel. Stamp finds himself spinning around in empty shabby neighborhoods full of dead ends, with stuffed dummies representing chefs and flocks of sheep scattered about, as in a "Twilight Zone" episode.

At the end, he encounters a bridge with a gap in the middle of it. On the other side of the gap is the devil in the guise of a pretty little blond girl. He senses that the devil is challenging him to speed the car across the gap. He should not have accepted the challenge.

Roger Vadim's colorful "Metzengerstein" is from a story I haven't read, but the plot can be summed up easily enough. Juliet, in all her noble nubility, falls in love with Romeo but accidentally kills him half-way through, upon which he turns into a horse. Juliet senses his presence in the horse and rides him constantly, finally to their joint destiny. (What is it with women and horses anyway?) The viewer will be surprised to find out that in Medieval France the half-naked girls wore gaudy costumes not unlike those of Las Vegas showgirls. I didn't mind it. I didn't mind Jane Fonda's determined debaucheries either. Except those gang bangs were disgusting. What do those dumb page boys or whatever they are have that I don't have? What puts the ape in apricot? Fonda speaks French in this one. I was able to follow most of it because she speaks with such a marked American accent, as if she'd learned French at Vassar, the same French I learned in high school.

Attention Poe fans... run, don't walk, to the nearest exit!

[rooprect · 3/10 · 5 December 2008]

It's reassuring to see that other IMDb reviewers have had the good sense to pan this disappointing film, at the risk of blaspheming against the great Vadim, Malle and Fellini.

These directors may be talented & artistic in their own right; however in attempting to pass off this hodgepodge of attempted eroticism and 60s chic as *in any way* related to Edgar Allen Poe's stories, they exposed themselves as frauds. Either (A) they didn't bother to read the Poe stories, or (B) they read them but were so transfixed by their own egotistical agenda that they didn't pay Poe any mind.

Imagine if Metallica plugged in their guitars, cranked the amps up to 11 and moshed out 3 chords claiming it to be Beethoven's 9th Symphony. That's the feeling you'll get after sitting through this film. If you're a Vadim/Malle/Fellini fan (Metallica), you'll dig it. If you're a Beethoven fan (Poe), you'll puke.

METZERGENSTEIN...

Here we begin with a bizarre porno version of Poe. OK, "porno" may be a bit extreme haha, but at the very least you have to call it a Barbarella version (including, I don't doubt, some of Jane's outfits coming directly from the set of that scifi romp). Vadim falls into old clichés of his own: the girl lying on a bed being pleasured by some man whilst from the pillow-cam we see the apathy in her eyes; the general lassitude and ennui of a woman who finds no satisfaction in hedonism. Cute stuff, but "Metzergenstein" ain't the place for it. And in addition to the Barbarella outfits and irrelevant erotic themes, Jane Fonda's awful American accent and unconvincing performance as a European countess made this the worst casting since Julia Roberts in that lousy version of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.

WILLIAM Wilson...

Here's a great Poe story about the madness that claims a man when he realizes that he is no longer unique in the world. If you really want to see a fantastic visual interpretation of this theme, go watch Star Trek episode #27 "The Alternative Factor". But here, Malle glazes over that central theme and instead focuses on... any guesses...? yup, eroticism, sadism and debauchery. Ho hum. Brigitte Bardot's role is a complete fabrication to accomplish that end, and once again the director distorts a classic Poe story into a masturbatory catharsis of his own unrequited sexual issues. Do it on your own time, Malle. I thought we're here on Poe's dime.

TOBY DAMMIT....

The absolute worst of the three and possibly the worst film I've seen since "Staying Alive". At least Fellini showed some tact in changing the title, but his departure from the original plot, theme and humour of the story is so vast, I wonder if he just picked this reel out of his private collection of home movies, stamped "Edgar Allen Poe story" on it and submitted it to this collection. I strained very hard to find any thread of familiarity with Poe's works, but there was absolutely none.

The original Poe story ("Never Bet the Devil Your Head") is a short and hilarious dark fable about a man who constantly exclaims "I'll bet the devil my head..." On a foggy morning, the devil takes him up on his offer. The result is the sickest and silliest thing you've ever read. This was Poe, the comedian, at his finest (yes, Poe wrote many comedies. Also check out "A Predicament" and "Devil in the Belfry" if you want a taste of his witty, satirical works).

This Fellini version? It's bland, soulless, and not funny at all (unless you consider it funny to see a drunk stumbling over himself for 45 minutes). Here Fellini's egotistical rant is about an artist struggling with the hypocrisy, pretense and mediocrity of cinema. Most of it is set at an awards ceremony where Fellini beats us over the head with sarcasm, cynicism and that classic "sour grapes" attitude that we find in all Fellini films dealing with cinema. Note the sarcastic jabs at "the critics", a recurring theme in Fellini's films. For someone who considered himself above the critics, Fellini sure spent a lot of time talking about them. At any rate, I feel like Fellini just took some outtakes from 8 1/2, spliced them together and sold it as a Poe story. Worst "adaptation" ever.

I think I put more effort into typing this review than any of the three directors put into making a Poe movie.