After his death in 1849, Edgar Allan Poe became a global icon best known for his Gothic horror tales and the narrative poem, "The Raven." PBS takes an in-depth look at the writer, who wrote more than 100 short stories and poems, in American Masters -- Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive. It airs at 8 p.m. Monday on AETN, and repeats at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, and 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Saturday.
Actress Kathleen Turner narrates, and Tony award-winning actor Denis O'Hare (This Is Us, American Horror Story) stars as Poe.
Filmed in Boston Harbor's historic Fort Independence at Castle Island, the documentary explores the misrepresentations of Poe as a drug-addled madman who actually wrote many comedies. Although he pioneered the modern detective story and refined the science fiction genre, he is remembered primarily for his Gothic horror tales. He was an influential and brutally honest literary critic and magazine editor who struggled with alcoholism and poverty until he died under mysterious circumstances.
Buried Alive combines dramatized re-enactments of key moments in Poe's life with readings of Poe's works by actors Chris Sarandon (The Princess Bride) and Ben Schnetzer (Snowden). Roger Corman, who directed eight Poe films including House of Usher, will be interviewed.
-- Rosemary Boggs
Style on 10/29/2017