Me, My Shelf and I: {Movie Fun} The Raven & The Dummy’s Guide to Poe

Interactive Map of Baltimore – Featuring The Raven & Edgar Allan Poe!

Okay, I know you’re all excited about the upcoming October 9th Blu-Ray/DVD release of THE RAVEN. I am. I don’t get the chance to see movies in theater much, so when they are available at home..I’m excited!

Well the folks at Fox Home Entertainment are really excited for the release too and so they have passed on this amazing INTERACTIVE map of Baltimore, filled with photos and videos from the movie! Check it out!

Dummy’s Guide to Poe

Edgar Allan Poe Comes To Life In This Dark Thriller Available on Blu-ray and DVD October 9th

Some of the references in The Raven may have been lost to those who don't know much about the great Edgar Allan Poe. Here, we will create a cheat sheet with the most important Poe facts, including information on his most famous works, major life events and the many theories surrounding his mysterious death.

Baltimore, 1849. While investigating a horrific double murder, police detective Emmett Fields (Evans) makes a startling discovery: the killer's methods mirror the twisted writings of Edgar Allan Poe (Cusack). Suspecting Poe at first, Fields ultimately enlists his help to stop future attacks. But in this deadly game of cat and mouse, the stakes are raised with each gruesome slaying as the pair races to catch a madman before he brings every one of Poe's shocking stories to chilling life...and death.

Edgar “Allan” Poe

Edgar Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. He was sent to a foster home in Richmond, Virginia at the age of two following his mother’s death. His foster family’s last name was Allan, which they added to Edgar’s full name.

Early Life

Prior to being a full time writer, Poe attended university for one year and served in the U.S. Army for two years. Following his discharge from the military, Poe struggled through different financial matters with his foster father, and eventually was disowned by the family.

Father of “Writer” as Occupation

Before Poe, writing was not considered a credible career path to make a living. His short stories and poems were published in several different periodicals and magazines in major cities including Philadelphia, New York, and Baltimore.

Inventor of Detective Fiction Genre

Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Arthur Morrison – all famous detective authors – have Poe to thank since he is credited as writing the first detective novel. He wrote several mystery tales featuring the fictional character C. Auguste Dupin, who became a framework for the creation of some of the most famous fictional detectives, including Sherlock Holmes.

American Romantic Movement

Poe wrote prose, short stories, and poems during the American Romantic Movement in the 19^th century. This movement took on a more liberal tone to contrast the elitist views of transcendentalism, a genre that Poe harshly criticized.

“MS. Found In a Bottle”

One of Poe’s first publications was a short story about a man’s journey at sea. It was chosen as the winner of a writing contest given by the weekly periodical, the Baltimore Saturday Visiter, and launched Poe’s career into the public eye.

Interesting Marriage

Poe married his 13 year-old cousin Virginia Clemm in secret when he was 27. The couple had a public ceremony one year later and remained married until Virginia’s death from tuberculosis at the young age of 24. Rumor has it that the couple treated one another as if they were brother and sister rather than lovers.

“The Raven”

Poe’s most famous work is a narrative poem about a young lover who converses with a raven as he mourns over his lost love, Lenore. The poem made Poe into a national celebrity once it was published under his name in 1845. The poem consists of dark themes including grief and death. Also, the poem has several allusions to Greek mythology, black magic, English literature, and the Bible.

Poe’s Death

Poe died at the age of 40 on Sunday, October 7, 1849 at the Washington College Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He was taken to the hospital after being found in the streets in complete delirium and wearing clothes that didn’t belong to him.

Medical Theories of Death

Poe’s death certificate and final medical records are forever lost, leaving the cause of his death a mystery. Some theories include “the shakes” as a result of alcoholism, heart disease, epilepsy, syphilis, meningitis, cholera and rabies.

Murder Speculation

Others believe that Poe may have been a victim of “cooping”, a practice in which election gangs caught people who refused to vote and held them in a coop, forcing them to consume alcohol or drugs until they agreed to cooperate. If the prisoner didn’t vote, then he would be killed, which may have been the case for Poe.

John Cusack and Luke Evans star in this blood-curdling tale of terror that's as dark and haunting as the legendary master of the macabre who inspired it - Edgar Allan Poe.

Baltimore, 1849. While investigating a horrific double murder, police detective Emmett Fields (Evans) makes a startling discovery: the killer's methods mirror the twisted writings of Edgar Allan Poe (Cusack). Suspecting Poe at first, Fields ultimately enlists his help to stop future attacks. But in this deadly game of cat and mouse, the stakes are raised with each gruesome slaying as the pair races to catch a madman before he brings every one of Poe's shocking stories to chilling life...and death.