The Fall of the Louse of Usher

The Fall of the Louse of Usher is a 2002 British arthouse horror comedy film written and directed by Ken Russell. The film is loosely based on several Edgar Allan Poe stories, notably the 1839 short story "The Fall of the House of Usher".

Rock star Roddy Usher (played by James Johnston) is confined to an insane asylum after murdering his wife. During his time there he is given various shock treatments by Nurse Smith (Marie Findley) and Dr Calahari (Ken Russell), resulting in a series of bizarre and nightmarish adventures.[1]

The Fall of the Louse of Usher features many of Russell's trademarks including sexuality (often taken to extremes such as the showing of an inflatable doll orgy sequence), musical sequences and over-the-top acting. The film incorporates musical and comedy elements, with scenes exaggerating the cheapness of the props, despite primarily being a horror film.

Critics generally agreed that the film was not as polished as Russell's earlier work. For example, Paul Higson of The Zone website called the production design "kindergarten level".[2]