The Cask of Amontillado

Pittsburgh-based filmmaker Thad Ciechanowski helmed this highly impressive adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's landmark short story about bitter Montressor (David Bielewicz), who obsessively seeks payback against boorish wine connoisseur Fortunato (Frank Tirio Jr.) for an unspecified insult, ultimately luring his oenophile enemy into a fatal trap. The film takes a few liberties with the original text—most notably in shifting the setting from Italy to the United States and tacking on a prologue with an elderly Montressor (Richard Tardell), who reveals the secret of Fortunato's fate to his adult son, an American military officer who is clearly confused by the odd tale—but the production design and appropriately eerie cinematography by Jeff Garton nicely capture the texture of the unsettling source material. Tirio subtly underplays Fortunato's extreme behavior, while Bielewicz provides a chilling interpretation of Montressor; his matinee-idol good looks slowly giving way to a seething viciousness towards his doomed victim. DVD extras include lesson plans and Poe's original short story in PDF format. Although aimed at students, this will also appeal to adult Poe fans—not to mention would-be construction workers eager to learn how to build a wall in record time. Highly recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (P. Hall)