THE TOMB is an erstwhile modern-day adaptation of the Edgar Allan Poe horror story THE TOMB OF LIGEIA, adapted so memorably for the screen by Roger Corman and starring Vincent Price back in 1964. Sadly, this low budget, shot-on-the-cheap-in-Crimea version of the story is a complete dud.

There's barely any link to the original story here, aside from a ghostly woman and a doomed romance. Otherwise it's a typical indie-looking cheap horror flick: colour filters, flashbacks, softcore sex scenes, the odd snippet of gore here and there. The script is abysmal - sad given the screenwriter also wrote THE CROW back in the day - and the director never worked on anything else. That hardly comes as a surprise.

All that THE TOMB does do well is waste the talents of various cast members. Wes Bentley is the lead but can do nothing with such a dull character, while the likes of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Michael Madsen, and Eric Roberts pop up in various supporting roles or cameos. They're not worth tuning in for either.

The film opens with the losing of a spirit in Romanova Manor. It jumps to the present as Professor Jonathan Merrick (Wes Bentley) gives lectures on 19th century literature. He is engage (Kaitlin Doubleday) but his eye roams to the exotic looking Ligeia (Sofya Skya) and before long he is no longer engaged, drinking absinthe and buying a castle for our antagonist soul stealer.

The film moved rather quickly, never allowing for character build up. Indeed, I found myself rooting for evil, because that was the only personality in the film. The dialogue and acting were bland. This is one of the lesser offerings of Fangoria. with killer Bees, Michael Madsen and Eric Roberts.

Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, and nudity.

I really wasn't even sure what I'd use as a summary line ... but it kinda makes sense I think. You're welcome and no offense (if you are easily offended that is). There are reasons why one should like this ... based on an Edgar Allen Poe story with quite the actors to boast ... Cary Tagawa, Eric Roberts, Michael Madsen ... even Wes Bentley of American Beauty fame ... though apparently he hasn't done much since then ... nothing much succesful that is.

But the movie really seems quite convoluted and weird in a bad way. This is low budget and the femme fatale (if you allow me to call her that) is quite enticing. So I guess one may be able to understand the troubles our main character is in ...not to mention the supernatural element in all of this. But while this probably isn't that long, it felt like an eternity watching it - no pun intended. It has a few redeeming factors (some mentioned above),but I doubt many will cut this some slack ...