1 / 8
RUNTIME
Did you know
Tight 22-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Tell-Tale Heart
"Madmen know nothing."
2009 0h 22m EN
👍
6.7
SOLID
★6.7TMDB · 26
HorrorCrime
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Within the chambers of a desolate house, a solitary servant tends to his invalid master. Tangibly detailed period design and hauntingly lifelike puppetry unearth the dreamworld of Poe.
“Madmen know nothing.”
Cast
Carrington Vilmont
The Servant
Dan Charlton
The Detective Inspector
Dan Murphy
Officer
Nathan Allison
Officer
Richard Easton
The Old Man (voice)
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Robert Eggers
- Writers
- Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Eggers
- Languages
- English, Aymara
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 17 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Aymara.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Robert Eggers, shot by Jarin Blaschke. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Louise Ford shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Carrington Vilmont and Dan Charlton and Dan Murphy carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
FACT
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "Madmen know nothing.".
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Robert Eggers directs. Jarin Blaschke behind the camera. Louise Ford cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Aymara.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Tight 22-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
- 2Released 17 years ago.
- 3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Aymara.
- 4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 5Directed by Robert Eggers, shot by Jarin Blaschke. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Editor Louise Ford shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 7Carrington Vilmont and Dan Charlton and Dan Murphy carry the top of the cast.
- 8Marketing tagline: "Madmen know nothing.".
- 9IMDB entry: tt1330057 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 10Only 26 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Jarin Blaschke
- Editing
- Louise Ford
- Production design
- Robert Eggers
- Costume design
- Robert Eggers
- Runtime
- 22 min · 0h 22m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
Also by
Robert Eggers
Production companies
Who made it
- PA
Palehorse Productions
Key crew
- Sound EditorLouise Ford
- Prop DesignerChelsea Carter
- Short StoryEdgar Allan Poe
- Production AssistantSam Eggers
- EditorLouise Ford
- Costume DesignRobert Eggers
- ProducerMaura Anderson
- ProducerMike Neal
- Production DesignRobert Eggers
- Production AssistantMax Eggers
- Sound EditorDamian Volpe
- Music EditorLouise Ford
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- short film
- adaptation
Release history · US
When it landed
- Premiere2009-07-29· Los Angeles International Short Film Festival / Woods Hole Film Festival
- Premiere2009-10-15· New Hampshire Film Festival
- Premiere2009-10-02· H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival
- Theatrical2009-07-29
- Digital2022-04-28· IndieWire
