The Raven Movie Review By: Matt C At first glance, the premise for The Raven might seem like an odd Hollywood match: comedy actor John Cusack (Better Off Dead), portrays the soon-to-be-disposed Edgar Allan Poe , whose stories have become the basis for a serial killer's murder spree. Add to this that history tells us quite a different story about Poe: he never worked with the Baltimore Police, his stories never became the basis for a psychotic mind's perverted practice, and the film's telling of his death is flat-out inaccurate. So, how does this mish-mash of historical inaccuracy play out for audiences? The answer is, wonderfully: The Raven is a smart, well-acted thriller that ushers us into the summer movie season with a bang. Cusack shines as the melancholy author who, when the film starts, is oft-inebriated and can barely pay off his bar tab before being summarily dismissed onto the street. His recent release of the poem Raven has netted him fame but not fortune,