“The Pale Blue Eye” (*1/2 out of four) was a pallid historical melodrama set in 1830 New York in which a world-weary detective (Christian Bale) is called in to investigate a mysterious murder of a cadet at an illustrious academy; when he is stymied by the locals’ code of silence, he is forced to turn to a young writer named Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling) to help him solve the crime. Colorless story set against an interesting backdrop but is a real bore; even the usually solid Bale is stiff and one-note. Die-hard Poe fans might find more substance and interest here but others should beware.