# Lovecraftian Cinema



## j d worthington

Okay, there's been a fair amount of notice taken lately of the small independent film *The Call of Cthulhu*, an exercise in silent film that is one of the most loving adaptations of a Lovecraft story ever put on film. But along with that has come some discussion of scattered other film adaptations of his work as well. Until the last few years, I'd have said there wasn't a lot of ground to cover here, but lately I've become aware that there actually is a tremendous amount of Lovecraftian cinema of one stripe or another. So I suggested the possibility of a thread on the topic, and sort of had it tossed back in my court. So here goes:

I'd like to hear from different people about any Lovecraftian work they've seen in film; this doesn't need to be strictly about adaptations of his own stories, but can include Lovecraftian elements, borrowing of themes, etc. as well. There are also a couple of sites that list upcoming Lovecraft projects, and I'll be checking into them from time to time to see what's the latest news, and I'll post the url here at a later date, should there be enough interest. In the meantime, for anyone interested, there's *The Lurker in the Lobby*, which is a rather good guide to such, and there's also *A Complete Guide *to Lovecraftian films out there as well (with considerable overlap, but some differences), and as we go along I'll be introducing discussions on some of the titles they have in these books as well.

So, for anyone who'd like: put on your thinking caps, jump in with anything you think may fit, and I hope we may be able to have a fun and entertaining, and maybe a bit controversial (now and again) discussion on the topic.

"Roll 'em..."


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## Stuart Jaffe

Well, how can we not mention Re-Animator.  For all its flaws (which are numerous), it is still one of the most entertaining, gross-outs I've ever seen.  In some ways, of course, it borders on mocking Lovecraft, but I think the makers of the film had a deep bond for the source material and just added in their own twisted viewpoint.


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## Foxbat

Well, to be honest, until the recent mentioning of Call Of The Cthulhu in the silent films thread, I wasn't aware of many Lovecraftian movies. The ones I can think of off-hand are _The Beyond_, _The Crawling Eye_ (these two, I believe, are based on Lovecraft rather than literal tranlations). The _Dunwich  Horror _is another that springs to mind. 

What about _The Stone Tape _by Nigel Kneale (he of Quatermass fame)? Although it's an original tale of his own, I think that the ancient and malevolent evil in this story was definitely inspired by Lovecraft's work.

That's all I can think of for now.

(PS. I stuck this thread as promised)


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## j d worthington

Foxbat said:
			
		

> What about _The Stone Tape _by Nigel Kneale (he of Quatermass fame)? Although it's an original tale of his own, I think that the ancient and malevolent evil in this story was definitely inspired by Lovecraft's work.
> 
> That's all I can think of for now.
> 
> (PS. I stuck this thread as promised)


 
Thanks, Foxbat. As for *The Stone Tape* ... while I know of Nigel Kneale of course (speaking of which, does anyone know where I can get a good VHS or DVD copy of the original *Quatermass and the Pit* television broadcast? Much as I like the Hammer remake, the original had so much lovely atmosphere!), I know nothing about this one. It may well be; certainly Pit had some Lovecraftian elements to it. What can you tell me about it?

In the AIP set there's also *The Haunted Palace*, based on _The Case of Charles Dexter Ward_, and *Die, Monster Die* (UK titles *The House at the End of the World*/*Monster of Terror*), based on "The Colour Out of Space" (as was that dreadful film, *The Curse*).


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## Foxbat

Here's a review I wrote a while back about The Stone Tape:

http://www.chronicles-network.com/forum/3331-the-stone-tape.html?highlight=Stone+Tape

As for Quatermass and The Pit TV version, it's available on DVD Region 2. I'm not sure if it's available onb Region 1. Your best bet would be to search Amazon and see what comes up.


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## j d worthington

Foxbat: Thanks for the review. Does definitely sound like my cup of tea. Also, I was afraid you'd say that about the original TV version of "Pit" -- that's what I'd been able to find out on Amazon and other sources -- I hope someone picks it up for region one or 0, as it's been a long time since I saw it, but I was quite impressed; especially with the episode titled (if I remember correctly) "Ghosts", which bears an interesting resemblance in theme to *The Stone Tape.*


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## ravenus

My review of a film which I now think has SOME Lovecraftian tones.

* X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes - Roger Corman (1963)*

To be sincere I didn't so much expect it to be but this was one
AWESOME movie.

Written by Ray Russell, the story centers upon the brilliant if
obsessive scientist James Xavier (Ray Milland)who is intent on
expanding the range of human vision with his wonder drug 'X'. The
extent of James' obsession is revealed in a conversation with his
friend Sam.

Sam: "Only the gods see everything"
James: "My friend, I'm closing in on the gods"

James' formula works, giving him the ability to see through people's
clothing, their skin and even beyond. But disaster erupts when a
cynical committee withdraws his funding and he is returned to routine
clinical practice. A heated argument with a colleague over the
operating table gives way to a freak mishap in which he causes the
death of his friend and our brilliant researcher becomes a man on the
run. He spends his time in hiding as a cheap carnival act, only
unlike the others, his talent is no sleight of hand, no trick. Found
out by his agent Crane (a brilliant, palpably sleazy turn by Don
Rickles), he is arm-twisted into becoming a 'healer' for money.

All this while, his eyesight grows painfully more intense, perceiving
radiations beyond the pale of the visible spectrum. In place of
unaffordable fancy effects (and perhaps all for the better, although
it is interesting to fantasize about a more technically accomplished
version that would retain the soul of the original movie) the story
uses gripping and evocative dialog to convey the frightening
distortion of Xavier's vision. It's somewhat like Bradbury, but in a
more economical vein.

Throughout the narrative there is an air of tragedy and horror. The
lead character, thanks to Russell's writing and Milland's
performance, has been etched out so well, you empathize at each
moment with what he's going through.

The climax is a shocking literal interpretation of the biblical
command "If thine eye offends thee, pluck it out"


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## j d worthington

I've got to admit, I never looked at this one through Lovecraftian perspective before -- but then I haven't seen it in quite a long time. Do remember seeing it as a kid, though, and even then I was impressed with Milland's and Rickles' performances. I may have to give this one another go, with this in mind. The old gent crops up in the _strangest_ places....


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## ravenus

Not exactly cinema focussed but I was re-reading a few Lovecraft stories today and after reading *Shadow over Innsmouth* I was just thinking about the movie *Dagon* and how nicely they absorbed all of the ideas in the story, especially that of the protagonist's...heritage, which in the original story is a sort of detachable epilogue but more tightly integrated in the film.


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## j d worthington

It's interesting you should say that. I think that's something about the film that a lot of people (including myself) miss a bit of the first time around -- especially the fact that Ezra Godden took it upon himself to add things like the blinking eyes which, by the end of the "skinning scene", completely stops -- he doesn't blink a single time throughout the rest of the film, and this was entirely Godden's idea, apparently, to hint at the change taking place in Paul.

As for the protagonist's heritage in the story -- it's actually there, but done very, very subtly; perhaps too much so, as it took several readings for me to pick up on it. Even CAS had his doubts about whether the readers would pick up on it, and urged HPL to add a few hints, but Lovecraft stuck to his guns on this (he apparently did make some changes in "The Whisperer in Darkness" due to input from others, for instance), and I must say that I think this was a wise choice, as each time I visit the story I find new layers of subtlety to the tale -- a story which, like the movie, I didn't actually think that highly of when I first read it (of course, I _was_ 14 at the time, and not particularly given to noticing subtleties....).

But, yes, this film has a lot of layers to it that only come out upon repeated viewings; like the story itself, there were all sorts of subtle touches that are easy to miss on the first, second, or even third run, then you begin to see things just around the corner... and realize just what a well-crafted film this thing really is. It's slowly grown in my estimation, but I now hold it in quite high esteem, and my opinion of Stuart Gordon's actual commitment to doing a good -- though not slavishly literal -- job of bringing Lovecraft to the screen has grown commensurately.


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## j d worthington

Okay. I originally promised to add some places to look for more information on Lovecraftian cinema. Sort of got sidetracked the last few days, but here are some sites worth looking into:

http://www.lurkerfilms.com

http://www.unfilmable.com (check out especially their reviews and forthcoming terrors for an idea of the sheer volume of Lovecraft in cinema

http://www.thelurker.com which has reviews from *The Lurker in the Lobby*, which is a very enjoyable guide to such films, tv shows, and other sorts of HPL-related lunacy. (I still would love to see someone actually stage *A Shoggoth on the Roof* someday; it would either be horrible or hilariously funny, but I'd pay money just to see what sort of insanity this thing holds. I love the story about the dad driving around town with his 5-year-old daughter on the seat beside him, window rolled down, singing "If I Were a Deep One".... That's worth the price of admission by itself....

Enjoy, and come back with any thoughts....


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## Foxbat

Watched Cool Air last night and have to say that I enjoyed it. Good performances in a story that I felt the end was just a wee bit predictable (I've never read the short story on which this was based so I feel justification in stating that point). 

In fact, I have to admit to not knowing very much about Lovecraft at all. I kind of have the stereotypical view of HP's writings  with lumbering ancient malevolences slthering about the place,  so this story was a nice surprise in the sense that it was not quite what I expected.

The question is: does what I've seen so far encourage me to part with more cash for the other volumes? Indubitably


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## j d worthington

Foxbat said:
			
		

> The question is: does what I've seen so far encourage me to part with more cash for the other volumes? Indubitably


 
Excellent. If you liked *Cool Air* which, though I think is a wonderful film in many ways (especally the chemistry between the two principals, and Jack Donner's sterling performance) I also think is the weakest of the three (by a hair), then you should definitely enjoy the others. There is a "lumbering ancient malevolence" in *Rough Magik*, but it's kept very much in the background, and used for its evocative felt but barely seen menace; the story itself revolves around its effects on various people and is very, very nice indeed. As said before, *Out of Mind* is, despite a low budget for special effects, an absolute gem. Enjoy!

And I'm glad this worthwhile endeavor will be receiving even more attention.


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## Foxbat

> There is a "lumbering ancient malevolence" in *Rough Magik*, but it's kept very much in the background, and used for its evocative felt but barely seen menace


 
I think a sense of menace is often much more effective than an on-screen monster. It's better to let your own imagination run riot and scare the beejeezus out of yourself than rely on somebody else's to frighten you. I look forward to seeing this one


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## ravenus

Not exactly Lovecraftian cinema but...

*Lovecraft - The Forgotten Diary* 

A short (about half hour) film about the alleged finding of a diary of HP Lovecraft giving detailed notes of a trip that he took to Italy. Talking with Italian Lovecraft experst and juxtaposing extracts from the book with footage from the actual region (a rural place called Polesine), the film discusses the likely authenticity of the diary and tries to reconstruct Lovecraft's travels. What is really interesting is how closely the notes in this alleged diary could have served ready material for some of his works like Shadow over Innsmouth. Definitely something to see for the Lovecraft fan.


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## j d worthington

Any information on how to get hold of this?


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## Nesacat

Have never heard of this one Ravenus and it sounds very intriguing indeed. Where and how could we find it


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## ravenus

Well, being in India where access to most stuff that's not absolute mainstream is extremely difficult and frustrating, I oftentimes have to depend on the internet *cough* emule *cough* to check out stuff and then make efforts to buy the ones that sufficiently interest me. Most of my DVD collection consists of stuff that I first checked out through such means 

I suspect the above referred film was commissioned for some TV channel, have no idea if it's available  as a video purchase. I have heard that the makers of this have also assembled a more full-length effort called *H.P. Lovecraft - The Terror Within* which returns to and expands on the ground covered in this film.

About _Terror Within_:
Link 1
Link 2
Official Site
IMDB link
Film review link


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## j d worthington

Ah, well, I'll keep an eye out for mention of it... Thanks for the heads-up, anyway.


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## Tau Zero

ravenus said:
			
		

> *The Man with the X-Ray Eyes - Roger Corman (1963)*


How this movie brings back memories! I saw this when it came out. It was a double feature (as all movies were in those days) with *Dementia 13*, a horror movie by Francis Coppola. I was 8 years and saw it with my friend who was 10.  I came out of those films ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED.  He dropped me off at home so he could go home, but i was so scared i made him stay until my parents came home.  I fond memory now, but man, was i scared!


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## j d worthington

A couple of things I should give people a head's-up about. One is the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, held each year in Portland, Oregon around the first weekend in October; this year it will be the 6-8. You can find out information on events, programming, etc. by going to lurkerfilms.com; they are also, I just found out a few days ago, going to have one here in Austin on August 20, in celebration of HPL's birthday. This will be held at the Alamo Drafthouse downtown, and will include a big-screen presentation of the silent *Call of Cthulhu*, a 16mm presentation of the old *Night Gallery* episode "Pickman's Model", a host of small indie films presented by Andrew Migliore (the man who began the festival and runs Lurker Films), and a midnight presentation of *Cast a Deadly Spell*, a sort of a cross between HPL and the Chandler/Hammett school of detective fiction that originally aired on HBO.

The October festival is usually attended by people such as Lovecraft scholar S. T. Joshi, director Stuart Gordon (*Re-Animator*, *From Beyond*, *Dagon*, etc.) and I understand that Ramsey Campbell and Peter Straub are also supposed to be present this year....

And, speaking of Stuart Gordon, I finally got around to seeing *Castle Freak*, based (very) loosely on HPL's "The Outsider"... I hate to say it, but don't bother. It has some nice moments, some good camera work and good ideas here and there ... and is almost totally lifeless. It simply lacks any sort of verve at all, which is a pity.


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## Nesacat

Sometimes, just sometimes the world just becomes a really ginormous place. Have fun at the festival j.d. and tell us about it.

Sounds like they have a good programme and it's also the Old Gentleman's birthday. A fitting tribute I think.


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## Foxbat

Unfortunately I'm on the wrong side of the world also. I'd have loved to have seen Call Of The Cthulhu on the big screen


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## j d worthington

All right; I've been meaning to get to this all week, but it's been a wonky week and I've not really had much of a chance to organize my thoughts, but here goes:

As stated, last week (August 20) I attended the H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival here in Austin at the Alamo Drafthouse. I include that information because, according to the response it got, it looks like Andrew Migliore, the founder of the festival (held yearly in Portland, Oregon in October) will be coming back here next year around HPL's birthday again for this new offshoot of the original; so those unable to make it to Portland now have another option to see some of these often rarely seen films.

The program began with a presentation of the old *Night Gallery* adaptation of "Pickman's Model", which it was nice to see again for the first time in 35 years (lord! it's been _that_ long???) yet which, as is all too typical with Hollywood adaptations of the Old Gent's tales, fell flat because it ended up going with the "guy-in-a-rubber-suit" monster at the end. Had they avoided that, despite the addition of a romantic involvement, it might have been an adequate, though not good production. Nonetheless, it had its moments and, as I said, was quite nice to see after all this time.

This was followed by a presentation on the big screen of the recent 47-minute silent short adaptation of "The Call of Cthulhu" by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society; a film which has garnered much well-deserved praise. For those who have not seen this, I cannot recommend it highly enough. It was done on a shoestring budget by fans of Lovecraft and, despite literally being done in a basement and in a back yard, is actually quite a beautiful film, and extremely faithful to the story, capturing much of the flavor not only of the story itself, but of the silent-movie era with astonishing _eclat_. If you have any chance to see it, this is definitely one not to be missed.

After a rather lengthy break for a special presentation of Trainspotting, there was a rather lengthy presentation of several short, amateur, independent and student films based on Lovecraft's work, including: two shorts by Richard Corben (adaptations of two of the *Fungi from Yuggoth* sonnets); *Maryia's Hubris* (a modern loose adaptation of the central theme of "The Thing on the Doorstep") from Germany; Christian Matzke's adaptation of "Nyarlathotep"; a film titled Between the Stars, which was a very interesting take on the HPL fragment "The Book" (a tad slow, but fascinating visually), as well as several others, both animated films and live action, and culminating in a presentation of Austinite Cathy Welch's 1980 Master's thesis adaptation of "Pickman's Model" (which I had the pleasure of seeing all the way back then). This one is interesting because, despite being filmed in Austin and on a student budget, it actually captures much more of the atmosphere and charm of Lovecraft's story, even with the updating necessary for costs, than the earlier *Night Gallery* episode. Of course, it suffers from the flaws of trying to adapt a tale centered around 300-year-old sections of Boston to a town dating back not quite 150 years; but it is nonetheless an admirable and very enjoyable effort, well worth seeing.

And the program wrapped up with a screening of the 1991 HBO film *Cast a Deadly Spell*, featuring Fred Ward as hard-bitten private eye Philip Lovecraft; a quirky, entertaining, and quite successful blending of Raymond Chandler and Lovecraft featuring such actors as David Ward, Julianne Moore and Charles Hallahan. Set in the late 1940s in Los Angeles, at a time where literally everyone uses magic of some sort, which has consequently become big business; the only holdout against this is Lovecraft, who believes in standing on his own two feet and his ethics, both of which frequently take a beating, especially when he is hired to find a certain book stolen from a rich collector's library: the infamous *Necronomicon*. The problem is that the reason he has been hired to find the book is hardly as straightforward as it at first seems.... And, again, for those who have not seen this (as I had not, until this opportunity), this is one well worth seeking out. The tongue-in-cheek aspects only rarely mar the overall excellent production, and for any fan of either film noir, Lovecraft, or the hard-bitten Hammett/Chandler school of detective fiction, this one is a rare treat.

As for the shorts... they proved a somewhat mixed bag (I must admit that I grow weary of all female figures in Corben -- including what must be a very bizarre sort of dryad in one of these -- having huge breasts; it would be nice to have a bit of variety, at least); nonetheless they were all at least interesting, and many were actually quite impressive.

So, for anyone who has a chance, by all means attend the film festival either this year in Portland in October, or next year (the Elder Gods willing) here in Austin in August or in Portland in October. For more information on tickets and the various attendees (such as, I understand, Ramsey Campbell and Stuart Gordon, as well as HPL scholar S. T. Joshi) for the one in October, all such can be found at the parent website www.lurkerfilms.com or at www.hplfilmfestival.com. You can also find out about the three volumes of the H. P. Lovecraft film collection (of which a fourth is due out later this year), all of which I highly recommend.

Hope to see some of you next year!


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## Foxbat

Thanks for the report j.d. Sounds like an entertaining jaunt into the world of H.P. and a good time for all involved


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## Nesacat

Thank you very much for the report j.d. Sounds like a wonderful festival all around. Elder Gods willing I'll try and make one or the other of the festivals next year.  For now I'm going to see if any of the pirates have Cast A Deadly Spell.


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## j d worthington

Well, something was posted in the Cthulhu Mythos in films thread on this, and I just looked up the trailer, so here's the link:
http://www.cthulhuthemovie.com/cthulhutrailer.htm

Now, I'm a bit concerned with the casting of Tori Spelling, but it looks (from the cast information on the site) that she plays a very minor role, so she may be used to good effect here. Whether the film itself will be good, bad, or indifferent, who knows? But it at least looks like they're not trying to a) slavishly follow a Lovecraft story with no regard to changes necessary for cinematic adaptation b) use a Lovecraft title to draw an audience while completely eschewing anything to do with the Old Gent altogether, or c) making it into a splatterfest with tentacles. At least it looks like they're using the mythic ideas as a springboard for exploring their own ground (very much what Grandpa had in mind, I'd say after reading his letters more than once), and so we could actually end up with a Hollywood-produced Lovecraftian film of substance... I remain sceptical, but we'll see.


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## Jaggy Jai

Japan has done afew Lovecraftian toned movies, most recently Marebito staring Shinya Tsukamoto. They also did a version of Shadow Over Innsmouth that I would kill to see, but I have never found it anywhere, if anyone has any information on this please let me know.


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## j d worthington

I believe this is the one you're talking about:

http://www.thelurker.com/tv/innsmouthwoooukage.htm

To the best of my knowledge, it still remains unavailable outside Japan, but I'd definitely love to see the thing if I could lay my hands on it ... and with the growing interest in HPL, I'd think some enterprising DVD producer would go ahead and translate the thing.... with just a little advertising in some of the fan sites, it'd be money in the bank....


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## Jaggy Jai

Agreed on that!


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## Ozymandias

I must see "The Call of Cthulhu" but I can't find it anywhere!


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## j d worthington

Ozymandias, here's a link to Lurker Films, which have not only that one, but several others worth checking out...

http://www.lurkerfilms.com/

They're apparently updating their website, as they've got several new things in the works, and they just held the 2006 Portland festival, but you can still access their info and find out about this one.


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## judge_mel

Out of mind:the Stories of HP Lovecraft(1998) is a remarkable 1hr gem featuring Hp Lovecraft as a character, and is part of a DVD set.  I highly recommend it, as well as Dagon.


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## j d worthington

Ah, yes... that one is one of the best of the Lovecraft-related films. Very nice indeed. Was a bit nervous about it when I first got it -- I'd heard such good things about it that I was afraid I'd be disappointed... oh, was I wrong!

By the way... have you got the latest of their releases, the new disc with the various versions of "Pickman's Model" on it (including *Chilean Gothic*)? I hadn't thought it was out yet, but I've run into one or two things that indicate it may be.....

And I'd be interested to hear what you thought of *Rough Magick* as well... I rather liked the subtle touches with some parts of that one, and the way they played with some of his ideas.... As I said elsewhere, the best work -- or most of it -- being done with HPL when it comes to film is through the smaller producers/directors and such; though *Dagon* is definitely a film that has grown on me tremendously over several viewings... much more to that film than first meets the eye.....


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## mogora

I enjoyed *In the Mouth of Madness*.  While it's not based on any particular HPL story it does have many Lovecraftian elements and homages.  There's a protagonist telling his story from an insane asylum while proclaiming his sanity, dangerous books of forbidden knowledge, and nasty things with tentacles trying to return to and rule our world.  I found it to be great fun, but I gather it's a bit of love or hate...

I liked *Rough Magick* and wish it were on DVD.


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## j d worthington

mogora said:


> I enjoyed *In the Mouth of Madness*. While it's not based on any particular HPL story it does have many Lovecraftian elements and homages. There's a protagonist telling his story from an insane asylum while proclaiming his sanity, dangerous books of forbidden knowledge, and nasty things with tentacles trying to return to and rule our world. I found it to be great fun, but I gather it's a bit of love or hate...
> 
> I liked *Rough Magick* and wish it were on DVD.


 
It is:

Arkham Bazaar, The Bazaar of the Bizarre ... Lovecraft, Cthulhu, Poe, Movies, DVDs

Vol. II of the HPL Collection.

And yes, I quite like *In the Mouth of Madness* myself. I don't think it holds up quite as well on repeated viewings, but it remains a fun film, and some elements of it do manage to keep their eeriness and bizzarrerie over time; so I'd add my recommendation to that.

And... hello and welcome to the Chronicles! Glad to see another Lovecraft fan here... very soon now, the stars _will_ be right!


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## The Wanderer

Stuart Jaffe said:


> Well, how can we not mention Re-Animator.  For all its flaws (which are numerous), it is still one of the most entertaining, gross-outs I've ever seen.  In some ways, of course, it borders on mocking Lovecraft, but I think the makers of the film had a deep bond for the source material and just added in their own twisted viewpoint.



Just seen it, crazy film, as for it's problems, yes it's acting is B-movie level, but it's compellingly off the wall

compare it with the stalk and slash silliness of modern horror outings


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## The Wanderer

> I enjoyed In the Mouth of Madness



I couldn't help feeling sad watching the film, I felt it was another step in the decline of one of the great Genre Film-makers of the last 40 years


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## j d worthington

The Wanderer said:


> I couldn't help feeling sad watching the film, I felt it was another step in the decline of one of the great Genre Film-makers of the last 40 years


 
I'm rather curious: would you care to expand on that one? While I would agree the film has some grave flaws, I felt it handled several of the concepts quite well, and Carpenter's homage to HPL was done more imginatively than I would have expected (for the most part -- occasionally it got a bit heavy-handed).

So... would you be willing to explain what it was about the film that caused that reaction?


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## Foxbat

A heads up for all you Lovecraftian types: Lurkerfilms have Volume 4 of the HP Lovecraft Collection available on DVD. 

Mine is on its way


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## j d worthington

Foxbat said:


> A heads up for all you Lovecraftian types: Lurkerfilms have Volume 4 of the HP Lovecraft Collection available on DVD.
> 
> Mine is on its way


 
Oh, I am _so_ tempted to blow the money on this one..... Especially as one of the versions of _Pickman's Model_ was filmed here....

By the way... anyone here have a copy of Vol. 1 of the *Weird Tales Collection*, with *The Yellow Sign*? I'd love to hear some feedback on that one...


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## The Wanderer

j. d. worthington said:


> I'm rather curious: would you care to expand on that one? While I would agree the film has some grave flaws, I felt it handled several of the concepts quite well, and Carpenter's homage to HPL was done more imginatively than I would have expected (for the most part -- occasionally it got a bit heavy-handed).
> 
> So... would you be willing to explain what it was about the film that caused that reaction?



I could be predjudiced of course, bu Carpenter used to make films in a particular style, The Fog, Halloween, The Thing, Assault on Precinct 13 - all superbly crafted suspence thrillers, I liked his late 80's work, They Live, Prince of Darkness, 

then the rot set in, Memoirs of an Invisable Man, Village of Damned were failures

I'll have to re-view it though as a film he made a year later I've gone back to, and I rather like it, 'Escape from LA'

I found myself laughing at strange moments in the film the painting scene 
etc, 

As I said I'll have to re-view it, also intersting that Carpenter regards as as part of a Trilogy of Horror with 'The Thing', 'Prince of Darkness' etc

I'm sure Hobbs end of something to do with Satan or Hell


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## j d worthington

The Wanderer said:


> then the rot set in, Memoirs of an Invisable Man, Village of Damned were failures


 
Must admit, I've not seen either of those... never have cared to, particularly. Have only seen parts of Escape from LA... 



> I found myself laughing at strange moments in the film the painting scene
> etc,
> 
> As I said I'll have to re-view it, also intersting that Carpenter regards as as part of a Trilogy of Horror with 'The Thing', 'Prince of Darkness' etc
> 
> I'm sure Hobbs end of something to do with Satan or Hell


 
Well, the Hob's End would also, I'd think, be a reference to Quatermass and the Pit, part of which has such a setting (though not a town, but a setting with that name). I wasn't aware that he thought of this as part of a trilogy, and I must say I don't see the connection between this and The Thing at all; I'd like to hear more of his thoughts on that one.

Some of it is intended as humorous -- the scene with the painting is, I think, meant to be both grotesque and humorous, as well as disturbing because it's humorous -- a bit of Bierce there, perhaps. It's also a reference to Richard Upton Pickman, from HPL's "Pickman's Model" ... the whole film is an homage to HPL, varying between being full of references and in-jokes, and also with Carpenter's own take on some Lovecraftian themes (the blurring of boundaries between reality/dream/insanity, for example).

I think I find it interesting for those reasons. It's a flawed film and, as I said, I don't think it holds up as well on repeated viewings (for me)... but it still has an air to it that I quite like.....


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## The Wanderer

j. d. worthington said:


> Must admit, I've not seen either of those... never have cared to, particularly. Have only seen parts of Escape from LA...
> 
> 
> 
> Well, the Hob's End would also, I'd think, be a reference to Quatermass and the Pit, part of which has such a setting (though not a town, but a setting with that name). I wasn't aware that he thought of this as part of a trilogy, and I must say I don't see the connection between this and The Thing at all; I'd like to hear more of his thoughts on that one.
> 
> Some of it is intended as humorous -- the scene with the painting is, I think, meant to be both grotesque and humorous, as well as disturbing because it's humorous -- a bit of Bierce there, perhaps. It's also a reference to Richard Upton Pickman, from HPL's "Pickman's Model" ... the whole film is an homage to HPL, varying between being full of references and in-jokes, and also with Carpenter's own take on some Lovecraftian themes (the blurring of boundaries between reality/dream/insanity, for example).
> 
> I think I find it interesting for those reasons. It's a flawed film and, as I said, I don't think it holds up as well on repeated viewings (for me)... but it still has an air to it that I quite like.....



From Wikipedia

The film is the third installment in what Carpenter calls his "Apocalypse Trilogy". It is preceded by The Thing and Prince of Darkness.


----------



## TK-421

It seems everywhere I look, there's another Lovecraft thread.

As I reported in other threads, there is a strong speculation that the new movie by JJ Abrams (creator of Lost) coming out in January 2008, Cloverfield, is about the Cthulhu. 

See the really cool trailer and Wiki article:

Apple - Trailers - 01-18-08 - Large

Cloverfield - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


----------



## Bikewer

Vincent Price did a number of Lovecraft stories, which were always oddly re-titled by the production company.
The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward for one, and another that was based on The Color Out Of Space.
I seem to remember two others based on the Mythos, which I recall had inverted titles....


----------



## j d worthington

Bikewer said:


> Vincent Price did a number of Lovecraft stories, which were always oddly re-titled by the production company.
> The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward for one, and another that was based on The Color Out Of Space.
> I seem to remember two others based on the Mythos, which I recall had inverted titles....


 
Actually, the only one with Price in it that I'm aware of is titled (with true Hollywood logic) _Edgar Allan Poe's The Haunted Palace_ (or simply _The Haunted Palace_); it was put out as part of the Poe series that Roger Corman did, written by Charles Beaumont (who was _not_ a fan of HPL and disliked the whole idea), and yes, it was based on *The Case of Charles Dexter Ward*. There was a Night Gallery Episode with Price that was tangentially Mythos, though it was adapted from Clark Ashton Smith's story "The Return of the Sorcerer".

There have been different film versions of "The Colour out of Space", but the one you're most likely thinking of didn't have Price, but Boris Karloff, and was titled _Monster of Terror_ (UK) or _Die, Monster, Die!_ (US). It, too, was an offshoot of the Corman films, along with an adaptation of "The Dunwich Horror". Both have their moments, but aren't particularly good films -- in fact, I'd say they're among the worst Lovecraft adaptations out there (with the exception of another version of "Colour" -- The Curse [1987], a truly gadawful film).

The Curse (1987)

The Haunted Palace (1963)

Die, Monster, Die! (1965)

The Dunwich Horror (1970)

Incidentally, here's a listing of those films taken from HPL's work (or at least where he's listed as writer of the original material) as given by IMDB:

H.P. Lovecraft


----------



## GOLLUM

Mr Worthington.

I have read through this entire thread with some interest. What I would like to know from you is are you able to list for me your top 5 films/movie adaptations of Lovecraft strories please?

Access to such things is very limited in my part of the world and I'm happy to purchase them but I don't really want to waste time on duds, just some of the more outstanding efforts put to celluloid please.

Thank You.


----------



## j d worthington

My top five would be a bit odd, as they aren't necessarily all adaptations of his stories, but also include things that capture the essence of HPL as well. At any rate, I'll give it some thought, but my tentative list would be:

*Dagon*
*Out of Mind*
*The Call of Cthulhu* (silent)
*Rough Magik*
*Cool Air*
*Re-animator*/*The Resurrected* (something of a toss-up, though for different reasons with each film)...

And yes, I realize that's more than 5, but these are the ones I feel honestly approached HPL's work (or the man himself, as in *Out of Mind*, which does both) with both great respect and some insight and originality. I'd also include -- though with some interesting reservations -- Gordon's adaptation of "The Dreams in the Witch House"... not because I feel it doesn't do the story justice (in its way), but because it shows an awareness and willingness to play on some of the over-the-top elements of that particular story as well....


----------



## GOLLUM

Thanks, now to see about getting hold of some of these....


----------



## DesertOfZin

Dagon was a great work.

So was Dreams In The Witch House for the Masters Of Horror series.  That one was done by Stuart Gordon.


----------



## j d worthington

DesertOfZin said:


> Dagon was a great work.
> 
> So was Dreams In The Witch House for the Masters Of Horror series. That one was done by Stuart Gordon.


 
Yes, Gordon's take on Lovecraft is always interesting, even if one doesn't agree with it... in part because he really does approach the material with intelligence and respect for HPL... though not reverence (far from it, generally speaking). My only reservation about *Dreams in the Witch House*, as I said, is that his approach may strike some as too over-the-top with some elements, which may damage the atmosphere overall; but to be honest, those elements already exist there in the story itself... well, except for the nudity and overt sexuality, that is.....


----------



## Nesacat

Dagon is awesome. Thanks to JD here for getting me to watch it over again. I did not care for it the first time but now it's a favourite. Definitely the sort of movie that grows on you especially when you realise the complexity of the tiny details.

My favourite will always I think be Call of Chtulhu for what was done with so little because people cared enough. It's an amazing standard for today's movie makers.


----------



## kaelcarp

I didn't really like _Dagon_ much. I mean, it was better than the average Lovecraft film, but that's not saying much since most are abysmally bad. I did like _Call of Cthulhu_ quite a bit, and the animated _Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath _wasn't bad for what it was. A friend of mine has an additional music credit for the latter.

Lovecraft stories are very difficult to film. There's so little actual physical action in many of the stories, with most of the interesting parts taking place in people's heads. It's often best to go for Lovecraft-inspired movies. John Carpenter is pretty good for that. His version of _The Thing_ is pretty Lovecraftian, and _In the Mouth of Madness_ is probably my favorite of the Lovecraft-inspired lot.


----------



## j d worthington

Well, as said in both my post and Nesa's, neither of us particularly cared for the film on first viewing. It was seeing it again later that I began to realize how carefully crafted and genuinely "Lovecraftian" a film it truly was... and how much of it is also genuinely eerie and unsettling once you begin fitting the tiny, almost unnoticed pieces together. There's a lot more to that film than appears on the surface, and it takes several attentive viewings to get all the subtle layers of thought it has going on simultaneously....

As for Lovecraft-inspired films... yes, a lot of the best "Lovecraftian" work is just that. I have some reservations with *In the Mouth of Madness* because it rather awkwardly walks that line between atmosphere and graphic gore and nastiness, yet it also has a lot of truly brilliant things to it, not to mention some stunning images and symbology. *The Thing* -- at least, in its original theatrical version, not the more recent re-edit I saw a few years ago, which added a completely unnecessary voice-over at the end, robbing the climax of the film of 90% of its emotive power -- is, again despite flaws, a wonderful film on a lot of levels. Even *The Fog* has its Lovecraftian elements, and was certainly influenced on different levels by HPL. (I refer to the original version. The remake is an abomination of which all copies should be burned and immediately forgotten....)


----------



## MontyCircus

The best Lovecraftian movie is Ghostbusters.

Plot:

Worshippers from an ancient cult construct a gate to another dimension.  There they worship to gather spiritual energy in order to summon an ancient god and draw it into our dimension which they hope will then bring about the end of the world.

Ghosts, cultists, ancient god-creatures, end-of-the-world.  It's Lovecraft straight up and down.

Incidentally, I bought the silent Call of Cthulhu flick...and honestly I couldn't wait for it to end.  Maybe it's the fact that it was silent, or the budget, I'm not sure.  But I really hated it.


----------



## kaelcarp

montycircus said:


> The best Lovecraftian movie is Ghostbusters.
> 
> Plot:
> 
> Worshippers from an ancient cult construct a gate to another dimension.  There they worship to gather spiritual energy in order to summon an ancient god and draw it into our dimension which they hope will then bring about the end of the world.
> 
> Ghosts, cultists, ancient god-creatures, end-of-the-world.  It's Lovecraft straight up and down.


Funny, I was recently watching Ghostbusters - I was 10 when it came out - and thinking about how Lovecraftian the premise was. None of the mood, of course, but the background was there. The main difference is that Gozer and all that had some inkling of care about humanity, whereas Lovecraft's entities were usually kind of indifferent.

Actually, the cartoon was much more Lovecraftian. I believe Cthulhu even made an appearance in it.


> Incidentally, I bought the silent Call of Cthulhu flick...and honestly I couldn't wait for it to end. Maybe it's the fact that it was silent, or the budget, I'm not sure. But I really hated it.



Well, for a Lovecraft fan hungry for a decent film adaptation, it's something. Personally, I thought they did a great job. But you have to be willing to put aside a lot in order to watch it and like it, I think.


----------



## brsrkrkomdy

*Actually, The Fog was accidentally William Hope Hodgson's "Ghost Pirates".  If you read Hodgson's short novel, you'd notice the similarities between the two, not in plot, mind you, but the dark seafaring atmosphere with sheer ghostliness in it.  Hodgson was known for his nautical nightmares.  That's why I didn't think it compares too much with Lovecraft.*
*However, The Thing is purely Lovecraftian in theme and construction, even though it's adapted from the story by John W. Campbell, "Who Goes There?"*
*Now, in terms of Lovecraftian, it would be a bleak worldview of the unforgiving universe, an existentialist nightmare where humanity is merely a colony of fleas.  Here are some that are split into two categories, one's a Lovecraft adaptations and the others are simply Lovecraftian:*

*LOVECRAFT ADAPTATIONS:*

*Call Of Cthulhu*
*The Dunwich Horror*
*Dreams Of The Witch House (Brain Damage Films version different from Masters Of Horror)*
*Pickman's Model (Night Gallery episode)*
*Cool Air (Night Gallery episode)*
*Dagon*
*Reanimator*
*From Beyond*
*The Unnamable*
*Die, Monster, Die!*
*The Curse*

*LOVECRAFTIAN:*

*The Church*
*Children of the Corn (I know that one's crap but still...)*
*Quatermass Experiment aka Creeping Unknown*
*Quatermass II aka Killers from Space*
*Quatermass & The Pit aka 5 Million Years To Earth*
*The Thing From Another World*
*The Thing*
*Prince Of Darkness*
*Rosemary's Baby*
*Black Sunday (Mario Bava film)*
*Suspiria (slightly Lovecraftian)*
*In the Mouth Of Madness*
*Hellboy*
*Alien*
*Demon City: Shinjuku (anime)*
*Lily Cat (anime)*
*Laughing Target (anime)*
*Uzumaki*
*Yoma (anime)*
*Tomie series *
*Maribito*
*Hellraiser*
*Mimic (could've been a better movie if the second half hadn't deteriorated.)*
*Dead Birds*
*Kibakichi*
*Darkness*
*Pitch Black*

*That's about it as far as I know.*


----------



## j d worthington

I'd agree that *The Fog* isn't a Lovecraftian adaptation, but it does have Lovecraftian elements -- something Carpenter has commented on himself now and again (and, incidentally, something completely lost in the remake). It does, however, bear a lot more resemblance to Hodgson's novel, though I don't know whether either Carpenter or Hill had read Hodgson at that point.

And you make a valid point about the difference between actual adaptations of Lovecraft's work and those which show his influence in one way or another. (Incidentally, I agree that *Ghostbusters* has that sort of thing going on; and yes, the Mythos critters made actually more than one appearance in the animated series. Just as a side note, one of the things I appreciated about that series was that they tended to give credit vocally to the writers who influenced particular scripts by mentioning them in the dialogue, but done in such a way as not to shatter the verisimilitude -- if that's the right word for this series! -- of the story itself.)

Here's a link to one site devoted to such adaptations and Lovecraft-influenced works:

The Lurker in the Lobby: A Guide to the Cinema of H.P. Lovecraft

There are a lot more actual adaptations than I had realized until I came across this site a couple of years ago; and more are coming down the pike all the time, including some rather intriguingly Lovecraftian pieces on the 'net...


----------



## ravenus

brsrkrkomdy said:


> *LOVECRAFTIAN:*
> 
> *The Thing From Another World*
> 
> *Rosemary's Baby*
> 
> *Black Sunday (Mario Bava film)*
> 
> *Suspiria (slightly Lovecraftian)*


I don't know all the films of your list but these are definitely not Lovecraftian. Especially Rosemary's Baby with its central concept of Anti-Christian evil is exactly what Lovecraft was determined to avoid in his brand of fiction. Black Sunday is an archetypal Gothic, with more to owe to say, Le Fanu and M.R. James than Lovecraft. Thing from another world is a campy alien movie. Suspria with its rootings in witchcraft again has more to do with James and Blackwood (or perhaps  atleast Thomas De Quincey's poem of Levana and our Sisters of sorrow) than the cosmic unreasoning evil of Lovecraft's major oeuvre.


----------



## brsrkrkomdy

*With Rosemary's Baby, you forget one of the lines in dialogue: "God is dead! All hail Satan!"  Judeo-christian concept of evil is a motif used in an existential nightmare.  There's nothing optimistic in this film which you must notice in Lovecraft, there wasn't anything optimistic in his tales.*
*Suspiria is more of a fairy tale like that of Brothers Grimm.  There's a little bit of M.R. James and Blackwood with its elemental terrors sprinkled with light and shadow.  I only said it's slightly Lovecraftian at the ending where the Jessica Harper character came out laughing.  Now, is she going slightly insane or was she just happy she's alive?  It's hard to say. *
*Black Sunday springs immediately to mind "Dreams Of the Witch House", where the witch craved immortality by transforming into something not human.  It is slightly LeFanu, where the writer is a legends & folklore type of guy with his stories.  I don't agree that there was an M.R. James' presence in it.  I think there's a definite Poe in this one.  Poe's influence is strongly felt in Lovecraft's fiction.  If you're thinking that standard story is that a witch or wizard tries to bring about a monster or an alien type demon that would spell the end of the world and someone tries to thwart the mad plans.  That's not necessarily Lovecraft.  Maybe in Cthulhu Mythos stories but certainly not Lovecraft.*


----------



## j d worthington

brsrkrkomdy said:


> *With Rosemary's Baby, you forget one of the lines in dialogue: "God is dead! All hail Satan!" Judeo-christian concept of evil is a motif used in an existential nightmare. There's nothing optimistic in this film which you must notice in Lovecraft, there wasn't anything optimistic in his tales.*


 
I must admit that I see very little Lovecraft influence on Rosemary's Baby; and as for the line you quote -- that was much more the sort of claim that was being made in the 1960s, especially with the rise of the Church of Satan and various other occult and mystical societies. I can even recall various magazines (such as Time or Life, etc.) carrying that "Is God Dead" debate as a feature article with a large headline on the cover. There may be some Lovecraft influence there, but I really think it was much more the cultural aspects that influenced that film -- as well as the novel from which it was adapted.



> *Black Sunday springs immediately to mind "Dreams Of the Witch House", where the witch craved immortality by transforming into something not human.*


 
I'm afraid you lost me there. Where does Keziah Mason "crave immortality by transforming into something not human"? It is even quite debatable that immortality was her goal, or that she achieved such -- she certainly remained human, or Gilman couldn't have killed her by strangling her with that chain. What she did achieve was the ability to travel through hyperspace, going anywhere in time or space which would allow (even briefly) human life. This did enable her to continue into the early 20th century, but only because she had not lived through the intervening years. The witch in Black Sunday (or, more properly, "La maschero del demonio") simply intends to replace her modern counterpart, in order to return to life and have her revenge. If there is any nod to Lovecraft here, I'd say it's The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, with Joseph Curwen. But the film itself is inspired by Gogol's "The Viy"; so I'm rather dubious about the Lovecraft connection.

As for the Poe connection... I'm not really seeing a great deal of that, either, unless it be "Ligeia", and even then quite loosely. Or are you referring to a general atmosphere of Poe -- in which case I'd argue that this is much more a mark of the late Gothic and the Romantic writers of the time, rather than exclusively Poe. Wonderful film though... very well sustained atmosphere.


----------



## brsrkrkomdy

*That "God is dead" part was sort of a quote from Fredrich Neitzche's.  Lovecraft's stories were often scarier when you take away the existence of God in the stories.  Same went for Rosemary's Baby.  With God being "dead", the tale gets bleaker in the outcome with malevolent entities that are not here for Mankind's benefit**.*
*As for the witch of Black Sunday and the witch in "Dreams Of the Witch House", maybe "achieving immortality" is the not exactly the right objective to describe what these two were trying to do.  Yet they are similar in character.  The one in Black Sunday was killed twice.  As for the witch in "Dreams", I gotta reread that one.  My memory's a bit hazy.  I do, however, think their objective was for revenge.  Why else would they come back?*
*As for Poe, it's the gothic atmosphere in the likes of Pit & The Pendulum and Fall Of the House of Usher, not necessarily in plot.  Poe did have influence on the later gothics.  Gothic is a genre that started back in the early nineteenth century and Poe was part of that century.  The Romantics influencing Bava's film?  I dunno.  I doubt it.*


----------



## j d worthington

brsrkrkomdy said:


> *That "God is dead" part was sort of a quote from Fredrich Neitzche's. Lovecraft's stories were often scarier when you take away the existence of God in the stories. Same went for Rosemary's Baby. With God being "dead", the tale gets bleaker in the outcome with malevolent entities that are not here for Mankind's benefit**.*
> *As for the witch of Black Sunday and the witch in "Dreams Of the Witch House", maybe "achieving immortality" is the not exactly the right objective to describe what these two were trying to do. Yet they are similar in character. The one in Black Sunday was killed twice. As for the witch in "Dreams", I gotta reread that one. My memory's a bit hazy. I do, however, think their objective was for revenge. Why else would they come back?*
> *As for Poe, it's the gothic atmosphere in the likes of Pit & The Pendulum and Fall Of the House of Usher, not necessarily in plot. Poe did have influence on the later gothics. Gothic is a genre that started back in the early nineteenth century and Poe was part of that century. The Romantics influencing Bava's film? I dunno. I doubt it.*


 
Yes, the "God is dead" is (more or less) from Nietzsche (a paraphrase, as I recall, rather than a quote); but it had become a very important part of the culture here in the States in the late 1960s, in connection with the movements mentioned in my earlier post, some of which took it as a sort of banner. The cultural divide over this one went fairly deep, and there were some serious battle lines drawn. So, while the origin is with Nietzsche, I'd still argue the relevance was from what was going on culturally at the time; in neither case from Lovecraft, who did tend to avoid directly bringing in aspects of the Judaeo-Christian tradition (save for exclamations using "God" or such as indications of the narrator's increasingly unsettled emotional -- not necessarily mental -- state).

As for the witch in the Bava film (whose name, by the way, is Asa) and Keziah Mason (she of "The Dreams in the Witch House") -- while there are some very loose similarities, they are really poles apart. Asa is a fully human witch, driven by human passions; while with Keziah we never really have an indication of her motivations, save for brief bursts of anger against Gilman when he does something that threatens what she's doing at the time. And she doesn't "return" -- she moves in and out of our part of (or dimension of) spacetime according to either some alien rhythm (hinted at, perhaps, in the descriptions of the cycles and rhythms in hyperspace) or at her own whim; but she has evidently been around that house periodically ever since her original life was interrupted by being hauled off and tried for witchcraft in the late 17th century. There is no indication of any kind of revenge motif going on there, as there is no one in the tale connected to Keziah or her past in any way.

As for Poe having an influence on the later Gothics... actually, this would be the other way around. The first acknowledged Gothic novel was published in 1765; by the time Poe's writing began to be published (the late 1820s), it was nearly spent, with only a handful (at most) of the Gothics to come. Even "the greatest as well as the last of the Goths", *Melmoth the Wanderer*, had been published before Poe's first tale ("Metzengerstein", itself something of a send-up of the Gothic genre) saw print. Poe himself was heavily influenced by much of the Gothic paraphernalia and mood -- especially an interesting take on the Burkean sublime, which formed one of the philosophical foundations for the Gothic movement -- but he was perhaps even more heavily influenced by the translations of the German _Schaueromantik_ or such writers as Hoffmann, as well as Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who was very highly regarded by Poe, Mary Shelley, Dickens, etc., though he is largely ignored or denigrated today (more so than is deserved, I'd say).


----------



## j d worthington

Looks like the HPLHS has a new film coming:

YouTube - The Whisperer in Darkness


----------



## j d worthington

And now Lurker Films has put out a new volume in the H. P. Lovecraft collection:

Lurker Films&mdash;Lovecraft, Cthulhu, Poe, Weird Tales, Movies, FIlms, DVDs


----------



## j d worthington

Well, I keep getting confusing impressions with this one.... Here's the latest video for Cthulhu: The Movie:

CTHULHU - the movie trailer from here! Films and Regent Releasing

And, if what they're posting is accurate, Joshi himself seems to have thought well of this one, and it won awards in the Eerie Film Festival and the Lovecraft Film Festival.... It _does_ look like it has possibilities, after all....


----------



## Foxbat

Just to let all you Lovecraftophiles know that Amazon is now accepting pre-orders for volume 5 of the Lovecraft Collection (Strange Aeons).

I've got mine on order


----------



## j d worthington

Pre-orders??? That one has been available for some time from Lurker films....

Here's the link:

Lurker Films&mdash;Lovecraft, Cthulhu, Poe, Weird Tales, Movies, FIlms, DVDs

It's an interesting take on the tale, but a bit shakier than earlier entries in the series, in my opinion. Still, I support the efforts because these filmmakers are trying very conscientiously to walk that line between slavishly following text and doing something genuinely creative with it... and I'm glad to see so many small filmmakers, especially amateurs, putting out such serious efforts; as an amateur himself, HPL is likely to have approved of the _intent_ and the _spirit_, if not always the result....


----------



## Foxbat

Strangely enough Annabel Lee is also available for pre-order (with the same issue date ...28th Oct). Perhaps it's a relaunch through Lurker's new distributor (Microcinema International)


----------



## j d worthington

That's a possibility, though you'd probably have to contact Andrew & co. to make sure....


----------



## Fried Egg

Did anyone think that *Cloverfield* had Lovecraftian themes? It seemed to me that it was one of the old ones that had awoken and risen from the depths and wreaking havoc in New York city? At least it could be interpreted in that way, right? Or is it just me reading seeing what I want to see?


----------



## zachariah

I'm amazed nobody's mentioned *Hellboy* yet. The ending in particular, featuring tentacled elder gods breaking through to our dimension from space, was pure Lovecraft. 

World of Warcraft features a giant tentacled boss called C'Thon in one of its many dungeons.


----------



## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy

Has anyone mentioned MESSIAH OF EVIL on this thread? It was a 70s film, made I think by the people who later did the SWAMP THING movie. It follows the investigations of a young woman whose artist father has been off the radar for a while. She goes to the small seaside town where he has been living and painting, to find he seems to have vanished altogether leaving bizarre paintings all over his house there (these are very well executed, a wonderful mix of hyper-realism and surrrealism) and records of his descent into horror. The movie is mildly incoherent at times, with an opening sequence that has no connection to the rest of the story, and it does descend into zombie-movie style cliche at the end, but for a while there it's a great 70s-tinged take on a decidedly Lovecraftian creepy-little-town-hiding-ancient-curses theme. 

One of Roger Corman's Poe adaptations was actually a Lovecraft adaptation. I'd have loved to have seen Vincent Price essay more Lovecraftian roles. I can just see him as the ghoulish painter, Pickman.


----------



## j d worthington

knivesout said:


> Has anyone mentioned MESSIAH OF EVIL on this thread? It was a 70s film, made I think by the people who later did the SWAMP THING movie. It follows the investigations of a young woman whose artist father has been off the radar for a while. She goes to the small seaside town where he has been living and painting, to find he seems to have vanished altogether leaving bizarre paintings all over his house there (these are very well executed, a wonderful mix of hyper-realism and surrrealism) and records of his descent into horror. The movie is mildly incoherent at times, with an opening sequence that has no connection to the rest of the story, and it does descend into zombie-movie style cliche at the end, but for a while there it's a great 70s-tinged take on a decidedly Lovecraftian creepy-little-town-hiding-ancient-curses theme.


 
Now, that's a new one (to me, at any rate). I've not run into it before; but I see it is in public domain now. Hmmm.....



> One of Roger Corman's Poe adaptations was actually a Lovecraft adaptation. I'd have loved to have seen Vincent Price essay more Lovecraftian roles. I can just see him as the ghoulish painter, Pickman.


 
Oi, the pun! Yes, that was *Edgar Allan Poe's The Haunted Palace* -- which was an adaptation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. (It also featured Lon Chaney, Jr., and Elisha Cook, Jr., for the matter of that....) Written by Charles Beamont -- a not-particularly-sympathetic handling of Lovecraft, but it definitely has its good points.

And, while this isn't an adaptation of any of his fiction, the new documentary, *Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown*, has been released on DVD and Blu-ray just last week; all the reviews I've seen of this one have been quite positive:

Lovecraft - Fear of the Unknown

Unfortunately, even though I ordered it well in advance, Amazon either didn't get their copies, or didn't get enough of them, as mine has been delayed (I hope for not too long a period)....


----------



## Foxbat

Messiah Of Evil is available from Amazon 3rd party suppliers for £1.38 as part of a double bill DVD (that'll be about 2 or 3 dollars for the Americanos among us)

P.S. Good to see you back knivesout.  I hope you are well.


----------



## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy

Looking through this thread, I find I've also seen *Die, Monster, Die!* a somewhat haphazard adaptation of *The Colour Out Of Space*, starring Boris Karloff. I thought it had some good atmospheric moments - really, the first half of the movie is quite decent, apart from the melodramatic ham-acting by the younger actors - but the second half gets completely out of hand, apart from some reasonably creepy moments in the greenhouse and down in the cellars. The thing is I'm rather fond of these kinds of not-very-good horror flicks with the mouldy old mansion, suspicious townsfolk and whatnot. It's certainly not going to give you anything like the authentic Lovecraftian chill, however. 

P.S. I'm fine , Foxbat, thanks. Have you seen Messiah Of Evil?


----------



## j d worthington

Speaking of... I landed a loan of that film and have now seen it. Very odd... but it works. Think I'll need to pick up a copy at some point. I can see a certain affinity to Lovecraftian themes there, yes; I'm not sure it quite fits the term Lovecraftian overall, but it's an intriguing little film. Flawed, but rather catching.


----------



## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy

How cryptic. Which film do you mean?

ETA: Messiah Of Evil, I think? Yes, it is indeed flawed but oddly compelling. The Lovecraft connection is not overt, not even implicit in the film-maker's intentions perhaps, but the film can be 'read' in a Lovecraftian light.


----------



## j d worthington

Sorry. I was going on your reference in the post just above. Yes, *Messiah of Evil* is what I am referring to. Just finished watching it tonight, and I can see what you mean. I like the fact that you never actually see the Dark Stranger's face clearly... adds a nice touch. (Michael Greer's alienated performance rather adds to the bizarre, nightmarish feel of the whole, too. And a brief, but _very_ effective, performance by Royal Dano, as well.)

For all the pure bilge that was produced in the 1970s in the field, occasionally they did come up with something which genuinely haunts. This odd little item is definitely in that category.


----------



## Foxbat

knivesout said:


> P.S. I'm fine , Foxbat, thanks. Have you seen Messiah Of Evil?


 
Not seen this but have just ordered a copy so, hopefully, I'll have a good gander at it sometime soon


----------



## Foxbat

Watched *Messiah Of Evil* yesterday. Yes, I can see certain Lovecraftian themes but I was more inclined towards the fact that I could see more of Dario Argento in this movie. I'm thinking particularly of some photography like the silhouetted figures on the ornate roof canopy of the house. Granted, the lighting and colour palette was not as extreme as some of Argento's but similar (I think) nonetheless. The set decor with the murals of brooding figures gave the house a truly claustrophobic and menacing atmosphere.

Despite the facts that there were serious consistency errors in a somewhat confusing plot and that the ending felt rushed, I quite enjoyed this.


----------



## j d worthington

Yes, there are definitely similarities to some of Argento's work. Then again, Argento himself has named one HPL as one of his influences....


----------



## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy

Definitely Argento-esque. I must line up an Argento retrospective for myself one of these weekends...


----------



## thepaladin

I just sat through _The Dunwich Horror_, 2009. Possibly the only movie I ever saw with acting worse than _Plan 9 From Outer Space_.Dean Stockwell is a better actor than this.


----------



## j d worthington

thepaladin said:


> I just sat through _The Dunwich Horror_, 2009. Possibly the only movie I ever saw with acting worse than _Plan 9 From Outer Space_.Dean Stockwell is a better actor than this.


 
So is Jeff Combs. So was the lamppost (generally speaking).....

Yes, this is an atrocious piece of dreck, and how they got any of the talent they got to appear in this, I have no idea. You have a nice idea or two buried in there (I think) somewhere, but if so they are buried _*deeeeeep*_....

Now... if someone would actually do a fairly faithful adaptation of the story on film (with some good talent and decent special effects), you could really have something....


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## j d worthington

Well, though they haven't been putting out any new material for a while (which is a pity), Lurker Films does now have a special offer on their _Lovecraft Collection_ plus the _Weird Tales Collection_ and a set of short films adapted from Poe's works:

Lurker Films Complete Collection DVD Set [LFDS2] : Arkham Bazaar, The Bazaar of the Bizarre ... Lovecraft, Cthulhu, Poe, Movies, DVDs, Gifts

Darned good price, especially considering that even the current discounted price individually would still be $70.... And, having watched them all (some several times over) I can recommend them to the Lovecraft enthusiast with little reservation. Yes, these are, by and large, "small" films, done on a limited budget, and seldom with "name" cast (though the first three feature films differ in that respect), but all of the films -- even the most amateurish of the shorts -- has something to offer, and all are very faithful to the spirit of Lovecraft's work. Several of them are quite ingenious films on their own, intriguing and well-made, and can (like HPL's work) be experienced many times over, with new layers being discovered on each viewing.

While none of these is likely to start a filmmaking revolution, they all do manage to do credit to Lovecraft's vision, and also often provide some interesting readings of the material as well.

*The Weird Tales Collection* adaptation of Chambers' "The Yellow Sign" is a very odd, peculiar, yet striking film, as well, with a great deal of quite mysterious atmosphere to it; while the documentary about Chambers adds some interesting information on a writer few readers these days seem to know anything about; and the short film "Tupilak" is an eerie, enigmatic and disturbing little piece as well. "Annabel Lee", an animated short of Poe's verse, is one of the more disturbing and intriguing animations I've seen in a good while; and the other adaptations of Poe are well worth a viewing as well....


----------



## Starbeast

*H.P. Lovecraft's FROM BEYOND (1986)*​ 

Loosely based off of the original short story, this movie goes all out into the void of the fiendishly grotesque with it's special effects and enters the realm of the disturbing with the main characters. The story is about a couple scientific reseachers who tap into a dimension of horrific creatures and allowing them to enter our world by using a device called the Resonator. Filmed by Stuart (The Re-animater) Gordon and stars Jeffery Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ted Sorel, Ken Force and Carolyn Purdy-Gordon​ 
A really dark and weird flick, but it's still one of my favorites for a sci-fi horror movie.​


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## j d worthington

Um... that should be "Ken Foree"... (who was also in Romero's *Dawn of the Dead*).

It's an odd one. This, like Dagon, had to grow on me a bit over time, but has become one of my favorites. And yes, quite disturbing on various levels....


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## Starbeast

j. d. worthington said:


> Um... that should be "Ken Foree"... (who was also in Romero's *Dawn of the Dead*).
> 
> It's an odd one. This, like Dagon, had to grow on me a bit over time, but has become one of my favorites. And yes, quite disturbing on various levels....


 

You're right it is *Ken Foree* (I like him, cool actor), there was a typo in my 2001 Movie & Video Guide pocketbook. I should have checked the spelling on the back of my dvd copy, because all I needed were the names.

I liked _DAGON_ too, pretty good, and definately _DAWN of the DEAD_ (1978), I still remember people around me screaming.


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## Fried Egg

I've just watched "Call of Cthulhu". I gave up waiting for it to be shown on tv, I just don't think they'll ever get around to it so I ordered it on DVD. It had to be imported but I must say that it was very good. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to enjoy a silent film but it was really effective. Although I would say that it's one for the fans more than for general consumption.


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## ravenus

Yes, *Call of Cthulhu* was an awesome movie. I just love the recreation of the silent film era, it encourages the viewer to imagine even as he sees and thereby makes the depiction of you-know-who that much more effective.


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## Alex Davis

That's the only trouble with the Call of Cthulhu - it's so hard to get hold of! I watched it on the big screen at EasterCon back in 2005 and that was absolutely great.


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## Magnus85

Charming little movie. Saw it last night. I was hoping they'd refrain from revealing the boss himself too much. But it was good anyway.


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## Foxbat

AlexDavis said:


> That's the only trouble with the Call of Cthulhu - it's so hard to get hold of! I watched it on the big screen at EasterCon back in 2005 and that was absolutely great.


 
I also love this movie.

I can't remember where I got my copy but it shouldn't be too hard to track down a copy (it's available through amazon at a reasonable price).


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## Foxbat

This looks interesting
"YouTube - New "At the Mountains of Madness" Trailer"


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## ravenus

That looks like some fan-made trailer. Very judicious use of clippings, some of it is from the last bits of the Kenneth Branagh Frankenstein movie I think. The proposed Guillermo Del Toro film is said to be in pre-production and stars Tom Cruise as, I don't know, hopefully the guy that gets killed less than 10 minutes after they land at the Antarctic


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## Foxbat

Damn! You're right. just checked out the comments (which I normally never do) and it is fan made. Ah well, at least the 'fan' has obviously got a bit of skill. Somebody give that guy a job


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## Moonbat

I'm afriad that it looks like* At the Mountains of Madness* has failed to get the green light.

Guillermo Del Toro won't be climbing the Mountains of Madness | Film | guardian.co.uk

I guess it isn't completly dead, but isn't looking good.


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## Starbeast

AlexDavis said:


> That's the only trouble with the Call of Cthulhu - it's so hard to get hold of! I watched it on the big screen at EasterCon back in 2005 and that was absolutely great.


 

You can watch this film on Netfilix or Youtube. However, I would have really enjoyed to see it on the big screen like you did.


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## Caledfwlch

Can we include TV shows within the remit of this thread?

In 1999 the BBC made a never broadcast Pilot for an intended series set firmly in the Lovecraftian mythology, Rough Magik. It even had Paul Darrow!

_Rough Magik is about The Night Scholars, a clandestine organization setup to monitor the ancient cult of Cthulhu. After decades of compiling an enormous database of arcane information, they have come to a single, incontrovertible conclusion: the Sleeping God is waking._

Also, it occurs to me that Doctor Who has often used very Lovecraftian themes and influences. The Pertwee storys featuring the Silurians for example, some people go completely mad when the meet the Silurians, its something to do with primal fear being triggered, of a deep seated race/genetic memory/fear of early man, or its primate ancestors being hunted by the Silurians, that feels fairly Lovecraftian to me, with a good dose of Quatermass of course 

And of course, we have the Great Old Ones, from various Who stories. Who were unimaginably ancient creatures that were preserved in humanity's race memory as their worst nightmares. They were conceived as creatures that spread evil, chaos and destruction wherever they went. And they name checked the odd Lovecraftian Elder God or 2. 

The Great Old Ones in Who included:
_Azathoth, Hastur the Unspeakable, Magog, Yog-Sothoth, Nah, Raag, Rok, The Animus, Cthulhu, Dagon, Nyarlathotep, Shub-Niggurath, Yog-Sothoth, Gog, Valdemar._


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## Starbeast

I just watched _The Last Lovecraft: The Relic of Cthulhu_ (2011)

Not bad for an independant flick, low-budget and short, but entertaining.

Anyone else see it?


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## Charles.Dunphey

I'm gonna be that guy...lol  Cabin in the Woods had a lot of Lovecraftian essences to it.  Although it had many things I hate in films, I did enjoy the material that reminded me of H. P. Lovecraft.


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## hawkmoon83

"The Whisperer in Darkness" is worth checking out, by the same people who did Call of Cthulhu (2005). Also, I quite enjoyed "Colour from the Dark" (2008), but don't expect great effects

The most recent remake of the Dunwich Horror, with Dean Stockwell and Jeffrey Combs, I thought was just about OK (and I'll watch, and usually enjoy, anything Lovecraft).
If you want to see something putrid (and not in a good way), then try "In Search of Lovecraft". I didn't make it all they way through.

I can't post links to IMDb I've just found out, as this is only my 2nd post.


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## K-9

In Italy in 2005  *Il mistero di Lovecraft - Road to L *was made. I hadn't seen the film yet, but they told me it'quite good. The plot draws inspiration from rumor attending to which Lovecraft wrote _The shadow over Innsmouth _after visiting Po Delta (and particularly Loreo village, 40 minutes far from my hom ) ... OF COURSE I believe in these rumors


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## finbaa

I've just watched 'Dagon'. Its great imo... really ropey acting and effects, but it still made me jump and giggle, like a good horror should


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## Incubaker

I'm surprised no one has mentioned *Prometheus* in this thread. I think the themes are pretty relevant especially the idea of discovering where we came from and finding something that is terrifying and beyond our comprehension.

I even read an article about Guillermo del Toro having to abandon his plans to make a film of 'At the Mountains of Madness' after hearing about Prometheus. I can't link to the article because I'm new to this forum but it's on the Entertainment Weekly website.

_On April 30, del Toro posted a message on his official website stating that he believed Prometheus was going to echo the “creation aspects” of At the Mountains of Madness. The director wrote that, if he was proven correct, Scott’s film would “probably mark a long pause—if not the demise—of ATMOM.”_


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## Rafellin

*AM1200*

A short film with Lovecraftian aspects, and it's an utter masterpiece. Got it pointed out to me by Mike from Lovecraft eZine and he was right, it is simply stunning.

And don't fall for the net-hype; it is still available direct from David Prior on region free DVD DreamLogic Pictures Presents AM1200


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## BAYLOR

Incubaker said:


> I'm surprised no one has mentioned *Prometheus* in this thread. I think the themes are pretty relevant especially the idea of discovering where we came from and finding something that is terrifying and beyond our comprehension.
> 
> I even read an article about Guillermo del Toro having to abandon his plans to make a film of 'At the Mountains of Madness' after hearing about Prometheus. I can't link to the article because I'm new to this forum but it's on the Entertainment Weekly website.
> 
> _On April 30, del Toro posted a message on his official website stating that he believed Prometheus was going to echo the “creation aspects” of At the Mountains of Madness. The director wrote that, if he was proven correct, Scott’s film would “probably mark a long pause—if not the demise—of ATMOM.”_




There are definitely some Lovecraftain overtones to Prometheus.


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## BAYLOR

*Quatermass and The Pit* 1967  . I always thought this film was influenced by Lovecraft.


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## BAYLOR

*THE MOUTH OF MADNESS    *1994 .     My favorite film by John Carpenter  and definitely Lovecraftian.


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## J Riff

_ Whisperer_ is in black and white, and it tries. Could have been creepier... and a bit weirder... but it held my attention.


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## BAYLOR

finbaa said:


> I've just watched 'Dagon'. Its great imo... really ropey acting and effects, but it still made me jump and giggle, like a good horror should



Terrific film.


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## StuartBurchell

_Dagon_ is my favourite Lovecraftian-based film.

That hotel is a horror story in it's own right.


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## Dangur

StuartBurchell said:


> _Dagon_ is my favourite Lovecraftian-based film.
> 
> That hotel is a horror story in it's own right.


I will check out Dagon. it looks interesting


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## J Riff

Probably shouldn't mention it, but, am DLing _Callgirl of Cthulhu_ as we speak... *


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## dask

How does HPL's name show up in the credits? Based on his works? Would he have approved, I wonder? (Haven't watched it but checked out some pics online. Not sure what to think.)


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## J Riff

No. And, no. I mean his name is there... and cheesy references are there, but - No, don't. It's the Case of Charles Dexter Fastforward.


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## J Riff

One called_ Color From Space_, supposedly based on _The Color Out of Space..._ and there is a well in it... and weird vegetables, but it seemed to turn into a typical gore fest lite and I lost interest halfway through.


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## J Riff

Incidentally, there is a short on youTube called "Hell No - the sensible horror film' - that's worth a gander. I chortled.


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## Andersson

With all the TV series that are being made these days why haven't anyone made one based on Lovecraft's writings? Is there some problem with the rights to the material (I think I read something about it but I can't remember)? Surely it would have enough name recognition to appeal to the general public.


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## Dulahan

Andersson said:


> With all the TV series that are being made these days why haven't anyone made one based on Lovecraft's writings? Is there some problem with the rights to the material (I think I read something about it but I can't remember)? Surely it would have enough name recognition to appeal to the general public.



It's been a couple months since you posted this but I fully agree. Has anyone watched the first season of HBO's True Detective? I was all but convinced half-way-thru they were going 'Lovecraftian' with the hodo cultist and weird totems. Perhaps they were, but they bent the story arch to where it was almost kissing the _'cosmic horror'_ before righting the ship and ending up the season in reality. Still a fantastic season (season 2 not so much) but I would have liked a bit more LC.


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## MiskatonicFiles

Unfortunately, it's a pretty small niche, as I've discovered as a filmmaker trying to develop/promote a Lovecraftian series. I LOVED the aforementioned elements in S1 of True Detective, but it turns out we're a relatively small group of fans, in terms of cosmic horror.


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## Narkalui

Sorry if anyone else has mentioned it, but the James Spader film 'Supernova' is HEAVILY Lovecraftian


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## BAYLOR

Narkalui said:


> Sorry if anyone else has mentioned it, but the James Spader film 'Supernova' is HEAVILY Lovecraftian



Now that you mention and now that I think about it. Your absolutely right.


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## BAYLOR

The 1956 film *X The Unknown * has a bit lovecraft in it . The Crawling Chaos or a variation on it?


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## Caledfwlch

Cloverfield kind of feels a little Lovecraftian to me, though I suppose Godzilla is the main/biggest inspiration.

Fantasy RPG PC Games often have very Lovecraft inspired elements, whether in their worlds mythology, a part of the plot, or in characters/deities.
In the Elder Scrolls world (games such as Skyrim, Oblivion and Morrowind are set in the ES world) for example, you have the Daedric Princes, who are kind of effectively Gods, though, Demon is perhaps a better description, they are incredibly powerful beings who reside in Oblivion, another plane, or a set of multiple planes of existence to the main reality/Plane - iirc, the Princes, are generally trapped/locked up in their individual planes (for various reasons, in the game Oblivion, portals to some of the Oblivion plains are opening up across Tamriel, and one of the Princes is attempting to enter "reality" if you like) but usually, they are heavily restricted, they cannot normally enter reality - they can watch us Mortals from afar, they can make small Nuisances of themselves but that is it, by operating through agents, cults that worship them and so on - Clavicus Vile, like most of them, for example can access/possess statues built to him in Shrines, but all he can do really when there is talk, he cannot make the statues move - his main "Agent" if you like, is a talking Dog called Barnabus, as Barnabus is to all effects and purposes a living dog, he just happens to be able to talk, he is able to travel around, and act as Clavicus' eyes and ears, but no more than that.

The most Lovecraftian influence I suspect is Hermaeus Mora, who is the daedric prince of fate, knowledge and memory.
His image feels very Lovecraft - you meet a Mage who is either a willing agent of Hermaeus, or Hermaeus has been whispering into his mind, to get him to do various things, and the poor guy is totally barking mad - that's what happens if you work for Hermaeus, willingly or not.
This is what he looks like.


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## KGeo777

I havent watched it, but *the Shuttered Room* 1967 is another (I see it is mentioned in the Lurker list).


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## ZlodeyVolk

Even though this thread petered out in December last year, I'm yet surprised that nobody so far has mentioned _*Pickman's Muse *_(2010) (a mingling of "Pickman's Model" and "Dreams in the Witch-House"):






or _*The Void *_(2016):


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## StuartBurchell

Seen _The Void_, got it on dvd, really like it.


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## Phyrebrat

Damn it. I came here to say _The Void_

Great flick. 

pH


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## BAYLOR

KGeo777 said:


> I havent watched it, but *the Shuttered Room* 1967 is another (I see it is mentioned in the Lurker list).



Ive seen this film and found it to be a disappointment , There is nothing remotely lovecraftin to it.


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## KGeo777

I can't go through this entire thread without going blind but if it is not on here already then absolutely
TOWER OF EVIL 1972 is Lovecraftian in idea. It is usually considered a proto-slasher but I see other influences that stand out.

The story is a fisherman and his father go to a remote island/abandoned lighthouse  and they find bodies of teenagers. The father is killed by a naked teenager. She ends up committed to an asylum to be studied and an archeological team is hired to check the island because, when the girl was arrested, they found a golden sword used to kill one of her friends--and it is a Phoenician ritual sword which implies that a Phoenician ship ended up on this remote island 3000 years ago and they may find various artifacts  including an idol of the fertility god Baal which was usually carried on their vessels.
A private investigator from America is part of the team--hired by the family of the girl to clear her name for the murders.
They get to the island and the fisherman reveals that his brother and his wife and infant son Michael (who we are told died in infancy) had been living on the island until six months before. The father of this child, so his brother explains, was mentally disturbed and got worse after they arrived at the island.
Spoilers next:



Spoiler



they discover the corpse of the wife and then find the deranged brother--who the fisherman assures them is harmless and not a murderer. 
But the archeological team members keep dying and when they have the hermit cornered in a cave where they also find the statue of Baal (kind of looks like Gonzo the Great), he is shot dead. The fisherman and the heroine go into the lighthouse building while the other two survivors are looking around outside for the raft they can leave on. The fisherman goes upstairs and is attacked. We then see the  killer--the son Michael who has the features of the statue.
Was he transformed into a living version of the god Baal or was he deformed before exposure to the statue?
It isn't explained but it has a twisted Joseph-Mary-Jesus theme to it. Contamination by an exotic culture and hereditary madness. Baal standing in for Dagon.


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## KGeo777

BAYLOR said:


> Ive seen this film and found it to be a disappointment , There is nothing remotely lovecraftin to it.


Yeah I watched it finally a couple of years ago.


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## BAYLOR

KGeo777 said:


> Yeah I watched it finally a couple of years ago.



Godawful film.


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## Draoighir

StuartBurchell said:


> Seen _The Void_, got it on dvd, really like it.


Ugh... It was terrible for me. But of course, tastes differ.


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## BAYLOR

*From Beyond *1986.


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## KGeo777

BAYLOR said:


> Godawful film.


There's little connection to the supernatural from what I remember. I don't know if the secret  in the attic had been done already at that point but it felt more like a drama than a horror story.


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## BAYLOR

KGeo777 said:


> There's little connection to the supernatural from what I remember. I don't know if the secret  in the attic had been done already at that point but it felt more like a drama than a horror story.



There was a deranged  woman in the attic who  killed the father and did something awful to the daughter , scarred her physically .   You got no information about what went on.


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## Le Panda du Mal

BAYLOR said:


> There was a deranged  woman in the attic who  killed the father and did something awful to the daughter , scarred her physically .   You got no information about what went on.



I haven't seen this movie but the August Derleth story draws from both the Dunwich Horror and The Shadow Over Innsmouth. I remember the story was quite effective until the end where, in typical Derleth fashion, he crams as many mythos references as he can into one or two _italicized _paragraphs.


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## KGeo777

BAYLOR said:


> There was a deranged  woman in the attic who  killed the father and did something awful to the daughter , scarred her physically .   You got no information about what went on.


I thought it was a twin situation.  I can see why it has little mention as a horror film. Similar to something like the Mad Room which is really lame as a suspense/horror film, it feels more like a showcase for Carole Lynley to have crazy hair in some scenes.


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## AllanR

I thought *The Endless* (2017) had a Lovecraftian feel.


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## Le Panda du Mal

KGeo777 said:


> I thought it was a twin situation.  I can see why it has little mention as a horror film. Similar to something like the Mad Room which is really lame as a suspense/horror film, it feels more like a showcase for Carole Lynley to have crazy hair in some scenes.




In the story I believe she turns out to be a Deep One. Or a spawn of Yog Sothoth. Or both. Again Derleth likes to cram as many Mythos beasties into one place as he can. I believe there is even a gratuitous exclamation of “Tekelili” somewhere in there.


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## KGeo777

Le Panda du Mal said:


> In the story I believe she turns out to be a Deep One. Or a spawn of Yog Sothoth. Or both. Again Derleth likes to cram as many Mythos beasties into one place as he can. I believe there is even a gratuitous exclamation of “Tekelili” somewhere in there.


Oh yeah the Haunted Palace had a monster in an attic.
I have yet to watch the movie Dagon I think--based on the Shadow Over Innsmouth.


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## BAYLOR

KGeo777 said:


> Oh yeah the Haunted Palace had a monster in an attic.
> I have yet to watch the movie Dagon I think--based on the Shadow Over Innsmouth.



 it's actually loosely based on Lovecraft's novel *The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.  *Overall, it's a  good film and ,  underrated.

*Dagon* is  a very good film and,  was also actor Fransisco Rabal's  last movie  appearance .  It's definitely  an adaptation of  *The Shadow Over Innsmouth.*


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## BAYLOR

*Prince of Darkness* 1987 could fit into the Lovecraftain universe .


----------



## paeng

For TV shows, _Sapphire and Steel_ as well as _Doomwatch_.


----------



## KGeo777

I have seen the movie Doomwatch--forgot about that one-I remember it being mentioned in a book in reference to Lovecraft. I assumed the series came after not before.


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## paeng

You might like the TV show, but there are only a few extant episodes.

Also, several BBC ghost story episodes based on M.R. James' works.


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## KGeo777

I saw a list that included HORROR EXPRESS as a Lovecraftian film.  It does have the idea of the Old Ones although the alien is more of an individual you can converse with. I think he's kind of like the Devil ("I was left behind--an accident.").
 But I don't think Lovecraft was prepared for Telly Savalas injected into the mythos.


----------



## BAYLOR

KGeo777 said:


> I saw a list that included HORROR EXPRESS as a Lovecraftian film.  It does have the idea of the Old Ones although the alien is more of an individual you can converse with. I think he's kind of like the Devil ("I was left behind--an accident.").
> But I don't think Lovecraft was prepared for Telly Savalas injected into the mythos.



Several other films that fit into  lovecraftain Territory
*
The Beast With A million Eyes 
The She Creature 
Friend Without a Face 
The Brin Eaters *


----------



## Ned Ryerson

Event Horizon, if it hasn't been mentioned already.


----------



## BAYLOR

There is also the re recent adaptation of *The Color of Space  *with Nicholas Cage,  It's an excellent film


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## BAYLOR

BAYLOR said:


> Several other films that fit into  lovecraftain Territory
> 
> *The Beast With A million Eyes
> The She Creature
> Friend Without a Face
> The Brin Eaters *



Typo's  On two 

*Fiend Without a Face 
The Brain Eater *


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## Rodders

I still need to see Color Of Space.

What about movies like Reanimator? Aren't they inspired by Lovecraft's work?


----------



## BAYLOR

Rodders said:


> I still need to see Color Of Space.
> 
> What about movies like Reanimator? Aren't they inspired by Lovecraft's work?



*Reanimator* is very good and so is *From Beyond * and* Dagon*


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## Foxbat

There’s a movie called Cthulhu. It’s a few years since I’ve seen it but I do remember liking it.  It’s based on The Shadow Over Innsmouth and, from what I can recall, it tells the story  of a gay man going back to his home town, facing the narrow minded horrors of small town life and the tension between him and his father over his sexuality. 

Here’s the wiki about it








						Cthulhu (2007 film) - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


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## KGeo777

The Brood is kind of Lovecraftian in a way. I think Lovecraft would have been intrigued by Cronenberg's body horror theme. _"I have a small revolution on my hands and I'm not putting it down very successfully."_ 

 I read that he saw HAXAN, the witch film--and he was spooked by some of it--there's a scene of the witch being interrogated and some kind of monster birth sequence which is very Giger-like or suggests Lovecraftian monsters.

The Brood has that too.

Psychoplasmics is the ultimate therapeutic device.


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## BAYLOR

*Night of the Creeps *1986


----------

