I was going to talk about how much streaming services have screwed with the film industry, but it was a opening a bitter, disorganized can of worms that was depressing me, so I decided to discuss Lovecraft. Somehow, discussing him doesn't depress me in the least.
H.P. Lovecraft is notoriously difficult to adapt to film, so there are plenty of stinkers out there, but don't despair (save that for the hapless bookworms in his tales). There are some good adaptations and great films that capture the essence of his visions of cosmic horror. Here's some favorites of mine:
The Resurrected: this low budget masterpiece was directed in 1991 by Dan O'bannon (who wrote Alien). This doozy is a faithful adaptation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward but set in the 90s. Chris Sarandon plays the duel roles of Ward and the unscrupulous Joseph Curwen and he delivered beautifully. A gloomy atmosphere coupled with a relentless pace make this film a thoroughly enjoyable watch.
John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy:
Yes, Carpenter's films The Thing, Prince of Darkness, and In the Mouth of Madness all have undertones and overtones of the Lovecraft essence:
The Thing is a remake of the 1950s classic, which is an adaptation of John W. Campbell's story "Who Goes There?" Campbell actually wrote this tale in response to Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. A group of scientists in Antarctica have an alien intruder in their midst that is capable of spreading it's influence and consciousness into other living things. It's an ancient, malicious being with intelligence and motives difficult to fathom. It could be anybody, it could be everybody. A tense, complex tale of paranoia, grisly body horror, and chilling cosmic horror. Any horror fan's repertoire is incomplete without this film.
Prince of Darkness is a tale of interdimensional menace in which a group of scholars believe they found the original Satan and realise that everything they knew about their purpose in life as well as theology was wrong. Carpenter's inspiration came from Nigel Kneale's Quatermass films (which had strong Lovecraftian themes as well). This film freaked me out and the soundtrack succeeds in creating a atmosphere of brooding eeriness, the same feel that Lovecraft often accomplished in his own work.
In the Mouth of Madness may be regarded as Carpenter's last great film and a swansong to Lovecraft, with an insurance investigator seeking out a sinister, hermit-like writer and his overdue manuscript, his tale of ultimate horror. He actually steps into the writer's world of eldritch madness, a world that soon replaces our own. This tale has many references to Lovecraft and his style but the film's overall feel uncontrollable surrealism gives the film a Kafkaesque feel as well.
The Whisperer in Darkness: made in 2011 by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, this black and white film was made in the style in which it would it have been filmed in the era Lovecraft's tale was written, the 30s. The society did the same with a silent adaptation of The Call of Cthuhlu a few years earlier. Both films are wonderful examples of what can be accomplished with a small budget and passion. They also make great cinema.
Quatermass and the Pit: speaking of Nigel Kneale, this 60s, Hammer Films production is based on Kneale's original teleplay tells of an excavation project in London and of scientists studying the remains of an ancient alien race that is unearthed. The revelations that Quatermass and his crew encounter are horrifying in its implications for man's origin and fate.
Lovecraft made his mark on film, with filmmakers being inspired by his unsettling themes or by setting out to adapt his work directly (to varying degrees of fidelity). It doesn't show any signs of slowing down either, with an annual film festival where numerous up and coming directors and producers display their efforts in homage to the master of cosmic horror. I scratched the surface here and plan revisiting with more lists. Thanks for tuning in.
Written by Nicholas Montelongo
H.P. Lovecraft is notoriously difficult to adapt to film, so there are plenty of stinkers out there, but don't despair (save that for the hapless bookworms in his tales). There are some good adaptations and great films that capture the essence of his visions of cosmic horror. Here's some favorites of mine:
The Resurrected: this low budget masterpiece was directed in 1991 by Dan O'bannon (who wrote Alien). This doozy is a faithful adaptation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward but set in the 90s. Chris Sarandon plays the duel roles of Ward and the unscrupulous Joseph Curwen and he delivered beautifully. A gloomy atmosphere coupled with a relentless pace make this film a thoroughly enjoyable watch.
John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy:
Yes, Carpenter's films The Thing, Prince of Darkness, and In the Mouth of Madness all have undertones and overtones of the Lovecraft essence:
The Thing is a remake of the 1950s classic, which is an adaptation of John W. Campbell's story "Who Goes There?" Campbell actually wrote this tale in response to Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. A group of scientists in Antarctica have an alien intruder in their midst that is capable of spreading it's influence and consciousness into other living things. It's an ancient, malicious being with intelligence and motives difficult to fathom. It could be anybody, it could be everybody. A tense, complex tale of paranoia, grisly body horror, and chilling cosmic horror. Any horror fan's repertoire is incomplete without this film.
Prince of Darkness is a tale of interdimensional menace in which a group of scholars believe they found the original Satan and realise that everything they knew about their purpose in life as well as theology was wrong. Carpenter's inspiration came from Nigel Kneale's Quatermass films (which had strong Lovecraftian themes as well). This film freaked me out and the soundtrack succeeds in creating a atmosphere of brooding eeriness, the same feel that Lovecraft often accomplished in his own work.In the Mouth of Madness may be regarded as Carpenter's last great film and a swansong to Lovecraft, with an insurance investigator seeking out a sinister, hermit-like writer and his overdue manuscript, his tale of ultimate horror. He actually steps into the writer's world of eldritch madness, a world that soon replaces our own. This tale has many references to Lovecraft and his style but the film's overall feel uncontrollable surrealism gives the film a Kafkaesque feel as well.
The Whisperer in Darkness: made in 2011 by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, this black and white film was made in the style in which it would it have been filmed in the era Lovecraft's tale was written, the 30s. The society did the same with a silent adaptation of The Call of Cthuhlu a few years earlier. Both films are wonderful examples of what can be accomplished with a small budget and passion. They also make great cinema.
Quatermass and the Pit: speaking of Nigel Kneale, this 60s, Hammer Films production is based on Kneale's original teleplay tells of an excavation project in London and of scientists studying the remains of an ancient alien race that is unearthed. The revelations that Quatermass and his crew encounter are horrifying in its implications for man's origin and fate.
Lovecraft made his mark on film, with filmmakers being inspired by his unsettling themes or by setting out to adapt his work directly (to varying degrees of fidelity). It doesn't show any signs of slowing down either, with an annual film festival where numerous up and coming directors and producers display their efforts in homage to the master of cosmic horror. I scratched the surface here and plan revisiting with more lists. Thanks for tuning in.
Written by Nicholas Montelongo
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