Films based on HP Lovecraft

[Demonique]

The Resurrected (1992). Has Chris Sarandon in it. It is based on Charles Dexter Ward. They updated the story a bit but for the most part it stays faithful to the original in plot and tone. The Resurrected is my favourite Lovecraft movie, I loved the effects as well. I only have it on VHS:mad: , I need to get it on DVD.

[The_Return]

Most of my usual recommendations have been mentioned (Dagon!), but I just want to chime in about STE's post.

I'm in the opposite boat: I've never read The Colour Out of Space, but I've seen the movie, Die Monster Die. I cant say if it has anything to do with the original story, but I'll be damned if it isnt one of the most fun movies I've seen in ages. HIGHLY recommend checking it out, especially if you liked Dunwich Horror.

Oh and for the record: I was really disappointed with that Call of Cthulhu movie. The concept is really cool and some of the stuff near the end is spot-on (R'leh was great), but overall it's even more tedious than the original story. I didn't dislike it per se, but even at a scant 47 minutes, it failed to hold my attention.

[Despare]

As everybody has already mentioned, Re-Animator is GREAT but be warned that it doesn't follow the source material as closely as a lot of other stories. I for one kind of liked the Masters of Horror offering from Stuart Gordon (I love Gordon's stuff) Dreams in the Witch-House and thought it stood well alongside the story. Don't forget to check out the upcoming From Beyond stop motion movie, it looks VERY good and there's a trailer here...

http://www.frombeyondmoviepage.blogspot.com/

[Bub the Zombie]

The Unnamable and Lurking Fear are some which are so bad theyre good to watch.

[zwoti]

the shuttered room was ok


and look here
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325913/








:cool:

[no mulier]

Everyone, thanks for the replies.

I think Dunwich Horror is a good film overall. Dean Stockwell was especially brilliant. Another underrated actor. His performance of the rituals was intense and powerful, very realistic. Scenes with Sandra Dee were especially sensual and charming, often edged with helpless humor.

Die Monster Die (1965 Daniel Haller)
Boris Karloff is always a pleasure to watch, whatever role he plays. If Dunwich Horror is any indication, I'm looking forward to this as well.

Re-Animator (1985 Stuart Gordon)
Saw this as a child of 7 or 8 years old. My parents never did mind their kids watching the likes of this, Gates of Hell, etc. The funny thing is that I don't remember ever being afraid or disgusted. But it's probably no surprise; kids are more resilient than grown ups give them credit for. This was very loosely based on the source material, but isn't most of Stuart's Lovecraft films?

From Beyond (1986 Stuart Gordon)
I was pretty much in tears, laughing my way through this one. Sure would watch it again. I don't remember ever reading about women in Lovecraft's stories. Nor love nor BDSM. What's the difference?

Dagon (2001 Stuart Gordon)
Having only seen the bloody promo pictures on the DVD cover of this one, it's pretty much another Stuart Gordon Lovecraft "adaptation," but still worth a look anyway.

I think Vodstok has a point. Gordon's films on Lovecraft stories have never taken the source material seriously. He's merely taken the simplest form of its idea and run with it. On a sidenote, I think his best EVER work was his season 2 episode in Masters of Horror: the Black Cat. Though it might have effectively been to the credit of Jeffrey Combs. Yet another underrated actor. But it's comforting to find him staying on the B-side of the film industry.

MoH S1: Dreams in the Witch House (2006 Stuart Gordon)
There were some truly chilling scenes. Reminds me very vividly of a rat coming out of a woman's mouth in some forgotten cheap flick. Free association is a darned thing.

Thanks for the link novakru. I actually know this site but haven't explored its pages, other than the stories online. Now that my husband and I started buying the Arkham editions, it's the next page on my target list. In case you haven't been there, http://www.yankeeclassic.com/miskato...thefilms02.htm is another site listing Lovecraft films.

Beyond the Wall of Sleep (2006 Barrett J. Leigh & Thom Maurer)
I just can't help myself, jenna26! It's often part of a film's allure when you read the reasons why most people trash a film in the forums: not for mainstream. Say no more.

Call of Cthulhu (2005 Andrew Leman)
This sounds really promising not just because of its style, but because it's been made (I read) by people who are passionate about Lovecraft and understand the spirit in his works. This is the next film on my list.

What did you find tedious about the story, The_Return?

the Resurrected (1992 Dan O'Bannon)
Chris Sarandon? I don't follow, Demonique. His funny Return of the Living Dead was the one film of his that I'd watch. Didn't get a good impression of him from the Alien extras, but I may have to bump the number of films up to two. Haunted Palace was an interesting loose adaptation of Charles Dexter Ward.

From Beyond (2006 Michael Granberry)
I like stop-motion animation films, but have a very short list: Alice, Corpse Bride and Nightmare Before Christmas. If anybody knows any similar theme animations I'd like to know about those, too.

the Unnamable (1988 Jean-Paul Ouellette)
the Unnamable Returns (1993 Jean-Paul Ouellette)
Lurking Fear (1994 C. Courtney Joyner)

The poster looks bad already. The demon looks like he belongs exclusively to the Buffy series. Uhm, I'll pass on these!

the Shuttered Room (1967 David Greene)
Why does this plot remind me of Unnamable?

Nyarlathotep (2001 Christian Matzke)
Have yet no idea of the story, but from the reviews read so far, it's very promising.

Wonderful to have things to look forward to!

Additional question...
Do you prefer to have read the story before seeing the film? Or the other way round?

I prefer the former. It seems I have yet a very long list of Lovecraft stories to read, when the leaves start to fall and the fireplace begins to warm up.

Tea?

[no mulier]

Watched Beyond the Wall of Sleep last night. Didn't finish it. It's doubtful there was anything to miss out on at the end. It was utter rubbish!

To say that people won't like this film because it's arthouse? A mere excuse. By taking only the basic premise in Lovecraft's story, they totally missed his point.

Okay, I was warned. :rolleyes:

Up next is Call of Cthulhu which promises to be a vast improvement. Would have watched it after the Wall of Sleep, but after a time lying under the sky watching for shooting stars in the smoke of tea leaves and then reading the Temple in bed, just got too tired.

More films based on Lovecraft...

I hear Guillermo del Toro's been trying to get a personal project At the Mountains of Madness green-lighted for production. If this actually gets made, this is gonna be the first ever big budget Lovecraft film ever made. (Or so I think.) Though having only seen his Mimic and not being all that impressed by it, I did try to get an idea of his sensibility. He seems to be a real Lovecraft fan. This should be very promising, indeed.

Has anyone seen any of Lurker Films' H.P. Lovecraft Collections?
Volume 1 - Cool Air
Volume 2 - Rough Magik
Volume 3 - Out of Mind
Volume 4 - Pickman's Model

Still waiting for the first volume in the mail.

[Doc Faustus]

I read about those. They sound cool.

[Vodstok]

Originally Posted by no mulier

I hear Guillermo del Toro's been trying to get a personal project At the Mountains of Madness green-lighted for production. If this actually gets made, this is gonna be the first ever big budget Lovecraft film ever made. (Or so I think.) Though having only seen his Mimic and not being all that impressed by it, I did try to get an idea of his sensibility. He seems to be a real Lovecraft fan. This should be very promising, indeed.

Dont judge him on mimic, it is a poor representationof his skills.

I have seen his movie sin this order:

Mimic
Blade 2
HellBoy
The Devil's Backbone
Pan's Labyrinth


He gets consistently better with each movie, and starting with Hellboy they are pure gold in my book. If he makes a Lovecraft movie, it will be made with love, passion, and true talent.

[Elvis_Christ]

I prefer seeing the film before reading the book.... I'm usually disappointed otherwise.