Saturday
... bit of hugely entertaining fun. Heh, and you thought I was about to put the boot into the hideous and unspeakable David Cameron again, didn't you? Not at all. I was introduced to H.P. Lovecraft's works by an erudite Jamaican friend many years ago, who took a perverse delight in the author's often insanely racist Neo-Gothic between-the-wars horror stories.
But now a band (or perhaps 'cult') of enthusiasts for Lovecraft's lavishly adjectival genre of occult-cum-SciFi horror have made a 1920's style silent movie called The Call of Cthulhu. It captures the spirit of the story and style of the era perfectly. I just received the DVD today and it was simply a delight to watch (if a tale of madness and horror can be thusly described). You too can view the full length version and have your sanity blasted away for the very reasonable sum of $20 + pp, simply by making the 'voorish sign' with your mouse here...
'Fan art' (for that is most certainly what this is) is often very turgid and accessible only to the initiated hardcore (be they 'Trekkers', 'Xphiles', 'Whovians' or whatever) but this splendid silent movie shot in 'Mythoscope', a process that makes it look like, well, a 1920's silent movie, should delight enthusiasts not just of the narrow Cthulhu genre but fans of horror and silent movies generally.
In truth if the movie has a failing, it is actually rather too good to be a genuine 1920's creation. Highly recommended.
Thanks Perry I will definately send for that.
I too got into H P Lovecraft many years ago.
I even bought a couple of albums by a band that named themselves after him (they were good too!)
I have seen several films that perported to be adaptations of his work, and sat scratching my head for an hour and a half, muttering
"This isn't even up to Hammer house of Horror"
So I will look forward to the postman calling soon.
Posted by RAB at September 30, 2006 04:43 PM
I think I'll pass on this one. I'm still in an eBay dispute over the shipping and handling on the Necronimcon I paid for a coupla weeks back.
I'm real pissed about it.
It was bound in the skin of a virgin.
And it was a first edition, though it had been slightly chewed by the hounds of Tindalos.
Posted by Nick M at September 30, 2006 05:00 PM
From a C. of C. game long ago.
"Thing comes through the window".
"Shoot it".
"Another thing comes through the window".
"Shoot it".
"Yet another thing comes through the window".
"How many of these things are there?"
"ENOUGH".
Posted by Paul Marks at September 30, 2006 06:22 PM
Perry, you need to talk to occasional commenter Andrew Dodge about this......
Posted by Johnathan Pearce at September 30, 2006 07:21 PM
"Yet another thing comes through the window"."How many of these things are there?"
"ENOUGH".
Sounds like just about every single first person shooter out there now, except HL2. A certain French diver commented exactly the same on Doom3 some time ago as I recall.
By the way Paul, did you try the recent Bethesda version of that game, the one that boasts a 'Dynamic Sanity system'?
Posted by Julian Taylor at October 1, 2006 12:27 PM
It looks very professional for "fan art". Must say that I'm rather intrigued by the idea of someone making a modern silent film.
Posted by Simon Baxendale at October 1, 2006 10:49 PM
Lovecraft encouraged others to write about his pantheon and in fact had a circle of friends, many well known authors, who wrote Cthulhu stories. This tradition has continued long after his death on sites like Temple of Dagon. If you don't know what the hell we are all on about, or rather as Mommabear (RIP) put it "you are all at sea", then might I recomend my Idiots Guide to the Mythos or the Wiki on the subject.
Thanks for the mention Jon P.
I have heard that the CoC is very good indeed and the Cthulhu lot are rather a touch crowd to please.
And non-euclidian dreams to you all tonight.
Posted by Andrew Ian Dodge at October 2, 2006 06:08 PM
Of interest to Lovecraft fans, the works of Clark Ashton Smith, a contemporary, correspondent, and influence of Lovecraft's, are at least partially available for free, online.
Posted by Sigivald at October 2, 2006 06:22 PM
Lovecraft encouraged others to write about his pantheon
Yes, and with varying degrees of success... I have never been a fan of the 'Derlethian Heresy'.
Posted by Perry de Havilland at October 2, 2006 10:09 PM
Love this movie and these fans. I've got theirs CDs as well. Shoggoth on the Roof, which is Fiddler on the Roof with Lovecraftian lyrics. Also they released A Scary Little Solstice, Christmas carols with Lovecraftian lyrics. The latter definately helped when shops were blaring bad versions of Christmas songs last Christmas. I just used the new lyrics in my head.
Quality wise, this is a great production. Better than any other fan film I've seen. The choice of making a Silent movie was brilliant. Most adaptions of Lovecraft have been quite bad, but this one captures the right spirit.
Unfortunately not many people will watch a silent movie so it's not something I'd get my sister for her birthday.
Posted by darkbhudda at October 3, 2006 07:14 AM
Sadly Julian I am so old that I was playing role playing games when the only game on computers was ping-pong.
That would be a cultural problem for anyone who considered me for a proper job - taking me on would be taking on someone from another age.
Posted by Paul Marks at October 3, 2006 08:57 PM
That turned out to be an excellent film - many thanks for the recommendation.
Posted by knirirr at October 23, 2006 07:50 PM
