The Call of Cthulhu

When I saw this listed as a DVD release I was hesitant but also elated because, as far as a lifetime of wishes are concerned, I have always wanted a Lovecratian tale that didn't make me wonder why I bothered watching Lovecraftian tales in the first place. The things I had heard about the construction of the movie were somewhat soothing as I paced the floor with memories of Cthulhu Mansion and the like, hoping for the best and maybe even more. I kept remembering how many filmmakers said that doing Call of Cthulhu was impossible because it would require too much to do correctly, and how that had scared off so many from making an effort. Then I FINALLY watched the movie and saw that the makers of Call of Cthulhu had managed to silence so many a critic because (1) they did the source material a great amount of justice in the way they present it (2) they re-imagined the things people have been trying to do for a long time and did not get caught up in trying to make an expensive movie with a little flash of "monster" because they understood the aforementioned source material and (3) they did something different and attempted to capture an entire mood instead of a partial emotions. The movie basically sidestepped a lot of issues thrown at it in the now by taking the film out of the now and placing it where it belonged - in the 1920s. And it is so good to say that, for once, I didn't cringe when I saw the name "Lovecraft" connected with a story.The one really interesting thing about this movie was the fact that the film was shot as a silent piece (with musical overlay), allowing the viewer the feel of the 20's and the world that story belonged to. The way the people were portrayed, the way the cultists were portrayed, and even the way some of the props were made really felt like something that belonged to something older (and perhaps better in terms of conception, considering many of the themes seen in modern movies) and added the ambiance of a world wide open to new and horrific discoveries. There was this feeling that the movie projected of a world that existed outside that of the examined world, allowing cults to thrive in the shadows and islands to exist in the heart of the still-vast ocean. This worked beautifully with the "when" of the film, with some of the tale examining evidence as far back as 1870. Personally I attribute a lot of that to the way the material was presented, leaving a lot of today's technology behind and aiming for something that a least allowed for a much wider and unexamined world. This is not to say that there was no modern appeal to the movie - far from that, in fact. There were modern tones hidden in the arrangements of shots and in some of the additional props, giving the movie a great mix of the "then and now" without it being too overt. This meant that the dream sequences really had a disconcerting feel, perhaps not frightening in a modern sense of the word but really conveying the source behind all the dreams and working toward the overall goal. The same goes for the island sequences and the times Cthulhu - I don't want to say much on Cthulhu but I have to say that I enjoyed the things that came from something so beloved in almost every horror circle and so crucial to this tale.Additionally, the DVD has a few things on it worth mentioning. First, the insert itself is entertaining and explains the people behind the effort and allows one to check into buying a "movie prop of terror." The disc itself contains some deleted pieces, a trailer, and one thing I really liked - access to the prop Bulletin that appears in the movie via computer for both reading leisure AND printing (provided you can use Adobe). It also has intertitles in 24 languages, something I commend as well because everyone should know about poor Chtulhu's plight. You basically get 47 minutes of beauty that does a real amount of justice like this to the tale of old ones, taking you beyond the modicum of blah movies and finally landing you in the middle of a story that has needed to be told since - well, let's just say I never thought I would see it on DVD and am happy to get to review it here. "Great Cthulhu waits dreaming in the sunken city of K'lyeh. The stars will again be right, and He shall return."Even the cover art is captivating when examined, making this a joy from beginning to end.

The works of venerable horror writer H.P. Lovecraft have, in some ways, become the backbone of the genre, especially cinematic horror. An astonishing number of relatively contemporary horror flicks and genre TV shows--everything from 1965's DIE, MONSTER, DIE through Rod Serling's series THE NIGHT GALLERY (1970s) to Sam Raimi's THE EVIL DEAD (1981) and beyond--have either borrowed elements from Lovecraft's literary mythos or attempted to adapt one of his stories.In spite of Lovecraft's unquestionable influence on the genre, few filmmakers have been able to accurately or faithfully translate the writer's works to either the small or large screen. At best, most attempts to adapt Lovecraft either vaguely evoke the nihilistic subtext of the author's work (e.g., Stuart Gordon's 1985 classic RE-ANIMATOR) or pay simple homage by making a reference or two (as Raimi does by building his EVIL DEAD stories around Lovecraft's ubiquitous fictional book of the occult, the Necronomicon). Until now, that is. Under the guidance of director Andrew Leman and screenwriter Sean Branney, the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society has filmed and released a little film entitled THE CALL OF CTHULHU (2005), based on the author's story of the same name. And it is being praised by critics and fans alike as being one of the most faithful Lovecraft cinematic adaptations ever.The film follows the three-part narrative construction of Lovecraft's original story, using flashbacks and similar devices to shift back and forth to various time frames. The story centers on a young man who has inherited his late great-uncle's research documents pertaining to the Cthulhu Cult. Intrigued by his uncle's obsession with the cult, the nephew studies the documents closely and pieces together the dread implications of the research, and soon after he himself resumes his uncle's investigation of the Cthulhu Cult. When he finally understands the dreadful and disturbing reality of what his uncle has uncovered, his own sanity begins to crumble. Unable to cope and ultimately institutionalized, he passes the information on to his psychiatrist, who in turn hears Cthulhu's call....In a daring but clever and creative move, filmmakers Leman and Branney decided to cinematically adapt Lovecraft's influential 1925 horror story THE CALL OF CTHULHU in the form of a faux early silent film, complete with black-and-white photography, title cards for dialogue, and a classical music score. There are even artificial scratches and wear marks, making it appear as if the film were indeed made in mid-1920s--the period in which Lovecraft wrote many of his famous works--and only recently pulled from the studio vaults and dusted off for posterity. By making the film look like a product of 1925 instead of one from 2005, the filmmakers have been able to utilize old-school FX like stop-motion animation, in-the-camera trick-photography, and miniatures, avoiding the temptation to heavily rely on CGI and other high-tech contrivances that could bog the film down and cause distraction or deviation from the actual story. The result is a "vintage" film that draws the audience into another place AND another time as it faithfully unfurls Lovecraft's tale of ancient mystery and hair-raising horror.The cast does an excellent job in realizing director Leman's Lovecraftian vision and writer Branney's script. Acting in a silent film requires skills foreign to most contemporary actors, and it is consequently a dying art. Yet the performances in THE CALL OF CTHULHU are very effective. Especially good are Matt Foyer, who portrays the nephew, and Noah Wagner, who plays the captain of an ill-fated island expedition. It is obvious that, before stepping before the camera, both actors carefully studied classic silent cinema to learn the pantomime and exaggerated facial expressions required to relay emotion without the benefit of sound. Not only do they and their fellow actors do an on-target job of recreating the "feel" of a genuine film from the Silver Screen's silent era, they also do a great job of acting and thereby create a credible populace for the world of Lovecraft's mythos.In addition, the special FX by Dan Novy and crew are very well executed and totally believable within the context of the film. Dream sequences are reminiscent of the German Expressionist silent classic THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1920), and the stop-motion sequences are a clear nod to the master of the form, Ray Harryhausen. True, some of the sets and FX are obviously of the low-budget ilk, but this really only adds to the overall old-school charm of the flick.The DVD edition of THE CALL OF CTHULHU from Lurker Films is well worth the price of admission. Not only does it offer a pristine digital transfer of the faux silent-era flick, it also offers a very interesting making-of documentary (with sound) that features some behind-the-scene footage and interviews with cast and crew. Even the menu screens on this disc are cool, evoking the style of the art-deco movie houses of the 1920s and 1930s. This DVD is a must-have for fans of Lovecraft, and it will make a fine addition to the film collection of any true fan of horror cinema.

With literally thousands of ostensible HPL adaptations out there, only a few dozen are worth watching, and only a score are fine films. With 25+ years reviewing HPL adapations and the same reviewing indy films, I can honestly state that this is the best, "pure" reification of a HPL story on screen. This is true not only to the commitment to the text that the HPLHS brought to the production, but the decision to produce a film using mostly techniques available at the time of the story's publication. A great introduction to HPL's work to someone new to it, and a well-spent three-quarters of an hour for lovers of indy cinema. Please also see HPLHS more mainstream but also excellent "The Whisperers in Darkness."

I have been trying to do my own version of this story for three goddam years using action men and Barbie dolls and wasted several thousand pounds on cameras, lighting and sets. I am giving up. This is the definitive film in my opinion and Hollywood would be hard pressed to better it.Also have “whisperer in darkness” by the same crew so I won’t be wasting my time on making my own version of that either as it is awesome and I’m 73 so time has run out. Cthulhu bless you all.

This movie was made with a little budget and unknown actors by people I never heard about - but after the first minute I completely forgot to care about it! I believe that Andrew Lenan (director-producer) and Sean Braney (scenarist-producer) were right on target when they decided to make this film silent and turn it in white and black - exactly as movies were made in 1926, when Lovecraft wrote "The call of Cthulhu". It gives an absolutely unique effect, which, I must admit, caused me to freeze before the screen for the whole 47 minutes..."The Call of Cthulhu" story, although quite short, is one of the most powerful, most disturbing and most influential things in the whole fantastic literature. Nobody ever tried to film it, because the challenge seemed too difficult - when one thinks about the CGIs necessary to make a credible Cthulhu and a credible city of R'lyeh, it is easy to understand why nobody even tried to make such an attempt.But all this difficulty was avoided by making this film in the style which both Fritz Lang ("Metropolis") and F.W. Murnau ("Nosferatu") would recognize immediately. Expressions on the faces replacing the words convey a greater sense of fear and impending doom than any special effects. The LACK of details in some scenes is more disturbing than the overdose of pixels in the best Blu-Ray - and the obviously cheap decorations in the city of R'lyeh surprisingly created (at least in my perception) more awe and shock than the best shots of Mordor in "Lord of the Rings". Bottom line, the settings in this film allowed Lovecraftian magic to play in a very powerful and pure way.The very brief and very vague apparition of Cthulhu was very well done, with the maximum use of his shadow and only a little glimpse of the Great Old God himself. On another hand, small figures of Cthulhu worshipped by his cultists are very well shown and they are REALLY scary!Actors performed wonderfully! I really had the impression that I watched a genuine film from 20s and that Doctor Mabuse would enter through that door at any moment...To conclude, I was absolutely conquered by this movie and I am really, really glad that I bought it! And I am absolutely keeping it to rewatch it from time to time!

A film of the unfilmable Lovecraft story, this effort is a real cracker. Made to represent the type of production which would have been around in the late 1920s, the film is a faithful rendering of a classic tale of cosmic terror from beneath the sea (and beyond time and space). The use of unknown (to me at least) actors and actresses, gives the production a real period feel and cleverly reproduces the sort of effects which would have been available at the time.Very cleverly done, with neat, economical sets and good use of green screen effects.A great idea, very well filmed. Probably the best rendition of a Lovecraft story to date.(I must see about getting "Whisperer" next!)

This is simply awesome. Made by a film club of enthusiasts, it knocks nearly every studio attempt at Lovecraft for six. Wonderfully melodramatic, filmed in a real 1920's style and with some real passion for the material, it offers the best glimpse yet of how to put Lovecraft on screen. Some ropey stop motion aside, the production values are really amazing considering it was made on a shoestring budget. Everything from the silent movie approach to the excellent score has been so lovingly crafted, you quickly see past the limitations and become immersed in the story. I love everything about this release and the guys that made it should be proud.

Its not often you buy a black and white silent movie on DVD and i was a bit curious about what i was getting. This is a movie produced on a budget by fans, its not a big budget extravaganza but it perfectly captures the spirit of the books and i was pleasantly suprised by it. I found myself reminded of the original King Kong movie - not technically brilliant but still fun to watch. I understand the comments on other reviews about the acting and special effects but anyone having seen cinema of the period they are apeing will know this is pretty much what it was like. I was actually more concerned by the use of blue screen in this movie which, while not offputting just felt out of place here.If your a fan you will be happily making this an addition to your DVD collection.