|
|
Directed by Written by Based on the Starring Presented by Unrated
47 Minutes |
 |
||
 |
||||
|
THE
CALL OF CTHULHU Review
If you ask any die hard fan of Lovecraft their favorite story from the master of macabre, most would tell you it would be THE CALL OF CTHULHU, a 1928 short story by Lovecraft told from the manuscript of a man investigating the “Cthulhu Mythos.” For decades, the story was deemed unfilmable until the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society decided to put all their resources in making a faithful adaptation of the book by presenting it as a film made in the time of the book. The result is a spellbounding film that at 47 minutes, is probably the most faithful Lovecraft film ever made and the most visionary. Director Andrew Leman along with screenwriter Sean Brannery, both making their debuts, make a striking start to their careers by wisely incorporating the film to the time it was made, but also by filming it like the time the story was made. Shot in black and white with some stop motion techniques, and the actors heavily made up from the silent film era as well as over emote on screen. In other words, it was a brilliant decision, relying on these techniques to hide their weakness as first time filmmakers. The story is definitely the most popular of all of Lovecraft’s work, and I admit I wasn’t totally a fan of Lovecraft until my college years. The film does differ from the book but the changes aren’t significant. While silent, there is a narrator to the film, whose words are shown in titles, as he examines the documents of his great-uncle, a man obsessed with the myth of the Cthulhu. The narrator then turns his investigation to the documents of Inspector Legrasse, who stumbles onto a cult in Louisiana connected to Cthulhu, with some devastating results. As our protagonist gets deeper into the myth, he starts to lose his sanity, becoming overcome by Cthulhu and its influence on man. I saw the film first at the 2006 Rhode Island International Film Festival, where it played, believe it or not, on a slate devoted to children. I remember sitting down with the children and being transfixed by what I saw. I remember Bunni from Icons of Fright telling me the day before how great the film is as a Lovecraft fan herself, and she was right. I watched it again after my interview with Lovecraft fan Stuart Gordon in September, where we both talked about this film. I enjoyed it even more the second time, and for its running time, it has the technique and precision of a feature film. A lot happens in its short screen time. The story behind the film is as fascinating as the film itself, as it was made by the most die hard fans of Lovecraft. Deciding to make a film, they chose the “unfilmable” CTHULHU and proved that it can be filmed. The look of the film is also stunning, as it looks like it was made in the mid 1920s. In some places it does look a little too polished but for the most part, the use of locales, actors, and art direction are superb. A lot of time was spent on this film and it shows. The cast should be noted for some interesting performance, particularly Matt Foyer as the Narrator. Since they have no dialogue, they had to act in the manner of films from that era, and for the most part, they succeed. The film’s best part comes in the sequence involving the ship that arrives to the mysterious island housed by Cthulhu, and the grisly encounter that follows. The Captain, played by Noah Wagner, gives one of the best performances of the film. In all, THE CALL OF CTHULHU is a stellar short film that is perfect for all Lovecraft fans, as well as a great exercise for filmmakers to show how to adapt a story on such a low budget. It’s a testament to the society for this film and has deservedly earned its cult like status in the two years since its release. THE CALL OF CTHULHU: 5 Out Of 5 Maggots
|
HOME
BLOGS
|
|||
