Lovecraftian Film

[Barrucadu]

Last night I watched The Mist, very Lovecraftian: death, despair, religious zealotry bordering on cultism, terrible unknown monsters from another place… I haven't yet read the book, but I recall seeing it in a local book shop, so I'll probably get it soon.

[fubarinpittsburgh]

I loved The Mist. The book is just as good.

[DMcCool]

You didn't wince at the fabricated ending the film version of "The Mist" had?  Man, I know so many people hate the movie for that single ending, which wasn't the way the story ended.

I've had my eyes on two films for a while, but can't find any additional info about releases.

The first is "La Herensia Valdemar" (http://www.laherenciavaldemar.com/), a Spanish film that appears to be Lovecraftian.  I suspect that it's made it to DVD by now, but it's not on Netflix.  

The next is an American movie called "Altitude" which seems to be a Cthulhu in the sky kind of film.
http://www.moviestrailer.org/altitude-movie-trailer.html

[fubarinpittsburgh]

You didn't wince at the fabricated ending the film version of "The Mist" had?  Man, I know so many people hate the movie for that single ending, which wasn't the way the story ended.

I've had my eyes on two films for a while, but can't find any additional info about releases.

The first is "La Herensia Valdemar" (http://www.laherenciavaldemar.com/), a Spanish film that appears to be Lovecraftian.  I suspect that it's made it to DVD by now, but it's not on Netflix.  

The next is an American movie called "Altitude" which seems to be a Cthulhu in the sky kind of film.
http://www.moviestrailer.org/altitude-movie-trailer.html

Spoiler alert!

Reread the book. In the last chapter the narrator compares the number of bullets he has left to the number of survivors left. The filmmaker just took it a step further. I dug it. I like tragic endings. 

[Danial]

I like tragic endings. 

Shouldn't we all, being Lovecraft fans and all

[Barrucadu]

I thought the ending was good, just adding that final touch of despair and terrible realisation.

[Kaelestes]

FATTY SPOILERS!
I think I could have enjoyed the ending if the military hadn't shown up. It's that, "Well, if I'd just waited 30 seconds," silliness that really gets me. I would have rather seen the father just walk off into the mist and disappear. Roll credits.

[DMcCool]

Yeah, tragic, but unnecessary.  The last I remember the story ended with them just driving off into the Mist, but if the story did include the father counting his bullets, then I could understand adding that as an afterthought.  The movie, on the other hand, took it two steps further and unnecessarily so.  It was a cheap grab, like you'd see on a cheesy episode of Twilight Zone or Outer Limits.

[HelenJames]

Something alike was discussed on the ask.com,i can give someone a link if anybody need it

[Kaelestes]

I just stumbled on this great Erich Zann adaptation. Check it out!

The Music of Erich Zann

[Paul Baack]

For those who haven't seen it, Out Of Mind is a very cool short film about the historical Mr. Lovecraft traveling across space and time to meet a present-day relative.  Naturally, dark forces and monsters work their way into the story.  This little movie puts a very nice, humanizing touch on its depiction of The Gentleman from Providence, and is quite a bit of fun.  It's on the volume 3 collection of the HP Lovecraft Film Festival series.

Others here have mentioned John Carpenter's The Thing, and rightly so.  Carpenter himself includes it in his loosely-defined "Lovecraft Trilogy," which also includes his Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness.  None of these films has any direct connection to any of HPL's mythos, but they all serve up a healthy helping of that good ol' cosmic dread and horror.  The latter film especially, which for me plays out almost like HP Lovecraft meets David Lynch.  One of the few horror films that actually scared me.

What do y'all think of 2007's Cthulhu?  It's more Innsmouthian than Cthulhoid, and the gay romance (nothing explicit) might put some people off, but it's pretty darn well made and very creepy.  It also shows that the Northwest coast can play host to the Old Ones with just as much atmosphere and spirit as the Northeast.  Great locations.

[Kaelestes]

What do y'all think of 2007's Cthulhu?  It's more Innsmouthian than Cthulhoid, and the gay romance (nothing explicit) might put some people off, but it's pretty darn well made and very creepy.  It also shows that the Northwest coast can play host to the Old Ones with just as much atmosphere and spirit as the Northeast.  Great locations.

I love that movie despite its flaws. Cthulhu was a pair of fledgling film makers' freshman project so sometimes there are blocking issues or other cinematic no-noes, but beyond that the movie is gorgeous (it was filmed in my back yard so how couldn't it be!?) and really evokes the Lovecraft feel of uncertainty and lurking terror. Certain scenes like the episode in the sewers and the ending were particularly satisfying in this respect. And as far as the gay romance goes, I really don't see the issue unless the viewer has homophobic tendencies. The film isn't trying to make a statement with the relationship and it fits very well within the framework of the story (especially considering the main character's status as an "outsider" within his own hometown). This one is a must see for Lovecraft fans.

[MartinRonnlund]

And as far as the gay romance goes, I really don't see the issue unless the viewer has homophobic tendencies. The film isn't trying to make a statement with the relationship and it fits very well within the framework of the story (especially considering the main character's status as an "outsider" within his own hometown). This one is a must see for Lovecraft fans.

Personally I don't think love should be a factor in any Lovecraftian film. I guess male homosexuality is better than straight love, thou... HPL was not big on including ladies.

[Genus Unknown]

Oh, blithery poop, my dear lobster.  It's an adaptation.  That's what adaptations are.  A filmmaker takes the source material, filters it through her own vision, and adds her own ideas.  It's not meant to be perfectly faithful.  Hell, even the HPLHS Call of Cthulhu took a couple of minor liberties just to make the story filmable.

I'd go so far as to say that a straight, completely faithful adaptation of a written work would be a bit pointless.  If you want, say, Lovecraft's unfiltered vision, read Lovecraft.  If you want to see what someone else wants to do with Lovecraft's ideas, watch an adaptation, or read some Cthulhu Mythos fan fiction.

[Cacodaemoniacal]

Oh, blithery poop, my dear lobster. 

That's a quote that needs putting in our family Christmas newsletter!

As far as adaptations, it's just that the changes are usually not as good as the original.