LOVECRAFT: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN
by Frank H. Woodward
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: VariousDirector: Frank H. Woodward
Brand: MUSIC VIDEO DISTRIBUTORS
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 90 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-10-27
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: CS1023
Studio: CINEVOLVE
Product features:
- H.P. Lovecraft was the forefather of modern horror fiction, having inspired such writers as Stephen King, influencing films such as Alien and Hellboy, and in music, Metallica and Iron Maiden.What led an Old World, xenophobic gentleman to create one of literature s most far-reaching mythologies? What attracts even the minds of the 21st century to these stories of unspeakable abominations and cosmic
Movie Reviews of LOVECRAFT: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN
Movie Review: An engaging and affecting look at one of genre fiction's most influential writers
Summary: 5 Stars
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 - March 15, 1937) is now recognized as one of the most innovative and influential writers in the horror/fantasy/science-fiction genre. He also is well known for his highly eccentric personality and somewhat sad life. Both his parents died in a mental institution, and Lovecraft himself was a deeply troubled individual who was unable to enjoy intimate relationships, could not hold a job and suffered from constant raging emotions of fear and anger toward racial and ethnic groups different than his own. Despite these liabilities, Lovecraft was undeniably brilliant, not only because of his intelligence (largely home-schooled, he was reading at the age of 3), but because of his ability for original creative thought, the real mark of genius. Lovecraft's literary inventions include "the Cthulhu Mythos," a fictional history of the cosmos in which pre-human gods and creatures survive and threaten to overrun the modern human world, and *The Necronomicon,* an imaginary magical grimoire so compelling that substantial numbers of people believe it actually exists.
Awarded Best Documentary at the 2008 Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival, *Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown* chronologically relates Lovecraft's life from early childhood to his own death from intestinal cancer in 1937, when he was only 46 years old. The 90-minute film also discusses the evolving aspects of Lovecraft's writing, his core themes, the appeal and impact of his stories, and finally, Lovecraft's lasting influence and popularity.
The production boasts a high degree of craft and attention to detail. The filmmakers were faced with an amplified dilemma: it's hard enough to present non-fiction about a writer in a visual medium. It's even more difficult when the writer belongs to the modern era, but there is a severe dearth of available photographs, film, and other graphic material to use. Woodward interviews ten professionals whose knowledge of Lovecraft and his work is impressive. A large proportion of the total film consists of interview clips edited by topic. But a visual documentary will lose audience interest rapidly if it relies too much on "talking heads" or static images. *Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown* solves this dilemma neatly, combining interview sequences, still photographs and B-roll footage with a large assortment of artwork by nine amazingly gifted artists inspired by Lovecraft's writing.
The audio layer takes an additional interesting slant. An uncredited actor reads quotes from Lovecraft's letters, but his voice work is filtered and mixed with noise to simulate an old gramophone recording, as though we were actually hearing a record made in Lovecraft's time. It's the audio equivalent of sepia-toning and distressing a photograph to make it look old, and creates a very effective mood. Lovecraft, who saw himself as a refugee from the eighteenth century, would surely have been amused by this time-tricking technique.
Anyone with an interest in Lovecraft's work, or the history of the horror/fantasy/science-fiction genre in general will be fascinated by *Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown.* I watched it over and over, just because it's too content-rich to absorb on one viewing. It's worth twice the price.
Summary of LOVECRAFT: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN
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