The Call of Cthulhu: The Celebrated Story by H.P. Lovecraft
by Andrew H. Leman
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: David Mersault, Matt Foyer, Noah WagnerDirector: Andrew H. Leman
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; German (Unknown); French (Unknown); Italian (Unknown); Spanish (Unknown); Danish (Unknown); Welsh (Unknown); German (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Swedish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Silent
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 72 minutes
Published: 2005
DVD Release Date: 2007-05-29
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Microcinema DVD
Movie Reviews of The Call of Cthulhu: The Celebrated Story by H.P. Lovecraft
Movie Review: 3 cheers HPL Historical Soc, for this 5 star breakthrough
Summary: 5 Stars
Ho hum, another rave review for this brilliantly conceived and executed screen adaptation of Lovecraft. This little film is highly original, innovative and entertaining, speaking as both a fan of genre cinema and devoted HPL reader.
Forever it seems us Lovecraft lovers who dig horror film have been hearing all about it. All the explanation why we can't have a solid, ie. faithful film version of HPL. You know the drill: "ohh, you can't film Lovecraft, nobody can, it's too hard (Bluto)" ... Why am I not sympathetic? What, would it take too much talent or style, too much interpretive imagination, or serious intent? This corny excuse has been used to justify how Lovecraft's stories have been mutilated and mangled beyond recognition. Well as Fifi said of the "no more heroes" talk (in MAD MAX), damn them. No matter how many have not filmed Lovecraft true to the story, how does it logically follow that, therefore, nobody can?!
At last, and thank you HPL Historical Society. The proof is in, we have the smoking gun with this great little film that sets a whole new standard of fidelity for Lovecraft cinema. Doubly impressive since, out of his whole bibliography, this particular story is among the, er, deeper ones (ahem). We're talking Mythos, cosmic horror -- This little unpretentious gem puts all that "no can do" loser-excuse talk in the dumpster once and for all (where it belongs). A monumental achievement for which some kind of award ceremony is in order!
Hopefully, HPL Historical Society will not end up in trouble for raising the bar like this on others who would film Lovecraft, using his name for their movie, but -- well, you know. From now on any such efforts will have CTHULHU to face for comparison. And rightly so, they deserve the tentacle-lashing if they don't behave. In fact, does one dare hope that big budget funding -- seeing what it likes in the Society's presumed revenue from this (well earned as it be) -- might take interest in backing more Lovecraft filmage from the Soc along these lines? With carte blanche since they've proven their mettle?
It's hard not to reflect: if expensive production with modern awe-inspiring special effects could somehow be brought into the mix of talent, style and originality on virtuoso display in CALL OF CTHULHU -- the imagination runs riot at the thought. I'm used to cringing at word like "oh, did you hear, they're gonna film (insert title of Lovecraft story)" -- the horror, the horror. But if I heard "HPL Soc" mentioned in the same breath -- can you picture, say, MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS as this team might handle it?
Things that stand out about this unique, very engaging flick include, but are not limited to:
1. Faithful telling of an HPL story VERY hard for its disjoint narrative structure, global panoramic scope, and wild cosmic horror.
2. Its period silent film look, in abundant details from credit lettering, to the clothing and style of face make-up to the stop motion animated effects.
3. Superb casting, acting and characterization (they didn't use their friends and family to play the parts) -- bravura performances!
4. Excellent direction, cinematography, editing -- visual story-telling style vivid and well done, many tasty touches
5. Musical score, does exactly what and how its supposed to in an exceptional film -- nothing "generic" about it.
Now we have the choice -- we can read this story, or view it in the form of this film. What a treat for Lovecraft fans (at least those of us who also like movies). Never before has there been a Lovecraft story, unadulterated, available to see as a film, but all that has changed now with CALL. The story's ominous mood takes hold right from the start, and is sustained throughout. Actors in the film really sink their teeth into their roles, breathing dramatic life into characterizations. The haunted facial expressions some of them muster are awesome, right on target. Lovecraft is smiling somewhere -- ex oblivione of course (per his expressed beliefs).
This film reveals quite a few little touches of genius or inspired visionary creativity. For example, a previous reviewer here rightly notes, the idea of making the film an as-if silent 1920's is not only original and true to the period of the story as written, it was also a great way to make a low budget film that doesn't look cheap (by today's standards).
Another advantage realized in giving Cthulhu the "silent treatment" recalls a critical insight in Migliore & Strysik's book "Lurker at the Lobby." When actors try to read "eldritch" words, "Ph'lngui m'lgl ... " etc. (like Dean Stockwell's Wilbur Whateley, in DUNWICH HORROR) it mostly comes off painfully ineffective, bordering on outrageous. As these authors rightly note, such classic Lovecraftian gibberish lines "look more blasphemous" written on page, than they sound when an actor tries to speak them. (1963, HAUNTED PALACE was probably the first on-screen attempt at such ... poor Frank Maxwell as Dr. Willett, his scene mentioning Yog-Sothoth, Cthulhu -- dialogue included embarassed apologetics, along lines of: "horrible garbage, I know").
CALL deftly dodges this trap since the audience never has to hear some poor put-upon actor try to pronounce imaginary words composed of nonphonetic jumbles of letters (expressly meant to stump the readers' ear, as it struggles to imagine how they'd be sounded out). Clever move!
To be fair to cinematists who've massacred Lovecraft stories: some of their films have been entertaining, at least as drive-in horror movies. And changes made to Lovecraft have often reflected practical consideration of the very different imperatives of the movie-going audience and market, compared to a horror or pulp readership. In some cases they've managed to retain a good deal of the actual story too, i.e., THE RESURRECTED. But there hasn't been a one untampered with -- until now!
We're in a new era thanks to the HPL Society. Much obliged ganglion, you've given us a celluoid Excalibur with which we can decapitate anyone who ever dares try that lame talk again, all about "you can't make a Lovecraft movie faithful to the story." This mini masterpiece is incontrovertible proof -- that "can't be done" idea is just plum wrong; and the dustbin of history welcomes it. To the cheers of film-loving Lovecraft readers everywhere, as reviews here reflect. Bravo.
Summary of The Call of Cthulhu: The Celebrated Story by H.P. Lovecraft
Written in 1926, just before the advent of "talking" pictures, The Call of Cthulhu is one of the most famous and influential tales of H.P. Lovecraft, the father of gothic horror. Now the story is brought richly to life in the style of a classic 1920s silent movie, with a haunting original symphonic score. Using the "Mythoscope" process - a mix of modern and vintage techniques, the HPLHS has worked to create the most authentic and faithful screen adaptation of a Lovecraft story yet attempted. From the cultists of the Louisana bayous to the man-eating non-euclidean geometry of R'lyeh, the HPLHS brings Cthulhu to the screen as it was meant to be seen. Eighteen months of production and a cast of more than 50 actors went into making this film a period spectacle that must seen to be believed. The DVD includes The Call of Cthulhu (47 minutes, black and white), the high-fidelity and "Mythophonic" soundtracks, a 25 minute "making-of" documentary featurette, two slide shows, deleted footage, a prop PDF of the Sydney Bulletin and more. To appeal to Lovecraft fans throughout across the globe, this DVD provides intertitles in 24 languages including: Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Euskera, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Lithuanian, Luxmbourgish, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and Welsh. These aren't just subtitles either - they are the real title cards rendered tastefully in each language. If you thought the story was scary before, wait until you see it in Welsh!Similar DVD Movies
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