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20 years later, the movie "Total Recall" still kicks butt
Deozaan:
Speaking of which, is that movie (1984) any good? Or are there any good film adaptations of the book?
While I'm at it, are there any good movies based on the Cthulhu mythos that are also relatively clean? As in rated PG-13 or below? I don't mind violence and gore so much (to a point) but I find sex and profanity in films to often be just unnecessary and detrimental.
And to further narrow the options, are any of them available on Netflix's Instant Watch in the USA? (I'm not sure if Netflix is international.)
mwb1100:
Speaking of which, is that movie (1984) any good? Or are there any good film adaptations of the book?
-Deozaan (July 02, 2010, 01:13 AM)
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I recently watched the John Hurt version of the movie, "Nineteen Eighty-Four", and I think it's good (depressing, but then again so is the source material). I think that it follows the book pretty faithfully, but it's been a long time since i read the book, so I might be off base there. It is quite bleak. Note that (since you mentioned PG-13 later in your post), the movie does have R-rated nudity and sex.
The only other movie version of 1984 that I'm aware of is one made in 1956 starring Edmond O'Brien (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_(1956_film)). I watched it many many years ago in college, and don't remember too much about it. For some reason it's not readily available on DVD, but you can search around for bootlegs.
While I'm at it, are there any good movies based on the Cthulhu mythos that are also relatively clean?
-Deozaan (July 02, 2010, 01:13 AM)
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There's a really good DVD called "Call of Cthulhu". It was made by a more-or-less amateur group of Lovecraft fanatics (I don't mean amateur in an insulting way, but they're not Hollywood pros - which I think was an advantage in this case).
Note: it's a silent film! I think they did this both for artistic value and atmosphere with probably some budget/technical reasons as well. Anyway - it works really well to give it a Lovecraftian feel.
I think it's a fantastic film - I think the encounter on Cthulhu's island is nicely staged to give it a feel of 'unworldly dimensions'. If you've seen "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and liked what was done there with the angles and perspectives of the sets you might have an idea of what I mean.
It's not rated, but the closest to anything racy in the movie is a dance ritual by a bunch of cultists wearing loincloths.
No idea if it's on Netflix's Instant Watch.
Deozaan:
Wow, it's even Black & White?
And it looks like the same people are making The Whisperer in the Darkness, which I just read the other day. Another Black & White.
When referring to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, are you referring to the remake (2005) or the original (1920)? I haven't seen either of them, I'm just curious.
40hz:
+1 on Call of Cthullu.
I was incredibly impressed by the production quality and faithfulness of the script to the original story. I personally felt its being shot in an antiqued-look B&W added to the vintage vibe of the movie. But I don't expect everyone will agree with me on that point. Probably a good idea to watch the trailer here to see if the "look" works for you before you purchase.
The Whisperer in the Darkness is one of Lovecraft's better stories and the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's newest adaptation also looks good.
...Even now I absolutely refused to believe what he implied about the constitution of ultimate infinity, the juxtaposition of dimensions, and the frightful position of our known cosmos of space and time in the unending chain of linked cosmos-atoms which makes up the immediate super-cosmos of curves, angles, and material and semi-material electronic organisation.
Never was a sane man more dangerously close to the arcana of basic entity--never was an organic brain nearer to utter annihilation in the chaos that transcends form and force and symmetry. I learned whence Cthulhu first came, and why half the great temporary stars of history had flared forth. I guessed--from hints which made even my informant pause timidly--the secret behind the Magellanic Clouds and globular nebulae, and the black truth veiled by the immemorial allegory of Tao. The nature of the Doels was plainly revealed, and I was told the essence (though not the source) of the Hounds of Tindalos. The legend of Yig, Father of Serpents, remained figurative no longer, and I started with loathing when told of the monstrous nuclear chaos beyond angled space which the Necronomicon had mercifully cloaked under the name of Azathoth. It was shocking to have the foulest nightmares of secret myth cleared up in concrete terms whose stark, morbid hatefulness exceeded the boldest hints of ancient and mediaeval mystics... -Whisperer in the Darkness
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They're blogging it here and have a trailer for it here.
After watching the trailer, all I can say is: I want it! :Thmbsup:
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Outside of these two films, there's not much worth seeing that purports to be based on Lovecraft's works. Most are so-so horror flicks that use some Lovecraftian terminology or characters in an attempt to make things seem like more than they are. Most aren't worth the film they're printed on.
Of all of the Lovecraft influenced films out there, about the only one really worth watching is an oddball John Carpenter effort entitled In the Mouth of Madness
The efficient and skeptical freelance insurance investigator John Trent is hired by the publisher Jackson Harglow to find where the famous writer Sutter Cane might be. After writing a series of best-sellers in the horror genre, affecting the reason and causing disorientation, memory loss, and paranoia in readers, Sutter has simply vanished near the release of his new novel, "Horror in Hobb's End." There is mass hysteria of his anxious fans waiting for the new release, and John believes that his disappearance is a marketing strategy. John follows his instincts and travels with Cane's editor, Linda Styles, to New Hampshire, seeking for the apparently fictional town of Hobb's End...John discloses that Sutter Cane has unleashed a powerful evil force in the black church of the mysterious town, and his twisted imagination is changing the reality and perception of those who read his novels.
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High production values, a fairly good plot, and a few "name" cast members ( Sam Neill, Charlton Heston, Julie Carmen) distinguish it from most of what's out there.
There's a few very effective scenes and concepts found in the picture that will earn smiles from Lovecraft fans. The exterior shooting for the "Black Church" is particularly well done. Other parts of the movie are a little hokey however. And some of the "special effects" (especially those in one important pre-climax scene) are more laughable than scary. Fortunately, they're not so bad that they'll seriously detract from most people's overall enjoyment of the picture. Amazon has it for $12 on DVD and it's also available from NetFlix.
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Note: This movie is not based on any specific Lovecraft story, but it still borrows extensively from his works. Serious HPL fans are divided on this picture. If you're big on story fidelity, stick to Call of Cthullu and The Whisperer in the Darkness. But if you're more the type of fan who simply enjoys seeing Lovecraftian elements show up on screen, it's well worth a watch.
;)
mwb1100:
When referring to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, are you referring to the remake (2005) or the original (1920)?
-Deozaan (July 02, 2010, 09:42 PM)
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The 1920 original - I haven't seen the remake.
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