The Call of Cthulhu (2005)

For the first time ever I am moved to write an online review, to stick up for a delightful and fun adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's novella. I suspect the reviewer above was expecting a 'straight' horror movie rather than a pastiche, which is what this unapologetically is.

The film makes an effort to capture the spirit of the story (all hints, whispers and not much actually happening) and so will undoubtedly appeal to HPL fans and leave many other people a bit bemused. The production values are generally quite high (considering the budget). And one can tell it's made with love: which for me goes a long way! The world needs more love. Well, I know I do.

And the documentary that comes with the DVD is great fun too.

Fmovies: The story is classic Lovecraft, a man recounts how his discovery of secret knowledge has driven him over the edge and brought him close to death. Its the framework that Lovecraft used again and again to tell his stories of horror. Here the story is that of the cult of Cthulhu which he discovers upon the death of his Great Uncle, a man who was himself driven to the edge of madness and to death by the secrets he uncovered. Essentially a series of flashbacks and narratives this film builds a great deal of unease as bits of story and coincidence create an a narrative that has unpleasant implications. Its not the kind of think that will make you jump out of your seat, but it will make you want to turn the light back on.

Shot now (2005) but in the style of a 1926 silent film this movie manages to make what could be very silly seem very real and menacing. There is something about the black and white imagery that makes it all seem very possible. Many people have said the story was un-filmable because of its structure of multiple tales and because if not handled correctly the hysteria felt by some characters would just be silly, this film however has proved it can be done and in a very satisfying manner.

The film's flaws are mostly technical and except in one case minor. The film, which appears to have been shot on digital video for the most part looks good, though in sequence where fire is seen the film takes on an odd appearance. The films budget also has a some stark sets that seem more like a set than place. Still they are minor complaints. The one major complaint is Cthulhu himself, which is clearly a stop motion model. While its understandable that because of the nature of the beast this was probably the way to go (and probably close to how he might have looked in 1926 had he been put on screen back then), it still removes some degree of the horror that had been created prior to this point. Ultimately its a minor quibble because whats goes before and after makes up for it.

If you like classic horror and the writing of HP Lovecraft see this movie.(just remember its suppose to have been made in 1926, not now). 8 out of 10, one of the best Lovecraft films to get Lovecraft right.

Making a story by H.P. Lovecraft into a silent film in 2005 may not have been the most obvious move, but it turned out to be a major artistic success. I was a little skeptic myself about this weird approach, but I have to say that Andrew Leman's "The Call Of Cthulhu" is the best Lovecraft adaptation I've seen so far.

The beautiful, dark pictures and the old-fashioned score along with the over the top acting and the make-up of clown-proportions - the whole ancient feel of a silent movie - create a haunting atmosphere. Not only does the viewer feel as if he himself was in the dark about the spooky ongoings, he seems to be taken back to an early age long before mankind could rely on science.

If you're familiar with Lovecraft's novella, you might think that it's impossible to make this rather complicated and possibly special effects demanding story into a silent movie with only 45 minutes running time. Leman somehow pulls it off, though, and proves that less is more. His characters only "say" the most important things we need to know to follow the storyline. A lot of it is explained by facial expressions, newspaper clippings or diary entries. Special effects wise, Leman stays true to the silent film genre without making Cthulhu look ridiculous. The monster is only hinted at in shadows and quick cuts. This may sound weird again, but you have to watch the movie to see how it works.

"The Call Of Cthulhu" remains faithful to both, the original Lovecraft story and the silent movie genre (one little complaint I have would be that the camera-work on the first boat scene looks a little too improved for a silent movie, but that's really being nitpicky). As old-fashioned and reduced as this movie might be, it's still spooky as hell and more effective than most modern popcorn horror flicks.

The Call of Cthulhu fmovies. This movie is a little gem. The love, care and respect that went into its making, both for the story itself, and for the genre of silent film, makes "Call of the Cthulu" a triumph of honest artistic effort. The decision to make this a silent movie was a stroke of genius. The black and white silent format so well matches the dark and antique ambiance of H.P. Lovecraft stories. As far as I know, it is only available by order from the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. We gathered a group of life long Lovecraft fans for the viewing, and we were all delighted by the film, and felt the movie did the story complete justice. There are some very nice extras on the DVD which explain the process of making the film, how a backyard was used to build sets, and what went into making a modern silent film hold true to the look and feel of the genre. Do yourself a favor, buy the movie, and watch it with friends. Priceless!

Hollywood moguls pay attention, take a look at this film and see what you can do with on a shoestring budget and a heap of imagination. It is easier of course to create a film as remarkably stylish as this when you have superior source materials in the form of H.P.Lovecraft's original texts, the essence of which are 'beyond comprehension' architecture which can send you mad, indescribable monsters which are aeon's old. all this wrapped up in a truly captivating style of film making which Mr Lovecraft surely would have endorsed. if you liked this film, which is by far the best representation to have hit the screen based on his works, then grab a book, take the phone of the hook and prepare to have your wits extracted anally.

Wow! This is quite good.

This is a silent movie, with dialog cards rather than sound dialog. It has a quite good, atmospheric music soundtrack.

If you're a Lovecraft fan this film is a must see. It's not long, less than an hour, after all the original material is a short story, not a novel.

The film stays close to Lovecraft's material. Special effects are minimal, but workable. After all, we're talking H.P. Lovecraft Historic Society budget, not Hollywood.

All in all, this is a worthwhile little gem.

HPLHS is at www.cthulhulives.org.