I have a vested affinity for the works of HPL, kiddies, and this imaginative take on his most famous yarn is a creative labor of love.
I'm leaving the well-placed accolades for this film in the hands of those who have come before me; the class and brilliance of this indie film has not been lost on the fans. Suffice to say that it was put together by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, and was done as a silent film, to be contemporary with the setting of the tale. This, upon my first hearing of it, sounded like a contrivance, but I'm pleased to say I was put in my place by the care and attention that was put into the movie. The acting style was obviously carefully researched, the cinematography was eerie and foreboding, and the soundtrack was amazing. They even went as far as to make a soundtrack done with a combination of elements to create a haunting, different kind of sound they called "Mythoscope", again adding to the illusion of this being a 'lost' film of the time.
For my two cents, I just want to say that I've never seen a more faithful, gripping, and inspired cinematic version of Lovecraft's work, and I've seen them all. Making the film appear to be one created at the time the story itself was created was pure genius...I have to admit, I didn't think I would be that impressed, but these filmmakers obviously put a great deal of passion and respect for the source material into their work, and it shows in spades. I would never have believed that a modern film made to look old would capture me and build the suspense that it does...the foreboding sense of dread permeates the film as it did for me reading the short story...and I certainly believed that THAT kind of brilliance went it's way with Murneau.
I say with no reservation that this film is an amazing work of art...a tip of my hat to those who created this.
Now, for those of you who may not be fans of Lovecraft or are expecting a typical horror fest or "Clash of the Titans" type special effects, you would likely be better off moving along, but if you're a student of horror cinema and can appreciate palpable dread with an open mind, you owe yourself a screening of this one.
Watching this one will remind you that we wait, children...we wait.
I have a vested affinity for the works of HPL, kiddies, and this imaginative take on his most famous yarn is a creative labor of love.
