Dagon

Starring:Ezra Godden, Francisco Rabal, Raquel MeroÃ±o, Macarena GÃ³mez, Brendan Price, Birgit Bofarull, UxÃa Blanco, Ferran Lahoz, Joan Minguell, Alfredo Villa (III), JosÃ© Lifante, Javier Sandoval, Victor Barreira, Fernando Gil (III), Jorge Luis PÃ©rez, Ignacio CarreÃ±o, Diego Herberg, Ã“scar GarcÃa, JosÃ© Manuel Torres, Lydia GonzÃ¡lez
Director: Stuart Gordon
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Product Description
Based on a short story by HP Lovecraft, the undisputed master of macabre Paul and his girlfriend Barbara are celebrating the success of their new company on a yacht off the coast of Spain. When a sudden storm smashes their boat on a reef, Barbara and Paul swim to the nearest town for help. The decrepit fishing village of Imboca at first seems to be deserted, but unblinking eyes peer out from boarded-up houses. The strange inhabitants offer little help to the stranded couple. By nightfall, Barbara is missing and Paul finds himself pursued by the entire town but a town of what?

System Requirements:

Running Time 98 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Average customer rating:

Innsmouth in Spain
A Good (g*u*l*p) SLICE of Lovecraft
Very different story line
rules
All hail Cthulhu!!!!

Dagon
Starring: Ezra Godden , Francisco Rabal , Raquel Meroño , Macarena Gómez , and Brendan Price
Director: Stuart Gordon
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Resurrected
The Call of Cthulhu: The Celebrated Story by H.P. Lovecraft
In the Mouth of Madness
Castle Freak
H.P. Lovecraft's Bride of Re-Animator

ASIN: B000067J0M
Release Date: 2002-07-23

Product Description

Based on a short story by HP Lovecraft, the undisputed master of macabre Paul and his girlfriend Barbara are celebrating the success of their new company on a yacht off the coast of Spain. When a sudden storm smashes their boat on a reef, Barbara and Paul swim to the nearest town for help. The decrepit fishing village of Imboca at first seems to be deserted, but unblinking eyes peer out from boarded-up houses. The strange inhabitants offer little help to the stranded couple. By nightfall, Barbara is missing and Paul finds himself pursued by the entire town but a town of what?

System Requirements:

Running Time 98 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Innsmouth in Spain.......2007-04-23

I agree with most of what has already been said, I think this is easily the best Lovecraft film I have yet seen, and even the low budget and limited special effects didn't really matter. The cast were terrific, except that sometimes I found Francisco Rabal's accent a bit hard to understand. And Macarena Gomez must be the sexiest mermaid ever! The scenes in the streets of Innsmouth - or Inboca as it is called here - were terrific, with the shambling half-seen figures in the rain. And the film-makers didn't wimp out with the ending - they basically went with HPL's ending, with Paul Marsh accepting his fate as one of the "children of Dagon". I also thought the underwater photography and thw music deserved honourable mentions. All in all a great little move, and true to the spirit of HPL. Cthulhu ftaghn!!

A Good (g*u*l*p) SLICE of Lovecraft.......2007-04-22

My recent review of Carnival of Lost Souls got me in a Lovecraftian mood & so I watched DAGON again (for about the 4th time.) I do believe DAGON qualifies as a genuine cult movie--it's wonderful. Despite the fact that it has all the hallmarks of your classic B foreign film, the movie has a life of its own. I think it reflects Lovecraft imagery with uncanny authenticity. The actress who plays an oddly appealing anti-heroine gothic horror is a lot of fun to watch. DAGON will keep you rivited, or at least very interested. The only reason I didn't give it an extra star is that the effects are definitly "B" caliber, but that didn't affect my viewing pleasure in the least. In fact, I kinda liked it that way.

Carnival Of Lost Souls

Very different story line.......2007-01-14

I really did like this movie and the different kind of story. It was very imaginative and well acted. The story was very scarey at times and gorey as well. The only problem with the movie is that the director covered up Ezra Godden's nude scene with a half shot of his butt in the begining of the movie. Other than that, if you would like to see a town that prays to a fish god Dagon that wants human sacrafices and the town's people peeling off the faces of it's visitors then this movie is for you.

rules.......2007-01-10

cult of fish god,dagon need sacrifices-people turning into fish zombies,you can't go wrong with this one

All hail Cthulhu!!!!.......2006-12-29

Well, this one was very well made. The main guy even resembled a young version of Jeffrey Combs. Must be his replacement in the Gordon/Yunza Lovecraft adaptions. Who knows.

Anyway, here I go again, on the Lovecraft film review. Yes, I'm a HUGE Lovecraft fan, and I'm not just talking about my belly-size. Lovecraft rules. This film defintely did justice to The Shadow Over Innsmouth, and you could just about follow along with the story as the film ran. Good job, guys! One of the closest adaptions yet.

Also, the acting was good, the special effects were good, and the atmosphere was awesome!

I absolutely loved this film and it ranks high in my HPL movie collection!

if you're a fan, get, watch it, love it.

The elder god-o-meter gives it all 8 tentacles up, and a forked elder sign with my spare hand!

Average customer rating:

transcending texas
A Personal Photo Album
Very overrated, narcissitic, and self indulgent....
Enthralling, painful, profound, cathartic
Good Movie, but DVD is FLAWED

Tarnation
Starring: Greg Ayres , Michael Cox (VII) , Rosemary Davis (II) , Adolph Davis , and Dagon James
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

In the Realms of the Unreal - The Mystery of Henry Darger
Mysterious Skin (Deluxe Unrated Director's Edition)
Born into Brothels
Me and You and Everyone We Know
Palindromes

ASIN: B0007Y8ABK
Release Date: 2005-05-17

Amazon.com

A dark and troubling dream that David Lynch must envy, made all the more unsettling because it's true, Tarnation can only be called at auto-documentary. It's a self-portrait of the family life of Jonathan Caouette, whose mother Renee (a former child model) was forced to undergo electric shock treatment repeatedly in her youth, leading to erratic behavior throughout her life. But though the events of Caouette's life are sad, horrific, or a testament to human resilience, what makes the movie striking is how it was made: Caouette cobbled the movie together from photographs, tape recordings, and home movies that he's shot throughout his life, ranging from footage of himself at 11 years old imitating a battered wife to trashy horror movies he made as an adolescent to the first time he met his father. The unique and fluid result is mesmerizing and eerily intimate, like stepping into someone else's stream of consciousness--though few of our dreams have such a killer indie rock soundtrack. --Bret Fetzer

Description

DVD extras include: Director commentary, optional French subtitles, Photo Gallery. Jonathan Caouette's spellbinding debut film Tarnation re-imagines the whole idea of what a documentary can be. Having filmed his life since he was eleven years old, Caouette has woven together a psychedelic whirlwind of snapshots, super-8 home movies, answering machine messages, video diaries, early short films, snippets of '80s pop culture and dramatic re-enactments to create an epic portrait of an American family torn apart by dysfunction and reunited through the power of love. arnation begins in 2003 as Caouette learns of his mother's lithium overdose back in his native Texas. Faced with the haunting remnants of his past, including a family history of mental illness, abuse and neglect, Caouette returns home to aid in his mother's recovery. During this time, he rekindles a touching relationship with his mother, another victim of a tumultuous childhood and discovers that family ties are never truly unbound.

Customer Reviews:

transcending texas.......2007-01-25

"We're all just one happy family," insists grandfather Adolph, "and we all love God." How and why that tragic falsehood got perpetuated in his horribly dysfunctional family is the subject of Jonathan Caouette's intense, emotionally raw, and deeply sad autobiographical documentary. His mother Renee--for all her madness, mental illness, 200 shock therapy treatments as a child, drug abuse, rape, and over a hundred psychiatric hospitalizations from 1965 to 1999, knows better: "Screwed up parents raise screwed up kids. I just wanted to break the cycle." She did not and could not, and her son Jonathan, writer and director, has paid a horrible psychic price: ''I don't want to be like my mom," he frets in a final scene. But he repeated the past and more, including growing up gay in Texas, and developing a "depersonalization disorder" in which one views one's life in a detached, third person manner as if in a dream.

Caouette incorporates numerous media into his cinematic catharsis --super 8 home movies that he started taking when he was 11, still photos, phone messages, movie clips, tape recordings, and even simple text. He fires these at the viewer in a non-linear fashion and at a staccato pace, often filling split screens with dozens of overlapping frames. The disorienting effect mimics his life, and even draws the viewer into his own state of mind. Caouette is a gifted film maker. As a human being he gets high marks for sheer bravery for confronting his horrific past, and for his deep tenderness toward his deranged mother who came to live with him in New York City. No person should bear even a fraction of the curse that he inherited. Tarnation makes at least two claims to fame. It has won a place as one of the "Top Ten Films of the Year" on over 50 such lists, and was reputedly made for $218 on a Macintosh and edited with the bundled iMovie software.

A Personal Photo Album.......2007-01-21

"TARNATION"

A Personal Photo Album

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

"Tarnation" made for less than $3oo is an autobiographical documentary made by Jonathan Caouette. It is chaotic, it is blurry, it is weird but most of all it is real. It is also one of the most touching films I have ever seen. Caouette recorded\his family concentrating on the mistreatment of his mother and the impact it had on his own life He used old home movies and photographs to assemble a collage which documents his and his mother's lives. Some of this includes his mothers various stints at psychiatric hospitals and his own entrance into the world of underground filmmaking.
The style that we get both disquiets and disorients and is anarchistic. I am sure that not many have been able to sit through the entire film (although I did). The film is grainy and repeats itself several times. The director devised his own techniques and uses them over and over.
There is great material here for a film if it were given to the right person. One terrible thing after another seems to happen to him and his family.
The film does take shape and show prose when Caouette concentrates on his own gay life. His coming out story is interesting and his life as a gay male is fascinating. There are even parts of his familial life that are interesting to watch.
If you are able to sit through the entire movie, you will see something that will break your heart and your spirit. I only wish that the whole thing would have been more professional.

Very overrated, narcissitic, and self indulgent...........2006-07-28

I was immensely disappointed by this film. The "avant-garde" style of the film has been done better by other filmmakers (specifically Derek Jarman, Kenneth Anger, and Harmony Korine), and the film is mostly about Jonathan, not about his mother. The critics made this film sound like it was an attempt by Jonathan to bring him closer to his mother, to try and understand her by making a film about her, and to bring "closure" to their relationship. Well, the film isn't really about Jonathan's mother, it's strictly about him. We hear and see tons of information (with annoying title cards) about Jonathan's life, career, and loves. It feels like an episode of "this is Jonathan's life", as if Jonathan is this absolutely fascinating, brilliant individual that we must all pay attention to. He may become a great artist someday, but he isn't there yet. Jonathan uses his mother merely as an excuse to make a very self-indulgent, narcissitic film about himself. He doesn't really seem interested in her, other than as an excuse to show how much HE'S suffered, not really about her suffering. While Jonathan had a horrendous childhood, I felt very little sympathy towards him, as he is constantly mugging for the camera in a "feel sorry for me, I'm gay and my mother is insane" way. The man has been taping himself since he was in grammar school, so he's just a tad in love with himself, methinks. Harmony Korine's julien donkey-boy is a film that deals with a schizophernic, and it is much more interesting and artistic than this film (Korine's uncle is a schizophernic). Derek Jarman shot his films in multiple formats similar to this film, like 35mm, 16mm, video, and super8, and weaved the images into an artistic and fascinating tapestry. Kenneth Anger, as well as Jarman, infused a gay sensibility into their films, which Jonathan doesn't do very well. Overall, disappointing, considering critics said it was absolutely brilliant....

Enthralling, painful, profound, cathartic.......2006-06-15

Thoreau said "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." While this may be true of some, others are not so quiet. Caouette has unleashed a tidal wave of agony and angst, at times a shill scream of adolescent suffering, at other times a low moan of early adult-onset life affliction. Truly, many of us know the feeling of wanting to explode and fill the void with the screech of our own inner turmoils, but lack the voice, the means, the mechanisms. For want of a method we seeth silently, voiceless, castrated, invisible. We want to be known and loved and understood and instead we stammer and stutter and fall silent. We pack in our caring and seal our emotions and vulnerabilities behind high walls of rationality and apathy. Or we scribble in diaries or blogs and our hidden solitary torture goes wholly unnoticed.

Caouette has commendably captured in video and audio snippets, in stills and captions, a glimpse into the troubled past that haunts and harasses him. He has undertake a photo collage of his own life experience, himself as the subject matter and the material. I cannot know how much he left on the cutting room floor, what he felt necessary or desireable to expunge, but he seems to have faced it all with remarkable candor and vulnerability. He survived a rural Southern upbringing, a father-less household, poverty, a love of film, and homosexuality. To that potent melange, he added mental illness, abandonment, foster care, PCP, physical and sexual abuse.

I cannot say that I understand his life even after viewing it or that I can even relate to some of the events that shaped him. But through his art I feel that I can say I know a little of him and I can say that I empathize with his pain. I will never walk a mile in his shoes, but I don't think I have to in order to care about the tribulations and fate of another human being. It is his candor and vulnerability, his willingness to expose the deepest parts of his own psyche and say "Here I am, look at me." that makes me care about him. That gives me a reason to watch and wonder, How did he turn out? Seeing the first half of the project, one would be forgiven for thinking "This will end badly." That one of these stark text captions will announce his successful suicide and provide that closing parenthesis to his life: Jonathan Caouette (1975 - 200x). Ultimately, I think he redeemed himself and perhaps transcended his lot in life.

What I saw as the film continued was a man coming to terms with himself and his past. A man demonstrating that he is capable of finding love and connecting with others. A man who did not harbor resentments for the wrongs done to him and his mother, did not harbor a grudge toward his father or grandparents for abandonment or abuse. Rather, I saw a thoughtful, emotional, caring man, a creative artist, a loving partner and a devoted son. His journey is not yet complete, but as the film concluded, I felt a compassion and a sense of optimism, for not just Jonathan, but for all of us.

Good Movie, but DVD is FLAWED.......2006-05-22

On my dvd copy, the Trailer and Special Features buttons are unselectable. Anyone else have this problem?

The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 1: Cool Air

Average customer rating:

An excellent on-screen adaption of Lovecraft's tales
"COOL AIR": A GREAT ADAPTATION OF H.P. LOVECRAFT!
Great feature. Not so great extras.
Excellent - cheesy filmmakers take note
A Feast of Lovecraft material!

The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 1: Cool Air

Manufacturer: Lurker Films, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 3: Out of Mind
The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 2: Rough Magik
The Call of Cthulhu: The Celebrated Story by H.P. Lovecraft
The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 4: Pickman's Model
The Resurrected

Product Features:

Stars Jack Donner ("Star Trek", "Mission Impossible", Stigmata, Exorcism)
Exclusive interviews with the cast and crew of Cool Air
Interview with Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi
Openers from the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival
Informative eight page booklet on Lovecraft and the films.

ASIN: B0006HCT3S

Product Description

The H.P. Lovecraft Collection on DVD brings together for the first time films screened over the last 10 years at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. The first volume is Cool Air, based on Lovecraft's famous short story, and follows Randolph Carter as he moves into a squalid boarding house in the summer of 1925. There he becomes friends with a mysterious doctor who revives him after a near-fatal heart attack. Soon after Carter discovers the awful truth about the doctor, and the fragile line that separates life and death. Cool Air features a stellar performance by Jack Donner (Star Trek, Mission Impossible, Stigmata) as Dr. Muñoz, and remains a haunting reminder of the power of the human will. The volume also includes the following short films: Nyarlathotep, The Hound, An Imperfect Solution, and The Hapless Antiquarian, in addition to exclusive interviews with the cast & crew of Cool Air, and an interview with author and scholar S.T. Joshi. See also Volume 2: Rough Magik and Volume 3: Out of Mind.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent on-screen adaption of Lovecraft's tales.......2007-04-14

The main feature on the disc is "Cool Air", a tale I find to be very underrated. The intense feeling of high temperatures, little time, glimpses of the past and the overhanging feeling of doom is something that is very skilfully captured in this wonderful film. Dr. Munoz is absolutely brilliantly portrayed by his actor, and he really brings the tale to life, but I found the main protagonist to be a very good actor too, and I felt they were both perfect for their respective roles.

The tale is very intense, and the only minor criticism I have of the film is that I honestly felt the director should have made more out of the panic flight all over town to find more ice to keep the doctor's room cold. Just one run and back again in the only "action-scene" in the movie is just not enough, when he could have kept us on the edge of our seats for a few minutes more. That being said, it is absolutely wonderfully true to its source, and I won't say much more about the tale itself, to avoid ruining the film for any prospective readers/viewers.

The bonus material deserves mention in itself, I watched "Nyarlathotep" once, and felt very unsure of what I felt about it afterwards. But after a good night's sleep, I discovered that I had greatly enjoyed the short and very literal adaptation of HPL's tale. It has a very intense and eerie feeling written all over it, and I found it to very skilfully portray its period of time. Another tale is "The Hound", also wonderfully done! Even though it was written with tongue-in-cheek by HPL (something S.T. Joshi informs us of in the very interesting interview with him included on the disc), I found it to be the scariest object on the disc.

The rest of the material included are minor, with an on-screen chapter of "Re-animator" included, but by all means interesting. I enjoyed this part too, and all in all I found this disc to be some of my best spent money ever. Buy it!

"COOL AIR": A GREAT ADAPTATION OF H.P. LOVECRAFT!.......2006-10-06

This is Volume 1., of three DVD's released by Lurker films. "Cool Air," is probably the best story of the lot. There are also some other short stories included in the DVD, which to be honest are not that good, however, they were done in the best spirit of H.P. Lovecraft. They are very amateur short films. On the other hand, "Cool Air" was done in black and white, and shot on 16mm film. Moreover, "Cool Air" alone was worth the price of the DVD. The DVD also comes with an eight page booklet on H.P. Lovecraft. The film itself was shot with a grainy look to give it a look of imperfection that would be expected of a film if it were shot in 1925, which is the year the film takes place. There is no gore, nor is there any horror in this story. If anything it is a tragic tale; and that is a welcome relief for this Lovecraft story: A human tragedy.

Dr. Munoz (Jack Donner) gives an outstanding performance as a man whose life existence must be altered in order to survive: He lives in an artificially cooled room. He can never leave, and must avoid the sun at all costs. Fate brings Dr. Munoz into contact with Randolph Carter (Bryan Moore) a new tenant in the squalid building they both occupy. Randolph Carter is a writer of Pulp magazines. When Randolph has a heart attack, he seeks out the help of Dr. Munoz. As Randolph recuperates, he learns the secret of Dr. Munoz's life. This is a very sad story. And the director, Bryan Moore gives great meaning to this Lovecraft story. The film is now out of print, which is a shame. Recommended if you can locate it. Try Lurker films. [Stars: 4.5]

Great feature. Not so great extras........2005-09-19

I've been gorging myself of Lovecraft lately and decided to give a film version of his work a shot that wasn't "The Necronomicon". "Cool Air" is a wonderful film. The cinematography is wonderful, the actors do a good job in their roles and the story takes on a much more human and sad quality than the original short story it was based on. The making of feature was informative and entertaining in its own right.
Unfortunitely I watched the other shorts on the disc. Maybe I should have watched them first, because after cool air they just look like what they are. Ameteur short films done using Adobe Premier with some very bad costumes and props.
In the end though, I have to say I'm happy I bought it. The shorts are at least good for a little bit of a laugh.

Excellent - cheesy filmmakers take note.......2005-08-17

This was an outstanding rendering of HPL's 'Cool Air'. While I dearly love Re-Animator, this sets the bar for film adaptations of the master's work.

My favorite extra - Dukey Flyswatter in the 'making of' featurette. Hilarious.

A Feast of Lovecraft material!.......2004-11-09

The Story:

Renting a small one room apartment Randolph Carter continues his writing of short stories for pulp magazines. Suddenly he is stricken by a heart attack and seeks assistance from Dr. Muñoz, his upstairs neighbor. Once a prominent physician Dr. Muñoz leads a hermit like existencein a artificially cooled room. While recovering from the attack, Carter learns more and more the secrets of the mysterious doctor and why he has the need for "cool air".

The winner of the 1999 H.P. Lovecraft film festival, Bryan Moore's Cool Air is now available on DVD thanks to Lurker Films.

The Picture:

Cool Air is presented in a full frame 1.37:1 aspect, identical to what it would have been if it was filmed in 1925. Shot on 16mm film, Cool Air has all of the visuals that you would expect from a film of that period. Imperfections are intentional, the film is light and grainy. Since this film was intentionally shot to look like it was 75 years old. I'll give a perfect score for accomplishing it tremendously!

The Sound:

A Dolby 2.0 mono track that is again period driven. You get the feeling that you're thrown back to the era of the silent films and early talkies.

Extras:

Here's where this DVD becomes a invaluable treasure for any H.P. Lovecraft fan! Included are the following:

Christian Matzke's An Imperfection Solution (a short film taken from Herbert West: Re-Animator) and Nyarlathotep (told in Lovecraft's first person narrative style, a story of a prophet with visions into the future).

Anthony Penta's The Hound (a grave robbery unleashes a hound from Hell) and The Hapless Antiquarian (it's not always easy to get rid of the most evil book in the world).

A cast and crew interview about the making of Cool Air.

An informative interview with Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi.

An eight page booklet on Lovecraft and these films.

Two opening ads for the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival.

Put together with the extra's Cool Air becomes a 140 minute plus jammed packed DVD!

Summary:

If you're not familiar with H.P. Lovecraft's influence on the genre of horror, it's about time you learned! A writer in the 20s and 30s, Lovecraft penned short stories for publications such as Weird Tales and Astounding Stories. Dying at a young age, Lovecraft's body of work is becoming more and more appreciated with every new generation. The most famous adaptations of his work have been brought to the big screen by Stuart Gordon with Re-Animator and From Beyond. Other notable Lovecraft adaptations have been The Dunwich Horror and The Terror. Still in print to this day, you can find all of his works in hardcover at Arkham House Publishers.

Cool Air is the start of a multi volume series called "The H.P. Lovecraft Collection". This series will contain the best of the films submitted at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, now entering it's twelve year. Bryan Moore has given this short tale a treatment that is heads above anything previously submitted. From choosing renown actor Jack Donner (Star Trek, Mission Impossible, Stigmata, and Exorcism) to play Dr. Muñoz, to his decision to shoot this on 16mm film, Moore has brought Lovecraft's story to life in a wonderful way! The other shorts included in the collection all reflect the period which they were written realistically thus creating a Lovecraft fan feast of material.

I anxiously await the subsequent volumes and encourage hardcore Lovecraft fans and even novices to buy this collection. If you're not familiar with Lovecraft's works, visit arkhamhouse.com and buy the books. If you're just a fan of the Stuart Gordon treatments, enrich yourself further with this fine collection!

The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 3: Out of Mind

Average customer rating:

An amusing and interesting film with some good content
All bow!!!!!
PROBABLY FOR H.P. LOVECRAFT FANS ONLY!
The best film translation of Lovecraft ever!
A real masterpiece

The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 3: Out of Mind

Manufacturer: Lurker Films, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 2: Rough Magik
The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 1: Cool Air
The Call of Cthulhu: The Celebrated Story by H.P. Lovecraft
The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 4: Pickman's Model
The Resurrected

ASIN: B0007VXYDM

Product Description

The third volume in the H.P. Lovecraft Collection contains some of our favorite Lovecraft inspired films. The sublime Out of Mind seamlessly melds a stealth Lovecraft documentary using dialog based on his numerous personal corespondence, and story fragments from his mythos woven into a single fascinating tapestry. The film also introduces us to Lovecraft the person (through the brilliant characterization by Christopher Heyerdahl). There are lots of in-jokes and references to all things Lovecraftian for the astute fan. Even some iridescent protoplasma shows up but the filmmakers wisely keep their on-screen time very short, hinting at them rather then attempting to gross anyone out. The plot revolves around a modern day artist, Charles Dexter Ward, who inherits a copy of the Necronomicon that casues a series of nightmare excursions into his familial past and to the dream world meeting with Lovecraft himself. The volume also includes John Strysik's The Music of Erich Zann (now with the new 5.1 dolby surround sound mix) and Aaron Vanek's The Outsider & My Necronomicon.

Customer Reviews:

An amusing and interesting film with some good content.......2007-05-05

This is the third film in the series from Lurker Films collecting several minor parts and one relatively major part into a DVD. Being quite disappointed in the previous volume, I was very pleased with this particular one, at least the main feature. It's been adequately reviewed here before, so I won't say much about it, but I felt it was an interesting "experiment" in "mainstreaming" Lovecraft a bit. I absolutely loved the acting by Heyerdahl in portraying Lovecraft's manners and mode of speech, and I quite forgot that it was only an actor. There's not really much of a "story", just fragments of "interviews" with Lovecraft intertwining with some modern day artist that has inherited a most famous book and is having some trouble with this fact. All in all a nice and highly amusing main feature, and the ending was very well made.

The third and final part of the interview with the charismatic Indian-American Lovecraft scholar S. T. Joshi is also included, and is as always highly interesting and the wealth of knowledge which Joshi has inside his head is very impressing. The interviews would be worth the price of the DVD alone, in my opinion, but there were some hints on the DVD that there's going to be a full feature DVD about Lovecraft as a person, so I look forward to that.

I was so disappointed in the short film "The Music of Erich Zann" that was included, being one of my favourite stories by HPL after all. I quite enjoyed everything in the film, but the supposedly spectacular end-scene was turned into something so crude and silly I felt like throwing the DVD in the garbage. I recognize that they were on a limited budget, but this was quite bad. The other minor films included are so silly and non-Lovecraftian that I won't comment much on them. All in all the bonus material was quite poor this time around, but the main feature and the Joshi interview almost redeems this.

Recommended, at least partly!

All bow!!!!!.......2006-12-29

I'm with everybody else. This, made for Canadian TV special is one of the best Lovecraft movies (actually combining a few of his stories to make one movie). Excellent! Cthulhu would be proud. This one definitely is on my collection. If you are a Lovecraft fanatic, get it, you'll like it. It gets four tentacles up PLUS two clicking pincers on the elder god-o-meter.

PROBABLY FOR H.P. LOVECRAFT FANS ONLY!.......2006-10-06

Lurker films have released this 3rd DVD as part of their H.P.Lovecraft collection. This is my favorite of the 3 DVD's that have been issued. As a warning of caution however, these films may not be up everone's alley. This film uses a documentary style of footage of Lovecraft portrayed by (Christopher Heyerdahl) as both a live action portrayal through the use of an interview while he discusses writing and on his opinions. The film intentionally has a grainy look to it in order to give one the impression and look of an old and original footage of Lovecraft. [As far as I know, there is no footage of Lovecraft in existence].

The story itself starts off with Randolph Carter (Art Kitching) who has just inherited a box from an unknown uncle. Inside the box he discovers the book the 'Necronomicon.' Carter then begins to experience two worlds in his dreams where reality crosses lines. In the past he is his uncle. All the while the story takes place, their are scenes of Lovecraft intertwined with the film. It is in this setting that Randolph discovers much about his uncles life.

Included in the film are short stories that Lovecraft wrote, which are the works of novice directors. "The Music of Eric Zahn" is probably the best. Included in the DVD are also "The Outsider", and "My Necronomicon." Once again however, this is not something that many people would be pleased with. I was, however, since there is so little on Lovecraft, and what does exist is not very good, this is a worthy attempt at making his work more accessible. However, I believe only the most diehard Lovecraft fans would enjoy this DVD. Recommended [For Lovecraft fans]

The best film translation of Lovecraft ever!.......2005-10-06

The Story:

The film opens with H.P. Lovecraft (Christopher Heyerdahl) in both live action and interview format discussing his opinions on writing then switches to the story of Randolph Carter (Art Kitching), a young man who has just found that he has inherited a box from a uncle that he never knew he had. Given strict instructions to only open the box while alone, he finds it contains a book called the Necronomicon. Within it's pages are a letter to a professor and two faded pictures, one of his uncle, the other of H.P. Lovecraft.

Speaking some of the words written on back of the picture of his uncle, Carter is then sent on a journey between dreams and reality. When dreaming he is in the past as his uncle, while retaining his own memory. The story is then intertwined with scenes of Lovecraft talking and Carter's own perilous dreams. Discovering as much as he can about his uncle and Lovecraft, Carter must wonder if he is simply a pawn in something much more sinister?

The Picture:

Out of Mind was shot on Super 16mm film and was framed for a 16x9 presentation. However the DVD from Lurker is non-anamorphic, so that viewing on a 16x9 TV will still show the black bars and stretch the images. Also my DVD player indicated that the source for the DVD was from video not the film elements. This is the only criticism you will read from me about this DVD. Having been shot on film, it has the grainy feel that is so enjoyable from 16mm. The colors are a bit faded which works to a tee for the traveling between time. There was times when watching the film you become the camera and move with it through the story. Serge Ladouceur is a veteran cinematographer who does some amazing work on this movie.

The Sound:

Out of Mind is presented in a Dolby 2.0 stereo soundtrack. The music is a perfect companion to the visuals. While on a empty street or looking down a dark tunnel, the sound enhances the image and really make you feel like you are there with the characters. Strangely though, one of the bonus films on the DVD The Music of Erich Zann has a Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. Lack of 5.1 doesn't hamper Out of Mind in any way.

Extras:

As usual Lurker Films goes all out when it comes to extras with their HP Lovecraft collections. There's three short films, The Music of Erich Zann, The Outsider and My Necronomicon. All three are excellent short features and while they in no way rival the main title, they easily could have been the feature of a DVD of their own! S.T. Joshi is also back again for his third in a series of interviews on Lovecraft. There is two commentaries for Out of Mind and a cast interview featurette for The Music of Erich Zann. Lurker also includes some trailers for upcoming films and teasers from the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. In a business where liner notes are becoming a rare item, Lurker gives us an informative eight page booklet on Lovecraft and the films.

An interesting thing to note is the two commentary tracks for Out of Mind. The first includes director Raymond Saint-Jean and star Christopher Heyerdahl, the second has Saint-Jean, Heyerdahl and cinematographer Serge Ladouceur. Personally I like the second one better, both are good though!

Summary:

One of the biggest knocks on the works of Lovecraft is that they don't translate well to the screen. Out of Mind blows that commonly held assumption away! Only Stuart Gordon has ever succeeded in translating to the screen stories from Lovecraft and he did that by making major facelifts to the stories. Even Gordon has not always succeeded in translating Lovecraft and every other director attempting Lovecraft has in my opinion fallen flat on their face. Raymond Saint-Jean in what I can only call genius has taken the man himself, his words, his poems, his personality and brought Lovecraft to life in this film. Mixing an original story with bits and pieces of Lovecraft's stories, Saint-Jean has given us the best adaptation of Lovecraft ever!

During his lifetime Lovecraft was an obscure writer, little known outside of the readers of Weird Tales and Astounding Stories. There's no film or audio record of the man. However Lovecraft, through his correspondence (over 20,000 letters of his are know to exist) gives us a unique look into the man which the tandem of Saint-Jean and Heyerdahl bring to life in a way that is almost erie. While not having much of a budget (the film was funded by the Canadian government and was originally made for the Bravo TV network), Saint-Jean extracts performances from the actors that are exemplary!

This film is a perfect place for those unfamiliar with Lovecraft to start appreciating his work and for those like myself that are hard-core Lovecraft fans, this is the ultimate Lovecraft film. While most films of today rely on what you see and what is said, Out of Mind touches on the true fears that we human beings have. What we fear most is what we can't see, true horror cannot be described in mere words. If H.P Lovecraft was alive today he himself would be humbled by Saint-Jean's adaptation of his stories. Then he would dismiss it as a fluke...... My overall rating 5/5

A real masterpiece.......2005-05-05

I have no doubt that, along with Carpenter's "In the mouth of madness", "Out of mind" is the masterpiece in the weird and fascinating field of the so-called Lovecraftian cinema, being in itself an excellent homage to the man and writer who now peacefully rests at Swan Point Cemetery. It doesn't have the visionary and apocalyptic qualities of Carpenter's movie, but it really expresses the sense of the world and, I dare say, the philosophy conceived by H.P. Lovecraft.

"Out of mind" deals with dreams and reality, life and art, fictional characters meeting their author, in a surprisingly subtle, intelligent and unprecedented way (at least as far as Lovecraft is concerned). Some sequences are really worth of their literary model, even if the movie can't be considered a real adaptation of any of Lovecraft's tales. Seeing the magnificent Heyerdahl playing (somehow "being") Lovecraft, speaking his own words and in his own accent, always leaves me happily amazed. The final sequence is particularly unforgettable and, in a very peculiar way, touching, especially if one, like me, spent some minutes in front of the real grave of Mr. Lovecraft in Providence, RI.

As always in Lurker Films, the dvd is rich in other short movies (John Strysik's "The Music of Erich Zann", a kind of classic in the genre, would deserve another review...), audio comments (two comments for "Out of mind"!), trailers, etc., not to say the most interesting interview with S.T. Joshi. "The Call of Cthulhu" trailer is specially beautiful and funny. By the way, in the useful and well-written booklet of the dvd you find the name Cthulhu written "Cthuhlu": it's not a problem, but maybe in future editions this little mistake could be corrected.

Luca C. Foffano (Milan, Italy)

The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 2: Rough Magik

Average customer rating:

A very disappointing sequel in the HPL Collection
A DECENT ATTEMPT AT H.P. LOVECRAFT!
Lurker Films does it again!
Rough Magik

The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 2: Rough Magik

Manufacturer: Lurker Films, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 3: Out of Mind
The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 1: Cool Air
The Call of Cthulhu: The Celebrated Story by H.P. Lovecraft
The H.P. Lovecraft Collection Volume 4: Pickman's Model
The Resurrected

ASIN: B0006FM01G

Product Description

Plugging nicely into the Delta Green universe, Rough Magik is about The Night Scholars, a clandestine organization setup to monitor the ancient cult of Cthulhu. After decades of compiling an enormous database of arcane information, they have come to a single incontrovertible conclusion: the Sleeping God is waking. Diana Armitage, with the help of her Home Office liaison, the mysterious Mr. Moon (Paul Darrow), launch an aggressive campaign against the Dreamers. This operation, designated the Rough Magik initiative, was successful but they trod on the toes of some powerful people, amidst accusations of financial impropriety and possible treason, and the Night Scholars were disbanded. Now years later, the old magic is returning, the Sleeping God is rising, and there are more Dreamers than Mr. Moon can handle as he struggles to rebuild the Night Scholars before it is too late. Plus: Bob Fugger's Terrible Old Man and From Beyond short films and The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets' music videos. The DVD also contains an audio commentary track by Rough Magik screenwriter/producer Stephen Parsons, interviews with the cast & crew of Terrible Old Man, bonus shorts, and an interview with scholar S.T. Joshi.

Customer Reviews:

A very disappointing sequel in the HPL Collection.......2007-04-14

Having basically loved the previous film; "Cool Air", I was greatly displeased with this particular volume. Being a big HPL-fan since as far back as I can remember, I have always looked forward to the day when good film-adaptations of HPL's literary work would come out. Let me assure you, this was NOT worth the wait. I should tell you that I am unfamiliar with the whole "Delta Green" phenomenon, which I'm told the main feature on the DVD is a spawn of, so I might not be qualified to judge the contents, but I'll give it a shot. I am very familiar with HPL and the "Call of Cthulhu"-RPG, so I will never understand this desire to change and twist his tales so much, just to be able to film it. The way I feel (and many others) is that if you have to change his stories a lot in the making of your film, then perhaps you should just stop right there, and find something else to do, because IMO the stories are like what they were meant to be.

The main feature "Rough Magik" is the first episode of an intended series from England that I don't think were made into more than a pilot, this particular episode was set in the Falkland Islands during the Falklands-war. It is only vaguely "Lovecraftian" in any sense, and I felt it had very little to do with HPL, even though it was not poorly made, I can't see why they would put it on a HPL-DVD!

The only positive extra on the disc is the included part II of the interview with Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi, but sadly here Joshi starts ranting about HPL's racialism, saying that HPL "should have changed his views", because it was folly by Lovecraft according to the Indian miscegenating immigrant (biased anyone?) not to listen to the non-scientific rants coming from the anthropological school of Franz Boas (for an excellent refutation of Boas' work, see Dr. Kevin Macdonald - "The Culture Of Critique" available here at Amazon).

The other short films are a Canadian version of "The Terrible Old Man", this time set in contemporary times, and having horrible effects and acting. I enjoyed the swinging souls in the bottles, (jars used for storing jam in this particular film, but oh well...) but that's about it. The other is a very amateurish adaptation of "From Beyond", with a few nice special effects, but the acting was simply not my cup of tea. Others might feel differently about these short films, but from my point of view they were not very well made.

Another VERY annoying thing with the film is that the sound is so low! I had to turn the volume up like 2/3 more than usual. For some reason they also decided to include some horrible "rock music" on the disc, which was so bad I'm taking away a star just because of this. What on earth does this stuff have to do with HPL?!

One and a half thumb down!

A DECENT ATTEMPT AT H.P. LOVECRAFT! .......2006-10-06

First, as I wrote in the first Lovecraft film issued by Lurker films, these are more directed at fans of H.P. Lovecraft, and may not appeal to many viewer's tastes. In this DVD collection, the main story centers on a group known as 'The Night Scholars,' a clandestine organization which monitors an ancient cult known as Cthulhu. Those familiar with Lovecraft will know the name Cthulhu as being very prominent in his works. Now that the ancient ones are awakening, the Night Scholars are trying to reorganize and learn how to fight the 'Sleeping Ones'

The story follows along the lines that The Night Scholars believe that this ancient God is awakening. Therefore, they send Mr. Moon (Paul Darrow) as an investigator to find out how, and why this is happening. The Dreamers are those who are beginning to awaken. The Dreamers are people who have fallen under the spell [in a word] of the ancient cult. One of the former member's of the Night Scholars is also a dreamer. Yet, he is capable of resisting the call of 'The Sleeping God.' This story is taken from Lovecraft's "Call of Cthulhu. Included in the DVD are also some short stories done by novice directors. All in all, not bad. But for certain tastes only. [Stars: 3.5]

Lurker Films does it again!.......2005-02-11

The Story:

In a party-like setting, a young mother sacrifices her two children to an idol of the "Sleeping God". It is discovered that the woman is a "dreamer", and that she has fallen under the spell of the "Sleeping God". This sets off a chain of events where the "Night Scholars", a secret British Intelligence organization is reactivated to investigate the possibility that the "Sleeping God" is awakening! The mysterious Mr. Moon (Paul Darrow) is called in to investigate, he takes in for questioning psychiatrist Kenneth Reese Warren (Gerrard McArthur).

Warren, a former member of the "Night Scholars" is also a "dreamer" who through the use of a occult symbol called the Sigil, can block the "Sleeping God" from influencing him. Using experimental truth drugs, Moon interrogatesWarren and takes him back to a time when serving in the Falklands war, where Warren came across the Sigil. Warren recounts the bloody events of the war and his introduction to a man, possessed by one of the "Old Ones", who first showed him how to block the"Sleeping God"

Taken from Lovecraft's "Call of Cthulhu", Rough Magik is set in a world of Delta Green. Based on the popular role-playing game published by Chaosium, Inc.

The Picture:

Rough Magik was originally filmed as a pilot for the BBC. It is present in a non anamorphic widescreen and displays an above average picture quality compared to many of the films submitted at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. While a good portion of the film includes scenes at night, the high production values provide a clear and sharp image.

The Sound:

The DVD contains a Dolby 2.0 Stereo track which is clear and free is hiss or distortion. There's some pretty good sound effects in the scenes where there's combat in the Falklands clips.

Extras:

Once again Lurker Films has given us a feast of Lovecraft material. This is what separates them from most small DVD producers. A commentary track, film shorts, interviews and even music videos are included in this collection. My rating 5/5

Special Features:

Audio commentary by writer/producer Stephen Parsons

Bob Fugger's Terrible Old Man and From Beyond short films

Interviews with the cast and crew of Terrible Old Man

The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets music videos

The second of a continuing interview with Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi

Openers from the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival

An extremely informative eight page booklet on the film and H.P. Lovecraft

Summary:

I was wondering how Lurker Films could outdo their first collection of films from the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, a DVD that I enjoyed tremendously. I am pleased to say they did not suffer from the sophomore jinx! This is indeed a fantastic package they have put together. The main feature is a top notch entry in the Cthulhu mythos genre. Parson's selection of fine actors and his well written script make this a extremely entertaining flick. It is sad however, that the BBC did not pick this up for a series though.

The two shorts by Bob Fugger are also extremely entertaining. The Terrible Old Man short is a modern version of Lovecraft's tale and in this adaptation three criminals take the old man as a easy mark when they see him playing a game of play and touch with a attractive young waitress. Boy are they mistaken! In the second short From Beyond, Fugger remains faithful to the original story by Lovecraft. The narrator takes us to his visit with Crawford Tillinghast who shows him the resonator and exposes him to the sights he can see "from beyond". Forget what you have seen in the Stuart Gordon film of the same name while watching this one. It's the closest adaptation I have seen to the original story. Both of these short films hit the mark and provide chills and in the case of the Terrible Old Man, some intentional humor!

The music videos are hard metal dedications to Cthulhu mythos, while not my cup of tea musically, good for some smiles. The commentary by Parsons for Rough Magik is a little dry in spots, but worthwhile neverless. The interviews with the cast of Terrible Old Man are entertaining and informative. Add part two of the interview with S.T. Joshi, this is once again a feast for fans of H.P. Lovecraft. I can't wait for collection three to come! My overall rating 5/5

Rough Magik.......2005-01-02

Do you like HP Lovecraft? Do you like the X-files? Do you like the role playing game Delta Green? Then you're going to really enjoy this collection of movies. ROUGH MAGIK is a BBC TV PILOT starring PAUL DARROW, who played Kerr Avon on BLAKE 7. DARROW's character in ROUGH MAGIK is a hard edged investigator, Mr. Moon, who works for a clandestine goverment organization, which covertly monitors cult activity. Mr. Moon is called in when a large number of people fall under the mind control of the SLEEPING GOD CTHULHU.

Also on this disk, is a great little horror film, which turns up on late night Canadian TV from time to time, called: THE TERRIBLE OLD MAN, based on the short story by H.P. LOVECRAFT. I don't think it has ever been shown in the USA. A real treat for someone like myself who has been looking for faithful adaptations of Lovecraft's work.

All in all this DVD appears to be a real labor of love; and is simply chocked full of extras, including an interview with Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi

Average customer rating:

Innsmouth in Spain
A Good (g*u*l*p) SLICE of Lovecraft
Very different story line
rules
All hail Cthulhu!!!!

Dagon [Region 2]
Starring: Ezra Godden , Francisco Rabal , Raquel Meroño , Macarena Gómez , and Brendan Price
Director: Stuart Gordon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Resurrected
The Call of Cthulhu: The Celebrated Story by H.P. Lovecraft
In the Mouth of Madness
Castle Freak
H.P. Lovecraft's Bride of Re-Animator

ASIN: B000171RWC

Customer Reviews:

Innsmouth in Spain.......2007-04-23

A Good (g*u*l*p) SLICE of Lovecraft.......2007-04-22

Very different story line.......2007-01-14

rules.......2007-01-10

cult of fish god,dagon need sacrifices-people turning into fish zombies,you can't go wrong with this one

All hail Cthulhu!!!!.......2006-12-29

Average customer rating:

Innsmouth in Spain
A Good (g*u*l*p) SLICE of Lovecraft
Very different story line
rules
All hail Cthulhu!!!!

Dagon
Starring: Ezra Godden , Francisco Rabal , Raquel Meroño , Macarena Gómez , and Brendan Price
Director: Stuart Gordon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Resurrected
The Call of Cthulhu: The Celebrated Story by H.P. Lovecraft
In the Mouth of Madness
Castle Freak
H.P. Lovecraft's Bride of Re-Animator

ASIN: B000068QK8

Customer Reviews:

Innsmouth in Spain.......2007-04-23

A Good (g*u*l*p) SLICE of Lovecraft.......2007-04-22

Very different story line.......2007-01-14

rules.......2007-01-10

cult of fish god,dagon need sacrifices-people turning into fish zombies,you can't go wrong with this one

All hail Cthulhu!!!!.......2006-12-29

Average customer rating:

Innsmouth in Spain
A Good (g*u*l*p) SLICE of Lovecraft
Very different story line
rules
All hail Cthulhu!!!!

Dagon [Region 2]
Starring: Ezra Godden , Francisco Rabal , Raquel Meroño , Macarena Gómez , and Brendan Price
Director: Stuart Gordon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items: