In my opinion HP Lovecraft is more than just Cthulhu and tentacle monsters, the true genius behind his story telling lay in the psychological degradation of societies, people, and how religion itself takes advantage of those with mental illness where their community, friends and family and health professionals have failed them. Lovecraft was a master at building atmosphere and basically the father of our modern day thriller genre. So step right up one and all grab your wellies and your rain slicker, done your gills and grab your copy of the Necronomicon you're in for a bumpy night!
The Haunted Palace 1963 For marketing reasons, director Roger Corman named this film after an Edgar Allan Poe poem, but it is actually based on Lovecraft's The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Vincent Price stars as Charles Dexter Ward and Lon Chaney, Jr. stars as Simon Orne, but even these veteran actors can't raise this film very far above average. Instead of Price acting in a dual role as both Ward and Joseph Curwen, the spirit of Curwen possesses him. youtu.be/2VmmvBq6U4c
Die, Monster Die! 1965 Also known as Monster of Terror, this film takes Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space" and emphasizes the science-fiction aspects rather than the horror. Boris Karloff stars as scientist Nahum Witley, as opposed to farmer Nahum Gardner. youtu.be/psOfe41Gq-I
The Shuttered Room 1967 Susannah Kelton, a newly-married twentysomething who was raised in foster care in the big city, learns that her real parents have only recently died and left all of their property to her. She and her husband, Mike, travel to the island of Dunwich off the coast of Massachusetts to inspect the property. They find a local culture that is clannish, backward and ignorant. The few friends they make amongst the locals, including Susannah's Aunt Agatha, warn them that the family mill is cursed and urge the Keltons to leave immediately and never look back. Refusing to bow to superstition, the Keltons consider rehabilitating the abandoned mill. They become the target of a gang of local thugs led by Susannah's lecherous cousin, Ethan. Their reign of terror is ended by something still living in the shuttered attic room of the mill, something that caused Susannah nightmares as a child. This film is based on Lovecrafts story of the same name, it was supposed to be set in America but was really shot in Norfolk England. youtu.be/nJpf8nqgBTw
Although Lovecraft is uncredited in this next film, Curse of the Crimson Alter, it is based on his story "The dreams in the witch house" where Robert Manning pays a visit to the remote country house his now missing brother was last heard from. While his host is outwardly welcoming - and his niece more demonstrably so - Manning detects a feeling of menace in the air with the legend of Lavinia Morley, Black Witch of Greymarsh, hanging over everything. But hey its got Christopher Lee in it! youtu.be/wk3GhToRc44
Now for one of my favorite Lovecraftian films, The Dunwich Horror from 1970. All this movie needed to be complete was a Kinsey Acid test orgy and the Gang of Scooby Doo to be complete. It has that terrible psychadelia vision over the tripped out monster, a spooky old house that would make Vincent Price proud and pantomimed sex scene between the sacrificial virgin and an invisible monster. youtu.be/tM8EbSvNFqg
The Thing by John Carpenter was loosely based on Lovecraft's From the Mountains of Madness and Who goes There? by John W. Cambell. However I am saving this movie for my Body Snatchers Octoberween.
From Beyond 1986 From Beyond is about a couple of scientists, Jeffrey Combs and Ted Sorrel, attempting to stimulate the pineal gland with a device called The Resonator. Unfortunately, their experiments open a door to another dimension and the creatures there are not very friendly. They proceed to drag Ted Sorrel into their world but return him as a grotesque shape-changing monster that tries to kill everyone at the laboratory. youtu.be/RbyfIs4bf-E
This next movie stars Will Wheaton, no one else just Will Wheaton. There are other actors of course but really your watching this for the Wheaton. youtu.be/wd3H-bSbrOQ In this second adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's story "The Colour out of Space," a huge, glowing meteorite falls on a farm in Tellico Plains, Tennesse. After the meteorite melts into the soil, strange mutations occur on the farm. The fruit and livestock become filled with maggots, cabbage and chickens become filled with green slime, and certain members of the farm family become swollen, slime-drooling mutants. Now two of the farmer's children who wisely avoided the meteorite's contamination seek outside help.
Since I already mentioned Re-Animator I thought I would post an Audiobook of the original story. youtu.be/s_VZHz5xox8
The Unnamable 1988 Little more than a monster-kills-teenagers-having-sex movie, this film does manage to incorporate a few Lovecraftian references and the Necronomicon, although its relationship to Lovecraft's "The Unnamable" are minimal. youtu.be/9rm_cKzAKZg
The Resurrected 1992 Based on Lovecraft's The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, this film is perhaps the most faithful Lovecraft film to date. Directed by Dan O'Bannon (who wrote the script for Alien) and starring Chris Sarandon (The Sentinel and The Princess Bride) as Charles Dexter Ward and Joseph Curwen. The scenes in the tunnels beneath Curwen's house are especially impressive. youtu.be/8l7kWzMsjpk
Castle Freak 1995 Castle Freak is based on one my favorite short stories by Lovecraft called The Outsider. A family inherits a castle after a Duches passes away. Little does the family know that the Duchess had a son that she locked away and abused his entire life in the dungeon of the castle. The castle freak escapes and starts to kill people in the castle. youtu.be/U4yagiSnSPU
Dark Haritage a 1989 film based on The lurking fear, Following a violent storm, a small campsite in the Southern states is found littered with mutilated bodies. Journalist Clint Harrison investigates and learns of a family called the Dansens who kept a terrible secret. Resolving to get to the bottom of things, Harrison and his buddies decide to spend the night in the abandoned Dansen home with the result that there are more deaths, and Harrison finds out a terrible truth: he is related to the Dansens. youtu.be/53JyMWIqgy0
also based on the lurking fear is the 1997 movie Bleeders John (Roy Dupuis) and Kathleen (Kristin Lehman) Strauss are a couple attempting to uncover the secret to John's rare blood disease. Along the way, they encounter Dr. Marlowe (Rutger Hauer), who is intrigued by the case. Little do they know that the island which they are about to set foot upon is home to the Van Dam family, mutant-like creatures who have become deformed and bloodthirsty from centuries of inbreeding. Their mutation began with their relative Eva Van Dam, who had an incestuous relationship with her twin brother. Also, they are fully functioning hermaphrodites, capable of reproducing with themselves. Conveniently, they need to survive on (dead or alive) human flesh.
John eventually discovers that he is in fact a Van Dam, who was born normal looking, and was therefore allowed into normal society. His rare blood disease stems from the fact that he needs human flesh and sex with his siblings in order to function properly. youtu.be/PalVfCD50EM
If you havent seen the masters of horror series, I'm sorry A wonderful series where the top names in horror take on various short stories and terrifying tales. The following directed by Stuart Gordon is adapted from the short story "The Dreams in the Witch House" youtu.be/oJnz63iJlDo
The Whisperer in Darkness is a 2011 independent film based on the H. P. Lovecraft short story of the same name, directed and produced by Sean Branney, Andrew Leman, and David Robertson and distributed by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. It was shot using Mythoscope blend of vintage and modern filming techniques intended to produce the look of a 1930s-era film. Wilmarth, uncovers an attempt by collaborators (or cultists) to open a gateway between Yuggoth and Earth. He foils the plot with the help of an added character, Hannah, the child of one of the collaborators. youtu.be/pd5gWGfnK5M
1993 Necronomicon An anthology of three tales, with an unintentionally laughable wrapper story called "The Library" featuring Jeffrey Combs as Lovecraft himself. Combs obtains a copy of the Necronomicon and is apparently reading these three tales from it! The first segment, "The Drowned," is based very loosely on "The Rats in the Walls" and has a few genuinely atmospheric moments – but no rats! The second segment, "The Cold," is based a little more solidly on "Cool Air" and stars David Warner, but a female protagonist was added. The last segment, "Whispers," was supposedly based on "The Whisperer in Darkness", but apparently underwent so much revision that the resemblance was lost. youtu.be/peedDOQwTEY
2001 brought us Dagon A young couple, after having boat trouble, come to an old fishing village on an island. The locals do not like strangers on their island because their secret religion might be revealed. They prey to an ancient god called Dagon, and have freakish half fish, half human offspring. And Despite the cold painted tinfoil crown it was a very good movie and one I highly recommend. youtu.be/fjN3ztEL9Cg
Then my no. #1 pick of the day is 1994's in the mouth of madness, Trent is hired to investigate the disappearnce of a famous Horror Author, Sutter Canne. After reading several of the novels, Trent starts to hallucinate and have nightmares of monsters and deformed people. Trent decides to try and find Hobb's End, a fictional town in the novels and ends up in another dimension where his nightmares start to come true. youtu.be/fitU66jq6GQ
Speaking of the Necronomicon "Shop smart, shop S-Mart!"....you know what I'm talkin about, not only does this film build an entire series around the necronomicon but it also stars our "pin up the day" Bruce Campbell! youtu.be/wXpjFAisVvY
For those of you who are not aware there is a great web-comic out there named "Hello Cthulhu" www.hello-cthulhu.com/
In my house hold we don't sing just normal Christmas carols we sing Cthulhu and Lovecraft inspired Christmas Carols!
- My favorite! youtu.be/XFo4jbqe_2Y
- another one of my favorites youtu.be/7mbc8JR9Nds
Games of the day are Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth youtu.be/AfQ-Xqt-d0Aand Cthulhu Saves the World youtu.be/0YlLNoLrwks
However despite all of these wonderful stories, songs, games, movies and comics my favorite hands down is H. P Lovecraft poem Nathicana Enjoy! youtu.be/aaKDuCgPTwsIt was in the pale garden of Zais;
The mist-shrouded gardens of Zais,
Where blossoms the white naphalot,
The redolent herald of midnight.
There slumber the still lakes of crystal,
And streamlets that flow without murm'ring;
Smooth streamlets from caverns of Kathos
Where broodth the calm spirits of twilight.
And over the lakes and the streamlets
Are bridges of pure alabaster,
White bridges all cunningly carven
With figures of fairies and daemons.
Here glimmer strange suns and strange planets,
And strange is the crescent Bnapis
That sets 'yong the ivy-grown ramparts
Where thicken the dusk of the evening.
Here fall the white vapours of Yabon;
And here in the swirl of vapours
I saw the divine Nathicana;
The garlanded, white Nathicana;
The slow-eyed, red-lipped Nathicana;
The silver-voiced, sweet Nathicana;
The plae-rob'd, belov'd Nathicana.
And ever was she my beloved,
From ages when time was unfashioned
Now anything fashion'd but Yabon.
And here dwelt we ever and ever,
The innocent children of Zais,
At peace in the paths and the arbours,
White-crowned with the blest nephalote.
How oft would we float in the twilight
O'er flow'r-cover'd pastures and hillsides
All white with the lowly astalthon;
The lowly yet lovely astalthon,
And dream in a world made of dreaming
The dreams that are fairer than Aidenn;
Bright dreams that are truer than reason!
So dreamed and so lov'd we thro' ages,
Till came the cursed season of Dzannin;
The daemon-damn'd season of Dzannin;
When red shone the suns and the planets,
And red leamed the crescent Banapis,
And red fell the vapours of Yabon.
Then redden'd the blossoms and streamlets
And lakes that lay under the bridges,
And even the calm alabaster
glowed pink with uncanny reflections
Till all the carv'd fairies and daemons
Leer'd redly from the backgrounds of shadow.
Now redden'd my vision, and madly
I strove to peer thro' the dense curtain
And glimpsed the divine Nathicana;
The pure, ever-pale Nathicana;
The lov'd, the unchang'd Nathicana.
But vortex on vortex of madness
Beclouded my labouring vision;
My damnable, reddening vision
That built a new world for my seeing;
Anew world of redness and darkness,
A horrible coma call'd living
So now in this come call'd living
I view the bright phantons of beauty;
The false hollow phantoms of beauty
That cloak all the evils of Dzannin.
I view them with infinite longing,
So like do they seem to my lov'd one:
Yet foul for their eyes shines their evil;
Their cruel and pitilessevil,
More evil than Thaphron and Latgoz,
Twice ill fro its gorgeous concealment.
And only in slumbers of midnight
Appears the lost maid Nathicana,
The pallid, the pure Nathicana
Who fades at the glance of the dreamer.
Again and again do I seek her;
I woo with deep draughts of Plathotis,
Deep draughts brew'd in wine of Astarte
And strengthen'd with tears of long weeping.
I yearn for the gardens of Zais;
The lovely, lost garden of Zais
Where blossoms the white nephalot,
The redolent herald of midnight.
The last potent draught am I brewing;
A draught that the daemons delight ih;
A drught that will banish the redness;
The horrible coma call'd living.
Soon, soon, if I fail not in brewing,
The redness and madness will vanish,
And deep in the worm-people'd darkness
Will rot the base chains that hav bound me.
Once more shall the gardens of Zais
Dawn white on my long-tortur'd vision,
Andthere midst the vapours of Yabon
Will stand the divine Nathicana;
The deathless, restor'd Nathicana
whose like is not met with in living.
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