Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Cthulhu Tuesday - The Wrong Medium

Every now and again, I do a web search for "Lovecraft news", just to see what comes up. Among the finds this time were these DVD reviews:

H. P. Lovecraft's From Beyond
Regina Leader-Post


Sporting cheap and often laughable special effects, this film presumably expected to horrify people with its alien-like creature bursting through a skull and other "scary" special effects. But even by 1986 standards, the effects are fake-looking, as are the blood and guts that are scattered liberally through the film, and it's considerably less scary than it is funny.

...Entirely forgettable, From Beyond has little to offer other than laughs at its campiness, and a reminder of how low-budget filmmaking by those with higher aspirations looked, back in the day.



H.P. Lovecraft's the Tomb
REEL ADVICE


I resolve to never again knowingly write about anything that Ulli Lommel does.

Lommel's The Tomb defies explanation. He's locked a bunch of people in that all-too-familiar warehouse set of his and let them run around in a vaguely Saw kind of atmosphere as they try to accomplish the ludicrous task of figuring out why they're there in the first place and the much more rational task of trying to get out alive.



I'd like to recommend that you forego these gems and try an audio-drama adaptation of H. P. Lovecraft's works. The special effects in your own mind are much better than anything Hollywood can build.

Modesty forbids me from pointing out that one popular source makes its latest live production, The Colour Out of Space, available for free download.

And if that one satisfies, there's a five-part adaptation of The Shadow Over Innsmouth featuring author (and gifted actor) Harlan Ellison, also for free.

For now...

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Cthulhu Tuesday - The Nameless Dread


The woman who originally mashed-up The Family Circus and H. P. Lovecraft has taken the images down, reportedly to avoid fame for the wrong reasons. One or two of them can still be found, though, and I have no such reservations. Beer & Meat had this one.

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Podcast 71 - To Dine With the Devil - Repeat

Hey, folks, another rerun this week, but fear not...plans are afoot to bring you new material in a more timely fashion. Plus, possible new podcast-only material! Stay tuned!

To Dine with the Devil

by Ivan Turgenev
Adapted for Audio by Joyce Leigh
Performed Live at Sci Fi Summer 2003 in Atlanta, Georgia

The old Russian proverb states:
"Those who dine with the devil may end up on the menu."

If you like H.P. Lovecraft, you'll love this....Not for the squeamish.

Credits:

Voice Talent (in alphabetical order): David Benedict, Phil Carter, Doug Kaye, Clair Kiernan, Daniel Kiernan, Joyce Leigh, Trudy Leonard
Original Music by Alton Leonard and Brad Weage
Directed by Doug Kaye
Sound Engineering by David Carter and William Alan Ritch assisted by Ray Spitz
Sound Effects by Henry Howard
Live Foley by Lili and Sonya and assisted by Anthony Fuller

Direct download: ARTC71-DineDevil-R.mp3