Die Farbe

This is a well-done adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's "The Colour out of Space". The biggest disappointments come from some poor production choices, but if you set these aside there isn't much to complain about. The story is set in Germany and effectively recreates the layered narration typical to so many HPL stories. The minor liberties taken with the story are thoughtful and even enhance the tale a bit. I'd put this on par with the 2005 silent-film "The Call of Cthulhu" as one of the best HPL adaptations ever made. Definitely check it out if you are a fan of Lovecraft or of understated horror.

If you're looking for a more in-depth review, there are plenty on the web, and I've found most to be on-point and accurate.

This one should be on the list of anyone who loves Lovecraft. While this one doesn't have any of the more well known Mythos in it...it's a measured telling of what is actually a Tale of the Unknown more than it is a Horror Story.

The use of Black & White may look cheap, but it fits with the tone and tenor of the era that it was set in. Color TV did not exist then. The CGI may look simple...but the focus of the story is the people and the 'Colour'. Sometimes when the FX is stunning...you only see the FX and not the story. And Good Horror is more than simply good CGI.

The Telling of the story as a mix of English and German with Subtitles was a different experience, but it didn't subtract from the tale, because the story moves slowly enough that the subtitles are there long enough to be read and become pseudo-invisible. Besides, a hallmark of Lovecraft is that most of the stories are a RE-TELLING of past events thru the witness's eyes and memory Again-- this one is a slower, langourous story. Told through the eyes of the German farmboy who grew up when the meteor came down. And I dare say, the film makers polished and filled in some of the blanks of the original short story. There is no scientific explication by any of the characters here, but you will see that what happened was the intersection of the Earthly with the UN-Earthly...and unfortunately and tragically for the people in the valley...the presence of the Unearthly is just simply inimical to earthbound Life.

This one is good for a Late, after midnight viewing on Saturday night.

The black and white German movie "Die Farbe (The Color)" from 2010 is made after the short story "The Color Out of Space" from 1927 by Howard Phillips Lovecraft and it is one of the best adaptations of this author. The story itself has an interesting premise, but it doesn't leave a particularly strong impression as almost nothing is happening. However, in terms of the story, I did not even have high expectations, because I read Lovecraft's original and there is also an emphasis almost solely on the atmosphere. Excellent black and white cinematography, directing, and peculiarly striking sound quite well convey Lovecraft's dark atmosphere from the very beginning. The idea to adapt this story in black and white is a very effective solution, because in the color film it is impossible to show nonexistent color, and virtually any color inserted in the movie after an hour of building colorless environment can be perceived as "the color out of space." I recommend that you watch the movie in complete silence, preferably with the headphones, because the sound is convincingly the most powerful element of this movie. Sounds that logically should be in the background, like ticking of the clock, the wind, the drumming of the rain on the window, creaking floorboards underfoot and the like, here are clearly highlighted and cause discomfort to the viewer, who may not even realize what disturbs him. I only realized it when I put the headphones, after twenty minutes of the movie. In my case, the strongest effect has been achieved by the omnipresent buzzing of insects, which varies from the background noise to the feeling that some pterodactyl just passed through my brain, and without which the film would be significantly less eerie. This film contains elements of science fiction, horror, drama, and mystery, but none of these genres describe it properly. I think it would be best to describe it only as a quality adaptation of Lovecraft, because in the literature he is also a genre for itself.

8/10

I like this more than any other Lovecraft story brought to film yet. Matter of fact I like it just fine. Crazy good tension, crazy good grasp on my attention - like an iron grip. I couldn't look away. The lovely dark b&w look served nicely to darken the mood mightily and also to set off the color out of space dramatically. I do have feelings about the color, though. I would have liked to see something a little more exotic. Are we to believe that Bavarian yokels never heard of purple before? Could be. To quote my dearly departed daddy, could be. My only other beef is with the epilogue. Those Lovecraftian stories always have a logue, whether pro or epi, that seems to me to serve no purpose but to date the story - what?

There is no question that this is one of this best, if not the best, example of bringing Lovercraftian horror into the visual spectrum. HP's stories are hard enough on their own to decipher what the characters are seeing and experiencing throughout their descent into madness or as a horrified listener of a tale spun by a veteran of Eldritch terrors. However, Huan Vu has done an amazing job at interpreting and presenting The Colour Out of Space. A story that is arguably one that is the most nebulous! The CG, while hokey at times, does what it needs to - but it doesn't detract much from the presentation itself given that this is not a Hollywood budgeted film. The choice of shooting in black and white for 2010 was a really good choice, especially in trying to convey the madness and atmosphere without specifically mentioning how horrible the situation is becoming for the Garteners. Stop motion also plays a nice role in showing decay and adding a subtle grotesqueness to scenes in which it is utilized. I really enjoyed all of the characters and especially the representation Mrs. Gartener's descent into madness as portrayed by Marah Schneider..very creepy and very affecting.

Honestly, if you have an reverence for this story I would give this movie a chance. I would highly recommend reading the story first before seeing the movie as to have a good anchor point. Overall, it stands high above other adaptations such as Dagon, Call of Cthulhu, Castle Freak and Re-Animator in it's cohesion and narrative justice.