Cool Air

2.5 of 10. You don't want to be stuck in a theater with nowhere to go when watching this, but not because it's scary. Despite its shortness, it feels painfully slow and I needed to increase the playback rate to get through.

The acting and the FX are not at fault in this. The story and script simply have nothing of interest to share. Worse, obvious parts that needed updating to adjust for the age of the story it's based upon didn't get updated. Setting the leftovers of the 1980s in decay and the thin, white Apple notebook computer is a clear indication they wanted to provide a modern interpretation.

Instead, it feels like a late 1940s/early 50s Hollywood script using tricks to hide the lack of substance. At best, an addition to an existing TV soap opera where the expectations and quality are already low.

I was drawn to Cool Air due to my love of the works of H P Lovecraft, his works were intricately woven and though not familiar with this particular tale I felt confident.

Sadly I keep forgetting that folks have the nasty habit of butchering his material and that I've seen a laundry list of adaptations that have been less than flattering.

Cool Air is possibly the worst of the bunch, it tells the story of a man who moves into a building with mysterious lodger that peaks his interest. The plot beyond that is disjointed, barely followable and incoherent at it's best.

Lovecraft has done so much fantastic work, why does it keep falling into the hands of the least competent individuals?

Awful stuff, do not be tempted by it being a Lovecraft adaptation you WILL be disappointed.

The Good:

It's Lovecraft

The Bad:

Plot is an absolute mess

Audio quality is terrrible

Simply looks cheap

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

The writers don't know what an oxymoron is

The original Lovecraft tale was set in a period when there was so much left to the readers imagination and life experiences were much more inside the head than experienced in reality. The world of the mind Lovecraft so exquisitely created has rarely if ever been duplicated in films of his works. With Cool Air we have maybe the very best adaptation ever because it doesn't attempt to show us what we fear or manipulate us with shocks or sounds. Instead this movie pulls the viewer into his or her imagination. And that is where we experience Lovecraft's sad, morbid tale of how far we will go to hold onto life or lives. The film makes your skin crawl and I found myself actually forgetting to breath. You hold everything so tightly and its almost unbearable tense, yet very moving. You really feel Lovecraft here and not some crazy "interpetation". Bravo to the writer for being a conduit for Lovecraft's world and actors for making you forget that these are performances. They create an almost documentary feel to the characters so you really believe in every moment. Not to be missed if you love Lovecraft!

The story in itself is good, but the script lacks any tension build up. Mostly because the acting is very animated and unrealistic. Just like the very, very bad voice over (voice overs in Horror movies do not work) The soundtrack makes the whole thing even worse, like a low quality 80's soft porn movie. There is not a flinch of tension, terror or horror in it. Even a 3th year old would be bored. Also the house interior lacks character just like the actors. No interesting camera angles, no special lighting effects. It is very bland. With the location, so much more could have been done. Because the exterior of the house does work. The whole does not do justice to the original story, Hopefully someone will make a good adaption more in the line of insidious.

The movie has flaws, some bigger than others, but in the end it is a decent, well acted, well written adaptation of Lovecraft's short story with the same name.

If you know Lovecraft you know how difficult it is to transform his writing into film. The 2006 adaptation does this well by translating 1923's New York to an isolated place close to L.A. in the 2000s, Dr. Munoz to a woman and adding more characters. I expected poor acting from the mainly unknown cast, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that they all did a very good job.

Unfortunately, this could not really fill the entire length of a full movie so that film feels unbearably drawn out. This could have been a really enjoyable 40 minute short, but instead it lasts for one hour and seventeen minutes of narrating slowly and the same melody playing incessantly in the background.

Bottom line: a decent adaptation of a Lovecraftian short story that is not related to the Chtulhu mythos. The element of romantic tension and the various characters that were added were refreshing and enhanced the story. Everybody played well and it felt like a filmed play. Unfortunately the movie suffers from terrible pacing and it would have benefited from a shorter cut.