Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown

Unfortunately, if you've ever read anything about Lovecraft's life, this documentary will probably end up leaving you wanting something a bit more in depth. For one thing, the Wikipedia entry on Lovecraft is actually quite good. It covers everything that this documentary covers, and you get the benefit of seeing citations. The interviews aren't really all that great, but you do get to hear some interesting people talk about a subject that interests them. If you're watching this documentary, then you probably share that same interest.

Unlike some other reviewers, I'm not sure that this is a good introduction to Lovecraft. The documentary assumes that you have at least passing familiarity with each story, though it usually does give a very brief synopsis. I would have preferred that they had either gone much more in depth, with actual literary criticism (they had S.T. Joshi there, after all) or done more of a beginner's introduction.

In the end, I can't really recommend this for either beginners or fanatics. It occupies an awkward middle ground: those who have read the stories but don't really know much about Lovecraft. Thus, I recommend it mostly for the interviews. One of the interviewees is a complete ass, going on some rant about "islamofascism" in the middle of the documentary. I can't believe they left that in, yet they barely got any comments at all from John Carpenter. And this is right after going on about the Lovecraft's xenophobia and racism. Amazing.

Not sure seasoned fans will gain much here, but newcomers will surely get a good grasp on what drove Lovecraft to write. Was nice listening to modern authors and filmmakers give their views on him and some of the shared illustrations are the doc's highlights.

H.P. Lovecraft is an influential American horror writer. In 1893, his father goes insane and eventually dies from syphilis. His mother Sarah would smother her only child to a disturbing level. The Lovecrafts are an old English family. His maternal grandfather is a wealthy industrialist who encouraged him to read. His weak nature kept him out of school much of the time. His loneliness and insecurities fostered by his mother led him to a warped imagination of a disturbing hidden world of horrors. His grandfather dies and family fortune is lost. He falls further into isolation and depression only to be rescued by his pulp writings. His amateur journalism reveals a xenophobia but garners a loyal following. This allows his disturbing tales with an overwrought baroque style to be printed. He would struggle financially throughout his life.

This is a functional biopic detailing Lovecraft's life. It's laid out in a straight forward manner with narration. There are lots of talking heads with a few recognizable faces. This is a traditional doc that is on the lower budget level. This is fine for the general public and a good overall view for fans.

Fantastic documentary for anyone looking to learn a little more about Lovecraft. Steller choices of interviewees from filmmakers such as John Carpenter and Stuart Gordon to horror literary icons such as Ramsey Campbell and Peter Straub, and of course the ultimate Lovecraft scholar S. T. Joshi.

Highly recommended.

"Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown" is a nice documentary about author Howard Philips Lovecraft's life. And this particular documentary is a great introduction to the force behind some of the most influential horror writings in the 20th century.

As an avid fan of Lovecraft's writing, and finding many of the films based on his work interesting as well, I sat down to watch this documentary and found it to be quite good. You were given bits and pieces of the author's past and history, bits and pieces which you may or may not already have been familiar with. But regardless, "Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown" is a great introduction for new fans of his timeless works.

The documentary has appearances by some of the more influential horror writers and movie directors of the 21st century, giving their input and adding to the story. Which I found to be a nice touch.

Of course, "Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown" is a piece that is intended for fans of H. P. Lovecraft, and if you sit down to watch this documentary without knowing what it is, you might be sorely disappointed, because this is not for everyone to enjoy.

"Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown" also delves into the Cthulhu mythos to stir up enough interest for new audiences to spark a flame of interest. And for us well-read fans, the documentary does bring about some interesting facts.

As a fan of Lovecraft, I found "Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown" to be a good supplement to the books on my bookshelves. And if you enjoy Lovecraft's works, then watch this documentary. And if you are a fledgling fan in the works, then "Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown" is a good introduction to the fabulous works of one of the greatest authors in the horror genre.