Color Out of Space

We were all excited about this year's H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival (HPLFF) and the Pacific NW premier of Richard Stanley's colourful Color Out of Space adaption of Lovecraft's famous story.

Color shows why Stanley should do more feature films (hopefully more Lovecraft or weird tale adaptions) as his passion and his knowledge of the source material shines through... much like Lavinia's forehead. It is also a very personal film for Richard as it touches on elements from his own life.

Over all the film is solid and I think the cinematography is great with very well-done CGI. Richard focuses on the family as he should but it feels like the movie has been edited down as we have gaps in the appearance of certain characters who only appear in the first and last acts. The most creepy and unnerving scene is with actor Tommy Chong near the end of the film... it is really perfect. The weakest part of the film for me is Nicholas Cage ... he is okay but distracts from the film at times. I would have preferred to have seen more of Madeleine Arthur as Lavinia Gardner.

Overall I am giving this an 8 since it is a serious attempt at a Lovecraft adaptation and hits the cosmic horror nail on the head... however I think most mainstream viewers won't get the love to source material and give it a much lower rating.

"It was just a colour out of space - a frightful messenger from unformed realms of infinity beyond all Nature as we know it; from realms whose mere existence stuns the brain and numbs us with the black extra-cosmic gulfs it throws open before our frenzied eyes." -- H.P. Lovecraft, The Colour Out of Space

Lovecraft was very proud of "The Colour out of Space" calling it "my best tale" and "the only one of the lot which I take any pride in." Richard should take pride in his adaption as well.

If you like both Nicolas Cage and Lovecraft like me, you are in for a treat. The film is also really gorgeous in a creepy kind of way.

It starts off pretty slow, but it does get better especially as the creep factor sets in. Typical of Lovecrafts work things get stranger and stranger, and the scary part is the unknown as something that is happening is so unfamiliar to us.

Then you have Nicolas Cage, being Nicolas Cage wandering around in this situation. He really does bring HIM into all this situation, and I think that's awesome. The film would probably be scarier and creepier without him, but I had great fun with this film.

Color out of space literally blew up my mind. I wasn't expecting any thing like that. The plot is very basic yet terrifying and sureal. Based on Lovercraft's short story, its about The Gardner family, who have lately left the citylife for a more bucolic life in a remote property are the prime subject of the movie and after a meteroite lands in their farm, the family find themselves battling a mutant organism that infects their minds and bodies, transforming their quiet rural life into a nightmare.

Director Richard Stanley who returns to the cinema after a really long time has made almost a classic this time. The movie did start slow but finds its pace as the story progresses. He has utilized the visual effects so well, I was heavily impressed.

Nicolas cage was simply fantastic in the movie and he ensures there isn't a dull moment when he is on screen. Joely Richardson looks convincing.

I admit the movie is very very weird and totally on a different storyline but it's really enjoyable.

This is definitely overall one of the better Lovecraft films but it's certainly not the best. It has stunning cinematography and possibly the best music I've ever heard in a movie. The special effects are excellent but I couldn't help but think it would have been more lovecraftian if it had more practical effects. The characters and story are hard to engage with which leads me onto my biggest issue with this film, the first half is very slow. They could have easily taken 20 minutes out of the first half and ended up with a better film. Nicolas Cage very much carries the movie in terms of characters and really makes this entertaining, especially in the second half. The final 45 minutes really is excellent, I'm glad that I stuck with it like Hereditary (2018) as it's worth being bored for the overall experience.

Felt like elements from 'the shining', 'signs' and 'the thing' so I loved that side of it, the effects are glorious, cage having fun with the role, loses points for unrewarding payoff but a gripping ride that seems to have something to say.

I read into it some interesting metaphors about cancer effects on family, off grid hobby farming, land management/indigenous culture, I don't know the source material or if these things were intentional. Hope the director makes more I love the Carpenter style of it all.