User reviews

Like the other horror trilogy I saw recently, "Tales From The Darkside", "Necronomicon" gets progressively better as it goes along. The first story is unspeakably boring, but the second is an improvement (and features a notable performance by David Warner), and the third one comes closer to a convincing depiction/vision of what Hell might look like than perhaps any other horror film ("Hellraiser II", for example). Spectacular gore effects are a highlight throughout. (**)

Theoretically speaking, this is one horror movie concept that couldn't possibly have gone wrong! "Necronomicon" is an anthology embracing three lesser known stories (at least, to me they were lesser known) by the legendary novelist H.P. Lovecraft, filmed by an interesting variation of directors, and moreover linked together through an inventive wraparound story that revolves on Lovecraft himself; as played by Jeffrey Combs (who else?). Heck, even the title vividly speaks to the imagination of us, true horror fanatics, as surely everyone will recognize the "Book of the Dead" either from previous Lovecraft adaptations/novels and, if not, certainly from Sam Raimi's splatter-classic "The Evil Dead". Basically, we've got every necessary ingredient to cook up a wondrously delicious horror smörgåsbord here, but somehow the end result nevertheless left a rather sour aftertaste in my mouth… Each and every separate Lovecraft short story is superb, and more than often embodies the true definition of sheer genuine & terror, but the teleplays are underdeveloped and never fully capture the dark and ominous atmosphere that Lovecraft had in mind when he wrote them. Considering the surreal themes and sinister setting, these should have been stories that spontaneously inflict nightmares and cause phobias amongst the viewers, but sadly it never comes to that. You feel emotionless the entire time. It's actually hard to explain … "Necronomicon" seemingly has it all, from solid subject matter over stylistic filming aspects onto nauseating gore effects, and yet something essential is missing.

The wraparound, as stated above, introduces Lovecraft himself sneaking into a dark & secret library chamber, because he heard the place hides a copy of the allegedly mythical book The Necronomicon. With the suspiciously eerie librarians observing his every move, Lovecraft reads to us three stories of the macabre. The Necronomicon is simultaneously the leading thread running through the stories, as all the protagonists come into contact with the book one way or the other. The first segment has a Swedish heir returning to the ancient family hotel by the seaside. He learns that his ancestor lost his beloved wife and child in a shipwreck, but managed to bring them back to life through forces hidden inside the hotel. Since Edward also was responsible for the dead of his girlfriend in a car crash, he hopes to discover the secret and bring her back from the other side as well. Obviously not the best of ideas … "The Drowned" is my personal least favorite story of the three, but I do have to acknowledge it's a stylish contribution. Director Christophe Gans ("Brotherhood of the Wolf") takes the maximum out of the marvelous seaside location and the morbid old hotel. The flashback, with Richard Lynch as the archetypal sea captain ancestor, is masterfully handled as well. However, Bruce Payne's stone-cold performance as well as the hideously abrupt anti-climax plummet the quality level enormously. The second story, entitled "The Cold", is my choice for best segment. It's about a sleazy journalist who knocks at the door of a large mansion and brutally confronts the lady of the house with the mystery of why so many people vanished after having visited this place. She has no option but to tell him about her mother's acquaintance with the brilliant previous tenant – Dr. Madden – who developed a unique but sinister method for preserving his youth and virility. One slight disadvantage, though, it requires a lot of human spinal fluid and must remain safeguarded in a cold environment. Personally, I'm a sucker for horror stories revolving on the quest for immortality (like "The Rejuvenator" and all the movies about Countess Bathory); especially when they feature an outrageously over-the-top mad scientist character, like David Warner in this case! "The Cold" has a marvelous story-within-story structure that nearly isn't confusing as it sounds and benefices from the most properly "finished" screenplay of all three stories. This is also the only segment that finds the exact right balance between juicy gross-out effects and high level of tension. Not bad for a Japanese director that allegedly couldn't speak a word of English on the set! The third and final story has director Brian Yuzna's trademarks all over it. "Whispers" is an indescribably nasty and sickening illustration of what pure hell is most likely to look like. This segment is lacking substantially, but you'll nevertheless stare with your eyes and mouth wide open, as it is a non-stop spitfire of pitch-dark and ghastly images. Unfortunately they are not really disturbing or scary … just very, very unpleasant! Two police officers are chasing a car down to a grim neighborhood and literally end up in a subterranean labyrinth of terror. Words even file to describe the atrocities they encounter there, including petrifying elderly folks, flying carnivorous demons and extraterrestrial butchers. I like a good portion of gore and bloodshed, but this particular segment was quite unbearable.

In general, "Necronomicon" is definitely a mixed bag. Those who claim that the 90's only brought forward derivative, inferior and non- atmospheric horror turkeys should check it out because it's certainly one of the better efforts of the decade. Still, like that other 90's Lovecraft adaptation "The Resurrected", this movie can't hold a candle to some of the earlier – albeit admittedly loosely interpreted – movies based on the writer's repertoire, like "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond". I'm sure many people will beg to differ, but I think even Lucio Fulci came closer to capturing the real mindset of Lovecraft when he looked for inspiration for "City of the Living Dead" and "House by the Cemetery".

I was at first, very excited about this film due, to the fact that I am a huge fan of H. P. Lovecraft. But after seeing what amounted to a pathetic version of Creepshow, I was very let down. Don't get me wrong, some of the content was worthy enough to be associated with HP, but much of the film was cheesy and not very engrossing. If you wish to see a Lovecraftian style film, check out In the Mouth of Madness. It is INSPIRED by HP, but not related directly to one of his stories.

Brian Yuzna's Necronomicon features a wraparound in which Jeffrey Combs portrays H.P. Lovecraft, circa 1932. Prosthetic makeup, in combination with Comb's naturally high voice, results in what is probably the best portrayal of H.P.L. we're likely to see. However, those familiar with Lovecraft's life will be amused (or perhaps annoyed) to see him depicted as an occult believer/action hero who gains access to a copy of the Necronomicon through subterfuge. A somewhat similar liberty was taken by novelists Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson in their 'Illuminatus' trilogy; and, of course, Robert Bloch based a character in 'Shambler From The Stars' on Lovecraft. (With H.P.L's permission, however.)

Necronomicon is a melange of Lovecraftian characters, stories, and themes. The Deep Ones, Cthulhu, the strange high house in the mist at Kingsport Head and, of course, the dreaded Necronomicon itself are all reasonably well treated. H.P.L.'s short story 'Cool Air' provided some inspiration for one of the film's segments.

Lovecraft's stories - notoriously short on dialog and female characters - do not easily lend themselves to direct cinematic adaptation. Consequently, Brian Yuzna deserves credit for extracting many essential elements from the Mythos and presenting them in a way contemporary horror audiences can appreciate. Necronomicon may offer a bit too much gore for some tastes; but as far as I'm concerned, even loose adaptations of Lovecraft's work are better than none at all.

This movie was okay, considering Lovecraft's ideas are hard to portray on the screen. Each story stayed true to Lovecraft's horror, though the last was leaning towards the modern version of horror (gory, bloody, etc) The acting was much better than I expected, especially the last story. The sequences with Lovecraft are taking many licenses with his real self, but then again, his real personality doesn't need to be shown to enjoy his stories. I enjoyed the low budget, yet quality, effects as well.

(for the MSTies, watch for the Necronomicon door sequence near the end, amusingly similar)

"Necronomicon" is an anthology of three stories based on the works of H.P.Lovecraft.Lovecraft himself is searching an old library for the fabled book Necronomicon,the Book of the Dead.As he copies stories from the book,which he finds guarded by monks,the tales are dramatized.The first segment "The Drowned" directed by Christophe Gans is excellent.It is actually one of the best examples at capturing the essence of Lovecraft on film.The special effects are impressive and the mansion looks creepy and foreboding.There is also an appearance by one of the Great Old Ones,so I was pleased.On the other hand "The Cold" is pretty weak.David Warner is great as a man whose experiments have left him afflicted with the inability to bear heat of any sort,unfortunately this segment is rather dull and filed with terrible dialogue."Whispers" is very gory with some dismemberments and a butcher's shop of body parts.The underground catacombs look creepy and the monsters are quite horrifying too.The lady cop Sarah as played by Signy Coleman is the most hysterical and incredibly stupid policewoman ever captured on screen.She only screams and waves her pistol around.The story itself is terribly written,but if you like gore and violence you may even enjoy it.Overall "Necronomicon" is not bad,but if you want a proper and intelligent adaptation of Lovecraft's stories check out Ivan Zuccon's "The Shunned House".7 out of 10.

'Necronomicon' is similar to films like 'The Twilight Zone', 'Creepshow', and 'Tales from the Crypt'.

The film tells the story of HP Lovecraft (Jeffrey Combs), who takes the Necronomicon from a protective fault, and reads it without permission or authority. As he reads, the film takes us on a journey, telling three stories.

The first story is about a man who inherits a dilapidated mansion with a secret. The man, Edward de Lapoer, is well played by the talented Bruce Payne. It is a story of undying love, regret and finding solace. The visuals were good. The second story is about a man, Dr Madden, with an unusual illness, who needs spinal fluid to survive. He is therefore constantly looking for fresh specimens. A woman who rents a room in the same building, is drawn to him - with dire consequences. This story also featured good visuals, with disgustingly good practical effects. I enjoyed David Warner as Dr Madden.

The film's final story is by far the best, and revolves around a cop who's partner gets abducted by a strange man called The Butcher. This installment is fast-paced, action-packed and suspenseful. It literally plays like a horrible nightmare. Signy Coleman was really good as the protagonist, Sarah, who had to face much more than she bargained for.

In general, this was a good watch, with insanely good practical effects and props. Some scenes were utterly disgusting, but the film nevertheless remained exciting throughout. The Necronomicon (or Book of the Dead) is present in all three stories.

Jeffrey Combs plays American writer H. P. Lovecraft, who learns of a monastery where a copy of the Necronomicon is guarded by monks. Sneaking into the vault, Lovecraft reads the book, taking notes for inspiration for his stories...

This 1993 horror anthology, with segments directed by Brian Yuzna, Christophe Gans and Shusuke Kaneko, kicks off with Gans' The Drowned, inspired by Lovecraft's short story 'The Rats in the Walls'. Bruce Payne stars as Edward De Lapoer, who inherits a run down hotel where he finds the Necronomicon and uses it to bring his wife back from the dead, just as his ancestor once did; unfortunately, Edward discovers that in doing so, he has awakened a gigantic monster that lives beneath the hotel. It's not an auspicious start to the film, being a drawn out, mostly dull and somewhat confusing story, the only good thing about the tale being the one-eyed tentacled creature at the end.

Much better is story number two, The Cold, in which a young woman rents a room in an apartment building, which is also home to scientist Dr. Richard Madden (David Warner), who tells her that he has a rare condition that requires him to maintain a low room temperature. It eventually transpires that Madden has developed a method of sustaining life indefinitely, a process that requires injections of spinal fluid taken from fresh bodies. Solid direction from Kaneko, excellent performances (Warner is as great as always), and a wonderfully gory finale make this one a whole lot of demented fun.

Lastly, we have Brian Yuzna's Whispers, in which pregnant policewoman Sarah (Signy Coleman) goes in search of her partner Paul (also the father of her unborn child), who has been abducted by the serial killer known as The Butcher; her search leads her to a subterranean world inhabited by ancient aliens that feed on bone marrow. This one is also very enjoyable, Sarah's descent into a gruesome charnel house inhabited by extraterrestrials getting weirder by the minute, the woman being attacked by Paul's brainless corpse before becoming a victim herself.

The film closes with Lovecraft being discovered by the monks, who turn out to be something not quite human. Also directed by Yuzna, the wraparound story erupts into total craziness, ending the film on a suitably OTT note.

Rating each tale individually, I give The Drowned 3/10, The Cold 8/10, and Whispers 7/10, with the wraparound getting 6/10. Averaging these out, the film gets 6/10 overall. Worth a go for fans of Lovecraft.

N. B. Ignore the fact that two of the stories being written down by Lovecraft are actually take place several decades after the writer's death.

It only has 2 (HUGE) flaws: we can't feel the obscurity of Lovecraft's works and the makeup effects are not even close to the experience that his tales give to the readers. Overall, it's an interesting film.

Neither the slick production values, half-decent creature-effects nor the presence of the great Jeffrey Combs (as H.P. Lovecraft) are enough to overcome a basically dull plot, or should I say plots as there are four short stories rolled into one here and all of them are quite forgettable. Plenty of slimy beasts and a few scantily-clad lovelies amount to little more than an uninspired movie that would have been better left unmade.

OK, I admit it was 6-8 years ago so I can't tell you much about the plots. I do remember the following:

1) There is some Lovecraft feeling in it, it not just "scream" but a little Blair Witch and intellectual horror too

2) The movie is better than the average score given here at IMDB (usually I give lower scores than average, especially for horror movies, another exception is "The Bunker" by the way...)

3) The last episode had a scary ending that I still remember (but won't tellya)

For you reference: I think Blair Witch is the best horror movie ever and I also love Hellraiser I, II and IV; Psycho and Halloween 1-2 - so you can compare with your taste

Lovecraft's stories don't translate well to film. Much of their effect comes from the personal horror the characters feel at what they're seeing, and it would take a true filmmaking genius to bring something like that across; if such a person has existed they have not taken aim at Lovecraft's works. The other problem is that it's hard to stretch his short stories out into movie length. Those who try, usually introduce elements that distract from the true flavor and atmosphere of the stories. "Necronomicon" falls into that trap, despite preserving the short stories as separate segments. The first story, which combines elements of "The Strange High House in the Mist" and "The Shadow over Innsmouth", among others, is the most successful at preserving the evil and terrifying atmosphere of Lovecraft's works. The second is a direct adaptation of "Cool Air", a story whose one cool concept doesn't adapt well to a segment of this length. The third segment (actually based on "The Nameless City" and not "The Whisperer in Darkness" as some here have said) winds up being a hamhanded gorefest with no finesse and only a casual relationship to Lovecraft's work. It's not as though gore wasn't an element in Lovecraft's stories, with characters being "torn to ribbons" and all; but it always takes the form of horrifying and unspeakable things that happen and is never present for cheap thrills' sake as it is here. If you're a fan of Lovecraft's stories, you'll probably want to see it. You might not like it very much, but you'll want to see it anyway. If you really like cheesy horror films, it'll entertain you. But if you want a good horror film or a good adaptation of H.P.Lovecraft's works, keep moving.

Usually I don't like movies that have three stories with a wrapper around them but here it works fine. The first story is pretty good, the second is pretty dull and the last is awesome. The wraparound is one of the best in this type of movie. The first story was good with a great amount of creepy monster effects and scary moments. The second story left me cold. The third story was great with like demons and stuff. The wraparound would have been better as a separate story but it is very entertaining with a great ending (just like the first and third stories). Four stories in one film and three of them are great! This is a gritty classic.

"Necronomicon" brought me good memories of two 1960s productions: Roger Corman's "Tales of Terror" (AIP, 1962), and Sidney Salkow's "Twice-Told Tales" (UA, 1963), based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, respectively. The old mansion by the sea was a location often seen in several AIP productions; and the first tale, "The Drowned", reminded me of "Morella", the first story in the Corman film. The next segment, "The Cold", seems like a version in modern times of "Rappaccini's Daughter", the second Hawthorne story in the UA release. Unfortunately, the third story (or fourth, strictly speaking), directed by Brian Yuzna, is too coarse, noisy, badly acted, filled with green sticky fluid, and too cheap visual effects, affecting the balance. Thankfully the film closes with the "wraparound" little story "The Library", slightly erasing the previous bad impression.

There is nothing good to say about this film. The stories are bland, the effects are laughable, the actors are mediocre and the characters are pathetic stereotypes. I almost cringed at the inane dialogue. There are so many other better anthologies out there that don't waste your time and don't insult your intelligence. Lovecraft fans may be delighted by the movie (and may recognize some of the stories) but that is the only single fact to entice anyone to watch this. Although I am not a fan, I almost felt sorry that his stories be butchered in such a way as to present a sickening piece of cinematic trash as this. The only thing horrific about this film is that it was made at all.

This is an interesting anthology that revolves around the fabled Necronomicon and the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. Usually I am not overly keen on anthologies, but this is Lovecraftian material, and that alone makes it more than well-worth watching.

There are three segments titled "The Drowned", "The Cold" and "Whispers" which are all intertwined with the narrative "The Library". "The Library" actually deals with H.P. Lovecraft coming to get a hold of the Necronomicon and peruses it for inspiration to his writing.

The stories are nicely told and manage to capture the cosmic doom, despair, desolation and isolation of man that Lovecraft refined in his actual writings. And if you enjoy reading his work, then you should give this movie a chance. Each story and segment is very different from one another, offering something for everyone.

Granted, the movie is from 1993, so the effects are not matching the overwhelming CGI fest that we have today. But I still found them to be good enough and working quite in favor of the movie.

And there is an abundance of great talents on the cast list, some of whom are no strangers to Lovecraftian movie adaptations, such as Maria Ford, David Warner and of course Jeffrey Combs who is finally in the role of Lovecraft himself after having starred in numerous Lovecraft adaptations. And even Lovecraftian director Brian Yuzna is on the cast list.

"Necronomicon: Book of the Dead" is well-deserving a place in the movie collection of any horror fan and Lovecraft movie adaptation fan.

Iä, Iä Cthulhu!

This compilation of several grim horror tales is rather weak and is a sad example of the way the horror genre went off the rails during the early nineties. The final part is very gruesome and gory and should appeal to gore hounds if they can sit through the hour of tedium leading up to it. A bit poor frankly.

H.P Lovecraft spins out very dark, morbid and harrowing tales in this three story Gothic anthology, that has the horror master Lovecraft (no other acted by Jeffery Combs) coming across the book of the dead; 'Necronomicon' in the formidable wraparound story 'The Library' . The quest for forbidden knowledge will always come at a price, and the imagery suggests that.

Brian Yuzna was another name tagged to the project directing, writing the wraparound yarn and the third story; the relentlessly gusty 'Whispers'.

Plus making sure that the ghoulish make-up FX was unforgettable, Screaming Mad George, Tom Savini, David Sharp and Todd Masters lend their class to the imaginatively gob-smacking visual effects. Their efforts really go a long way to outdoing the cluttered stories and the art direction is simply sensational and masterfully shot, namely in the first story; the tragically brooding 'The Drowned'.

The pick of the lot would be the second tale; the icy, but skin-crawling 'The Cold' which starred David Warner as a lonely scientist, dabbling in the quest for immortality involving human spinal fluid… that's fresh! It's quite well defined piece with an effective twist to cap it off. However my favourite is the gritty, pulsating 'Whispers', due to its gruesome mentality and edgy atmosphere with some kooky performances by Judith Drake and Don Calfa. It's a hard on to pick up on to which way the daftly twisty story would end. Two cops find themselves in a car accident after chasing the brutal killer known as 'the butcher', one is dragged off into underground tunnels with the other trailing behind. It's a hell of a ride!

The weakest is by far 'The Drowned'. However it isn't that bad… far from it. The direction is stylishly done and when it goes for shocks (far in between) it does it well. It's a slow-going, tightly knitted atmospheric story delving into personally haunting torment and trying to make amends for hanging guilt. The make-up looks great, with a spectacular climax. Bruce Payne is richly engaging. Richard Lynch gives a booming performance and Maria Ford is gracefully creepy.

A fine, flowing collection of episodes linked together to equal an enterprisingly grisly and moody anthology. Better than I expected, but I found myself wanting more from it.

I've seen a couple of Lovecraft based movies, and, oddly, all of them were pretty good. I appreciate when a film crew manages to capture the spirit of the book being covered. And from that viewpoint, an HPL movie would hardly show any gore or monsters at all, but, instead, build our expectations through time. The plot would be intense, although not necessarily very dynamic. The final moment of the movie would unveil a grim truth, probably rendering the protagonists insane. So, having set the (in my humble opinion) optimal lovecraftian movie criteria, let's watch Necronomicon! 90% of the movie's budget was probably spent on monster fx - a waste of resources! The acting is not very bright, the characters barely believable. As for the stories, they're a desecration of all things Lovecraft. Unconnected scenes. Almost completely unrelated to any book, and devoid of sense, they made me cover my eyes in shame. Someone here's written in a comment that this movie is for Lovecraft fans only. Boy, were they wrong! If you're a Lovecraft fan, stay away from this movie! Run, like it's the Dunwich horror!. Else, if you're a classical gore flick fan, go ahead, you might like this mindless collage of scenes painted red.

Hearing that the fabled Necronomicon is in a library, writer H.P. Lovecraft wants to use it to help his writing. After finding it hidden in a secret compartment under the library, he reads three stories from it.

The Good Story(s): The Drowned-After a devastating loss, a man is shown the crumbling hotel he has just inherited after his relatives have all died under mysterious accidents. When he learns the truth about his relative's actual deaths, he uses supernatural means to prove their validity. When he finally learns the secret buried underneath his house, he begins to question what really happened to his family. On the whole, this was a great story with a lot to like. One of the better parts to this one is the undeniable and utterly creepy atmosphere here. After starting off in the Gothic territory with a huge mansion, darkly lit hallways and strange rooms, it soon shifts over into the typical Lovecraft story with mysterious creatures, unknown incantations and a general feeling of unease that erupts for no reason. It's a great example of Lovecraft done right, especially when mixed with the Gothic opening. It's action-packed finale is a great conclusion, and makes it end on a high-note that most really don't have.

The Bad Story(s): The Cold-Told through flashback, a young woman arrives in Boston looking for a new start, and she moves in to a new apartment complex. Told she is not to interfere with a resident doctor who also lives there, she goes on until he is required to save her and they come in contact. When she discovers that he is secretly conducting strange experiments in his room, he tries to keep the true nature of his work secret. This one was pretty interesting, and it moved a lot faster than it should, but the main problem about this episode was that the whole thing was built around a twist ending that was quite easily spotted and doesn't come at all as a surprise it should be. It really should work, but because it has come along so often, there's just the feeling of a clichéd style to this, and that lowers it into this category. Otherwise, this would be in the top one, as it is a good one, just let down by a weak and predictable ending.

Whispers-Chasing a suspect, a policewoman loses her partner/lover and she has to track them both down. While navigating through a deserted building, she is attacked and happens upon a giant pit littered in mangled bodies. After being tormented and tortured by various visions, she is finally able to put it all to rest. Easily the weakest if the three, and despite providing the real gore in the film, isn't at all scary and is instead just a bore. Frankly, with all the deformed bodies and gore thrown around here there's very little about this that should fail on that alone, but it just so bland and lifeless that there's little hope for the great bloodshed on display It is a great wonder to look at with the cave itself being utterly freaky looking and the central pit of bodies displays the kind of darkened aura normally associated with his work, but this is just not scary enough to be worthwhile.

Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and Brief Nudity.

I could not believe how bad this movie was. It starts out okay, with Combs as Lovecraft seeking the Necronomicon inside a monastery, but when he finds it and starts reading it, the unfortunate viewer must endure 3 tales that are dreary instead of frightening, dull instead of engaging or morose. These stories will not satisfy Cthulhu fans -- they are void of Lovecraft's skill or imagination. This is an hour and a half of my life I'll never get back, wasted on a miserable and unsatisfying film.