In Search of Lovecraft

I have read everything ever written by Lovecraft including fragments and collaborations with other authors. It is sad that given the state of the art effects available today that no major studio can make a quality adaptation of any of Lovecraft's major works. Those that have been made thus far are either pure camp or pure crap. This film falls into the latter category. The acting is elementary school level because I have seen far better acting at high school productions. The plot borrows loosely from Lovecraft's "The Haunter of the Dark" by mentioning the tetrahedron stone and the Starry Wisdom Sect. Lovecraft's most important works always were set in New England with a few notable exceptions such as "The Horror At Red Hook". To film this story in San Francisco is to rob it of any chance of atmosphere. If you want to see a scary and suspenseful Lovecraft adaptation watch "The Dreams in The Witch House" which was an episode of "The Masters of Horror" television series. I believe it is available on Netflix for streaming. By the way, I gave this 2 stars instead of none because the Halloween interviews conducted by the reporter in the beginning of the film were somewhat amusing

Having friend in the movie business, I understand student films, and I've seen quite a few. Most of them make an honest effort to be good. They try hard, and sometimes they fail, sometimes they succeed. This fails. Miserably. I'm sick of low-budget filmmakers who think that not using a tripod makes their film "verite'." It doesn't. It makes it nauseating to watch. Add to that all the little details that make it irritatingly bad, such as: TV reporters wear makeup. Lots of it. Ms. Marsh appears to be wearing none. Editors have the messiest offices in the known universe. They don't look like a vacant office with a stack of newspapers on the desk. And who uses white out? (It was on the desk) If someone is so insane as to need a straight jacket, she is NOT going to be in a regular hospital bed. Why not just put her in a chair staring out the window? TV cameramen use tripods for on-the-street interviews. Always. And wireless mics, too.

All this is just from the first 25 minutes. I couldn't stand to watch any more. The writing was abysmal (it would have been better to let the actors improvise), the camera work looked like a 5-year-old who stole daddy's camcorder, and the acting was... well, it was lousy too. A lot of bad actors, if they're well-directed (like Heather Graham), can still manage to not ruin a production, but the directing is so vacant that the acting really drags it down. Not that it had far to go.

Don't waste your time on this. To see how to do a low-budget horror flick right, see the first Evil Dead.

Really, I'm being extremely generous in giving this movie a 3/10. It obviously deserves 1/10: the acting, directing, effects, and writing are all atrocious. However, there were a few good scenes (the old time 1930s scenes were kind of cool), one or two of the actors were passable, and the attempt to bring to life a Lovecraftian tale of horror is welcome, though it always seems doomed to ineptitude or mediocrity.

In the end, I'd have to say that this movie is only for people who can overlook seriously bad filmmaking. I'm talking worse than your average Troma movie here. And if you can take that, then have at it. Maybe you'll find something to enjoy here.

The acting in this movie is so incredibly horrid you will squirm with pain in your seat while you attempt to watch this movie. The lead reporter was so unbelievable and so detached from everything that when her co-actors deliver their lines that she forgets to react until she has to say her lines. Although it is understood that the camera work is from a portable shoulder camera, there is almost no consistency. The script continues to stress that the cameraman is one of the best yet the shot is constantly zooming in and out and changing targets. This lack of focus leaves the viewer with zero ability to become attached to any of the actors. There are a few moments during flash backs that are fairly well played out but definitely not worth the effort. Please do no waste 98 minutes of your life.

I love Lovecraft and I love low-budget, indie, B-movies. Normally if a movie has a low rating on IMDb it is my kind of movie. I hate giving movies a bad review.

However, when I put this DVD into my DVD player, the poor machine threw up. It is just that bad. The "acting" (and I use that term loosely) is beyond amateurish and is very painful to watch. I have had root canals at the dentist that were less painful.

The film earns a 1/10 stars because the title sequence was kinda cool, and, as is mentioned elsewhere, the flashback scenes were passable. Otherwise, this stinker is to be avoided at all costs. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!