Suggestions for Good/Bad Cthulhu Movies?

[gloriousbattle]

Just kinda in the mood for some soul destroying horror right now.  You know how that goes.  Curious what other's picks are forgood or bad movies in the wild and whacky world of HPL.

I thought this one was pretty good, though it is very much a derivative work.  Don't go into it expecting the 1920s, or you will be disappointed.

Obviously, horror is a pretty whimsical genre, and people's tastes vary wildly here, but I would like to know what others enjoy.

[blackstone]

Dagon is my favorite well worth a watch. There are two Dunwich horror films both with Dean Stockwell. One is from the 70's the other pretty recent. The re-animator trilogy of films are great fun. The was a recent Cthulhu movie made which was pretty good. I remember watching a video many years ago called Unnamable I seem to remember that was pretty bad

There is a thread here about Lovecraftians films which would be worth searching for.

[Viper]

I love Dagon it's a fantastic movie, I'm amazed the lass who played the main girl hasn't really done much more as not only is she stunning, shes a great actress and willing to do scenes that many an actress would have run a mile from. All the Reanimators are great too, Jeffery Combs is fantastic.

Another two I particularly like are Necronomicon (not brilliant but I do have a love of dodgy movies and it's got Jeff Combs) and From Beyond (Combs again!).

There are a hell of a lot of films out there with lovecraftian nods though, I mean even the first Hellboy has massive tentacled space "gods" in it for a wee bit.

[Commander Vyper]

I love Dagon it's a fantastic movie, I'm amazed the lass who played the main girl hasn't really done much more as not only is she stunning, shes a great actress and willing to do scenes that many an actress would have run a mile from. All the Reanimators are great too, Jeffery Combs is fantastic.

Another two I particularly like are Necronomicon (not brilliant but I do have a love of dodgy movies and it's got Jeff Combs) and From Beyond (Combs again!).

There are a hell of a lot of films out there with lovecraftian nods though, I mean even the first Hellboy has massive tentacled space "gods" in it for a wee bit.

As my 'Y' challenged brother points out Dago, (although low budget) is great and the innsmouthesque town by the sea is perfectly soggy and dank and full of hybrids.

The Commander

[Tsune]

Yes, Dagon is a good movie. In fact, the town of Imboca is a translation of Innsmouth to spanish...

Another recent spanish film related to the Cthulhu mythos is "La herencia Valdemar":

http://www.laherenciavaldemar.com/

It is planned in two parts, and only has been released the first one.

[ZenWired]

Obviously, horror is a pretty whimsical genre, and people's tastes vary wildly here, but I would like to know what others enjoy.

Another vote here for Dagon.

One of my favorite Lovecraftian films has to be The Resurrected. (A 1990's take on The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.) It's a must-see for Lovecraft fans - I don't guarantee it to float everyone's boat, but you should at least give it a viewing.

The semi-recent silent film The Call of Cthulhu is another must-see, if only just once.

I'm also fond of a few older films, such as Die, Monster, Die! (a spin on The Colour Out of Space) and The Haunted Palace (The Case of Charles Dexter Ward again). (Pretty much any horror movie featuring Vincent Price and made between 1960 and 1965 is a hit in my book, and (IMHO) many have the proper atmosphere to be considered Lovecraftian, even if they lack alien strangeness.)

Also, although it's devoid of otherworldly monsters and the like, the original The Old Dark House (1932) is set in the right era and oozes menacing atmosphere. How can you go wrong with a bunch of characters forced to take shelter on a dark and stormy night in a crumbling manor house populated by a family of weirdos?

I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that rolled immediately off the top of my head... 

[Malebolgia]

Well...although the comedy factor and Cthulhu part is nice...Dagon was terrible as a movie. I don't mind they're using rubber suit monsters (in fact, I like 'em), but the holes in the plot and the rediculous acting of the main actor and the choices he made was bad, bad, bad.

Call of Cthulhu was great! If you like silent movies with lots of atmosphere, it rocks.

The Mist is a nice one too...a modern setting but it works out well. The ending is a bit abrupt and hard to believe but other than that great stuff.

Still have to see the recent Cthulhu movie. Looks promising! ANd of course the upcoming The Silver Key will probably be great!

[Commander Vyper]

Well...although the comedy factor and Cthulhu part is nice...Dagon was terrible as a movie. I don't mind they're using rubber suit monsters (in fact, I like 'em), but the holes in the plot and the rediculous acting of the main actor and the choices he made was bad, bad, bad.

Call of Cthulhu was great! If you like silent movies with lots of atmosphere, it rocks.

The Mist is a nice one too...a modern setting but it works out well. The ending is a bit abrupt and hard to believe but other than that great stuff.

Still have to see the recent Cthulhu movie. Looks promising! ANd of course the upcoming The Silver Key will probably be great!

Dagon was so bad it was good, it was the sum of the parts rather than the whole that worked for me.

The Mist has to have of the most disturbing and thought provoking ends ever. Cloverfield could also be seen as have a cthulhuseque undertone, (giant alien monstronsity reminiscent of the great old ones). Both have the Lovecraftian take that we are very small, and very alone in this cold bleak universe.... and what is out there sees us as nothing.

[Donpimpom]

what about Cast a Deadly Spell?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101550/
don't expect a good movie, is a excentric mix, Raymond Chandler meets Cthulhu.
Philip Marlowe style detective named "Det. Harry Philip Lovecraft" tracking a stolen magical book, guess the book's name.
Julianne Morre playing  the femme fatal helps to resist the 90 minutes.
Looks like you have the whole film in pieces at youtube
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cast+a+deadly+spell

[Viper]

The holes in the plot and the rediculous acting of the main actor and the choices he made was bad, bad, bad.

I always have too much fun to notice any plot holes, the main dudes acting is pretty good by B movie standards I have seen a LOT worse, and the choices made by his character are one of the best things about the film.

He isn't some hero character, he is a total wuss, totally out of his depth in an utterly mad situation.
It's great.
 

[gauntman]

For pure Cthulhu movies....I can truly say, I've tracked down even the most obscure to give them a view from Lovecraft Festivals Films from Lurker to other related themes.

Off the top of my head...

I'd have to vote for "The Resurrected" with Chris Sarandon as number 1.

The "Call of Cthulhu" silent movie is very nice.

"From Beyond" and "Reanimator" with Jeffery Combs.

"Dagon" is alright to as is the "Dreams from the Witch House"  Thank goodness for Stuart Gordon and Michael Yuzna.

"The Curse" is alright to as is "The Color of the Dark" which are both takes on the color out of space.

I thought "Cthulhu" which I was waiting for about 3 years to see was disappointingly gay (no offense).

I watched "Chill" recently and found it a mildly entertaining watch but little more.

Of course there are dozens of Lovecraftian films or films you could call Lovecraftian but those are too numerous for me to mention.  I must say out of the mentioned lot, I have watched "The Resurrected" more times than any.  It is also one of the more well made and interesting of the movie versions in my opionion.

I have collected most of the HP Lovecraft books on audio book form now and listen to them and old radio dramas in the car and on my IPOD, that is my favorite medium of late.

[P_Clapham]

That looks very interesting.  Is the first part taking place in the late 19th / early 20th century, with the second the modern day?  In the two trailers there was a bit of jumping back and forth between the eras it seemed.

Yes, Dagon is a good movie. In fact, the town of Imboca is a translation of Innsmouth to spanish...

Another recent spanish film related to the Cthulhu mythos is "La herencia Valdemar":

http://www.laherenciavaldemar.com/

It is planned in two parts, and only has been released the first one.

[P_Clapham]

Trailer for Whisperer in the Darkness, the H.P. Lovecraft's Historical Society's first talkie.  I understand some of the scene were shot in my area.


Here's a link to the H.P. Lovecraft film festival in Portland Oregon.  They have a fantastic collection of shots.
http://www.hplfilmfestival.com/

This is a Fantastic Documentary on H.P. Lovecraft.  The information presented is accurate and well presented.

[bc99]

I'd concur with Dagon being one of the best I've seen.

[P_Clapham]

Here's my top ten of Lovecraft adaptations, or films inspired by his stories

#1
Call of Cthulhu Silent Movie - Faithful to the story.  The production of the movie is inspired.  The HPLHS shot it as if Lovecraft's story was sold to Hollywood.  As Whisperer in the Darkness was written later, it's going to be a 'talkie'.
#2
Out of Sight, Out of Mind - A short film from the HPL film festival collection volume III.  It's a combination of a number of his stories.  I include it because in it Christopher Heyerdahl does a brilliant performance as Lovecraft.
#3
The Mist - In the past I've written some short essays on Lovecraft's influence in the works of Stephen King.  The mist is the most overtly Lovecraftian, and the movie was one of the better King adaptations I've seen.  The ending is equal parts awe and horror.
#4
In the Mouth of Madness - While the movie isn't based on a particular story (or so I understand), it is undeniably influenced by Lovecraft's narratives.  The story seems like a blending or mutation of a King and Lovecraft tale.  I could see it adapted as a particularly nasty Call of Cthulhu scenario.
#5
Dagon - The Shadow Over Innsmouth off the coast of Spain.  I felt this was particularly well done.  More faithful to the originally material and intent than Stuart Gordon's earlier movies.  The soundtrack is fantastic!  I'm still working on tracking it down.  Think Gregorian Chants to Cthulhu.
#6
The Thing (1982) - Despite being penned by John W. Campbell I see this as a great Lovecraftian film.  "Who Goes there" was published in 1938, while "At the Mountains of Madness" was published in serial form in 1936.  It's possible Campbell was inspired by Lovecraft, and equally possible that the two men came up with their ideas independently from each other.  I like the movie because it reminds me of the 'over equipped investigator' from the Call of Cthulhu rpg.  Why does a Antarctic research station have guns and flamethrowers.
#7
From Beyond - Aside from the transposition to the modern day, and the sex angle this was a okay movie.  They added a few more characters too.  Still I thought the effects were neat, and I like the changes to the protagonist at the end of the movie.
#8
The Descent - One of Lovecraft's earliest tales was "The Beast in the Cave", where a tourist wanders off the beaten path in the Mammoth Cave national park.  His lights fail him, and he begins to be stalked by a monster.  He manages to kill it, and is rescued by the guide.  The creature proves to be a morlock or subhuman, or in his words.  "The creature I had killed, the strange beast of the unfathomed cave, was, or had at one time been a MAN!!!".  The Descent is much like this early story, except there are more than one creature, and the protagonists are a group of female spelunkers.
#9
Tremors - The idea of intelligent prehistoric subterranean life appeals to me.  One could see the movies as being inspired by Brian Lumley's Cthonians.  I prefer to see it as a paleolithic threat showing mankind that he isn't the top of the food chain.
#10
The Dunwich Horror (1970) - I found this movie a mix of the very bad, and funny.  Dean Stockwell as Wilbur Whatley is laughable.  What I liked the most, were hallucination scenes with the hippie cannibals.  At least it's not as bad as "Die Monster Die".