___
|
|
Book Review
DOWSE Guide to the
Movies
by Tony Lee editor of
Pigasus
Press
The Lurker In The Lobby
Andrew Migliore and John Strysik
Armitage House, 198 pages large paperback US$19.95
review by Octavio Ramos Jr
As pivotal a figure in horror as Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft
recently has come into vogue yet again, with a number of mainstream publishers
bringing his work to supermarket bookstores. Before this flood of interest, Lovecraft
had an underground following, with Arkham House solely responsible for publishing
book-length collections of his works and fanzines such as 'Nyclops' and 'Crypt of
Cthulhu' producing scholarly evaluations of said work.
Perhaps the most recent interest in Lovecraft can be attributed to the number
of movies either directly influenced or inspired by his body of work. Also playing a
role in this resurgence are a new wave of weird fiction (handled mostly by Chaosium,
which also created a role-playing game based on the so-called "Cthulhu Mythos") and
modern music (bands such as Metallica, The Sins of Thy Beloved, Electric Wizard, and
King Diamond) dedicated to this enigmatic man and his imagined abominations. From the
beginning of his career publishing in 'Weird Tales', Lovecraft encouraged fellow
artists to contribute to his vision, and since then the cycle has yet to stop.
The Lurker in the Lobby collects a number of films based on or influenced
by Lovecraft’s brand of horror, which he calls "terror-based" fiction. In this tome
you will find (1) plot synopses and reviews of feature-length films, (2) television
shorts, and even (3) short films produced by fledgling and amateur filmmakers. There
is a preface by Lovecraft scholar S.T. Johsi and several appendices detailing the art
of horror artist Berni (Swamp Thing) Wrightson for an unmade Lovecraft movie
based on the novella 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth'. There also is as a plug for the
Lovecraft Film Festival, in which amateurs present homemade films to ravenous
Lovecraft fans.
In this book you will find many such titles as Roger Corman’s The Haunted
Palace (drawn from the novella 'The Case of Charles Dexter Ward'), Daniel
Haller’s The Dunwich Horror (from the novella), Ridley Scott’s Alien
(inspired by), John Carpenter’s The Fog, The Thing, and In The Mouth
Of Madness (all inspired by), and Stuart Gordon’s Reanimator and From
Beyond (both taken from short stories). In addition to discussions of these
films, the authors have provided new interviews with some of the directors and
writers. The interviews address Lovecraft topics, and that in itself makes this a
very exciting tome to own.
The television section also covers Lovecraft-inspired works, from anthology
series such as Night Gallery to episodic science fiction series like Star
Trek (thanks to Robert Bloch, writer of the book 'Psycho', and one of Lovecraft’s
early friends) to animated shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Superman.
The interesting point about this section is that many of Lovecraft’s fans and
followers to this day manage to sneak in inferences to the Cthulhu Mythos that
enhance viewing for those 'in the know.'
The final section of this book addresses a number of short-subject films made
by fledgling and amateur filmmakers (including both of the book’s authors). Although
some are crudely made and the acting is suspect, these films are perhaps the most
faithful to the source material. Although I have not viewed these films, I have
ordered the tape and am excited about viewing films so closely linked to the master
of terror. These short films can be purchased in an omnibus collection (with some of
the feature-length ones sold separately).
Although The Lurker In The Lobby is not comprehensive (it misses films
such as X - The Unknown and even Pi), it does represent an excellent
overview of Lovecraft’s influence on the cinema. The plot synopses and reviews are on
target and the interviews allow fans to see how the Cthulhu Mythos have influenced
many of today’s hot horror and science fiction directors and writers.
For Lovecraft fans this book is an excellent resource for a rarely addressed
subject; for those not familiar with Lovecraft, this book will serve as an explanation
as to what all the hoopla is about. In either case, this book is required reading.
Back to Movies on Dowse index.
........................................................................
Back to
main page
Archaeology
Architecture
Art
Autos
Books
Computing & Internet
Cryptozoology
Dowsing
Dreams
Education
Entertainment
Fantasy art
Fiction
Free Stuff
Games
Gardening
Geography
Geology
History
Landscapes
Movies
Music
Mysteries
Myths & Legends
Paranormal
People
Philosophy
Poetry
Religions/Beliefs
Science Fiction
Sciences
Security online
Shamans
Theatre
Travel
TV
Urban Legends Webmasters tools
Writing & Publishing
................................
dowse your start page