Why not close out Lovecraft Month with a movie that stretches “based on the works of HP Lovecraft” well past the point of being a plausible claim.
In recent reviews, and as we continue to discuss movies based on the literary works of pulp horror/sci-fi author HP Lovecraft, the names Brian Yuzna and Stuart Gordon have popped up a lot. More specifically, the title Re-Animator keeps getting dropped into impolite conversation. The team of Gordon and Yuzna have enjoyed considerable acclaim from fans for their adaptations of Lovecraft material and for their ability to take Lovecraft’s work and make it something new without losing the essence of what made the story work in the first place. They did this in a number of ways, but probably the wisest decision they made was to confine themselves to the periphery of Lovecraft’s bibliography, selecting lesser known and all-but-forgotten stories rather than Lovecraft’s best known and most beloved. The first of the author’s story the duo chose to tackle was Herbert West, Re-Animator.
It wasn’t one that Lovecraft fans rallied around, so it would be less likely to get dissected or draw ire for departing from the source material. In terms of mind-bending weirdness, it was relatively straightforward, meaning that the filmmakers would not have to grapple with the more abstract horrors with which Lovecraft so often dealt. The resulting film, Re-Animator, is often heralded as a classic of American horror, combining the chills of Lovecraft with a black sense of humor, over-the-top gore, and something lurking beneath it all that means even amid all the mayhem and outrageousness, there’s something that just feels… icky. Almost sordid. Certainly unsettling. I’m not one to argue with consensus in this case; I think Re-Animator is fantastic. I think it’s a cornerstone not just of American horror, but horror in general. It’s a film that one can return to over and over without ever growing tired of it. And it’s amazing still what they were able to get away with. Over twenty years and at least as many viewings later, it’s still as shocking and gleefully unbelievable as it was the very first time I saw it.
So naturally, I’m not going to review that film.
#1 by Blake on October 30, 2009 - 1:18 pm
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Wow, there’s quite an upsurge (is that an actual word) in NSW screenshots in the reviews from the B-Masters these past few months.
#2 by KeithA on October 30, 2009 - 1:47 pm
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Par for the course in TC reviews. It’s when I start adding NSFW photos of myself that you should be worried about…
#3 by Blake on October 30, 2009 - 1:54 pm
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*Thinks back to the old TC days*
True. In any case, I’ve really enjoyed the TC journey through Lovecraft (I also enjoyed when CFV did the same thing a couple of years back). I need to take that same journey myself (at least through Lovecraftian cinema).
#4 by KeithA on October 30, 2009 - 3:04 pm
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I save the sauciest stuff for the secret other Teleport City site, the one I keep locked in the attic, away from the eyes of decent minded folk.
Because the world needs reviews of mindless nudie and weird porn movies accompanied by 70 screencaps.
#5 by Joshua on October 30, 2009 - 4:52 pm
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So, a jailbird, huh? Were you in for your ungodly experiments as well?
#6 by KeithA on October 30, 2009 - 7:36 pm
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The fools didn’t comprehend my experiments. They tried to lock me away. But I’ll show them. I’ll show them all!!!
#7 by Dr. Mabuse on October 30, 2009 - 8:29 pm
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I recall watching this movie on DVD and then watching one of the “special” features, a music video of some kind that seemed utterly inappropriate for the subject matter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BnOUOkcr9c
Not only is the beat rather cheerful but the lyrics made it seem like being reanimated was the best thing since sliced bread when, in fact, everyone injected with the reagent revive in a state of horrific agony and uncontrollable rage.
I wonder if those responsible for the video even knew the plot of the film? Or perhaps the song was meant to be ironic?
#8 by Blake on October 31, 2009 - 8:04 am
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Today I told the story “The Rats in the Walls” to one of my English classes. They all loved it and thought it was scary. I like introducing my students to the works of Lovecraft.
#9 by Carl on October 31, 2009 - 11:17 am
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“… and with strange eons, even death may die.” I am not a huge Lovecraft fan but those words stuck in my brain.
#10 by DamonD on November 2, 2009 - 4:40 am
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Society is an…interesting film too, might be worth a review sometime. It’s actually satirical but does go pretty grotesquely wild by the end.
#11 by ProfessorKettlewell on November 3, 2009 - 8:05 pm
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I’ll go along with DamonD. ‘Society’ is one of those films that captures the essence of what H.P. was after without actually invoking the name or the mythos. Churned up my guts like bad oysters.