hellraiser7 H.P. Lovecraft is one of my favorite authors, his stories always carried a strange allure of the unknown, and were always scary for our fear of it. Though his stories adapted into the visual medium have always been a hit or miss affair (though same can be said for a lot of other writers.) However this short film I'll admit in my book is no doubt one of the best and most faithful.The film is made in the silent film style which surprisingly fits like a glove and from a historical standpoint makes sense since the 1920's were the time when H.P.'s stories came out. I'll admit it is really surreal that I even watched this film, it really looks, sounds, and feels like a lost silent horror film.This was done on a low budget but it was used well and right. I really like the production design, most of them were stage/studio props and pieces but they were constructed well. The design of the Cyclopean civilization didn't disappoint me, some of the design obviously borrows from the German expressionist horror film "The Cabnet of Dr. Calagari". And I feel it fits just right because it really gave the Cyclopean civilization a mysterious, disorienting, ominous quality; as if the civilization was something constructed and derived from dreams or nightmares. Even liked the cinematography, not just in the use of once again black and white but that they added a granny quality to the film to make it really look and feel like something from a by gone era. Music is on cue and I think is great and memorable, really liked those tunes that evoked dread.But I really like the story structure which was slightly true to it's predecessor, where the whole thing is basically told in a sort of journalistic style from the perspective of one to several people, which gave it the mystery sensibility and a participatory sense where in a way we're the real investigators trying to put it all together.It's true we don't really see Cthulhu till about the end of the film, but Cthulhu's presence is felt throughout the whole build up of the film. You really have this sense of doom and dread not just that what we're immersed in isn't just going to lead to something bad but possibly this monster is already watching and waiting and as we discover those that investigate too deeply are doomed.If your a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's works then this is a call worth answering if you dare.Rating: 4 stars

suite92 A Boston archaeologist sorts through his dead great-uncle's papers. He finds information about the Cthulhu Cult. The great-uncle was a psychiatrist. One of his patients was a young man named Henry Wilcox. Wilcox reported dreams; the shrink asked that he record the dreams for discussion. When Wilcox failed to appear one day, the great-uncle tracks him down to a mental ward. Wilcox had lost his memory of his obsession.The present day nephew skips to other parts of the great-uncle's stored papers, which included newspaper clippings, and visits to conferences. At one conference, a policeman presents an artifact to some scholars. One man had seen the same sort of piece in Greenland in Esquimaux (sic) territory. Another described odd goings-on in a swamp near New Orleans where children were disappearing. In both cases, there was a chant that named Cthulhu. A similar artifact was at the site of a cult fire dance where cannibalism was being practiced. The investigator came with police; the dance was dispersed; arrests were made.The nephew keeps reading. This seems to be a common mistake made by actors in Cthulhu films.He follows the notebooks, and goes to places described in the notebooks. He locates a Cthulu statue, and gains more information than what was in the notebooks.The effort eventually drives the nephew mad. -----Scores------Cinematography: 4/10 Presented in black and white in the 4:3 aspect ratio. Full of simulated scratches and floating dust. Ugly.Sound: 6/10 This is a silent film with musical accompaniment and inter-titles. The music was fairly good for the on screen action.Acting: 4/10 Without voice, these actors seemed to be lost.Screenplay: 4/10 Too many dream sequences and flashbacks. A lot of this looks like Freudian themes with visuals in the style of Dali.-----Post Script-----In graduate school at Indiana University, I saw a dozen or so silent black and white films at the Auditorium, which had a large screen and a huge pipe organ of fine sound quality. The organ player was not only a skilled musician, but also a BW film buff of broad experience. The films were A list when they were released, and were often in 1.85 or wider format. They looked like movie films, not television. The film actors and directors were experienced and skilled at making the best silent films. These experiences were rather rich; I felt like I was catching a glimpse of the silent era during its height.Why go to so much effort to make something that looks so bad? The black and white silent era is over. Go the route of The Artist instead.

Mikel3 We watched 'The Call of Cthulhu' late last night. It's a 2005 film made to look like a 1920s b/w silent movie. There is no sound just the dialog screens like in old movies. I do think it would have benefited from an organ accompaniment as was often used in that day. Instead it was totally silent. The actors and scenes were also done to look like a film from that era. This story is from one of HP Lovecraft's most famous. I was never a fan of his and I'm still not. All his stories I've seen made into films are basically the same, creatures from another dimension or time, whatever, are trying to enter our world and take over. Often some nuts are trying to help them. This one was different because the film was made to look like it's from 1928 the same time Lovecraft wrote the story. It only lasted 47 minutes and that was wise. The novelty of watching a 2005 film made to look like a 1920 silent was wearing off by the time it ended. For me it was worth seeing since I love old films even if I'm not a Lovecraft fan. The makers should be respected for what they tried to do here. It often really did look like an old silent film. The monster effects near the end seem right on the money for the time. Sometimes the set designs looked like something right out of 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'. See this if you appreciate silent films.

Al_The_Strange Although there is a small wealth of films based on the classic works of H.P. Lovecraft, there has never been anything in the mainstream, and it looks like it'll stay that way (especially since Guillermo Del Toro's "At the Mountains of Madness" seems to have fallen through the cracks). It's pretty sad, considering that Lovecraft's work has been highly influential for myriads of modern artists in all genres and mediums; if it wasn't for him, the works of Stephen King, John Carpenter, HR Giger, and heck, even Black Sabbath and Metallica would have all been different. As it is, "The Re-Animator" remains the most popular film, and it makes for a fantastic romp of a gorefest film, but it's still purely cult status.Even though it may not have penetrated the mainstream, "The Call of Cthulhu" might be the best adaptation of a Lovecraft story to date. Produced by the HP Lovecraft Historic Society, it shows impeccable attention to the narrative and nuances of the original story, and it follows the story to the letter. To match up with the era of Lovecraft's lifetime, the film was even made as a silent black-and-white feature. Its style is a perfect replication of old-fashioned cinema, complete with over-the-top acting, simple special effects, and emphasis on light and shadow. It might have even taken some inspiration from the works of F.W. Murnau, due to its emphasis on visual storytelling.Much like the original story, the "CoC" film starts off a little dry, but eventually moves on to some very intriguing and freaky encounters. The film's most interesting highlights will include the policemen confronting the cult of Cthulhu in the swamps of New Orleans, and the final encounters at the lost city of R'lyeh (which is conceived perfectly on screen). The film definitely succeeds at visualizing the story in the best way possible; a fine blend of style and content. It is a short film, but it manages to pack in everything it needs to without feeling padded or rushed.As mentioned above, the story is a very close, if not a perfect, adaptation of the original story. Characters were never a huge standout, even in the original, but the journey they take to uncover the truth is pretty profound. The story ultimately uncovers the inherent terror of otherworldly monsters, and the film does a fine job of underscoring that theme.As silent black-and-white film, the film looks stylish. In fact, this style helps make the cheapness and amateur nature of the film feel natural and forgivable. After all, the film has some incredibly cheap special effects, but they are done in a way that looks like something genuinely made in the 20s, so it fits. Some of the photography is impressive, and the editing is not bad at all. Acting and writing are not bad, and help get the job done. This production is not terribly lavish, but it does its best to make the most out of limited budget and resources. The film has a nice music score which is appropriately moody.It's pretty clear to me that "The Call of Cthulhu" movie is a passion project, made by those who respect the source material and have done their best to make a quality adaptation. I rather wish that more filmmakers could do the same and give Lovecraft's work a proper big-screen treatment. Oh well, as it is, this is the best Lovecraft-inspired film to date, and it's definitely worth a look.Recommended! 4/5 (Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Good)