H.P. Lovecraft Film Roundup: The Whisperer in Darkness, Die Farbe, The Last Lovecraft
Earlier in the week, I wrote about the news that Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness was no more, due to studio concerns over releasing a $150 million horror film. It’s discouraging to be sure, if only because it’s a shame whenever a supremely talented director like Del Toro can’t pursue a dream project. However, fans of H.P. Lovecraft need not necessarily despair: while they may not be as “prestigious” as big budget studio feature, there are still several other films based on Lovecraft’s writings that are currently in the works, or have been recently released.
The Whisperer in Darkness
In 2005, the The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society released The Call of Cthulhu, an excellent silent adaptation of one of Lovecraft’s most famous stories (read my review). The Society has just finished filming their latest Lovecraft feature, this time an adaptation of The Whisperer in Darkness. Like The Call of Cthulhu, it will also be filmed in a style appropriate to the story’s setting, i.e., a black and white talkie. No release date has been set, but the film will have its premiere at Athens’ International Science Fiction & Fantasy Film Festival.
Die Farbe
Meanwhile, over in Germany, a group of filmmakers have released Die Farbe, an adaptation of one of my favorite Lovecraft stories, The Colour out of Space. After playing a couple of film festivals, Die Farbe is now available on DVD and Blu-ray, and based on a quick survey of IMDb, has received some pretty good reviews.
The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu
On the lighter, more humorous end of the spectrum, there’s The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu, a film about a man who discovers that he’s the last living descendant of H.P. Lovecraft and subsequently must defend Earth from the imminent arrival of the dreaded Cthulhu. It is currently available on DVD.
As you can see, there’s no need for despair if you’re a Lovecraft fan: there are Lovecraft films available, you may just need to go off the beaten Hollywood path to find them.
If you know of any other Lovecraft adaptations that have recently been released, or are in the works, please share them in the comments.