On Easter meaning different things...
I suppose it might be considered distantly apropos that, on the eve of the observed rising of the sacrificed Christ, we decided to rent a movie... and that movie just *happened* to be The Dunwich Horror, which centered on themes of rebirth, and sacrifice, and followers patiently awaiting the return of their Lord, who dieth not, but merely sleepeth, awaiting Strange Ian and his crew to break a significant number of Seals, and usher in the Promised Kingdom in a blast of ... well, there the metaphor breaks down, because while some trumpets do sound a bit like the tormented screaming of a thousand deathless throats, I doubt that's what John of Patmos really had in mind.
*Waits for lightning...*
*Is reassured that the Divine's sense of humour remains intact.*
As for the movie... well. First, allow me a qualifier; there has been only one Mythos movie made which didn't suffer from one critical, and crippling severe flaw. Hokeyness. This is because the Mythos interpretation is not really conducive to a media where the audience is *shown* things. Lovecraft's core ethos lies in the horror of what cannot be seen, what cannot be expressed, and what cannot -- and should not be attempted -- be understood by the human mind. He succeeds by way of negative space, and the clever use of insane babble to paint around shapes which always remain vague, and therefore horrifying.
Movies, however, need to *show* something scary in order to scare people. Ergo, Mythos movies -- even high budget ones, -- have a tendency to play rather heavy on the cheese. Tentacles. There, I said it. Hentai porn has RUINED Mythos movies forever, and no amount of creepy lighting, or opportune ichor-splash will ever make up for the tendency of an audience to snicker at the first sight of a sucker-pad.
Also, the advent of the Chaosium game Call of Cthulhu has rendered some audiences -- like yours truly, -- rather outstandingly critical of characters who appear for the purpose of illustrating the necessary set-up of a Mythos movie. In short, we tend to treat the movie like a game, and begin calling rate and ranking of slaughter, and if we get bored enough, we'll even begin to predict methods of dispatch. There's even a drinking game, though the rules are eldritch and worrisome, and ought not to be meddled with by the novitiate.
( Eyes that read, beware! Be still, tongue that speaks! To the chosen leave the spoilery ways! )
And then the bunnies and kitties decide to be friends, and they go off together, to have lots and lots of merry adventures!
The end!
*Waits for lightning...*
*Is reassured that the Divine's sense of humour remains intact.*
As for the movie... well. First, allow me a qualifier; there has been only one Mythos movie made which didn't suffer from one critical, and crippling severe flaw. Hokeyness. This is because the Mythos interpretation is not really conducive to a media where the audience is *shown* things. Lovecraft's core ethos lies in the horror of what cannot be seen, what cannot be expressed, and what cannot -- and should not be attempted -- be understood by the human mind. He succeeds by way of negative space, and the clever use of insane babble to paint around shapes which always remain vague, and therefore horrifying.
Movies, however, need to *show* something scary in order to scare people. Ergo, Mythos movies -- even high budget ones, -- have a tendency to play rather heavy on the cheese. Tentacles. There, I said it. Hentai porn has RUINED Mythos movies forever, and no amount of creepy lighting, or opportune ichor-splash will ever make up for the tendency of an audience to snicker at the first sight of a sucker-pad.
Also, the advent of the Chaosium game Call of Cthulhu has rendered some audiences -- like yours truly, -- rather outstandingly critical of characters who appear for the purpose of illustrating the necessary set-up of a Mythos movie. In short, we tend to treat the movie like a game, and begin calling rate and ranking of slaughter, and if we get bored enough, we'll even begin to predict methods of dispatch. There's even a drinking game, though the rules are eldritch and worrisome, and ought not to be meddled with by the novitiate.
( Eyes that read, beware! Be still, tongue that speaks! To the chosen leave the spoilery ways! )
And then the bunnies and kitties decide to be friends, and they go off together, to have lots and lots of merry adventures!
The end!