Pickman's Muse review...

There have been several excellent Lovecraftian features released over the last two or three years (Ivan Zuccon's Colour from the Dark and Dan Gildark's Cthulhu come to mind), and in the last week or so, the always informative Grim Reviews blog has reviewed two of the more recent releases...

Last week it was David Schmidt's House of Black Wings (check it out here) and this time around, the Grim Blogger tackles Robert Cappelleto's atmospheric masterpiece Pickman's Muse...

"...it relies heavily on an ominous atmosphere steeped in strange imagery. It may, in fact, be the most strictly atmospheric movie of this type to surface for a long time."

- Grim Reviews



(Thanks to grimreviews.blogspot.com)

It's been a while

Hi guys! Time for another set of links to Cthulhu stuff in the world of gaming.

Over at Vynom Links they have a handy character generator for you folks playing Call of Cthulhu.

There's also a Cthulhu d20 Character Generator over at Pathguy's website.

Soda Bob has a neat little site that also includes a Call of Cthulhu section.

David Rodgers site also has a Cthulhu related rpg called Yellow Dawn set after the collapse of the world.

I'm sure most of the Arkham Horror gamers know about the Wiki, but I thought I'd add a link to it anyway.

I think I also mentioned the Strange Eons program that lets them make fan content for it, but in case I didn't here's the link.

There's another Arkham Horror Fansite at Arkham Investigations.


For the Heavy Metal Fans Cthulhu is apparently being made as a guitar design these days. he's even inspired a Ukelele.

That's all for now. Next up I hope to review a few films cosmic horror fans may like but that aren't well known in the U.S.

Cool giveaway from Strange Aeons...

Here is some cool news from the folks over at Strange Aeons Magazine...an exclusive King in Yellow miniature (figure comes unpainted, but there will be a painting tutorial included) for use in the Strange Aeons miniature skirmish game will be shipped with the first 100 issues of SA #3! The issue will also contain an exclusive King in Yellow game scenario for use with the Strange Aeons game...

Pre-order information is forthcoming...


(Thanks to Kelly Young)

Outpost Doom DVD out now...

Outpost Doom, the feature length film from Dead Lantern Films, is now available on DVD! DVD extras include deleted scenes, audio commentary tracks, Drunken Zombie Film Festival documentary, photos, easter eggs and more. The DVD is $10 (includes free shipping) or $13 for overseas orders...

About the film: Two escaped cons, running from a horrific tentacled monster, seek refuge in an enormous barn. Once inside, they discover a decapitated corpse and a group of strangers who are highly suspicious of their presence. It doesn’t take long before people start dying in vicious ways. Someone is not who they appear to be...meanwhile, the tentacled monster is trying to find its way inside...

Click here to purchase...




(Thanks to Mat Kister)

John Cusack cast as Poe...

John Cusack announced via twitter that he has been cast as Edgar Allan Poe in an upcoming adaptation of The Raven...

Check out his announcement below (misspellings are his, not ours!)...

"officiali- will play edgar allen poe in fall-a-film called the raven, send any poe- gold - my way as i begin this journey into the abyss"

(Thanks to Dread Central)

The Island poster revealed...

Coming soon from writer/director Nathan Fisher and Gonzo Entertainment is their latest foray into Lovecraftian cinema, The Island! Check out the amazing 70's throwback poster for the film, courtesy of Dooby tomkins (illustration) and Brando Gnetz (graphic design)...

More as it becomes available...


(Thanks to Nathan Fisher)

The Investigators...

With the H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast currently on break, they used this week to post links to a Lovecraftian animated show they created about ten years ago for Atom Films. The show, titled The Investigators, lasted just four episodes and was never completed...

Check out episode one below, and click here for episodes 2-4...



(Thanks to hppodcraft.com)

Updated: James Cameron talks Mountains of Madness...

Oregonlive.com caught up with James Cameron to talk about the Avatar re-release, which comes out today, and this is what he had to say about At the Mountains of Madness. Nothing really new, but still worth mentioning...

"Well, that's more of a personal thing. Guillermo and I have been friends, and we've looked for opportunities to work together. And when he fell out of "The Hobbit" project, we were talking, just kind of commiserating -- and he had spent a lot of time on that, and he wanted to go work on something that would sort of feed his soul as a filmmaker.

I said, "What's your favorite project? What do you want to do?" He said, " 'At the Mountains of Madness.' " And I was a huge Lovecraft fan, always have been -- just read him voraciously in college. And I said, "Let's do it!" Who doesn't want to see Cthulhu? (Laughs.)"

- James Cameron

Update: James Cameron also spoke with Wired.com today, about Avatar and At the Mountains of Madness...

"It's going to be an epically-scaled horror film and we haven't seen anything like that in a really long time — I guess since Aliens," Cameron told the site. "The thing about Lovecraft is that he left a lot to the imagination. He never told you what they looked like. He managed to create a sense of creeping horror without specifics. Guillermo brings an eye for design that is so original and so quirky and so steeped in the lore of movie design and horror design, but always fresh and unexpected. Frankly, I just want to see what he comes up with and I want to enable the nuts and bolts of the production so he doesn't have to worry about that. I want to help him how to work in 3-D."

Click here for more...

(Thanks to Dunwichsouth, oregonlive.com and wired.com)

The HPLFF 2010 takes shape...

Another feature and several more shorts have been added the Portland, Oregon H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival! Stuat Simpson's Australian feature El Monstro Del Mar, and the following shorts; At The Reefers Of Madness (by Brian Clement), DemiUrge Emesis (by Aurelio Voltaire), Doomsday Catch Phrase (by Pete Sleeper), Silas and the Tomb (by Conor Casey), The Silver Key (by Conor Timmis and Gary Fierro) and The Tell-Tale Heart (by Michael Swertfager) have all been added...

Look for further updates as the festival draws near...


(Thanks to hplfilmfestival.com)

Del Toro to produce The Captured Bird...

Former Rue Morgue editor Jovanka Vuckovic announced today that her first post-Morgue project will be The Captured Bird, a short film produced by Guillermo del Toro! Other individuals involved in the film include effects team Spectral Motion (Hellboy), editor Douglas Buck and director of photography Karim Hussain...

In a press release that came out today, Guillermo del Toro had this to say, "Jovanka's vision has been honed to perfection and combines true poetry with savage instinct. [It's] lyrical and brutal. Just what the doctor ordered."

Vuckovic added, "Having Guillermo [del Toro] on board as Executive Producer is like a dream come true for a first time filmmaker. His well of inspiration is as limitless as his generosity. Plus, The Captured Bird is just too ambitious to make without his guidance. I'm very grateful to have him as part of the team. The Captured Bird is inspired in part by a childhood nightmare, the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, the fables of the Brothers Grimm and the paranormal phenomenon referred to as The Shadow People," explains writer-director Vuckovic. "It's sort of a dark fable that I hope people will find haunting, poetic and beautiful."

The film is scheduled to shoot in the spring of 2011...


About the film: The Captured Bird is a darkly poetic fable that begins with a little girl drawing figures of people with chalk on the cement of a playground. She takes notice of an unusual crack in the pavement that is seeping a mysterious black fluid, which she follows to an ominous building. Inside, she encounters several bizarre phenomena, including walls that bleed black and tentacles that emerge from the ceiling to touch her. She then witnesses the birth of five terrifying supernatural beings that threaten the existence of her world...

Check out the official site for concept art, crew info and how you can help "Capture the Bird". Jovanka Vuckovic reveals more about the project and website in the video below...

Welcome To TheCapturedBird.com from The Captured Bird on Vimeo.

(Thanks to shocktillyoudrop.com and twitchfilm.net)

A Fish Called Martha...

Stunt Kitty Films are currently in post-production on a new short film called A Fish Called Martha or: Who's Really Afraid of H. P. Lovecraft Anyway?, which revolves around a young H.P. and his slim-hipped wife, who flee a monster of cosmic proportions, and seek refuge on the campus of the infamous Miskatonic University in an outrageous parody of things Lovecraft and Hollywood...

Written by Rob Robinson and directed by Debora Roventini, the 15 minute film stars Ken MacFarlane (as George), Debora Roventini (as Martha), William Bertrand (as H. P.) and Lyle Palaski (as Honey)...

Check out the Stunt Kitty Films page on flickr for images from the film...

(Thanks to imdb.com)

HPLFF 2010 announcements begin...

The 2010 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival (the 15th and final one in Portland, Oregon) has started taking shape, as several features, guests and shorts have been announced...


Jean-Paul Oullette's The Unnameable and The Unnameable II: The Statement of Randolph Carter have joined the previously announced feature The Burrowers (by J. T. Petty). The Unnameable films are known for Mark Kinsey Stephenson's wonderful performance as Randolph Carter and R. Christopher Biggs amazing creature effects...


In the short film category, several animated films and a couple of live action adaptations have been added including Dagon (by Michael Chase), Rats in the Wall (by Alastair Macleod), The Statement of Randolph Carter (by Douglas Simon) Roe (by Christopher James Jordan), The Necronomicon (by Joseph Nanni) and The Picture in the House (by Miles Finlayson). Paul Carrick's Eldritch Light and Shadow has will also screen...


Announced guests include author's Caitlín R. Kiernan, Michael Shea, Richard A. Lupoff, William F. Nolan, editor Ellen Datlow and filmmakers Aaron Vanek, Andrew Leman and Sean Branney (check the HPLFF site for more)...


The festival takes place October 1-3, 2010 at the Hollywood Theatre...

Click here for details...

(Thanks to hplfilmfestival.com)

House of Black Wings review...

Grim Reviews, an excellent source for all things weird (and one of our favorite blogs), reviews David Schmidt's House of Black Wings here. The film was recently released on DVD...

"The film effectively balances Lovecraftian cosmic menace with a cast that seems real, sympathetic, and tainted."

- Grim Reviews


(Thanks to grimreviews.blogspot.com)

The Beyond on the big screen...

Lucio Fulci's masterpiece The Beyond will screen (in 35mm) September 3rd, 4th and 5th at the Grand Cinemas in Tacoma, WA as part of Film School Confidential USA...

Visit the FSC USA Facebook page for details...


(Thanks to fangoria.com)

The pension Esmodine...

Amateur filmmakers CMP, comprised of writer Corentin Mea and director Aymeric Pelzer, have released the first episode of their Lovecraftian web series La pension Esmodine, and you can check it out below! Shot in High Definition, there will be seven episodes in all, lasting around six minutes each...

The final six episodes will be released semi-regularly with a DVD release possible in 2011. The official CMP site has cast and crew info and more (in French)...

Two teasers have also been released, hinting at things to come...







(Thanks to c.m.p.cowblog.fr)

One man's descent into madness...

Actor Michael Sabbaton has created and performs in an all new one-man show based on one of Lovecraft's most popular stories, The Call of Cthulhu! Part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the show runs through August 30th (except the 24th) at the Hill Street Theatre...

"On reading Lovecraft's story, I felt that the true terror of the piece was in the grand element of the unknown. From under the sea, from the furthest reaches of the universe and from deep inside the human mind."

- Michael Sabbaton

About the show: True terror resides in the slumbering mind. Fear, obsession, madness, paranoia. At night, in dreams, darkness stirs and an ancient horror awakes from the watery depths. When a professor of linguistic antiquity is visited one night by a troubled, young artist, a mystery of colossal fear is slowly unleashed. Bearing a strange, clay tablet of bas relief still wet from its fevered creation, the artist tells of his nightmared vision of a gargantuan, sunken metropolis and the sleeping, malevolent horror lurking within.

Based on HP Lovecraft's classic tale of untold terror, 'Cthulhu' is a fearful 'Pandora's box' of the mind. Weaving the tale through these complex recesses of human fear and sanity, actor Michael Sabbaton creates a character-driven world of compelling action.

Click here for more information...




(Thanks to remarkable-arts-ltd.com and michaelsabbaton.com)

The Dunwich Horror, the first audio horror movie...

I'm rather late on this one, but I felt the project deserved a mention...

Producer Colin Edward's adaptation of The Dunwich Horror runs a full 80-minutes, but not a single image graces the darkened screen. Billed as the world's first audio horror movie, The Dunwich Horror debuted at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June and features the vocal talents of Greg Hemphill, Innes Smith, Gavin Mitchell, Charlie Ross, Sandy Nelson, Vivien Grahame, David McGowan, Vivien Taylor and Dave Barr...

"If you have to supply the visuals yourself with your own mind's eye then the more imagination you have the more frightened you're going to be," actor Greg Hemphill, who provides narration for the film, told the Scotland Herald before the premiere...

Colin Edwards, who also wrote Dunwich, told the Herald, "It's always been one of my favorite Lovecraft stories. There's a lot of stuff in The Dunwich Horror that you don't really see. It's very much left to the imagination."

Check out Eye for Film's review here...

"The most interesting part of the production is obviously the lack of any visuals, fortunately it doesn't feel like a large budget audiobook or radio play, it very much lives up to the "audio movie" title which it is sold as."

- Eye for Film

I hope the film will screen again soon (the Toronto Film Festival looks like a possibility), or at least receive a proper CD/DVD release. Only time will tell, but until then, check out the official trailer below...



(Thanks to Colin Edwards, The Scotland Herald, Eye for Film and The Times)

Lovecraft in the Horror Pages...

The Horror Pages, an anthology featuring Jeff Palmer's short The Sleeping Deep (based on his award winning feature length screenplay) and Jared Skolnick's adaptation of The Music of Erich Zann, is now available in a limited edition tin that includes the uncut film, a set of trading cards, exclusive on-disc art and a certificate of authenticity. The set is limited to 50 hand numbered copies and will ship once all 50 are sold. Retail is $25.00...

Click here for details...


(Thanks to MCB Entertainment)

Stripling Films beat del Toro up the Mountains of Madness...

It looks like James Cameron and Guillermo del Toro aren't the only filmmakers up to the task of climbing the Mountains of Madness as production is currently underway on an independent adaptation courtesy of Stripling Films! Written and directed by Richard Edwin Stripling Jr., the film stars Brian C. Fitzpatrick, Denny LaDue, Mark O'Brien (as Stephen Danforth) and Dale Bacon (as Professor William Dyer)...

Look for more information as it becomes available, but for now, check out the official teaser and some behind-the-scenes pics from the film...







(Thanks to Sebastián Ohaco)

Cthulhu Blues, the long lost recording...

In honor of H.P. Lovecraft's 120th Birthday, Reber Clark (Lovecraft Paragraphs) has kindly offered free downloads of Blind Lemon Jermyn's long lost recording Cthulhu Blues to readers of Unfilmable.com! Downloads will be available here through the end of the month...

The recording is also available through Amazon.com for $0.99. Information regarding the discovery can be found below...


In 2010 an old 78 rpm recording washed up on the recently night-black shores of New Orleans. The image above is of the restored album cover (Sanberry Restorations, Inc., Lake Charles, La.). Cthulhu Blues was performed by Blind Lemon Jermyn sometime in 1938 and was recorded for posterity by E. "Scooter" Zann, Jr.

Curiously the label indicates that it is in "stereo" which wasn't widely available in 1938 and the recording itself is mono. Another curiosity is that the label indicates "Side 2," however the other side is completely blank.

The choir is credited obscurely as the "Starry Wisdom Voices." Apparently there was a bassist, a clarinet player and a trumpet player on the gig as well. If anyone has more information on any of these artists please don't hesitate to contact Reber Clark. Any info appreciated.

For the purposes of copyright this recording is © & (P) 2010 by Reber Clark

(Thanks to Reber Clark)

Happy 120th Birthday HPL...

Happy Birthday H.P. Lovecraft! Please read one of his works aloud and share with others the gifts he has given us...

Plan D's Thursday Thirteen: Lovecraft...

In honor of H.P. Lovecraft's Birthday, my good friend Derek Koch has compiled a list of his top 13 Lovecraftian media adaptations! Head over to his new Plan D blog to check it out...

(Thanks to Derek Koch)

HPLFF 2010 Portland teaser poster...

The official teaser poster for the 15th and final H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, Oregon has been revealed. The festival will move to a city as yet-to-be-decided. Although Los Angeles, Seattle and Austin, Texas have all been mentioned as possibilities...


(Thanks to hplfilmfestival.com)

Closet Space coming to DVD...

Closet Space, a film we've been covering since before we moved to blogger, is coming to DVD September 14th courtesy of R-Squared Films! You can pre-order it now through Amazon.com, bestbuy.com and barnesandnoble.com for around 16 bucks...

On the big screen, several screenings of Mel House's Lovecraftian feature have been announced including the Week of Terror (9/17-9/23) and the Sacramento Horror Con (9/25)...

For a couple of recent reviews, check out Video Views and TerrorScribe.com, and be on the lookout for Closet Space t-shirts coming soon from Fast Custom Shirts...



About the film: What happens when the quest for knowledge comes up against the insatiable hunger for flesh? Six grad students slowly and horrifically discover the answer as they search for their missing professor...


(Thanks to Mel House)

Mindflesh in the UK...

Robert Pratten's 2008 film Mindflesh, an indie body-horror film with Lovecraftian overtones, is coming to UK DVD courtesy of 4DigitalMedia! According to Dread Central, producer Jonathan Sothcott (Wishbaby, a film that screened at the HPLFF) introduced Pratten to 4DigitalMedia, and the filmmakers are currently looking to work together once a suitable project presents itself...

About the film: MindFlesh is a psycho-sexual horror/thriller about obsession. Chris Jackson is a taxi driver with a childhood trauma. The trauma has made him a portal for obsessions to pass from the mind to the physical world and hence disrupt the world's multiple planes of reality. Extraterrestrials that police the universe threaten to kill Chris' friends unless he conquers his past...



(Thanks to Dread Central)

Lovecraft at the Oklahoma Horror Film Fest...

The Oklahoma Horror Film Fest has announced its schedule and Lovecraft is represented among the 60 plus films screening over the 3-day event. Taking place September 3-5 (Labor Day weekend) at the Tulsa, Oklahoma SpiritBank Event Center, the festival consists of screenings (both features and shorts), workshops and panels...

Attendees should be on the lookout for Joseph Nanni's Elder Sign and The Necronomicon, which have become festival favorites all over the world. Also of note, Jeffrey B. Palmer's un-produced screenplay The Sleeping Deep has been nominated for Best of Fest...

Click here for the complete schedule, ticket information and more...


(Thanks to the Oklahoma Horror Film Festival)

Pickman's Muse DVD review...

Have you picked up your copy of Robert Cappelletto's Pickman's Muse yet? If not, it's available on Amazon.com for $13.49! Our opinion of the film (it's a masterpiece with atmosphere to spare) is probably pretty well known, but if you head over to the Unimonster's Crypt, you can read their favorable review (scroll down for the review) of the DVD release...

"The script is excellent, translating the suspense and horror of the original into the cinematic form..."

- The Unimonster's Crypt


(Thanks to unimonsterscrypt.blogspot.com)

The Call of Cthulhu in under 2 minutes...

The Brothers Grim & Grimy adapt The Call of Cthulhu! Check it out below...



(Thanks to Aaron Vanek)

Pickman's Models: Night of the Demons...

I know it's not Lovecraft, but I just had to post this pic of the water demon from Adam Gierasch's upcoming remake of Night of the Demons! Look for it on DVD October 19th...

About the film: Angela Feld is throwing the Halloween party to end all Halloween parties at the infamous Broussard Mansion in New Orleans, where dark events transpired almost a century ago. But when the packed party gets busted by the police, Angela and her friends Maddie, Lily, Suzanne, Colin, Dex and Jason are the only ones left behind. Soon Colin and Angela make a grisly discovery in the basement and inexplicable events start to take place. With the mansion gates mysteriously locked, the seven find themselves trapped for the night...and soon they're fighting ancient demons for their very souls...


(Thanks to myspace.com/notdfansite)

Stuart Gordon joins the HPLFF - Los Angeles...

Director Stuart Gordon has confirmed that he will be attending the first Los Angeles based H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival! 2010 is the 25th anniversary of his cult classic Re-Animator...

Other guests scheduled to attend include the directors of all six films set to screen; Frank H. Woodward (Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown), Bryan Moore (Cool Air), David Prior (AM 1200), John Strysik (The Music of Erich Zann), Andrew Leman (The Call of Cthulhu) and the aforementioned Gordon...

Tickets are available here...


(Aaron Vanek)

The Thing poster revealed...

Australia's Encore Magazine scored a several pics of the teaser poster for Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.'s The Thing, one of which you can see below. The pictures were taken at the Australian International Movie Convention...

Look for The Thing to hit theaters on April 29, 2011...


(Thanks to fangoria.com)

Return to Innsmouth review...

Innsmouth Free Press reviews Aaron Vanek's hard-to-find classic Return to Innsmouth here...

"...an ultra-low-budget labor of love directed by Lovecraftian enthusiast, Aaron Vanek..."

- Innsmouth Free Press


(Thanks to innsmouthfreepress.com)

Clevver Movies covers Madness...

(Thanks to Paul of Cthulhu)

Cameron talks Madness...

In an exclusive interview with Shocktillyoudrop.com, filmmaker James Cameron reveals his love of Lovecraft, his friendship with del Toro and what happens when you make deals the devil...

Check out the video interview here...

(Thanks to shocktillyoudrop.com)

Evil Dead the Musical invades Oklahoma...

That's right, Evil Dead the Musical is invading Oklahoma just in time for Halloween! Tickets are on sale now for all performances, which start October 2nd and run every Friday and Saturday through the 30th! Doors open at 8 PM, the show starts at 8:30...

Evil Dead the Musical is the latest attraction of the Scream Country Haunted Forest, and performances will take place at the newly built Boomstick Theater in Drumright, Oklahoma...

Click here for tickets, directions and more...


(Thanks to John Stirling)

Transfuzion presents Call of Cthulhu...

Written and illustrated by Michael Zigerlig, Transfuzion's graphic adaptation of Lovecraft's masterpiece The Call of Cthulhu narrates the tale with the original prose of three points of view describing the horror of Cthulhu...

The 72 page graphic novel, complete with an introduction by Swiss surrealist H.R. Giger, retails for $9.99...

Click here for more...


(Thanks to Matthew Carpenter)

Altitude release announced...

Anchor Bay has announced the release of Kaare Andrews Altitude on DVD and Blu-ray! Scheduled for an October 26th release, the DVD retails for $26.98 and the Blu-ray sells for $34.99...

Watch this space for details...


(Thanks to Dread Central)

Alex Winter talks The Gate remake...

The German webzine screen/read caught up with actor/director Alex Winter to talk about his upcoming 3D remake of the 80's classic The Gate. Production on the film should begin soon with a lengthy post-production to follow. According to the interview, Alex hopes to have the film ready in the fall of 2011...

Head over to screen/read for the interview, and while you're there, check out the impressive storyboards courtesy of Robb Bihun...


(Thanks to shocktillyoudrop.com)

Cthulhu Saves the World...

For Immediate Release:


Zeboyd Games (Breath of Death VII: The Beginning) is proud to announce their upcoming RPG, Cthulhu Saves the World for the XBox 360.

Cthulhu was all set to plunge the world into insanity and destruction when a band of heroes cursed him and sealed away his powers. The only way for him to break the curse is to become a true hero. Save the world to destroy it!

Features:

An epic journey of redemption and insanity!

Classic 8/16-bit style combined with the best of modern gameplay design.

720p! Parallax scrolling! Backgrounds!

Use magic and skills to inflict insanity upon your opponents! Insane enemies are more dangerous but also more vulnerable!

More accessible than ever before! Collect Save Notebooks to save wherever you like! Collect 1Ups to retry failed battles!

7 playable characters – Umi the beautiful heroine with an unhealthy obsession with the ocean, Sharpe the sentient floating sword, October the cute necromancer, Paws the alien cat, Dacre a senile old man, Ember the dark dragon, and of course, Cthulhu from the classic horror of H.P. Lovecraft!

A 6-10 hour main quest with multiple difficulties and post-game modes like Score Attack and Highlander to increase replayability!

All of the great features players know and love from Breath of Death VII: The Beginning have returned – fast-paced gameplay, combo system, random encounter limits, unite techniques, branching LV-Ups, and more!

Cthulhu Saves the World is currently scheduled for an August 2010 release on Xbox Live Indie Games. It will cost 240 MS points ($3 USD).



For more information on Cthulhu Saves the World and Zeboyd Games, please visit: http://zeboyd.com/

(Thanks to Dan Ross)

Lowndes and Andrews talk Altitude...

Head over to Dread Central for a video interview with Altitude star Jessica Lowndes and director Kaare Andrews. Altitude follows a group of teens on a weekend getaway aboard a small plane that suddenly turns deadly when an unexplained malfunction sends the aircraft climbing out of control into the heart of a mysterious storm...

Unable to get their bearings or contact the ground, the survivors gradually realize they are locked in combat with a terrifying supernatural force...

(Thanks to Dread Central)

H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival moves to Los Angeles...

For Immediate Release:

The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, founded in 1995 by Andrew Migliore in Portland, Oregon, has spawned in Los Angeles!

Saturday, September 11, 2010
2pm-10pm
Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro

Tickets and info: (prices go up $5 after Wednesday): http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/117721

Press release:

THE H.P. LOVECRAFT FILM FESTIVAL® MOVES TO LOS ANGELES

August 1, 2010

Los Angeles - After fourteen successful years of sell-out crowds in Portland, Oregon, the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival® arises in Southern California on Saturday, September 11, 2010 from 2pm-10pm at the classic Warner Grand Theater in historic San Pedro.

The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival® promotes the works of famed author H.P. Lovecraft and similar weird tales through motion pictures by both professionals and amateurs, current and classic. The festival was founded in 1995 by Andrew Migliore to promote and encourage film and television adaptations of Lovecraft’s great works.

H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) is critically regarded not only as a master gothic horror author, but also an American icon whose strange tales are now part of academic literary studies. Stephen King calls Lovecraft "the twentieth century's greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale." Lovecraft's influence on art and culture can be seen in the many references to his creations the Necronomicon, a dreaded occult book whose history was so detailed that many believed it was real, and the monstrous alien-god mythology known as the Cthulhu Mythos.

The Los Angeles Lovecraft Film Festival will feature six of the best films that played in Portland over the last 14 years:

Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (2008) - An award-winning documentary about H.P. Lovecraft with interviews from leading creators in the horror field: Neil Gaiman, Guillermo Del Toro (who recently announced he would begin work on his own feature adaptation of a Lovecraft story), John Carpenter, Ramsey Campbell, Peter Straub, and more. Directed by Frank H. Woodward

Cool Air (1999) - "Never underestimate the power of the human will." Jack Donner (Transformers 3, Star Trek: The Original Series) stars in this powerful period adaptation of the classic Lovecraft tale about a man who will do anything to survive. Masterfully filmed in Los Angeles on a shoestring budget, directed by and also starring Bryan Moore.

AM 1200 (2008) - Eric Lange (Lost), John Billingsley (True Blood), and Ray Wise (Reaper, Twin Peaks) star in this taut supernatural thriller about a man on the run who flees into a far worse Hell than the one he left. A modern Lovecraft-inspired tale directed by David Prior (Fight Club DVD design and bonus features).

During the intermission, the Astra Dance troupe will perform a routine from their upcoming Halloween show inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, one of Lovecraft’s favorite authors and of similar style and influence.

The Music of Erich Zann (1980) – One of the earliest film versions of Lovecraft's most popular stories. A boarder is drawn into the web of his mysterious old musician neighbor, who plays haunting music for an unseen audience. Directed by John Strysik (screenwriter, Stuck)

The Call of Cthulhu (2005) - Filmed in MythoScope, this black and white film was made as if it were produced in 1926, the year Lovecraft wrote his definitive tale about a worldwide cult bent on raising their obscene god from the depths of the ocean floor. Expertly crafted by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, this is the most faithful Lovecraft story adaptation to date and winner of many awards. Directed by Andrew Leman

Re-Animator (1985) - This extreme 80's horror movie spawned many filmmakers to follow in its footsteps. Starring Jeffrey Combs (Star Trek, The Frighteners) as Herbert West, a scientist obsessed with curing death. 2010 is the 25th anniversary of this outrageous horror-comedy. Directed by Stuart Gordon

The Warner Grand Theater, built in 1931 by John Warner and recently refurbished, is a grand art deco venue perfectly suited to the classic style and tone of Lovecraft's stories.

CONFIRMED GUESTS
Portland H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival® founder Andrew Migliore

Directors Frank Woodward, Bryan Moore, David Prior, Andrew Leman & Sean Branney

Actor Eric Lange (AM 1200, Lost)
Cast and crew from The Call of Cthulhu: Noah Wagner, Barry Lynch, Patrick O'Day, Richard Lucas, Leslie Baldwin, cinematographer David Robertson and visual effects artist Dan Novy.

INVITED GUESTS
Stuart Gordon, Guillermo del Toro, John Carpenter, Jack Donner, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Matt Foyer, artists Adam Byrne and Tony Salmons ("The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft" comic book), Bernie Wrightson ("Swamp Thing", "Frankenstein")

Vendors carrying the finest Lovecraft-themed and related merchandise will also be selling their wares in between screenings and during intermission.

Following the movies, there will be an after-party the nearby Whale & Ale pub (two blocks from festival) with live jazz and absinthe cocktail spirits sponsored by Lucid Absinthe (to be confirmed).

The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival® – Los Angeles seeks merchandise vendors and sponsors. Interested parties should contact Aaron@HPLFilmFestival.com

Saturday, September 11, 2010
2pm-10pm
at the Warner Grand Theater
478 West 6th Street
San Pedro, CA 90731

Tickets are $20 until August 11, $25 after and at the door.
For more info and tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/117721

H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival® website: www.hplfilmfestival.com
Warner Grand Theater website: www.warnergrand.org
Whale & Ale pub website: www.whaleandale.com

Contact:
Aaron Vanek - Aaron@HPLFilmFestival.com

The Warner Grand Theatre is a facility of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival® name, concept, and logo is copyright Lurker Films, Inc. and used under license.

(Thanks to Aaron Vanek)