Delve Deeper

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Mountains of Madness, another opinion...


The following information was taken from the comment section for September 4th. Keep in mind that I have no idea who wrote this, or whether or not they have read the most current [completed] draft of the script. I am only posting this for those of you who may have missed it...

Beware, there be spoilers ahead...

I've read the script, the latest one*.There was no cheese and no campiness. Everything on display is deadly serious and highly Lovecraft. Del Toro has captured all the elements but done so through his own unique vision. The script is breath taking in its horror and action packed at times but everything takes place in under an incredible and very present atmosphere of dread. And yes the atmosphere is palapable on every page. It is not a Hollywood film, it is a chilling vision of AtMoM done on a fairly epic scale, that DOES hold true to the story, incredibly so, while also allowing the work to be more accesible to the public at large. That last bit sounds bad, but after reading the script I went back and studied the original text at length. The only real difference is that Del Toro chooses to show us the sights of Antartica instead of having us witness them through radio broadcasts etc. And if you think about it, that is truly the only way to actually adapt Lovecraft to film. You have to give the unknowable a shape. You have to at least provide the audience a glimpse from which they can build their terror and he does that here, and will do that in the film I am sure. Finally, he actually gives us characters that we can relate to. In the original text that is possibly the only thing lacking. Lovecraft almost never gave us characters that we cared for other than the narrator.They simply served a function to the plot and helped it move along, the narrator is what matters. In the script you are given just enough development of all the characters to care about them to the point where you are involved in their lives. You feel for the narrator but you also care for his friends and revile his enemies. It makes the lurking horror and oppresive dread on display that much more intense. You know what is going to happen here, but you can't help but feel each and every terrible thing that happens and progressively become more and more fearful as the story goes on. I feel no need to delve into details about the script and I hope that this comment helps to alleviate some of the trepidation that the poorly written review by Temple of Ghoul has obviously left you with. Trust in Del Toro, he knows what he's doing and more importantly he knows Lovecraft**.

*I have an incredible source near to the material. I was allowed time with but not granted a script.
** See the documentary that you promoted here yourself not too long ago. Lovcraft: Fear of the Unknown (I may have mis-typed the title, but I dod own and have seen the doc itself.)If anyone can pull this off it is Guillermo Del Toro.

(Thanks to Anonymous)

2 comments:

  1. and you call THIS a 'script review'?
    there's not a single detail or specific thing said about allegedly most recent version. how many pages is it?
    this reads more like a planted press release statement from the producer with an obvious aim to alleviate the fears of HPL readers.
    if this guy REALLY read a new version of the script, and offered THIS as a 'review', then it's really poorly written.

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  2. I have removed the word "review", so as not to confuse future readers...it was never submitted or offered as a review (those were my words). It was left as a comment to an earlier post...

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