Earlier this week, little Zombelina and myself had the opportunity to take part in something really fun and special, thanks to the incredible Avon Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut. We got to witness, on the big screen, the unusual and stunning silent film The Call of Cthulhu, based on the seminal short story by H.P. Lovecraft.It was all part of the impressive lineup at the Avon which I blogged about a few weeks ago. And as for The Call of Cthulhu, this was a film that had originally been brought to my attention by friend and Lovecraft fanatic RayRay. Although made in 2005, it is a silent, black and white feature, painstakingly made to resemble the films of the 1920s--the idea being, what if someone had adapted Lovecraft's story when it was first published?
The result is an enthralling 45 minute movie, with some astonishing 1920s-era special effects, and makeup and lighting that would make F.W. Murnau proud. To top it all off, the film was introduced by noted film critic and writer Maitland McDonagh (one of the Cyber-Horror Elite, incidentally), who also took questions afterward. She was terrific, and I look forward to more of her Critic's Choice selections at the Avon.I encourage you to seek out The Call of Cthulhu on DVD, it's worth it for any Lovecraft enthusiast. As for me, I'm gearing up for next Wednesday at the Avon, when I'll be watching Friday the 13th with Betsy Palmer!
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I don't usually take the time out to mention my other blogs, but I'd like to direct your attention to an interview I was honored to give to the amazing singer/songwriter/musician Emma Wallace over at her blog, Emma's Music. The interview is in connection to my music blog Standard of the Day, and is all about the great American songbook. It's a subject I'm passionate about (yes, I do like more than just horror stuff), and that I rarely get an opportunity to talk about. I'm quite proud of how it turned out, so please check it out!
By a series of strange coincidences, I ended up doing the turkish translation of this. Of course, then they went and used the wrong word for turkish in the selection menu :P What the heck is 'Turkeli' anyway???
ReplyDeleteThe H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, which produced The Call of Cthulhu, is presently working on making another Lovecraft classic into a black and white film. This time they are working on a talkie version of The Whisperer in Darkness, and the previews look tantalizing. You can check it out on their website at www.cthulhulives.org/toc.html
ReplyDeleteI am also very pleased that The Call of Cthulhu, of which I have only seen clips [and an excellent mash up with Metallica's The Thing That Should Not Be], turned out to be so good.