The Call of Cthulhu (2005)

As Good As It Gets

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

I have not the habit of watching silent films , and my experience is based only on the incredible work of the unforgettable Charlie Chaplin. But no doubt it was worth it becomes aware of this fantastic work . Simple, crazy and dark are some of the best adjectives for it, it's a fantastic and recommended film from the writer renowned fans, but also for those who are fans of movies of terror and fiction or simply someone who look for a good movie to entertain themselves and think. Being extremely faithful to the story , Call of Cthulhu undoubtedly leave its mark on those who have the courage and the pleasure of watching it .

A Boston archaeologist sorts through his dead great-uncle's papers. He finds information about the Cthulhu Cult. The great-uncle was a psychiatrist. One of his patients was a young man named Henry Wilcox. Wilcox reported dreams; the shrink asked that he record the dreams for discussion. When Wilcox failed to appear one day, the great-uncle tracks him down to a mental ward. Wilcox had lost his memory of his obsession.The present day nephew skips to other parts of the great-uncle's stored papers, which included newspaper clippings, and visits to conferences. At one conference, a policeman presents an artifact to some scholars. One man had seen the same sort of piece in Greenland in Esquimaux (sic) territory. Another described odd goings-on in a swamp near New Orleans where children were disappearing. In both cases, there was a chant that named Cthulhu. A similar artifact was at the site of a cult fire dance where cannibalism was being practiced. The investigator came with police; the dance was dispersed; arrests were made.The nephew keeps reading. This seems to be a common mistake made by actors in Cthulhu films.He follows the notebooks, and goes to places described in the notebooks. He locates a Cthulu statue, and gains more information than what was in the notebooks.The effort eventually drives the nephew mad. -----Scores------Cinematography: 4/10 Presented in black and white in the 4:3 aspect ratio. Full of simulated scratches and floating dust. Ugly.Sound: 6/10 This is a silent film with musical accompaniment and inter-titles. The music was fairly good for the on screen action.Acting: 4/10 Without voice, these actors seemed to be lost.Screenplay: 4/10 Too many dream sequences and flashbacks. A lot of this looks like Freudian themes with visuals in the style of Dali.-----Post Script-----In graduate school at Indiana University, I saw a dozen or so silent black and white films at the Auditorium, which had a large screen and a huge pipe organ of fine sound quality. The organ player was not only a skilled musician, but also a BW film buff of broad experience. The films were A list when they were released, and were often in 1.85 or wider format. They looked like movie films, not television. The film actors and directors were experienced and skilled at making the best silent films. These experiences were rather rich; I felt like I was catching a glimpse of the silent era during its height.Why go to so much effort to make something that looks so bad? The black and white silent era is over. Go the route of The Artist instead.

Although there is a small wealth of films based on the classic works of H.P. Lovecraft, there has never been anything in the mainstream, and it looks like it'll stay that way (especially since Guillermo Del Toro's "At the Mountains of Madness" seems to have fallen through the cracks). It's pretty sad, considering that Lovecraft's work has been highly influential for myriads of modern artists in all genres and mediums; if it wasn't for him, the works of Stephen King, John Carpenter, HR Giger, and heck, even Black Sabbath and Metallica would have all been different. As it is, "The Re-Animator" remains the most popular film, and it makes for a fantastic romp of a gorefest film, but it's still purely cult status.Even though it may not have penetrated the mainstream, "The Call of Cthulhu" might be the best adaptation of a Lovecraft story to date. Produced by the HP Lovecraft Historic Society, it shows impeccable attention to the narrative and nuances of the original story, and it follows the story to the letter. To match up with the era of Lovecraft's lifetime, the film was even made as a silent black-and-white feature. Its style is a perfect replication of old-fashioned cinema, complete with over-the-top acting, simple special effects, and emphasis on light and shadow. It might have even taken some inspiration from the works of F.W. Murnau, due to its emphasis on visual storytelling.Much like the original story, the "CoC" film starts off a little dry, but eventually moves on to some very intriguing and freaky encounters. The film's most interesting highlights will include the policemen confronting the cult of Cthulhu in the swamps of New Orleans, and the final encounters at the lost city of R'lyeh (which is conceived perfectly on screen). The film definitely succeeds at visualizing the story in the best way possible; a fine blend of style and content. It is a short film, but it manages to pack in everything it needs to without feeling padded or rushed.As mentioned above, the story is a very close, if not a perfect, adaptation of the original story. Characters were never a huge standout, even in the original, but the journey they take to uncover the truth is pretty profound. The story ultimately uncovers the inherent terror of otherworldly monsters, and the film does a fine job of underscoring that theme.As silent black-and-white film, the film looks stylish. In fact, this style helps make the cheapness and amateur nature of the film feel natural and forgivable. After all, the film has some incredibly cheap special effects, but they are done in a way that looks like something genuinely made in the 20s, so it fits. Some of the photography is impressive, and the editing is not bad at all. Acting and writing are not bad, and help get the job done. This production is not terribly lavish, but it does its best to make the most out of limited budget and resources. The film has a nice music score which is appropriately moody.It's pretty clear to me that "The Call of Cthulhu" movie is a passion project, made by those who respect the source material and have done their best to make a quality adaptation. I rather wish that more filmmakers could do the same and give Lovecraft's work a proper big-screen treatment. Oh well, as it is, this is the best Lovecraft-inspired film to date, and it's definitely worth a look.Recommended! 4/5 (Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Good)

H.P. Lovecraft was a prolific writer, and many films were made by or inspired by his works: Re-animator, Bride of Re-animator, Dagon, From Beyond, and many many more.If one were to do a movie during his time, it would look exactly like this one: black and white and silent. Neither takes away from the interesting story. What we see is a tale of hair-raising mystery full of bizarre dreams, murderous eskimos, and blood-thirsty cultists that culminates in the revelation of an unspeakable horror, just as it would have been made in 1925.With German impressionism prevalent, the music and shadows made this a terrifying tale.