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Any good Cthulhu horror movies?

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There's a wonderful little gem of a film called Spring, that came out last year I think, which involves a very nice lovecraftian tone to it. It's actually a rather good date movie because it is a romantic movie with lovecraftian undertones.
 
There was an episode of some horror anthology show with Claire Forlani that was explicitly Lovecraft influenced. Crouch End or something. I don't remember if it was any good.
 
There's a wonderful little gem of a film called Spring, that came out last year I think, which involves a very nice lovecraftian tone to it. It's actually a rather good date movie because it is a romantic movie with lovecraftian undertones.

Hmmm. I've heard of this movie but know almost nothing about it. Now I need to check it out.
 
Off the top of my head, The Orphanage. Spanish movie.
Jacob's Ladder, The Babadook, The Descent, A Tale of Two Sisters

Thanks to this thread I'm gonna check out Event Horizon and Dagon
Thanks! I've already seen The Babadook (bit of a letdown) and The Descent (really good). I'll take a look at the rest for sure.

Heh, was gonna recommend It Follows.
Yep, it's a great example of the kind of horror movie that works for me. A couple sort of cheap jump scares, but everything else felt earned. A nice tense film with a good concept. The retro score and sound design were especially enjoyable.
 
Off topic, but I've always wanted to see that original cut of event horizon. Looks like pure, uncut, uncensored nightmare fuel.
That would have been great. But I guess it's something forever lost on the cutting room floor.

Anyway, the film is elevated from mediocrity by the lead actors Sam Neil, Laurence Fishbourne and even creepy Jason Issacs. Sadly the rest of the cast is mediocre to laughable.
 
The first paragraph of Call of Cthulhu:
"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age."

Sure, structure-wise it's a haunted house in space, but thematically? Human ambition creates a toy that tries to play with the laws of physics in an unprecedented way, and it turns out that
horrible things happen to us as a result because we are so fundamentally unsuited for the cosmos that straying from our tiny bubble drives people mad and subjects us to unbearable horror.
In contrast, don't most ghost stories deal with
human spirits out for vengeance, or demons doing the devil's work because satan?

It's not the kind of story lovecraft himself would write but that's a fairly decent thematic link in my book.

One of my all time favorite quotes.

We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far.
 
There's a wonderful little gem of a film called Spring, that came out last year I think, which involves a very nice lovecraftian tone to it. It's actually a rather good date movie because it is a romantic movie with lovecraftian undertones.

Yeah, I really enjoyed it. It balances the different aspects really well and somehow manages to function as an effective horror film and an effective romance film simultaneously. The pseudoscience is silly, but it never gets too in-your-face.
 
Yeah, I really enjoyed it. It balances the different aspects really well and somehow manages to function as an effective horror film and an effective romance film simultaneously. The pseudoscience is silly, but it never gets too in-your-face.

I'll second Spring. Felt like Before Sunrise meets Call of Cthulu
 
Any recommendations that are more creepy and evocative than gory? I tend to enjoy horror movies that focus on atmosphere instead of graphic scenes and jump scares.

Basically I'm not a fan of gruesome shit. The two best horror movies I've seen recently are Pontypool and It Follows.

I highly recommend Mr Jones. One of the best Lovecraftian films I've yet seen, because the story legitimately feels like a Lovecraftian tale. Slow burn, major twists, very satisfying end. I can't praise this film enough.

Also, if you haven't seen the 2007 Cthulhu, give that a watch. Lots of Lovecraft fans dislike it because it's too modern, and lacks gigantic monsters. This is exactly why I love it. Very fresh, atmospheric, and unique Lovecraftian film. It's basically a retelling of A Shadow Over Innsmouth despite its name.

I also really enjoyed It Follows, although I wish the movie had stayed mysterious and psychological rather than shifting into creature fearure mode for its climax.
 
The New Daughter is possibly inspired by The Lurking Fear.

I also have to echo The Resurrected (aka Shatterbrain). I really enjoy that movie.
 
I highly recommend Mr Jones. One of the best Lovecraftian films I've yet seen, because the story legitimately feels like a Lovecraftian tale. Slow burn, major twists, very satisfying end. I can't praise this film enough.

Also, if you haven't seen the 2007 Cthulhu, give that a watch. Lots of Lovecraft fans dislike it because it's too modern, and lacks gigantic monsters. This is exactly why I love it. Very fresh, atmospheric, and unique Lovecraftian film. It's basically a retelling of A Shadow Over Innsmouth despite its name.

I also really enjoyed It Follows, although I wish the movie had stayed mysterious and psychological rather than shifting into creature fearure mode for its climax.
Thanks, I appreciate those recommendations. In fact, I'm going to Netflix Mr. Jones right now.

I agree about It Follows' climax. The ending was a bit weak as well. Still a refreshing horror movie overall.
 
most of the movies in this thread have no lovecraftian angle :/

What exactly do you mean when you say Lovecraftian? What does Lovecraftian mean to you?

Well maybe I shouldn't have prefaced the thread title with the Cthulhu mythos, but I thought it was the simplest method. I'm looking for movies where the monsters/beings are almost unfathomable by our tiny minds, its not human, religious or pagan in origin and the mystery of it is kept intact.

The first paragraph of Call of Cthulhu:
"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age."

Sure, structure-wise it's a haunted house in space, but thematically? Human ambition creates a toy that tries to play with the laws of physics in an unprecedented way, and it turns out that
horrible things happen to us as a result because we are so fundamentally unsuited for the cosmos that straying from our tiny bubble drives people mad and subjects us to unbearable horror.
In contrast, don't most ghost stories deal with
human spirits out for vengeance, or demons doing the devil's work because satan?

It's not the kind of story lovecraft himself would write but that's a fairly decent thematic link in my book.

Yes, great summation you explained it better than I could.
 
My weekly reminder we didn't get Del Toro's "At the Mountains of Madness"

Aww they were gonna make that? I was about to ask why nobody has made a movie based on that yet. It would be awesome to see the ancient city and then the monster. And Del Toro to boot? His movies have such interesting visual appeal. He would've been the perfect director for it. *sigh*
 
I highly recommend Mr Jones. One of the best Lovecraftian films I've yet seen, because the story legitimately feels like a Lovecraftian tale. Slow burn, major twists, very satisfying end. I can't praise this film enough.

Also, if you haven't seen the 2007 Cthulhu, give that a watch. Lots of Lovecraft fans dislike it because it's too modern, and lacks gigantic monsters. This is exactly why I love it. Very fresh, atmospheric, and unique Lovecraftian film. It's basically a retelling of A Shadow Over Innsmouth despite its name.

I also really enjoyed It Follows, although I wish the movie had stayed mysterious and psychological rather than shifting into creature fearure mode for its climax.
Just finished this. I'm glad to say you were totally right! That was exactly the kind of movie I was looking for.
 
Any recommendations that are more creepy and evocative than gory? I tend to enjoy horror movies that focus on atmosphere instead of graphic scenes and jump scares.

Basically I'm not a fan of gruesome shit. The two best horror movies I've seen recently are Pontypool and It Follows.

honeymoon3.jpg

I think some of those quotes oversell how scary it is, but the atmosphere is absolutely dripping in unease and paranoia.

And Spring as others have mentioned is a wonderful film. Before Sunrise meets Cthulu is exactly right. Their other movie Resolution is great too.
 
I thought it had one of the coolest endings ever. Even Stephen King said he wish he would've ended the book like the movie. To each their own!

You two at least liked seeing
the giant mammoth thing,
right?

The original ending where they just continued driving was much better, it gave everything a gravity that at least allows you to imagine what it would be like trying to survive in a world where those giant mammoth creatures you mentioned exist.

The ending we got was a kick in the balls to everything the MC endured
 
The original ending where they just continued driving was much better, it gave everything a gravity that at least allows you to imagine what it would be like trying to survive in a world where those giant mammoth creatures you mentioned exist.

The ending we got was a kick in the balls to everything the MC endured

And the movie ended being one of the most memorable horror movies ever because of that ending.
 
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10010329-splinter/

There's a little TV horror movie called splinter about some people who get trapped in a gas station by this weird creature outside. I like it because the creature is this really weird amorphous thing with like spikes or needles sticking out of it. From what I remember the special effects were pretty good.

Edit: i guess it says it was in theaters but i never heard about it. Thought it was just a tv movie but it's a good one.
 
Just finished this. I'm glad to say you were totally right! That was exactly the kind of movie I was looking for.

Glad you enjoyed it! I stumbled across it on Netflix, and by the end, couldn't believe I'd never previously heard of it or seen it recommended in the typical Netflix horror lists. Absolute gem.
 
I think some of those quotes oversell how scary it is, but the atmosphere is absolutely dripping in unease and paranoia.

And Spring as others have mentioned is a wonderful film. Before Sunrise meets Cthulu is exactly right. Their other movie Resolution is great too.
Oh, I just watched Resolution a couple of days ago. It was a little uneventful for my tastes, but the cast was solid and I loved the concept behind it. I'll look into your recommendations soon. Thanks!

Glad you enjoyed it! I stumbled across it on Netflix, and by the end, couldn't believe I'd never previously heard of it or seen it recommended in the typical Netflix horror lists. Absolute gem.
Yeah, that was something special. I want to rewatch in a couple of days. Thanks again for the suggestion.
 
Recent films with a some Lovecraftian influence:


I thought they were both OK. Actually was pretty freaked out by the very end of The Borderlands (although I found most of the film fairly average).
 
The Banshee Chapter really reminded me of lovecraft. Abstenthia and yellow brick Road were other ones.

While I don't disagree with the Lovecraft feel, does anybody else feel both The Banshee Chapter and Absentia seem like they could be Creepypasta-like movies?

It's kinda funny, reading Wes Craven's original draft of Dream Warriors(A Nightmare on Elm Street 3), he seemed to be pulling upon some Lovecraftian-style concepts. There was a blurring between dream and reality where there was an actual rift where both the dreamworld and reality met(it was actually the Freddy's "house", which is where he was born, and the result being that he was a being that was part real and otherworldly dream creature and had the power over both worlds). The house, itself, had it's exterior exist in the our reality, while the interior was in the dream world and would always keep changing in shape and structure, which reminded me of the whole "unearthly geometry" of Lovecraft's "The Dreams in the Witch House" story. You could enter it in dream state(sorta astral projecting your dream self), but can also enter in physically(basically physically cross over into the dreamworld). The concept was all sorts of craziness and maybe too ambitious for it's own good.
 
How about the original wicker man? I mean, the big bad is tangible, but the sense of madness, dread and complete spiral out of control that movie creates is amazing.
 
lol...obviously. Should you look to someone else to tell you if a movie is memorable or not?

In any case obviously you find it memorable yourself.

yeah I also found remake of Wicker Memorable, but not for the right reasons.

Being memorable is not always equated to being good. The Mist is a Good film, I just loath the fact they shunned the original ending and I already stated why,



Anyways just finished 'Spring' very solid, would like any similar recommendations
 
Is there any way to see that pictured cut of Event Horizon? Those pictures are nightmare fuel, but are totally making me get a "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" vibe.
 
Is there any way to see that pictured cut of Event Horizon? Those pictures are nightmare fuel, but are totally making me get a "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" vibe.

As far as I'm concerned, most if not all, of the scenes pictured are in the actual movie. They are just shown so briefly that some people might not notice them.
 
I thought it had one of the coolest endings ever. Even Stephen King said he wish he would've ended the book like the movie. To each their own!

You two at least liked seeing
the giant mammoth thing,
right?

Hah! You have no heart! Lol.

Seriously though, I think that was one of the few times I ever felt genuinely pissed off at a movie.

giant anything is cool af
 
jw1erfH.jpg


Occult ("Okaruto") by Kôji Shiraishi.

Very disturbing. It's shot in a documentary style. The ending left me speechless.

If you can't find it on Netflix, you can always watch it on YouTube.
 
There's a wonderful little gem of a film called Spring, that came out last year I think, which involves a very nice lovecraftian tone to it. It's actually a rather good date movie because it is a romantic movie with lovecraftian undertones.

Just picked this up and will probably watch this instead of true detective tonight
 
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One of my faves.
OP this is what you want. As far as Lovecraftian horror goes I've been let down by pretty much everything else.

Any recommendations that are more creepy and evocative than gory? I tend to enjoy horror movies that focus on atmosphere instead of graphic scenes and jump scares.

Basically I'm not a fan of gruesome shit. The two best horror movies I've seen recently are Pontypool and It Follows.

Check out Absentia. Ignore the shitty cover art, it doesn't represent the tone of the movie AT ALL. Very character-driven and mysterious/creepy, using the fear of the unknown to its benefit. I saw that around the same time I watched Pontypool (which was a great concept but I thought the execution was a little lacking) and liked Absentia much more.
 
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