The Daily Teaser — 20-8-2014: H. P. Lovecraft

You know, I have to admit to a thing about a good documentary.

No, really.

I’ve got one playing in the background, as I write: part one of the BBC’s Everyday Miracles series.

I don’t know if it’s telling much I don’t know.

But it’s fascinating to watch, anyway.   And amazing to find out some details.

And still more amazing to be reminded of details I’d already known.

The man who made the modern day safety razor so much more than what it was.

King Camp Gillette.

My only question … ?   Is how on Earth did he end up with a name like that … ??

~≈Ê≈~

In his House @ R’lyeh …

Dread Cthulhu lies …

Well …

Possibly wondering what happened …

I know me and Adrian were.

I managed to track a copy of the 2007 film, “Cthulhu”, which isn’t necessarily what it says on the tin.

I think …

I got hold of this knowing in advance, that it wasn’t a film version of H.P Lovecraft’s “Call of Cthulhu”, but of another of his work’s, “The Shadow over Innsmouth”*; not that I’m complaining, per sé.

I’m as aware as anyone that Hollywood can take the odd liberty.

But what gets me is simply that I was expecting something that …

Well …

Maybe was a little bit better done.

Possibly I’m being a touch harsh, here — thoughts and comments, please, Adrian, everybody — but it did strike both of us that, with the possible exception of the very tongue in cheek “Reanimator”, many of the H. P. Lovecraft film adaptions have been a touch … clunky …

And “Cthulhu” seems to be another in the theme, if somewhat slightly better doneº. Or at least in my opinion; I think Adrian’s going to disagree.

I do know we both managed to land ourselves with a ‘B’ movie, tonight. I think what got me was simply the fact that something — the scripting, the plotting, the editing, something! — didn’t seem especially well done. And there wasn’t a trace of “Reanimator”’s humour!

Off putting, that …

Now, don’t get me wrong.

Lovecraft at his worst, could be bad. But on form — which was most of the time — could be very entertaining. And inspired others, after him, to do better.

But that isn’t necessarily reflected in many films made from his material.

“Cthulhu” is a brave effect. But I don’t think it does its source material justice. And it isn’t doing the ‘Bottle o’ Beer’ routine, with someone’s skull.

Bear that in mind, if you’re thinking of investing in it.

* With the interesting twist that the central protagonist is gay. Nicely Right on, although I think ol’ Howard would have certainly complained …

º If it’s possible to do a good, bad movie …

The Performa and The Round Up …

Wowsa!!

One thing I know is that I’ve actually fire up the Performa!!

And I think I’ve managed to knacker it.

Um …

By doing a system software restore …

Aren’t I the clever dick … ?

It means I’ve got to now find out how to reinstall the relevant version of QuickTime; version 3.0, or later.   Shouldn’t be too much of a problem, if I can find the blessed thing, and how to transfer it to the Performa.   Or hook the blessed thing to me net connection.

Well, it is about 13 years old!   It’s not like it’s got a modern ethernet connection … I think!

It’s working fine, apart from that, but it does mean I’ve got this mental image, now, of whatever that particular “Simpsons” character is, going “HA HA!”

But, at any rate, I should be able to do something with it.   And my bedroom now has a rather funky CD player.   And it’s defionate fun, toying around with the one button mouse …

•••••

But, to other matters … one thing I did notice, whilst writing the H. P. Lovecraft post, the other day, was that 2008 saw the release of a film called Cthulhu.

Which looks interesting, but more like the producers wanted to go for Brand Recognition … Rather than actually calling it “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”; the short story by Lovecraft the trailer seems to be implying it’s the film* of.

“Reanimator” — whatever its qualities, by today’s standards — is actually derived from the name of the short story it tells, however ’80s it actually is.   (Or ’20s the story was …)

Actually, talking of the trailer, was there a Robert Johnson reference, in there?

Possibly.

I hate it, when things go referentially, post-modern on me …

•••••

* I’ll be frank, I’m giving some serious thought to suggesting this for a movie night, one time.   Paul, Adrian, Allison?   Dave?