The Call of Cthulhu (2005)

Director:

Andrew Leman

Writers:

H.P. Lovecraft (short story)
Sean Branney (screenplay)

Genre:

Short | Horror | Thriller

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Eye Patch | Secret Cult | Ship | Boat | H.P. Lovecraft

Cast

Ramón Allen Jr.	...	Louis
Leslie Baldwin	...	Greta Johansen
Daryl Ball	...	Officer Cassidy
John Bolen	...	The Listener
Aidan Branney	...	Swamp Boy
Sean Branney	...	Pub Man
Andra Carlson	...	Nurse
Mike Dalager	...	Guerrera (as Michael Dalager)
Erin Emmalee	...	Nancy
Chia Evers	...	Cultist
Matthew Q. Fahey	...	Briden
Chad Fifer	...	Henry Wilcox
Matt Foyer	...	The Man
Bruce Graham	...	Claude
Kirsten Hageleit	...	Cultist
Clarence Henry Hunt	...	Castro
Hannah Rose Jabaley	...	Swamp Girl
Ike E.Z. Jabaley	...	Swamp Baby
John Jabaley	...	Swamp Papa (as Ed Ruffin)
John Joly	...	Sgt. Bacon
J. David King	...	Cultist
Daniel Kirsner	...	Angstrom
John Klemantaski	...	Prof. Bell
Jennifer Knighton	...	Tilly
Chris Lackey	...	Parker
Andrew Leman	...	Unhelpful Bureaucrat
Carlos Linares	...	Hector
Ralph Lucas	...	Prof. George Gammell Angell
Richard Lucas	...	Thibidoux
Barry Lynch	...	Prof. Webb
Matthew Malcomson	...	Officer Langfield
Rebecca Marcotte	...	Swamp Widow
Jason McCune	...	Professor Quintana
David Mersault	...	Police Inspector John Raymond Legrasse
Dan Novy	...	Esquimaux Shaman / Cultist
Steven O'Connor	...	Tyler
Patrick O'Day	...	Johansen
Ryan Oliver	...	Cultist
Jason Owens	...	Prof. Quintana
David Pavao	...	Rodriguez
Jason Peterson	...	Officer Stanton
D. Grigsby Poland	...	Prof. Tutchton
Kalafatic Poole	...	Bartender
Vivica Prentice	...	Museum Clerk
Jonathan Putnam	...	Cultist
Ed Ruffin	...	Swamp Papa
Josh Thoemke	...	Hawkins
Aaron Vanek	...	Cultist
Noah Wagner	...	Captain Collins
Mona Weiss	...	Cultist
Erika Zucker	...	Swamp Mama
Susan Zucker	...	Landlady

Directed by
Andrew Leman

Writing credits
H.P. Lovecraft		(short story)
Sean Branney		(screenplay)

Produced by
Sean Branney	....	producer
Chris Lackey	....	associate producer
Andrew Leman	....	producer

Original Music by
Chad Fifer
Ben Holbrook
Troy Sterling Nies
Nicholas Pavkovic

Cinematography by
David Robertson

Film Editing by
David Robertson

Costume Design by
Laura Brody

Makeup Department
Andra Carlson	....	makeup artist

Art Department
Chris Lackey	....	sculptor: Esquimaux idol
Andrew Leman	....	props
Harold Arthur McNeill	....	prop designer: wilcox dream cthulhu
Bryan Moore	....	prop designer: swamp idol
Darrell Tutchton	....	production illustrator

Sound Department
Chris Horvath	....	sound

Special Effects by
Terry Sandin	....	stop motion animator

Visual Effects by
Dan Novy	....	visual effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Matthew Q. Fahey	....	key grip
Ryan Oliver	....	grip

Other crew
Leslie Baldwin	....	craft service
Anthony Penta	....	liaison: Providence
Mona Weiss	....	production assistant

Thanks
Barry Lynch	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (HPLHS), The

Distributors

• Microcinema International (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (HPLHS), The (2005) (worldwide) (DVD)

Runtime:

USA:47 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Spanish | Italian | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (HPLHS), The

Trivia:

Named an official selection of the feature competition at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival.

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the escape from the island by 2nd Mate Johansen and the other sailor (the only two surviving crew), Johansen is seen piloting the vessel, using throttles such as are only used on boats with a bell system, with the vessel responding immediately to the changes he makes in the wheelhouse. However, a bell system necessitates that another person manually throttle the engines from below decks, responding to chimes triggered by the throttles in the wheelhouse. Despite this, both survivors are seen in the wheelhouse at the same time during these changes, and it is indicated that only Johansen and (the corpse of) the other crew member were recovered from the ship.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in LovecraCked! The Movie (2006)

Strange Eons...

This is, without a doubt, the most amazing adaptation of HP Lovecraft's work to the screen that I have ever seen. Bar none. The only modern film that even comes close to capturing the feeling induced by HPL at his best is IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS, and even that has its failings.

The key, here, then, is atmosphere. I mean, CALL OF CTHULHU is unquestionably true to the source material, but other adaptations have tried that (though not very hard) and failed. What makes this work is the filmmakers' decision to place it in the cultural idiom of Lovecraft's era - to portray it as one imagines Lovecraft envisioned it in the writing.

So we have a 45 minute feature (short, but still officially feature-length for the era), in black & white, silent, with a classic score. It begins in menace and builds to madness. There is an aura of foreboding in this film missing in just about any "later" feature you can name - and it never lets up. Even Hitchcock provided moments for his audience to breathe and unclench until the next sequence. Every moment of CALL OF CTHULHU is fraught with the notion that something terrible is about to happen, that there are "worse things waiting".

Stephen King has voiced the opinion that, after so much build up, the storyteller MUST show his readers/audience/victims the monster. This is debatable. CALL OF CTHULHU shows us the monster - in a fashion. The filmmakers take their lesson from the true masters of horror and suspense: Boris Karloff, among others, always assured us that the audience can do ten-times worse things in their imagination that anything that could be accomplished in full view. Here, we are shown just enough of the titular beast to provide fodder for our imagination, and it does not well serve one to linger too long on visualizing the Great Cthulhu in all his mind-shattering detail! My only complaints are that, first, some of the actors read as a bit modern in their appearance; but this is very infrequent, negligibly so, and the acting more than compensates. Second, the idols/statues - one is practically an art-deco rendering, and too slick for my tastes, while the other (lumpen, tribal and highly suggestive) is only briefly glimpsed. Third... well, the movie is too danged short! It covers the entire content of the story, is nicely and tightly produced and never really misses a beat. I just wanted more, dagnabit, which I suppose is more tribute than complaint.

If these folks produce another of Lovecarft's visions, if I can't be a part of the production, rest assured that I will certainly be near the front of the line to see it. Find it, buy it, see it, love it - for Lovecraft fans and aficionados, this is vindication at last!