PODCAST:
S2E9 – The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories (book/movies)*
Listen to the podcast here (click to play/right click and select “save target as” to download):
WRITTEN BOOK REVIEWS:
Wilk: 3 Star “…Spooky but sexy. 75 stars…”
Rick: 2 Stars “…Overall HPL’s writing is genius but totally annoying, especially in Call of Cthulhu...”
(Click the links to read full written reviews on Goodreads.com)
SUBJECT MATTER:
Book:“The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories” by H.P. Lovecraft
“A definitive collection of stories from the unrivaled master of twentieth-century horror. “I think it is beyond doubt that H. P. Lovecraft has yet to be surpassed as the twentieth century’s greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale.” -Stephen King
Frequently imitated and widely influential, Howard Philips Lovecraft reinvented the horror genre in the 1920s, discarding ghosts and witches and instead envisioning mankind as a tiny outpost of dwindling sanity in a chaotic and malevolent universe. S. T. Joshi, Lovecraft’s preeminent interpreter, presents a selection of the master’s fiction, from the early tales of nightmares and madness such as “The Outsider” to the overpowering cosmic terror of “The Call of Cthulhu.” More than just a collection of terrifying tales, this volume reveals the development of Lovecraft’s mesmerizing narrative style and establishes him as a canonical- and visionary-American writer.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.” (from Amazon.com)
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Film:“Re-Animator” by Stuart Gordon (Jeffrey Combs)
“A student at a medical college and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue when an odd new student arrives on campus.” (from Amazon.com)
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Film:“Bride of Re-Animator” by Brian Yuzna (Jeffrey Combs)
“Eight months have passed since the Miskatonic Massacre, and Doctors West and Cain are experimenting again. But this time, instead of reanimating corpses, they’ve decided to create new life — in the form of a beautiful companion (from spare body parts, of course) for Dr. West. Definitely not a match made in heaven!” (from Amazon.com)
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Film:“Cthulhu” by Daniel Gildark (Tori Spelling)
“A Seattle history professor, drawn back to his estranged family on the Oregon coast to execute his late mother’s estate, is reaquainted with his best friend from childhood, with whom he has a long-awaited tryst. Caught in an accelerating series of events, he discovers aspects of his father’s New Age cult which take on a dangerous and apocalyptic significance.– Written by Grant Cogswell” (from IMDB.com)
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Film:“Dagon” by Stuart Gordon (Ezra Godden)
“Based on an HP Lovecraft story. A storm runs a boat ashore a strange village. Soon the survivors disappear until only one man is left to face the horrifying true nature of the town.” (from Amazon.com)
SHOW NOTES:
This month we read some stories by HP Lovecraft. The Call of Cthulhu and other Weird Tales. It was eventful, as two out of the three hosts refused to do the podcast and argued for over an hour about this position. As it happened, we did the podcast, and now, for some reason, I am writing notes about it. I was told that I would not have to write notes, but I am now writing notes. I have asked that these notes be placed on the top of the page. They are most likely at the bottom.
These stories were a big pile of pretty good to really good. They had a strange creepiness strewn throughout them. An over arching sense of loneliness and hopelessness, mixed with the idea that something would eat your soul and your flesh (perhaps not in that order).
I drank. Heavily. I went to work hung-over and was generally irritated with everyone that day. I also did the dishes.
I don’t remember who liked what. I am pretty sure one host said it was racist, and the other did not really say anything that acknowledged they had heard this comment. I mentioned that HP Lovecraft never achieved success because he was terrible at self-promotion, to which someone said something like “he talked to other writers.” Well, when you’re in prison, you talk to other prisoners. The point is who do you talk to when you’re free?
On that note, use plenty of soap when you do your dishes, because there is no deodorant in outer space. And the dish soap may help. -Wilk
FUN FACTOIDS:
On the show we talked about HP Lovecraft’s works being in the public domain. Due to changes in the copyright laws during the author’s life and after and also various other factors, the copyright status of his works is dubious at best. For more interesting reading on this particular topic, check out this article at www.techdirt.com: “The Confusing Case of Lovecraft’s Copyright”
Many have said that one of Lovecraft’s more well-known stories “The Call of Cthulhu” was unfilmable. These naysayers were all summarily proved wrong in 2005, when some industrious indie filmmakers and the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society made a silent film version of this famous tale. Filmed in black and white with retro special effects and title cards to keep the viewer appraised of the action, the author’s work is faithfully brought to the screen for your viewing pleasure. Check out this trailer:
* DISCLAIMER: Please be advised that the views and opinions of the hosts and guests of NDIOS are completely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of the other hosts and guests or that of NDIOS.
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[…] movie. You may remember him from our episode on H.P. Lovecraft when we discussed his movie “Re-Animator” and briefly mentioned […]