Cthulhu fhtagn!

I mentioned last month that the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society’s film adaptation of “The Call of Cthulhu,” the centerpiece to HPL’s infamous Cthulhu Mythos ring of stories, was “in the can.” Well, my copy of the DVD arrived a few days ago, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve seen in years. The 47-minute movie, shot during 18 months in backyards and warehouses in southern California, is cleverly presented as a silent film, just as if it were made in the 1920s, when Lovecraft wrote the story. With its flickering images, bits of phony dirt and fuzz on the print, old-time title cards, and a symphonic score that sounds like it was recorded and played back on flapper-era equipment, you’d swear on a stack of Necronomicons that this movie was made 80 years ago! It’s terrific fun.

The DVD also features a 25-minute “making of” documentary that is fascinating and funny as hell, a couple of slide shows, deleted scenes, “test footage” of the Cthulhu puppet (what, you expected CGI in a silent movie?), and even a few Easter eggs. This is a great package, and a real must for Lovecraft buffs. Order The Call of Cthulhu before Halloween and share it with the kids after the trick-or-treatin’ is through.

Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.