Delve Deeper

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

New In Between images...


Shooting is complete on José Luis Martínez Díaz's In Between, starring Jonathan David Mellor of REC 2 fame! José passed along several production stills, which you can check out below...






(Thanks to José Luis Martínez Díaz)

Monday, August 29, 2011

THE COLOR (2011) (aka DIE FARBE)


Ask anyone who has lived in Germany for a while and they will tell you that the Germans are a very literal people. Their language is literal, their machinery precise, their thought process logical. Nobody has ever been forced to read German poetry in high-school. It should come as no surprise then, that the Germans have produced one of the more efficient Lovecraft adaptations in years. Even the title is efficient, paring down Lovecraft’s title “The Color Out of Space” to a mere two syllables (“die farbe” in German).

Opening in Arkham, USA, in 1975 (for no apparent reason other than the producers had a ’75 Audi 100 at their disposal – efficient filmmaking!), Jonathan Davis is searching for his father who went missing in Germany during WWII. “Wait!” I hear you cry. Yes, yes, I know. After a paragraph talking about the literal Germans, I start out with a plot synopsis that has nothing to do with Lovecraft except be set in Arkham. Simmer down teapot and hear me out.



















After obtaining some clues from the local Arkham librarian, Jonathan sets off to Germany to a farming village where his father was last stationed. Blocking the road to the valley is a road crew who are detouring motorists due to the damming up of the river to create a lake. Once in the village, Jonathan finds the villagers to be sullen lot who claim to not recognize the man in the picture that Jonathan passes around. Except one. A white-haired farmer, Armin Pierske (read: Ammi Pierce). Pierske tells a tale in flashback about how he met Jonathan’s father, a US Army medic, at the end of the war, after the incident at the Gartner’s farm (which took place before the war) and how he at that time related the incident to Jonathan’s father. Confused? Yes, it is a little convoluted in the telling as well, but the main portion of the movie is an almost exact adaptation of Lovecraft’s short story.










Pierske is a neighboring farmer who witnesses a meteor crash out of the sky into the Gartner’s (read: Gardener’s) fields. The local scientists analyze it six ways to Sunday and discover it has the most peculiar properties. It’s a metal, but not one that is known on this planet, and unfortunately reacts with air, so that it eventually disappears entirely. The Gartners, pleased to forget about the meteor and get back to farming, awake one morning to discover their pear orchards filled with giant fruit. What seems like a godsend soon turns to horror as they discover that the fruit has an unpleasant after-taste which is only a foreshadowing of things to come.











If you’ve read the story, you know what comes next and writer-director Huan Vu (yes, I know I spent a paragraph talking about Germans and this guy is Vietnamese) follows Lovecraft’s story virtually to the letter, though he does add one or two details and omits others. One of the nice touches Vu adds is a scene in which the Gartner’s boys flip a coin to see who watches their deranged mother and who does the farm chores. The winner does the chores.





















Shot on video, with lots of processing to appear as a black and white film, Vu makes the best of his medium, employing pages from Ivan Zuccon’s book to try to hide the deficiencies of the medium. Maybe not as successfully as Zuccon, but as this is his second film (the first being 2008’s DAMNATUS, based on the
"Warhammer 40K" games, that has not been released due to legal issues), Vu hasn’t had as much practice either. While Vu does a great job with very limited resources and sets up stunning camera shots, it sometimes feels a bit too much like a technical showcase for camera composition that does little to impact a story that has been told many times before. Ironically, at the same time, there are scenes that could benefit from some artistic license. When Pirske and Nahum Gartner discover the giant fruit tastes odd, there is little dramatic impact in the scene. Instead, the giant pears (which appear to be created from plaster) that the actors pretend to eat, end up looking rather comical. In THE CURSE (1987), the idea was retooled to fit a visual medium; the fruit looked beautiful, but was rotten and writhing with worms on the inside. This gives the rather crucial scene much more dramatic impact, even if it does lack in the subtlety department. As far as the script goes, the few little injections of added depth, like the aforementioned coin-flipping, are actually really well done and it would have been nice to see more of those and less of the oddly structured and somewhat clumsy wrap-around story.











On the plus side, Vu shows a nice sense of restraint, using CG effects seemingly sparingly, and for the most part, to excellent effect. Like Zuccon’s THE COLOUR FROM THE DARK (2008), Vu uses CG to add atmosphere and obscure the undesired qualities of the digital video format. When he does use CG for more obvious effects, they are generally well done. For instance, Lovecraft refers to the insects being “strangely puffed” and this is reflected in a scene where Pierske notices a giant bee on Mrs. Gartner’s clearly deranged noggin. Although the close-ups are, in my opinion unnecessary, the acting is what carries the scene, not the effect.











Over all THE COLOR is an excellent Lovecraft adaptation that is marginally lacking in a few areas making it not quite as satisfying as it could have been, but on the other hand, completely blows away bigger budgeted tripe like THE VALDEMAR INHERITANCE (2010/2011) and should be eagerly hunted down by even the most casual of Lovecraft fans.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

New Scream of the Dead teaser trailer...


The teaser trailer for Joester Films latest animated short based on Herbert West-Reanimator is now online! In Scream of the Dead, Daniel Cain discovers, after returning from a vacation to see his parents, that Herbert West has perfected a newly modified re-agent. One that would perfectly preserve a corpse as it is the moment the chemical is injected into the bloodstream and, when injected at the precise time, prevent decomposition from even beginning. However, that isn't the only thing he discovers after his return...

Check it out below...


(Thanks to Joester Films)

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Strange Aeons celebrates women of the weird...


Issue #6 of Strange Aeons the magazine is now available! The issue is a celebration of women of the weird, with a cover by Cari Corene, comics by Jen Weber and Asley Quigg, and fiction by Angel Leigh McCoy and Gina Ranalli. The usual strangers; Vincent Ferrante, Tim Sparvero, Lee Davis and Rob Corless also return, and Nick Gucker provides the artwork on an amazing "Lost Lovecraft Film" poster...

Head over to the official Strange Aeons site for details...


(Thanks to Kelly Young)

Joe Pulver talks The Orphan Palace contest...


Joseph S. Pulver, Sr. talks The Orphan Palace, his latest novel, to be released by Chomu Press on OCT 19th, and the sheneverslept.com contest in which he is giving away three copies, in the video below. Joe is the author of the Lovecraftian novel Nightmare's Disciple, and the highly acclaimed short story collections, Blood Will Have Its Season and SIN & ashes. He is currently editing two anthologies, A Season in Carcosa and The Grimscribe's Puppets, both of which will be released in 2012...

Unfilmable.com also gets a mention in the video, which I must say was cool as hell! Thanks Joe!!!


(Thanks to Joe Pulver)

Dreams of SKIN...


Based on a "children's scary story", Dwight Taylor's SKIN is a short Lovecraftian film that was produced in July of this year...

I don't know much about this one, but I believe it was submitted to the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival (the festival logo bumpers the film)...


(Thanks to Dwight Taylor)

Theatrical Dunwich Horror trailer...


On August 12th we told you about Ororo Productions' theatrical adaptation of The Dunwich Horror, which will debut at the London Horror Festival, and now you can check out their new teaser trailer below...


(Thanks to Ororo Productions)

Has the Thing shown its face...


I've only covered Matthijs van Heijningen's prequel to John Carpenter's classic The Thing a couple of times, because there are plenty of sites out there giving it press, but when some supposed creature shots appeared online...I just had to show them! Especially since so much has been made about the Special Effects, and whether or not they can live up to Rob Bottin's show stopping creature effects...

The following images came from the unofficial Facebook page for Universal's forthcoming The Thing, and according to bloody-disgusting.com, Universal has already stated that they have NOTHING to do with the production...

Whether they do or not, there's no denying how cool they are, so check them out below, and we'll see when the film opens October 14th...












Fandance Film Festival call for submissions...


Filmmaker Edward Martin (Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, Flesh of my Flesh) is looking for "Lovecraftian and quirky horror" films (and a whole lot more!) for the upcoming Fandance Film Festival in SeaTac, Washington! The festival is part of the larger Norwescon event, and takes place April 5-8, 2012...

Click here for details...

(Thanks to Edward Martin)

Black Goat to open for Troll Hunter...


Joseph Nanni's amazing new film Black Goat (watch it here), will open for a film that has gotten a lot of positive press over the last year or so, Troll Hunter! Both films will screen at the Dark Bridges Film Festival in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on Friday, September 29th, starting at 7:00 pm...

According to Joseph, "Troll Hunter is from Norway and Black Goat is heavily influenced by their grim and frostbitten kingdoms."


(Thanks to Joseph Nanni)

New Unnamable screening announced...


As I've mentioned before, Sascha Renninger's Shadow of the Unnamable is a film we've been covering since the days when Unfilmable.com was a website, and not the streamlined blog it is today, and with the previously announced premiere at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival (in San Pedro), Sascha sends word that the film will also screen at the Portland, Oregon incarnation of the festival! I'm sure there will be many more festival screenings in the coming months, so watch this space for more...

A new teaser trailer and revamped website are also in the works...


(Thanks to Sascha Renninger)

New film from the director of The Island...


The following press release is for the film 109, the latest from writer/director Nathan Fisher, whose previous films Beyond the Wall of Sleep and The Island received a lot of coverage in these pages. 109 isn't necessarily Lovecraftian, but if its anything like his previous efforts, it will be well worth seeking out...

For Immediate Release:

Announcing the world premiere of writer/director Nathan Fisher's third locally produced short film, 109.

109 tracks the bizarre steps taken by a deeply disturbed loner totally controlled by his obsessions. He may have found a salve for his tortured mind, but at what cost? It features a talented cast of experienced performers as well as the film debut of Murfreesboro resident Rob MacLaney, 109 delves into the unexpected horror of the everyday.

Shot on location in Murfreesboro, Lebanon, and McMinnville, Tennessee, 109 is Gonzo Entertainment's most ambitious effort to bridge high production value with low budget film-making. The cast and seasoned crew have succeeded in telling a simple story that still contains tremendous depth and will definitely leave audiences talking. 109 also features an original soundtrack by Murfreesboro musicians including John McGhee, Jonathon Nash, Lars Hall, and Kenny Johnson.

This premiere will be on Friday September 16th at The Boro Bar and Grill located at 1211 Greenland Drive Murfreesboro, TN. The screening begins at 9:00 PM and will also feature a screening of Gonzo Entertainment's award winning 2010 release, The Island, along with other selected locally produced short films. Admission is $5 and The Boro is 21 and up.

The Island is currently completing its successful festival run with a screening at the 2011 H.P Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland Oregon. It has previously screened at The World Science Fiction Convention, The Phoenix Film Festival, The Dam Short Film Festival, The Las Vegas Media Xpo, The River's Edge Film Festival as well as numerous others.

Nathan Fisher has been a fixture in the Murfreesboro arts and music scene for over 20 years. Perhaps best known as the frontman for seminal Murfreesboro punk rock band Doctor Gonzo, he is also the voice of the Nashville Rollergirls.


(Thanks to Nathan Fisher)

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

THE ORPHAN PALACE (Book Trailer)

Joe Pulver's new novel, The Orphan Palace, is coming from Chomu Press on OCT 19th.

Cardigan is heading east through the night-bleak cities of America. His destination? Zimms County Home for Orphaned Children, the palace of dementia where Dr. Archer, ‘Lord of Chaos’, evilly presides, and a deadly trap baited with memories. Fires blaze in Cardigan’s rear-view mirror. On the road he travels: ghosts, bounty hunters, mermen, Ghoul Hotels. Will D’if, the talking rat, help Cardigan escape this maze, or do all roads lead to madness?

After two acclaimed collections (Blood Will Have Its Season and SIN & ashes) praised by the likes of Ellen Datlow and renowned Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi, Joe Pulver returns to the long form for a novel that consolidates and extends his vision. The Orphan Palace is not only a significant addition to the road trip genre by way of supernatural horror, it is, itself, a novel on the road to something strange and new, in parallel to our contemporary anxiety about our unknown destination. An unerring evocation of a psychotic American society whose cinematic glamour has taken on the threatening colours of a schizophrenic vision, it is a novel of genuine risks in which genres appear to mutate before our eyes.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Annotated one-sheet sees you...


A new promotional poster for Joe Lopez's Annotated has been released, just in time for the world premiere screening of the film, which was yesterday at the Unnameable Blood Bath Film Festival, in Dallas, Texas...

About the film: A rare book dealer receives a strange book with a small note that reads only, "The world must know." As he attempts to decipher the contents, he finds himself faced with deeper and darker levels of occult knowledge that chips at his sanity...



(Thanks to Joe Lopez)

Saturday, August 20, 2011

La pension Esmodine, the final episode...


The final episode of Aymeric Pelzer's La pension Esmodine (see our previous post here) is now online! Check it out below...


(Thanks to Aymeric Pelzer)

Stop-motion Lovecraft speaks of madness...


Stop-Motion animation has been a part of some amazing Lovecraftian films, Die Musik des Erich Zann (by Anna Gawrilow), Frank DanCoolo: Paranormal Drug Dealer (by Andrew W. Jones) and From Beyond (by Michael Granberry) being prime examples, and the technique seems perfectly suited for creating Lovecraft's unimaginable monstrosities on film, so imagine our excitement when we got word of a new stop-motion film based on one of Lovecraft's earliest tales, Dagon

Currently in early pre-production from filmmaker Neil Baker, the film is being approached from a most interesting angle, as it will be narrated by H.P. Lovecraft himself as he writes the story from his office. According to Neil, the very minimal set and furniture will be used, along with shadows, to tell the story. He is also considering using a green screen 'mask' on the puppet's head that he would composite images onto to convey Lovecraft's state of mind. As I mentioned, this is in the early planning stages, so expect much more as the project moves forward...


(Thanks to Neil Baker)

The latest episodes of The pension Esmodine...


I have no idea how I missed these, but with the final episode of Aymeric Pelzer's Lovecraftian web series, La pension Esmodine, debuting tomorrow, I thought I'd post four, five and six today...

You can view all the episodes in order here, and check back in a couple days for the final episode...

H.P. Lovecraft's Shadow Beyond Time...


Here is a film that we gave far too little coverage to, so I thought I'd post it in honor of H.P. Lovecraft's birthday! Written and directed by John Tzouvelekis, Shadow Beyond Time is based on Lovecraft's The Shadow Out of Time and The Shadow Over Innsmouth, and shot in and around Athens, Nafplion, Porto Cheli and Chania, Greece. The film stars Aris Kaplanidis, Angelos Gklinavos, Joseph Mainas, John Zachariou, Sotirios Sarlis, Cassandra Chronopoulou, Evangelos Rigas, Pauline Makri, Manolis Kermitsis, John Tzouvelekis, Thanos Kermitsis, Thanos Liakos, Aristotelis Kolimparis and Andrew Kolimparis...

About the film: Nathaniel Wingate Peaslee is a prodigy at the age of 10. When, at 22, he is granted a professorship position at the Miskatonic University of Arkham, he falls into a coma from which he awakens 16 hours later. The being that awakens however, is not Nathaniel. Leaving his father and home behind, he travels the world having mysterious purposes and a suspicious quest. When he comes back 5 years later, he will try to comprehend what happened and who his body’s previous tenant was, meanwhile being tormented by strange dreams and visions...

Check it out below...



(Thanks to 4th Wall Pictures)

HPLFF LA update...


Filmmaking legend Roger Corman has canceled his appearance at this year's H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in San Pedro. They will still be showing a print of his film, The Haunted Palace, however...


(Thanks to Aaron Vanek)

Happy Birthday HPL...


Happy Birthday H.P. Lovecraft...you more than anyone, have shaped me into the person I am today, and for that, I thank you.

 
 
Happy 121st Birthday HPL...
Born August 20, 1890

Artwork courtesy of and © Jason Voss

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Quoth Cthulhu: inSANE talk from Guillermo del Toro...



MTV spoke with Guillermo del Toro recently, about his other Lovecraftian project, inSANE (a video game he is developing with THQ and Volition), and he had this to say...


"We've been working for a year. We have two or three more years to go. It's huge. I'm learning a lot. I'm going in with a really, really modest 'I'm learning' approach. I'm a huge gamer but going into constructing it, you have to be respectful of the medium. I'm learning a lot. Talking about the storyline for weeks. We've been designing the creatures, which are obscenely fun and unique. You haven't seen them ever."

"We had to build a sandbox, so we designed all the architecture already. We're developing in Champaign, Illinois, so it's a very short trip from Toronto, so I don't have much weekends. My life is pretty much 24/7 work, but we're giving it the proper attention. We've spent an inordinate amount of time into that project. It's because it's worth it, I think. You learn more, as a narrator, for this medium, than I ever expected."

"It's Lovecraftian, it's really weird, but it's Lovecraftian in a very sick way, which I like. It's truly, truly entertaining. Full of action, but also a very shocking game. And Guy Davis and Francisco [Ruis Velasco]. Guy Davis, to me, is one of the best monster designers alive right now."


We're giving away copies of Joe Pulver's The Orphan Palace



Over at She Never Slept we have 3 copies of my new novel, The Orphan Palace, [coming OCT 19th from Chomu Press] to giveaway. Each copy will be signed with the winner's name [not in blood, but I do have a RED pen], and there will be extras in each copy, maybe yours has an unpublished, handwritten poem, or an illo by Pulver [who cannot draw, so you get to laugh and tell all your friends it's a damn good thing he writes 'cause he sure as hell can't draw! !!]. Who knows what goodies will be in "your" copy. And there will be a Grand Prize winner too. Go to She Never Slept to find out how to win the Grand Prize copy and the little "something" that goes w/ it! !!

You do not have to live in the US to win! !!

Here's the link and the details:

http://sheneverslept.com/newsandreviews/archives/6764

GOOD LUCK! !!
Info for The Orphan Palace can be found here:

http://chomupress.com/our-books/the-orphan-palace/


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Dirty Silverware trailer emerges from the forest...


Dirty Silverware, the latest short film from Dirt Dauber mastermind Steve Daniels, is a film that we here at Unfilmable.com have been looking forward to ever since it was announced in April (here), and the trailer doesn't disappoint! The film stars Dana Childs, Corin Wiggins, Katie Krueger, and revolves around a man who travels deep into the forest to stop a creature from creating cursed silverware that brings unhappiness to the world...


(Thanks to Steve Daniels)

New Annotated teaser...



What better way to celebrate H.P. Lovecraft's birthday this Saturday (August 20th), than to attend The Unnamable Blood Bath Film Festival, and watch films inspired by his works! Joe Lopez's Annotated is one of the films scheduled to appear, and you can check out the latest teaser trailer below...

Festival details can be found here...


(Thanks to Joe Lopez)

Restored print of Berkeley Square to screen at the San Pedro HPLFF...


The 2011 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in San Pedro, will screen a brand new print of the film, Berkeley Square (1933), courtesy of the Academy Film Archive! The film, which Lovecraft was a fan of, inspired him to write The Shadow Out of Time...

Director Frank Lloyd's grandchildren will introduce and share their memorabilia of the film, which was Lloyd's favorite...

Click here for details...


(Thanks to Aaron Vanek)

Monday, August 15, 2011

Watch Joseph Nanni's Black Goat online...


Black Goat, the new short film from Unfilmable.com favorite Joseph Nanni (The Necronomicon, Elder Sign) is now online (check it out below)! The film, which is somewhat of a departure for Nanni, in that it strays from the more humorous landscape he usually inhabits, is an expansion of the mythology surrounding Lovecraft's Shub-Niggurath...

Check out blackgoat.ca for more (you must sign up for updates)...


(Thanks to Joseph Nanni)

First look: Jonathan David Mellor from In Between...


José Luis Martínez Díaz passed along several stills from some early In Between rehearsals, starring Jonathan David Mellor of REC 2. José says that shooting on the film (which we first told you about here) will begin soon, and that Special FX and production designs are currently being completed...

Check out Jonathan David Mellor in In Between below...




(Thanks to José Luis Martínez Díaz)

Upcoming Pickman's Muse screening...


For Immediate Release:

When: Saturday, August 27 at 9:00 p.m. - August 28 at 12:00 a.m.

Where: Peoria Theater
3225 N. Dries Lane
Peoria, IL

What: The Drunken Zombie Deadly Double Feature

Its artists with a skewed perspective! First up is the H.P. Lovecraft adaptation Pickman's Muse. An artist, Robert Pickman, becomes obsessed by visions of unworldly horror, revealed to him through an ancient artifact discovered in an abandoned church.

Then it's onto the classic A Bucket Of Blood. Walter Paisley, nerdy busboy at a Bohemian café, is envious of the talent (and popularity) of its various artistic regulars. But after accidentally killing his landlady's cat and covering the body in plaster to hide the evidence, he is acclaimed as a brilliant sculptor - but his new-found friends want to see more of his work.

So come on out and enjoy some truly twisted art. Tickets only $7. Full bar and usual theater concessions. Door prizes and giveaways!


(Thanks to Robert Cappelletto)

Friday, August 12, 2011

Here is Born the Doom of All Mankind...


For Immediate Release:

THE DUNWICH HORROR THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE
Here is Born the Doom of All Mankind

From the 25th of October until the 6th of November Ororo Productions will produce H. P. Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror at the inaugural London Horror Festival.

In a lonely and curious part of the country - near a small, fetid village whose annals reek of overt viciousness, incests, and deeds of almost unnameable perversity - on a drear and remote mountain top, too rounded and symmetrical to give a sense of comfort and naturalness - a bitter old wizard sets about performing the twisted rites and horrific rituals that will bring about the doom of all mankind.

Populated by cast of wonderfully twisted characters, strange monsters and the eerily ever-present whippoorwills, The Dunwich Horror is considered one of Lovecraft's greatest tales. A brooding sense of something out of place, that builds to a terrific climax. The author himself considered the story "...so fiendish that [Weird Tales] editor Farnsworth Wright may not dare to print it."

The London Horror Festival is set to be a fantastic (in every sense of the word) event, with a strong presence within the London Theatre scene. The Dunwich Horror will be one of the primary events at the festival. Born from a script that started out as a one man reading, edited mainly to fit into a two hour time-slot, the show has added characters and theatrical elements. However, the script still remains very faithful to the original story.

For updates visit Facebook...
Donations can be made via IndieGoGo...


(Thanks to Dave Dawkins)

Thursday, August 11, 2011

The best in Oklahoma horror at the Underground Horror Film Fest II...


For Immediate Release:

The Art Sunday Artist Agency presents: The Underground Horror Film Fest™ II featuring the Viscera Film Festival with special guest Shannon Lark, with five hours of horror shorts made by the women of horror...plus much, much more! This years show will be a celebration of women in horror with the best in films, vendors, artist, writers, actors, FX artists, and filmmakers, models, DJs, sideshow acts, burlesque acts, the Underground Horror Girls, and more. There will also be cosplay/costume/steampunk contests with many giveaways...

Please visit:


Time and place:

August 13th, 4:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
The Marquee - Tulsa, Oklahoma
$10 at the door
All ages (must be 21 to drink)


Guests and vendors include:

Hexi Lee Voodoo
Dennis McDonald (horror author)
Bryan Haber (Dj Blackskull)
B-Movie mogul Craig Scott Lamb
Richmond FX Lab with David Richmond
Mudd Miller (writer, producer, director)
Literati Press with Charles Martin and Jackson Compton
BellaDonna Drakul (horror author)
HvK Entertainment's Chris Rowe and Scott Gaffen
Ground-Up Art (crocheted horror dolls and clay models)
CrYpT-o-LiCiOuS (day of the dead and more)
Annette and PRISM Paranormal New Mexico

More to be announced...

Some of the films scheduled to screen:

The Key to Annabel Lee by Stacy Layne Wilson
The Ghost and Us by Emily Carmichael
Nursery Crimes by Laura Whyte
Box by Nikki Wall
Bon Apetit by Kate Shenton

Plus many more...


Artwork courtesy of and © 2011 Sandra Glenn

(Thanks to Art Sunday and Sandra Glenn)