The Feature

 - - - -

What makes Out of Mind such an achievement is the way it effortlessly bridges the gap between the real world H. P. Lovecraft and the fictional surroundings of Randolph Carter.  When the two disparate storylines dovetail at the end of the movie, there is a true sense of interest, and even a bit of poignancy.

Few people ever see this side of Lovecraft; instead, most are content to assume that he was a mostly unhappy man who lived in misery and mild anonymity until his unremarkable death.   This film gives us a moment to regard him as a man who truly enjoys what he does, and enjoys the world in which he writes.  Christopher Heyerdahl does more than just give us a good performance.  He gives us a fully three-dimensional Lovecraft, a man who has his own types of pleasures.

The illusion is so complete that, at times, it's difficult to not view him as H. P. Lovecraft.  I had pinch myself a few times.  If Lovecraft had been filmed in his lifetime, this is what it would look like.  Heyerdahl’s performance mixes the right amount of confidence and timidity.  He speaks with a precision that doesn't quite hide his nervousness.  This is one of the best performances I've seen.

As a result, the other segments aren't as interesting.  This is not a slam - they're well-photographed, well-acted, and involving.  Art Kitching anchors those opposite segments, and he does a solid job of transitioning between roles.  But the footage with Heyerdahl is so damn engaging.  It's like cutting between The Haunting and Skeleton Key.  Neither is bad, but you'd keep wondering when you're gonna get back to poor Eleanor.

Overall, the film is a success, but Heyerdahl's work makes it not just successful, but essential.  You need to see this.

 - - - -

The Shorts

 - - - -

The Music of Erich Zann

Shot on film, with a warm amber look, Erich Zann captures the spirit of the story right until the end.  The music, composed by Andre Caporaso, hints at the bizarre notes Zann might play on those late nights.  Great stuff.  The plot - an amiable apartment dweller befriends a man whose music might open weird gateways - is reproduced with simplicity, allowing the simple friendship in the original story to exist without feeling the need to boost things up.  The one strike against the film is the abstract light-and-sound trip that climaxes the film.  I'm glad the film didn't go as far as show gooey tentacled monsters, but the visual effects look like visual effects, and they don't hint enough.  Still definitely worth a viewing or two.

My Necronomicon

A short film by Aaron Vanek that says and does very little.  At a minute and half, though, why not?  The digital effects at the end hurt the atmosphere.

Note:  Commentary for a movie under two minutes means it’s worth a listen, since it’s two minutes of mild enthusiasm instead of a wearying hour that ends with long spaces of silence and observations about the weather that day.

The Outsider

An adaptation of one of Lovecraft's most well-known stories.  In the original story, the narrator fears a monster near him is responsible for peoples' cries of fear.  Guess the twist.  The story here tries to inject a bit of lovey-dovey into the story, with mixed results.  The makeup at the ending is pretty good, as far as rubber masks go, but it still hurts.  Detecting a pattern in what hurts these movies?

Note: The commentary is mildly interesting, but kinda meh.  Skip it.

Interview with Zann

This feature is a nice little retrospective that gives out some quick, interesting information for people who enjoyed the short.  From the origins of the music (Bartok, other Eastern european composers) to the cinematography (most lighting was done with modified lanterns) the feature is informative without getting bloated and inconsequential.

 - - - -

Bonus Material

 - - - -

The Call of Cthulhu Trailer

Now here’s an idea for a Lovecraft movie.  Make it in the style of 20’s era German Expressionism (Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu).  Why not?  The trailer itself goes on pretty long for a trailer, but it’s full of solid style, a fun atmosphere, and plenty of cute in-jokes (filmed in Mythoscope, indeed!).  A nice appetizer for what is sure to be one of the most interesting Lovecraft adaptations yet.

S. T. Joshi Interview 3

I've probably been too hard on Joshi.  The man knows his stuff, and he touches on some fascinating points in this interview.  I liked him casually mentionining how Lovecraft wrote letters that were hardly letters - some were well over forty pages long.  Still, not really worth it for the casual fans.  Picking up a Joshi book might be the ticket.

The Unnamable Trailer

Hmm.  Looks like a reasonably well-shot movie made with a reasonable budget.  I’m not familiar with the short story, so I can’t tell you how accurate it looks, but it’s another effort to tell a Lovecraft story in Lovecraft’s time.

Festival Openner

Two kids talk about delicious new Myth-O’s.  A cereal.  Worth a viewing, since it’s kinda cute.

 - - - -

The Verdict

 - - - -