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The Whisperer in Darkness
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Genre | Horror |
Format | Subtitled, NTSC |
Contributor | Matt Lagan, Sean Branney, Daniel Kaemon, Matt Foyer, Joe Sofranko, Barry Lynch |
Language | English |
Runtime | 1 hour and 44 minutes |
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Product Description
Written in 1931, H.P. Lovecraft's iconic genre-bending tale of suspense and alien terrors is brought to life in the style of the classic horror films of the 1930s like Frankenstein, Dracula and King Kong. Using its Mythoscope process — a mix of vintage and modern techniques — the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society expands on Lovecraft's original tale while still bringing you unparalleled authenticity. Horror and science fiction collide in the adventure of Albert Wilmarth, a folklore professor at Miskatonic University, as he investigates legends of strange creatures rumored to dwell in the most remote mountains of Vermont. Wilmarth’s investigation leads him to a discovery of horrors quite beyond anything he ever imagined, and ends in a desperate attempt to escape the remote New England hills with his life and sanity intact. The studio that brought you The Call of Cthulhu now presents one of Lovecraft's weirdest tales as a feature-length talkie starring Matt Foyer as the intrepid folklorist, Albert Wilmarth. Celebrated television and stage star Barry Lynch plays Henry Akeley, supported by an ensemble of outstanding actors. Shot on location in New England and in Hollywood, The Whisperer in Darkness brings Lovecraft's intense imagination to vivid life in the style of the 1930s.
Product details
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : Unrated (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 5.3 x 0.5 x 7.5 inches; 6 ounces
- Director : Sean Branney
- Media Format : Subtitled, NTSC
- Run time : 1 hour and 44 minutes
- Release date : July 31, 2012
- Actors : Matt Foyer, Barry Lynch, Daniel Kaemon, Matt Lagan, Joe Sofranko
- Subtitles: : Czech, Italian, Danish, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Spanish, Polish, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish
- Language : Unqualified (Dolby Surround)
- Studio : Microcinema
- ASIN : B006LMRMMA
- Number of discs : 2
- Best Sellers Rank: #15,440 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #452 in Horror (Movies & TV)
- Customer Reviews:
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Then sometimes one of them knocks it out of the park.
The HPLHS already struck gold with Call of Cthulhu, a tremendously faithful 30s expressionist film based on the short story of the same name. With Whisperer they attempt to give a similar treatment to a more narrative Lovecraft story, this time in the trappings of a 1940s talkie. Success in this area is mixed- the feel starts off on target but quickly migrates to the atmosphere of a 60s creature feature... Not that there is anything wrong with that. If anything gives away the film's truly modern nature it is that the photography is a little too clean- again not a problem, and it left me wishing this movie was available on BD as well. The soundtrack is tremendously well done and moody, just like in Call.
Without giving too much away, Whisperer follows the short story faithfully until the end at which point it concludes with an action setpiece not present in the original plot. As if by way of apology, the new ending is actually much more grim than the original, placing the protagonist in a much dimmer situation.
Just as with Call of Cthulhu, the effects here are far better than the film's small scale would suggest. The alien Mi-go in particular are a wonderfully steampunk mashup of creature and clockwork, realized with a very effective mix of models, costuming and CG. Locations are beautifully shot, and the actors fairly douse the production in character- in particular Daniel Kaemon, who plays the cult leader Mr. Noyse, lapses into a fantastic Mid-Atlantic radio presenter accent when he is (unknowingly?) recorded during his dark rituals- it sounds like it should be corny, yet it is eerily effective.
Purists may gape at the liberties taken with the source material, but this is a fantastically solid sci-fi horror flick that is true to the spirit of its source material and for my money far outstrips Lovecraft films with much costlier productions. A must buy if you enjoyed Call, or if you are a fan of old-school horror literature and cinema. This movie proves that epic sci-fi is possible in a small-scale production, and one is left wondering how so many other filmmakers drop the ball.
NOTE: buy with confidence, packaging and shipping are prompt and thorough. Even the invoice that comes with this movie is fun.
THE WHISPERER IN DARKNESS begins at Lovecraft's legendary Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts (shot at Mount Holyoke College) where we meet professor Albert Wilmarth (Matt Foyer), a skeptical folklore specialist who likes to use science to debunk old myths and legends. After a failed radio show attempt to triumph over a believer in the supernatural (Andrew Leman), he goes to an isolated farm in Vermont to speak with its owner (Barry Lynch) and discovers the type of cataclysmic horror that H. P. Lovecraft specialized in. Fans already know what it is but this review is primarily addressed to those readers who are not familiar with Lovecraft. The film is beautifully made from the opening parody of the old Universal logo (instead of a plane circling the globe it's a zeppelin that crosses over the North Pole) to the period costumes, the old school editing, and an extremely effective soundtrack. The performances by all concerned especially Foyer, Lynch and Autumn Wendel as the young girl Hannah (who is not in the original story) are all you could ask for in an undertaking of this nature. My only reservations, and they are minor ones, are as follows.
1) Every modern day attempt I have seen to shoot a black & white film set in the 1920s and 30's (and this includes THE ARTIST) is clearly shot in color first with the color then removed (HPLHS's MythoScope). This creates a sharp focus picture with harsh lighting instead of a soft focus one with subtle lighting although this was likely done out of budget considerations and is therefore understandable. 2) The rather cynical ending (not Lovecraft's own as the last third is an extension by the filmmakers) would not have occured in a film set in 1931. The tone yes (this would have been a pre-Code movie before censorship clamped down) but not the ending. From a visual standpoint, however, it is remarkably effective. 3) I would not have shown the creatures in close-up at the end as a lot of Lovecraft's horror deals with the human mind being unable to process what it sees and they didn't match my imagination's depictions of them. Unfortunately, subtlety and discretion are not trademarks of the 21st century.
I offer these observations as a film historian in a purely pedantic way out of a desire to provide some additional background on how films in the 1930s were made, not in an attempt to criticize the film or the filmmakers. I think THE WHISPERER IN DARKNESS and its companion piece THE CALL OF CTHULHU to be minor masterpieces which are truly exceptional when you consider their budgetary limitations (check out the special features on Disc 2 for a true appreciation). I not only look forward to more cinematic endeavors from the HPLHS (so buy this DVD which is available on a made-to-order basis and help to finance their next project) but I wish that other low budget filmmakers as well as big budget ones who attempt to do H.P. Lovecraft would follow in their footsteps. They have proved conclusively that is possible to do cinematic adaptations which are faithful in spirit and execution to HPL's work.
Top reviews from other countries
Menace, period feel, great soundtrack etc etc
It is shame that it is not currently available.
I noticed that the copy I got was Region O so played fine on the DVD player my mate had.
THIS WAS BAD ENOUGH AS IT WAS A CHRISTMAS GIFT.
I KNEW BEFORE I GAVE IT THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THE SPOKES THAT HOLDS THE DISCS IN PLACE WAS BROKEN AS I COULD HEAR THE DISC MOVING INSIDE.
WHEN IT WAS OPENED BY THE RECEIVER OF THE GIFT BOTH DISCS, INCLUDING THE ONE THAT WAS SECURED, WERE MARKED AND SCRATCHED AND BOTH DO NOT PLAY WELL AT ALL.
THIS ITEM WAS DESCRIBED AS NEW.
IF THERE WAS A FACILITY IN THE RATINGS SYSTEM TO AWARD NO STARS, WHICH I'VE ALWAYS FELT WAS A SERIOUS FLAW IN THE SYSTEM, I WOULD HAVE NO HESITATION IN DOING SO.