Hello horror fans - and welcome back to the
scariest channel on YouTube - Top 5 Scary
Videos, that abominabil place where time and
space cease to exist - as we creep our way
through the most terrifying corners of horror
fandom.
What’s going on guys - as always, I’ll
be your human sacrifice Jack Finch - as we
once again step into the realm of the godfather
of cosmic horror himself - Howard Phillips
Lovecraft, and take a look at the most terrifying
modern interpretations of his work - in the
Top 5 Scariest Lovecraftian Movies.
Roll the clip.
Cosmic horror - as a subgenre, is a little
hit and miss when it comes to the silver screen
- but when it hits - oh boy does it hit.
There’s nothing more skin-crawling-ly horrifying
than a grotesque, unknown ancient lifeform
that descends from the stars to wreck havoc
against a bunch of defenceless and unassuming
bunch of humans.
One of my favourite horror movies of all time
is John Carpenter's The Thing - which is a
blatant love letter to the styles and themes
of Lovecraft - and it would usually make the
top of any list I ever make - but - for the
sake of keeping things fresh - let’s take
a look at my breakdown for the best Lovecraft
horror interpretations out there.
Before we do that though - you know how it
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time - and maybe I’ll read them out in our
next Top 5 Scary Video.
Kicking off at Number 5 - Banshee Chapter,
2013.
And as far as modern horror goes - this one
actually stood out in an era of pretty mediocre
horror movies.
Not only that - but it also managed to pull
off found footage horror in a highly original
way - while also sticking true to Lovecraft’s
themes.
Banshee Chapter - released in 2013 and directed
by Blair Erickson - is loosely based on the
H.P Lovecraft short story, From Beyond - and
also, the 1986 movie adaptation - which may
or may not be on this list.
Banshee Chapter pretty much has everything
you want when it comes to sci-fi horror - mind-altering
narcotics, shadowy alien entities - mysterious
numbers stations broadcasting from the desert.
It’s jam packed with cosmic horror goodness
and it also manages to convincingly portray
Lovecraft’s original short story - which
explores the fear of interdimensional reality,
and the terrifying thought of what amorphous
anomalies lurk in a different plane of existence.
If M.K Ultra and shadowy government organisations
peak your interest - then Banshee Chapter
will be the exact dose of mind-altering substance
that you need - give it a watch, Lovecraft
would be proud.
Coming in at Number 4 - From Beyond, 1986.
See - I told you it may or may not be on this
list.
Which it is.
And I kind of had to put these guys back to
back because essentially - they’re the same
film in terms of plot.
But From Beyond is absolutely terrifyingly
awesome - especially if you’re a fan of
quintessential 80’s splatter horror - because
some of the visual effects in this film are
absolutely insane.
It comes from director Stuart Gordon - a Lovecraft
fan like no other - who directed an earlier
B-Movie masterpiece called Castle Freak - and
would later go on to direct 2001’s Dagon
- as well as a TV interpretation of Dreams
In The Witch House.
This guy understood H.P Lovecraft in a time
when horror cinema was trying it’s utmost
to shock and gross us out.
From Beyond tells the story of a bunch of
scientists who are trying to replicate the
human pineal gland - the part of the brain
responsible for sleep and our perception of
reality.
Well, of course, this is a Lovecraft story
- and like with Banshee Chapter - this film
explores the idea of cosmic horror lurking
within the realms of transdimensional reality.
To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend this
movie primarily for it’s pastiche to Lovecraft’s
skill in crafting a story - because there’s
not much to it really - but if you’re a
fan of grotesque, classic 80’s gore - this
one’s for you.
It’s awesome.
Next up at Number 3 - Event Horizon, 1997.
If you haven’t seen Event Horizon - stop
what you’re doing right now and go and watch
it.
Yeah, granted - I understand, this film isn’t
a direct interpretation of Lovecraft’s work
- like the rest of this list are - but Lovecraft
himself birthed the idea of cosmic horror
- and Event Horizon is cosmically horrifying.
Yeah, it’s trashy in parts - yeah some of
the plot doesn’t make any sense - but it’s
a feast for the eyes and the mind - and it’s
up there holding its own with some of the
greats in science fiction horror.
It was an absolute flop at the box office
- and it was torn to shreds by critics - but
like with the best cult films, Event Horizon
managed to cling on to the fringes of fandom
- and find its rightful place as a visual
memorial to Lovecraft’s work.
It’s got a stellar cast, Laurence Fishburne,
Sam Neill, Jason Isaacs - and right from the
off it proves to be genuinely terrifying - capturing
that bleak isolation that Lovecraft is so
renowned for.
Trust me, give it a watch.
Swinging in at Number 2 - Black Mountain Side,
2014.
And this film is really up there as one of
the best of the best in recent Canadian horror
cinema - right alongside the likes of Pontypool
and Hobo With A Shotgun.
Black Mountain Side is really, really good
- maybe because it draws so heavily on John
Carpenter’s The Thing, yet manages to do
so by weaving an entirely original spin on
Lovecraft’s work.
This film is loosely based on At The Mountains
of Madness, written in 1931 - that also happens
to be my favourite Lovecraft story of all
time.
Hey, I’ve got a thing for the arctic - what
can I say.
It centers on a team of archaeologists that
discover an ancient structure buried deep
beneath the ice - and, just as it happens
in Lovecraft’s tale - as you can guess,
things start to quickly go badly.
This film is equal parts gorgeous and equal
parts terrifying - and it also managed to
pick up both Best Feature and Best Screenplay
at the HP Lovecraft Film Festival.
If you’re looking to burrow yourself deep
into the visual realm of Lovecraft’s work
and existentially contemplate the futile nature
of the universe - then this film is for you.
And finally - at our Number 1 spot - Re-Animator,
1985.
And of course - it just has to be perhaps
the most notorious interpretation of Lovecraft’s
work to date - from the esteemed director
Stuart Gordon - who also made From Beyond,
which made the 4th spot on this list.
It’s based on Lovecraft’s 1922 short story
- Herbert West--Reanimator, but originally
was picked up by Gordon because he had the
desire to make a Frankenstein film - which
essentially, is exactly what it is.
If I’ve got one fact to sell this movie
to you - it’s that special effects expert
John Naulin said that before this film, he’d
never used more than two gallons of blood
per picture.
For Re-Animator, he used 24 gallons.
H.P Lovecraft aside - this film really is
a hallmark in horror cinema, and it’s a
must see as far as I’m concerned.
For fans of Lovecraft though - it’s got
all the expected hotspots - centering on Arkham’s
Miskatonic University.
It tells the story of Herbert West, a medical
student who discovers the power to reanimate
the dead.
But - like we quickly learn as Lovecraftian
Horror fans - things quickly go awry.
Re-Animator is all the best parts of splatter
horror - an incredible display of visual effects
- and also, strangely enough - absolutely
hilarious in parts.
Give it a watch - you won’t be disappointed.
Well - unfortunately folks, that’s all we’ve
got time for in today’s video - cheers for
sticking around all the way to the end.
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