Dunwich Horror

Imagine SVU theme at this point

I had high hopes for this one. After all, it was based on an H. P. Lovecraft short story. Think old ones, weird rituals, creepy towns and other such elements that make up a good Lovecraft tale. Well, it didn't turn out the way it expected, despite having the aforementioned features. In fact, the movie was a bit on the bland side. Let's see why.

First things first, here's a short summary. Wilbur Whateley, local creepy guy from Dunwich (complete with family history of altar-side shenanigans), nabs a suburban girl and has a devious ritual sacrifice plan for her. Luckily the victim, Nancy Wagner, has good friends in the forms of Prof. Armatige and library co-worker, Elizabeth. Will they succeed? Or will freaky Wilbur open the portal to wherever and usher in the tentacled creatures from another dimension?Wanna see my staff? Hur Hur

As you can see, the story reeks Lovecraft. In a good way, in a 'prepare to be shocked and freaked out' way. And yet, it goes a bit awry. First of all, there is good old Wilbur. He's not a bad actor, you definitely get the chills when he first saunters into the library and eyes the Necronomicon with those beady eyes. Not to mention the way he eyes Nancy, who like I mentioned earlier works in the library. She lets him read the book because, you know, she trusts him, she likes his eyes. I didn't know that was a qualification for lending books. It all becomes one big socializing moment as it turns out Prof. Armatige knows about Wilbur's family because of their weird history and whatnot and somehow this ends with four of them (Wilbur, Prof, enamored Nancy and skeptical friend, Elizabeth) having drinks at the pub.

Next thing you know, Nancy is driving Wilbur home. To Dunwich, which is a few miles out of her way. Creepy, much? Didn't she know anything about going home with strange men with shifty looks? So far, it looks like the beginning of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Once they reach his home, a dilapidated sorry looking structure that did nothing to dispel Wilbur's 'psycho with a moustache' look, he asks her in for a drink. In a slightly sleazy suggestive way. This is her cue to make a run for it. But no, she goes in and lounges about whilst Wilbur tampers with the car.

It gets better. Nancy gets a shock when she runs into Wilbur's wild-eyed grandfather who likes to walk around with a staff. So, him she freaks out about but stalker-style Wilbur is alluring? It makes you wonder how she got that job in the library. Anyway, Wilbur calms her down and gives her tea that has been drugged. At this point, the theme for SVU starts playing in my head. Scoff if you must. Nancy finds out that her car is not going anywhere tonight. And what do you know, Mr. Handsome Eyes doesn't have a telephone. But fear not, he offers the guest room for the night … as well as a flimsy see-through nightgown! The theme for SVU continues in my head.We found your tentacle porn collection, Will

Nancy has rather weird dreams; think of it as a mix between a rather drunk Caribbean street parade, any scene with college kids on spring break and festival of nights. Oh and topless people and orgies. Or did we already cover that? Not exactly the kind of dream you want to have in a strange home. Of course, forgetting all her sense (or did she have any in the first place?), she tells Wilbur about her dream. Good thing is, he's not scared about it, he doesn't think of it as a weird premonition. Rather, he jumps at this opportunity to talk about sex. Wake up and smell the sea breeze, Nancy! 

You can see how Wilbur couldn't quite pull off the child of ritualistic worshipers. Yes, he wants to sacrifice Nancy on th altar. Yes, there is a bit of topless scenes, groping and whatnot during those sequences. The problem is that he couldn't make his way into the weirdo in a robe category; instead, he was comfortable and safe in the urban sexual predator section. As for the story, Nancy's friends try to save her. Prof. Armatige actually discovers more about Wilbur's sordid past which includes a tentacle-ish twin. Unfortunately for her other friend, Elizabeth, her career as a Jessica Fletcher wannabe is cut short when she runs into the aforementioned twin. In an attic. In Wilbur's house. With old grandpa hobbling over to … stop? Watch? I'm not quite sure what he was planning. Now all that's left is for the tentacle brother to run amok in town whilst the good professor tries to foil Wilbur's devious plans.Nancy always had a thing for animal skull owners

That's another area where the movie fails – the depiction of the monster. I can understand lack of makeup or costumes for such a creature. In fact, I agree, it probably works better if they showed monster moments from its point of view. Oh and the flashing lights? The red and green effects? A lot of folks thought that looked horrid and could be distracting at best. I happen to be part of the negative 'I hate the lights' group.

So, is the movie worth a watch? The story is fantastic, the pace is slow and works well for a horror flick. But certain characters and the adaptation itself? It does leave much to be desired. However, do keep in mind, that while a Lovecraft fan might moan the loose adaptation, when compared to Bloody Pit of Horror, this one's definitely a winner.