What was the first HP movie?

[Orrex]

Of course, I'm referring to H.P. Lovecraft.

The earliest specific film treatment I can think of off the top of my head is The Dunwich Horror in the early 70's. Ultimately it wasn't that close to the text, but at least it got the name right.

Other suggestions?

PS: Google and IMDB equal CHEATING

[Greyskye]

1. Lair of the White Worm?

Earliest that I can think of, but I'm sure it was later than the early 70's.

Bah. LotWW was Bram Stoker, not HP. Phooey on me.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. The Thing.

Based roughly on At the Mountains of Madness.

[Orrex]

3. A fine suggestion!

But it presupposes (not unreasonably) that John Campbell Jr's Who Goes There? was based on/inspired by At the Mountains of Madness.

You're right, though, in that it has very Lovecraftian elements of creepiness, paranoia, and incomprehensibility, not to mention the setting itself!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. I think the whole "the alien is made of vegetable matter" is the kicker.

That's a clear and unmistakable reference to Lovecraft's "Elder Things" from At the Mountains of Madness.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

5. The Haunted Palace, 1963

was an early Roger Corman film that adapted The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. The cast included Vincent Price and Lon Chaney Jr. Hard to find, but worth it for the Lovecraft-phile.

Maybe a better topic would be "What's an HP movie that's worth a damn?"

[Orrex]

6. That would be a much shorter thread

IMO several films have successfully portrayed aspects, but they've generally managed to screw up the overall story. I haven't seen the recent silent film version of The Call of Cthulhu, so I can't comment on that one, though I hear that it's quite good.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

7. My cousin

Andrew Migliore runs the Lovecraft Film Festival here in Portland, OR (and I heard they do a version of it in Salem, MA too). The Fest has generated several indie short film adaptations of Lovecraft, all of which are truly heartfelt, if not that good!

Lovecraft is hard to do, I think, because he was so wordy. Also, he often cultivated a sense of horror by *not* showing (describing), or by indicating that yeah, that bubbling blob of animate protoplasm sure is moving slowly, but it's still gonna get you.

Reanimator was very true to Lovecraft's one attempt at humor.

[Orrex]

8. Damn it--it wasn't *quite* fresh enough

Of all of them, I agree that it caught the spirit most effectively, if not completely.

I've seen a few indie Lovecraft-inspired films, and your assessment is right on IMO.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. The Ring.

It's totally lovecraftian.

They just replaced a mysterious book with a mysterious video tape. Instead of a college professor you've got a reporter. You've got the strange old man out on the farm. You've got the brief glimpse of unintelligible writing in the file at the psychiatric hospital. And the indescribable, inexplicable horror doesn't die at the end, it just kind of goes away, with rather dark implications for the future.

Also, In the Mouth of Madness. It's a flawed movie, mostly due to its pacing, but with great lovecraftian elements.

[Orrex]

10. Oooh! Good call!

I have to say that it never occurred to me, but now that you mention it, it's totally obvious! If only Samara had had tentacles sprouting from her face--then maybe I'd have figured it out.

I also agree about In the Mouth of Madness. It was sorely over-praised among people I knew at the time, but although I had some criticisms of the film, it's likewise undeniably Lovecraftian.

Interesting that Carpenter directed both that film and the remake of The Thing. Wonder if he's a Lovecraft fan? ;)