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For
the record this is my first film review for Craig
Mullin's excellent site Unfilmable.com
dedicated to the spread of creeping chaos that is
the cultural effect of the arcane author H. P. Lovecraft's
writings. It's icy tentacles have even gripped me.
Craig
has sent me a hefty box of Lovecraft inspired movies
in exchange for my promise to review them. As more
Lovecraft films are being produced constantly as
Unfilmable.com documents with updates
my task may never end. And I am already insane...
Which leads me to my first film review. It must
have been the fates
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my hand should pick this film out of the large box
of options. For this film contains all the ingredients
for what I have determined to be essential Lovecraft
elements. Please argue with me on these points I am
here to learn. |
The
film is H. P. Lovecraft's The Other Gods, Special
Edition.
Animated Production, Short film 5 Min. 45 Sec.
Director: Peter Rhodes
Producer: Michael Boas
Web: maddogmovies.com/theothergods
Music: Keith Handy (www.keithhandy.com)
This
film is actually a document. The director, Peter Rhodes
was an acquaintance of H. P. Lovecraft and a time
line and biography of this obscure but powerful artist
can be read at the Mad Dog Movies website. My research
online wasn't able to find anything other than the
producer's site but that's not unexpected due to the
lack of exposure and short life this artist endured.
One of my favorite Lovecraft elements is the information
derived from the unusual source. A stack of Peter
Rhodes films were discovered and Producer Michael
Boas has spared no effort in the restoration.
The
Other Gods tells the story of the proud and arrogant
Barzai the |
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Wise
and his ascent of Hatheg-Kla to see the faces of the
Gods. His cautious disciple Atal follows but only
Barzai can muster the obsession to reach the pinnacle.
The Gods leave a chiseled message in Mount Hatheg-Kla
for all who may follow the poor foolish Barzai.
Peter
Rhodes tells his story with back lit flat paper puppets
moved via stop motion animation. This technique and
artistic design of the production enhances the ancient
setting of the story.
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The story is an accurate and unsettling warning
about tempting the Gods and although short like
the original story it is just as effective. When
Barzai gazes upon the face of Nyarlathotep, Rhodes
gives us a psychedelic experience generations ahead
of his time. Or perhaps the artist made excursions
into the hallucinogens available at the time and
took notes. I'll leave for scholars of the Pnakotic
Manuscripts to seek any ritual significance of the
complex designs in this sequence that could be keys
to open dimensions best kept shut.
There
are notes about the director and French Subtitles.
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I
must warn you dear reader to not follow my dialogue
any longer. Only madness and despair go further
because there is more to this film, than man should
know... Yet a cold, overwhelming compulsion beyond
madness drives me to tell all that I know.
I
can only issue the same calls found in Lovecraft's
original story of The Other Gods...
The
other gods! The other gods! The gods of the outer
hells that guard the feeble gods of earth!...look
away...Go back...Do not see! Do not see!
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In the great tradition of Lovecraft's props and
people such as the Necronomicon and the Mad Arab
readers have assumed the reality of these literary
creations. Producer Michael Boas has managed to
fool me into believing Peter Rhodes actually existed.
When you find the "hidden menu" on the
disc, Director Michael Boas spills the beans on
his perfectly presented cinema event. Michael Boas
is the creator/animator of this film. Peter Rhodes
is a fiction who seems to have taken on a life of
his own.
There
is a rewarding amount of bonus material for such
a short film including a short documentary, early
versions of the film, a twenty-two
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interview, storyboards as well as the original story. |
A
visit to Mike's site www.maddogmovies.com/theothergods
will carry on the fun with Peter Rhodes but I couldn't
see any mention of Michael Boas himself. This talented
animator and film maker deserves a big applause for a
film well done in the best Lovecraftian vein.
Come
on Mike take a bow!
-
Tom Sullivan
www.darkageproductions.com
www.myspace.com/evildeadtomsullivan
You can view all of Tom's reviews by clicking here... |
