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Stars: Zoltan Torok, Robert Lewis Stephenson, Zack Gold, Whit Kunschik, Madonna Young Magee, Alan Dorfmeier, Jim Tuck | Written by Jon Sarro | Directed by Cody Ashford

Drive Back begins with a young Reid (Zoltan Torok) sitting in the woods sketching when a shot rings out and a deer falls near him. That’s followed by the appearance of his father, who forces the traumatized boy to take a knife and motions towards the dying animal.

Years later, Reid is engaged to Olivia and they’re about to become parents. Making their way home after an engagement party at his parents’ cabin out in the woods, Olivia suggests taking a shortcut to get back home.

Disoriented after nearly being hit by a spending truck, they stop for directions at The I Forgot Store, a mom-and-pop convenience store where Mom is nuts and Pop (Alan Dorfmeier) appears to be dead. That still doesn...

Ghost Reaper Girl takes a dramatic turn with the introduction of two Lovecraftian monsters, Hastur and Bastet, who play a crucial role in the current plot. The inclusion of characters created by other Lovecraftian authors shows that mangaka Akissa Saiké considers their work as canon and expands the scope of the story beyond Lovecraft's original writings. The Drops of Decay, a poison featured in the manga, is not found in Lovecraft's mythology, but Saiké incorporates ideas of poison and decay from Lovecraft's works to create original elements in Ghost Reaper Girl.

Warning: Spoilers for Ghost Reaper Girl chapter #37A Shonen Jump manga called Ghost Reaper Girl which draws heavily from Hp Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos has taken a dramatic turn using two Lovecraftian monsters that Lovecraft himself didn't invent. Ghost Reaper Girl recently resumed serialization in Shonen Jump's Manga Plus internationally and Shonen Jump+ in Japan after a more than year-long hiatus.

Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos is the most well-known example of Lovecraftian horror, also known as cosmic horror. The mythos is a collection of entities, tomes, and people who share the universe and its horrors that human beings can't comprehend. Told mainly secondhand by different characters, these stories contain horrors that are terrifying in what they suggest as opposed to what is actually known. "The Call of Cthulhu" is the best example of this, as it contains many of these aspects.

Outside the works of H. P. Lovecraft himself, the Lovecraftian horror genre is going through something of a renaissance in cinema in the 2020s. Though films like Halloween and The Conjuring franchise are at the pinnacle of horror, Lovecraftian films are carving out their own niche with films like From Beyond and The Color Out of Space. With both the technology and artistry available in filmmaking today, Lovecraftian tales are becoming more mainstream in media.

With Lovecraft Country finishing its acclaimed first season, you may be looking to fill that new gap in your viewing schedule with more content based on or inspired by the works of the enigmatic author from Providence, Rhode Island.

Let’s get one thing clear upfront: Howard Phillips Lovecraft was very much a product of his time and upbringing, and his views on race, ethnicity, and class — while commonplace for where and when he lived — were truly noxious, an aspect of his legacy that Lovecraft Country addresses in its own themes. But it’s also clear that Lovecraft was arguably the most influential horror writer of the 20th century, with a reach that extends to this day.

While there have been a number of movies based directly on stories by Lovecraft — including titles like Die, Monster, Die! (1965), The Dunwich Horror (1970), Re-Animator (1985) and its sequels, From Beyond (1986), Dagon (2001), The Whisperer in Darkness...

Throughout the month of October, horror fans celebrate by binging on our favorite tales of the macabre. We bust out our favorite Blu-rays, scour our collections and watch our old favorites from Romero, Craven, and Carpenter, while also checking out newer offerings. In my humble opinion, you really can’t have a proper Halloween season without the inclusion of H.P. Lovecraft. His stories made an indelible mark and influenced horror and science fiction for years to come. The genre wouldn't be what it is today without his work and the way he inspired other storytellers, and the inclusion of a Lovecraft story is essential in any October viewing schedule.

The Whisperer in Darkness is a classic entry in Lovecraft’s oeuvre (and one of my personal favorites). It was adapted for the screen in 2011 by Sean Branney (who also directed) and co-writer Andrew Leman. The story tells the tale of...

Some believe it’s based on a terrifying truth, while others harbor the hope that it’s purely fiction, but what many can agree on is that for years the Delta Green role-playing game universe has offered endless hours of eerie entertainment. With a new wave of Delta Green projects now underway, Daily Dead recently caught up with Arc Dream Publishing co-founder and lead Delta Green editor Shane Ivey, who discussed the new RPG and much more in our latest (and in this case, Lovecraftian) Q&A feature.

Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for us, Shane. For those that are unfamiliar, can you talk a little bit about Delta Green and its Lovecraftian history?

Shane Ivey: Delta Green was a secret unit that conducted psychological operations for the Office of Strategic Services in World War II. It was disbanded with the rest of the Oss after the war.

Indie company RadioactiveGiant has acquired the rights to develop, produce and distribute "Miskatonic," a feature film inspired by the works of acclaimed horror author H.P. Lovecraft.

Not a direct adaptation of one of his works like "The Call of Cthulhu" or "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," instead this will be an original work created in the Lovecraft tradition which melds science fiction and horror in a period setting.

Miskatonic refers to a fictional university located in the fictional Massachusetts town of Arkham. First appearing in Lovecraft's "Herbert West: Reanimator" story, references to the school and its various professors popped up in numerous works from his Cthulhu Mythos including "The Dunwich Horror," "The Shadow Out of Time," "The Dreams in the Witch House," "The Whisperer in Darkness" and "At the Mountains of Madness".

Albert Sandoval will direct from a script by Devlin Mann and Stephen Dare. Sandoval and Daemon Hillen will produce.

Our friends at Grimm Up North, in collaboration with The Horror Show, have announced the UK release of H.P. Lovecraft's The Whisperer in Darkness, available now. Read on for the details of this Christmas treat!

From the Press Release:

Grimmfest festival favourite H.P. Lovecraft’s The Whisperer in Darkness is finally available in the UK to stream or download at Horrorshow.TV, the UK’s new home for watching all the latest horror movie releases.

Completed in 2012, The Whisperer In Darkness was produced as a labour of love by the H.P. Lovecraft Society in their continuing mission to faithfully adapt Lovecraft’s films in the style from the era they were born in, as seen in 2005’s silent expressionist picture The Call of Cthulu. The Whisperer In Darkness, directed by Sean Branney, is considered by many critics to be the most authentic movie adaptation of Lovecraft’s writing and...

We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes details on Sun Choke, starring Barbara Crampton, and the Monster Zombie Claymation short film:

Sun Choke Begins Production: “Janie (Hagan) is just trying to get well. As Janie recovers from a recent violent psychotic break, she’s subjected each day to a bizarre holistic health and wellness regimen designed, and enforced, by her lifelong nanny and caretaker, Irma (Crampton). Janie begins to veer off the road to recovery when she develops an obsession with a young woman, Savannah (Lane), which Janie feels an inexplicable yet profound connection to. The obsession turns increasingly invasive and wedges all three women into an ever-tightening and terrifying struggle for control. Will Janie pull herself back from the precipice of insanity? Or will she go over head-first, taking anyone nearby down with her?

Lodger...

Fans of legendary author H.P. Lovecraft know how closely the ideas of sound, music and strange vibrations are woven into his literary works – from the supernatural serenade called forth in "The Music of Erich Zann" to the sonic “resonator” that opens a dimensional portal in From Beyond. Many musicians have tapped into Lovecraft's tales for inspiration – sometimes purely for fun, as in the case of Re-Animator: The Musical, co-produced for the stage by another horror icon, Stuart Gordon. As you know, Gordon's long association with Lovecraft's work began in earnest with the 1985 classic Re-Animator, and includes a memorable episode of the Showtime series Masters of Horror: “Dreams in the Witch House.” That same tale, which Lovecraft penned in 1932, is now the basis of an epic rock opera produced in association with the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. While Gordon is not involved in this project, it does feature one...

Since I started writing for Sound on Sight during Fantasia 2011, 2012 was my first full year of writing for the site. I started the year by joining Josh on the Mousterpiece Cinema Podcast. During the year I attended Fantasia for the 15th time in 16 festivals and I attended Ridm (Québec’s only Documentary Film Festival) for the first time.

The following is an expanded version of my Sound on Sight ballot for the best feature films of 2012. I should probably explain that I see fewer feature films every year than say Ricky or Josh. On the other side of that, as the Festival Director of the YoungCuts Film Festival, I watch more short films than most (over 1,000 short films per year). It is entirely possible that I didn’t see your favourite feature film this year. On the other hand, I also probably watch some feature films that you never saw.

Summer blockbusters are behind us, and it's time to start preparing for Austin's fall film festivals. Fantastic Fest has released two waves of its programming for the September 20 - 27 festival, the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF) has announced four of the 96 films to screen October 3-7, and Lights. Camera. Help. has announced the schedule for the annual nonprofit film festival to be held September 12-14. The 2012 Austin Film Festival (October 18-25) should be announcing their first round of films soon.

Austin Film Society presents Avant Cinema 5.5: Two by H.P. Lovecraft on Wednesday August 29, 7 pm, at the Afs Screening Room at Austin Studios. Two films created by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society using the self-described "Mythoscope" process of mixing vintage and modern filmmaking techniques will be featured, including Sean Branney's The Whisperer in Darkness and The Call of Cthulhu. The Whisperer in Darkness is based on...

Resolution

Written by Justin Benson

Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Scott Moorhead

USA 2012 Fantasia imdb

It would be easy to compare Resolution to The Cabin in the Woods, both films tackle the horror tropes surrounding the titular isolated cabin in the woods, digging into the meta-narrative that informs the trope, but they come at the text from completely opposite directions. The comparison that felt more apt to me, while I was watching one of the best films at Fantasia this year, is linking Resolution to the H. P. Lovecraft film adaptation The Whisperer in Darkness. Lovingly recreated by fans,The Whisperer in Darkness tries to faithfully adapt Lovecraft’s work by using the media, tropes, and especially film style, that dominated when Lovercraft penned the original short story. In the case of Resolution, Benson and Moorhead tell a Lovecraftian tale, but instead of focusing on one media and style,...

Resolution

Written by Justin Benson

Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Scott Moorhead

USA 2012 Fantasia imdb

It would be easy to compare Resolution to The Cabin in the Woods, both films tackle the horror tropes surrounding the titular isolated cabin in the woods, digging into the meta-narrative that informs the trope, but they come at the text from completely opposite directions. The comparison that felt more apt to me, while I was watching one of the best films at Fantasia this year, is linking Resolution to the H. P. Lovecraft film adaptation The Whisperer in Darkness. Lovingly recreated by fans, The Whisperer in Darkness tries to faithfully adapt Lovecraft’s work by using the media, tropes, and especially film style, that dominated when Lovercraft penned the original short story. In the case of Resolution, Benson and Moorhead tell a Lovecraftian tale, but instead of focusing on one media and style,...

Australia’s Revelation Perth International Film Festival will be holding it’s explosive 15th annual edition on July 5-15 with one of it’s most jam-packed lineups yet.

One of the most special events that Revelation will be holding is July 14‘s retrospective of the films of Jeff Keen, the pioneering British underground filmmaker who very sadly just passed away on June 21. Keen’s work has been having a major resurgence lately and Revelation is the latest organization to so boldly feature his breathtaking experimental film work, from classics like 1967′s Marvo Movie to modern films like Artwar (1993) and Joy Thru Film (2000). This is absolutely an event not to be missed.

Another staggering event this year is a very special live presentation of Crispin Hellion Glover‘s notorious underground films What Is It? and It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. (Click film titles for Bad Lit reviews!) These very...

The Whisperer In Darkness is the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society’s latest proof that film versions of Lovecraft’s work don’t have to be awkward or inaccurate (the first being their excellent Call Of Cthulhu silent picture, released in 2005). True to when the story was first written, this film is shot in unassuming black and white in what the filmmakers refer to as “Mythoscope”, and thus plays like a classic monster picture released in 1931.

To cut straight to the chase, this is the kind of ideal adaptation that every literary work deserves. You can feel the respect for Lovecraft here. It’s due to complete reverence to the source material that the film succeeds so completely in transporting you into Lovecraft’s world.

The short story itself is a pioneering meld of bizarre mysticism and straight-up science fiction involving a skeptical professor, the backwoods of Vermont, and ancient aliens...

Director: Sean Branney.

Writers: H.P. Lovecraft (story), Sean Branney and Andrew Leman (screenplay).

Cast: Stephen Blackehart, Annie Abrams and Matt Lagan.

Enthusiasts of H.P. Lovecraft will eat up the cinematic adaption of the tale, The Whisperer in Darkness. Made by the members of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, this film is very clearly a labour of love that came close to not finishing due to funding issues. But thankfully, Sandy Peterson, author of Call of Cthulhu, the role-playing game, saved the day by injecting the money needed to finish the project.

When turning Lovecraft’s works to cinematic expression, some liberties were taken. This movie nicely reproduces the style in films like Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy with the set designs and title cards. Also added is a Little Shop of Horrors style (the original) ending. But ultimately, this movie is an update than a wholly faithful adaptation. Had it...

Marking its third year of bringing the fear, Sheffield’s biggest horror film festival, Celluloid Screams, returns to the Showroom Cinema for another weekend of bloody thrills and spills. Marked with a variety of special guests including the venerable Richard Stanley and a quartet of classic screenings any horror fan will devour, we’ve got the list of what to expect when the doors open between Friday 21st and Sunday 23rd October.

Feature Films – Official Selection

Opening Gala: Inbred

Director: Alex Chandon | UK | 2011 | 95 mins

With the cast of Inbred - Jo Hartley, Paddy Doherty, Seamus O’Neill, Terry Haywood, Chris Waller, Nadine Mulkerrin and James Burrows – and line producer Rob Speranza in person.

From director Alex Chandon comes Inbred, a deliriously un-pc gorefest that adds a warped new dimension to the notion of Northern hospitality. Four young offenders and their care workers embark upon a weekend of community service and...

The third annual Grimm Up North Film Festival runs this October 6th-9th at the AMC Cinemas in the Great Northern Warehouse, Deansgate, and we've got the full lineup of films to be shown along with the schedule. If you'll be anywhere near Manchester, England, during that time frame, this is one event you don't want to miss!

Thursday - October 6th

(Tickets sold separately for this event – not covered by Festival Pass)

7.00 – Drinks, guests and press at Casino.

8.00 – Retreat plus Q+A with the director, writer and producer

Country: UK

Year: 2011

Director: Carl Tibbetts

Starring: Jamie Bell, Thandie Newton, Cillian Murphy

Status: Special Preview

10.15 – retire to the Casino bar.

Friday - October 7th

2.30 – The Dead Zone (103 mins)

Country: Us

Year: 1983

Director: David Cronenberg

Starring: Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams

Status: Exclusive screening

4.30 – Black And Blue Films: Producer Jonathan Sothcott and celebrity guests, with exclusive clips of new films

6.00 – Urban Explorer...

The Whisperer in Darkness

Directed by Sean Branney

Written by Sean Branney and Andrew Leman, based on the story by H.P. Lovecraft

USA, 2011

Fantasia imdb

The Whisperer in Darkness is an extraordinarily well-crafted film and it completely achieves its objectives. Oddly, the film’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness.

The Whisperer in Darkness has two goals. First, to be a faithful Lovecraft adaptation.

While the film takes a few liberties with the original short story, especially in its ending, it does so in the interest of being even more bleakly Lovecraftian. The film is very faithful to Lovecraft’s ability to parcel out creepy information in dribs and drabs from a variety of different medium including lost books, letters, recordings, phone calls, overheard conversations, expert testimony and found artifacts. Most importantly, The Whisperer in Darkness captures Lovecraft’s ability to give us protagonists who come to heroism late in their own narrative,...

Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival, which will be held from July 14 to August 7, will kick off with Kevin Smith's Red State.

Fantasia also made the first announcement about the films that will be part of this 15th edition's line-up.

People can see the anthology film Theatre Bizarre. This coproduction between Canada, France, Germany, the UK, the USA reunites Richard Stanley (Hardware), Karim Hussain (La belle bête), Douglas Buck (Cutting Moments), Buddy Giovinazzo (Life Is Hot in Cracktown), David Gregory (Plague Town) and Tom Savini, as directors.

The festival will also hold the world premier of The Wicker Tree, from Robin Hardy. Moreover, a book launch is also expected because The Wicker Tree is based on the novel Cowboys for Christ, by Hardy.

As for a Canadian premiere, Ryoo Seung-wan's The Unjust will be screened. Besides, Ryoo will be invited by the festival's organizers to teach choreography for action films.

The Fantasia Film Festival is by far my favourite film festival in the world and I’ve been impatiently awaiting some news of what films they’ll be screening this year. Considered the world’s largest genre film festival and running over three weeks long, the event is celebrating it’s 15th edition this year and the lineup is already pretty incredible. In the past I’ve seen some of my favourite films premiere at the fest and last year I wrote up a list of the best films ever screened at the fest which you can read here. This year Kevin Smith’s Red State opens the festival and directors Robin Hardy (The Wicker Man) and Richard Stanley (Hardware, Dust Devil) will be in the house to discuss the occult on film. The full lineup which includes 130-feature titles will be announced on July 7. For now here is the...

With July rapidly approaching, that means two things - the one/two punch of both Comic-Con and Canada's incredible Fantasia Film Festival! Speaking of the latter, the first wave of announcements is here! Read on for details!

From the Press Release

While less than two weeks away from announcing the full line-up of its 15th edition, Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival has revealed a first wave of titles and happenings. The full 130-feature array of titles will be announced at our press conference on July 7.

Opening Film – Kevin Smith’S Red State

Fantasia is proud to open the 2011 edition of the festival with the Canadian Premiere of Kevin Smith's acclaimed Sundance hit Red State. The director of Clerks and Zack And Miri Make A Porno has made a jump to an entirely new genre with tremendous success. Red State is a powerhouse film featuring fantastic performances by Michael Parks,...

Director: Sean Branney.

Writers: H.P. Lovecraft (story), Sean Branney and Andrew Leman (screenplay).

Stars: Stephen Blackehart, Barry Lynch and Conor Timmis.

The movie The Whisperer in Darkness is complete and touring the film festivals around the world. The filmmakers couldn't be any happier. Now the pressure is on to produce the DVD for the rest of the world to enjoy. With this seminal tale that is part science fiction and part terror, the onus is on how effective the actors are in reaching that creeping revelation.

“There are monsters in them thar hills,” as the hicks in the bayous like to call it.

And the written version, Albert N. Wilmarth, (Matt Foyer) an instructor of literature at Miskatonic University provides the narration. He’s corresponding with Henry Wentworth Akeley (Barry Lynch), a man who lives alone who claims to have made contact with these mysterious creatures. The response from Wilmarth,...

We recently received a metric ton of updates about upcoming events at the Bigfoot Crest Theater in Los Angeles so strap in because there's a lot for you guys to check out - including what could be The Greatest Monster Of All Time!

The Bigfoot Crest is going to be putting on some very cool screenings over the next two months, including showings of Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster, The Thing, a new H.P. Lovecraft film (The Whisper in Darkness) and what wins the award of most unique looking new monster The God of Clay (see images below and know that somewhere The Foywonder is giving high fives to random strangers).

Check out all the details below, and see even more at the Bigfoot Crest website.

From the Press Release:

The historic Bigfoot Crest Theater in Westwood – recently hailed by Los Angeles Magazine as one of the best screens in...

Tired of waiting for Hollywood to produce a decent film based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft? You're not alone, not by a long shot. The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society feels your pain and they're doing something about it.

A couple years back they produced The Call of Cthulhu, a remarkably polished mid-length film that still stands as one of the better Lovecraft pictures ever made despite having been done on a shoestring. And now the society is back at it with the full feature adaptation of Lovecraft's The Whisperer In Darkness. Once again this one is being produced for passion, not profit, and once again it looks very good indeed. Though they don't expect the film to be fully complete until October they have just released a lengthy trailer which you can check below.