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BOOKS 2 FILM >> The H.P. Lovecraft Collection: Volume 2 – Rough Magik

Author: Bruce Grossman

books to film lovecraft rough magik dvd review Except for two misfires in the extras department, THE H.P. LOVECRAFT COLLECTION: VOLUME 2 – ROUGH MAGIK is another treasure trove of visual delight from the fine folks of Lurker Films.

The main feature of this compilation is a failed British TV pilot titled ROUGH MAGIK, starring Paul Darrow of BLAKES 7 fame and based on overall Lovecraft themes. The best way to describe it is like X-FILES, but more focused on the occult angle instead of aliens, with a shadowy organization called the Night Scholars who are tracking down the Dreamers.

Fans of Lovecraft will be delighted by what would have been a promising show. But since it was filmed years before LOST and HEROES – not to mention the resurgence of British sci-fi with the new DR. WHO and TORCHWOOD – it fell on deaf ears. The show definitely was ahead of its time in way of ideas and plot.

It opens with a woman placing candles on a cake and telling her kids to come down for a big surprise. The cake has a Cthulhu statuette on top, which freaks the kids out, and the mother brutally kills them. Enter Darrow as Mr Moon, who is there to investigate. He brings the statuette to an artist friend who has a connection to the Dreamers.

With a story that takes us to the Falklands invasion and a reveal at the end that probably will have grossed out most of its audience, the ROUGH MAGIK pilot is low-budget, with some computer effects looking as though they were rushed. This is actually touched upon in the commentary from writer/producer Stephen Parsons, who pulls no punches in his highly informative track, from the clashes he had with the director Jamie Payne to how the original director had to drop out a few weeks before production. Parsons goes into how he had the whole series mapped out, but when shown to the BBC, they just passed on it.

The next two films are both from director Bob Fugger. The first – and the better of the two – is a modern-day take on TERRIBLE OLD MAN. Changing Lovecraft’s historical setting to the Canada of today works wonderfully. The three men from the original story have been changed to burglars on the run since their last job did not go so well. These three men are at a diner when a creepy old man pays for his coffee with a gold coin, and they figure this elderly fool will be an easy mark. This sticks extremely close to the story and works quite well, even in the contemporary setting.

The second of Fugger’s two films is FROM BEYOND, which is basically a two-person piece. The problem with this film is that one of the actors is really good, while the other is more wooden than a Thunderbird. The story follows a man visiting a friend who has discovered a way to communicate with the elder ones through ultraviolet light. And since it’s just two men in a room, it doesn’t stray far from Lovecraft’s original tale.

Interviews with the filmmakers include discussion both of these shorts. Rounding out the extras are two “music” videos by some band called The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets. I could spend a whole page about this so-called music, but I won’t. Trust me: It’s best not to play either unless you really like sub-par musicianship.

Also included is another interview with S.T Joshi discussing Lovecraft on film. A trailer for the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival pokes fun at a certain indie horror hit from a few years ago. Finally, the booklet inside is all about ROUGH MAGIK, detailing the history of the Night Scholars organization and its purpose. Also it sheds light on what would have happened if the series were picked up.

For those who want more Lovecraft to watch, you’ll be hard-pressed to pass up this collection of interesting short films. –Bruce Grossman

Buy it at Amazon or Lurker Films.