The works of H.P Lovecraft have been a staple of classic horror fiction. While Lovecraft as a person is not the easiest to identify with (to put it mildly), his works have had a significant impact on the world of horror storytelling. To the point that the term "Lovecraftian Horror" is shorthand for fantastical stories of the unknown, ancient beings, and the strange phenomena that cannot be quantified by modern science. Adapting a Lovecraft story to film can be a tricky endeavor for many reasons, not the least of which is the abundance of racism and agoraphobia found in his works. This new film not only showcases how to appropriately adapt Lovecraft's stories but also shows the triumphant return of a voice in horror cinema who has been in exile for far too long, director Richard Stanley.
For those of you who don't know or need a quick refresher, Richard Stanley was the initially intended director for the feature film adaptation of H.G Wells's The Island of Dr. Moreau. However, due to an abundance of unfortunate circumstances, Richard Stanley was fired from the director's chair and replaced with John Frankenheimer, who showed up in a vain attempt to save a sinking ship of a movie. As you might have suspected, the film bombed both financially and critically, placing Richard Stanley on the blacklist of directors. Since then. Richard Stanley has remained quietly active in the film world mostly as a writer and occasionally directing short videos. Color out of Space is his first big step back into the world of feature films, and he was undoubtedly the best person for this job.
For a more detailed and in-depth look into the history of the production woes with The Island of Dr. Moreau, check out the documentary Lost Souls available on Amazon Prime.
Based on the short story by H.P Lovecraft, the film follows a family living on a small farm in the woods. The family seems functional, but it becomes clear that things are not completely fine with everyone. Even so, things begin to escalate even more when a small meteorite hits their front yard emitting strange colors unlike any seen on Earth. Shortly after it lands, it buries itself deep into the ground. Not long after that, all of the vegetation in the surrounding area begin changing into a strange color, creating unusual mutations to everything around them. Making things even worse is that the color has started affecting everyone's minds in various ways, driving everyone in the house to utter madness. Will they survive this strange ordeal, or will they submit to their insanity?
Back in November of last year, I published an article here on my blog discussing what I believed to be genuine horror. The short version is that the film world these days is oversaturated with gorry jump-scare filled bits of garbage, to the point where everyone just assumes that is what horror cinema is all about. When, in actuality, it is about something much deeper and more profound than that. To me, horror is about uncertainty, not on in rather or not this strange thing that's floating in my bedroom is real or not, but also about how one chooses to react to it. One of the scariest kind of horror stories, at least to me, are the ones where we see how different people respond in extreme situations, and how they may show their true and darker colors becoming more dangerous than any actual monster. Color out of Space is such a story.
Director Richard Stanley has always been a strange individual, and I mean that in a positive way. In addition to seeming like a more down-to-earth person than you might expect, he also comes across as one of those minds that has developed early—discovering early on what makes him tick. He seems to be one of those individuals with a vivid imagination and a passionate curiosity for the unusual. Not in a pretentious kind of way, but more like a continually absorbing mind that's bursting with ideas that need to be realized. I know it sounds like I'm describing every kind of artist, but in this case, it's genuine.
The film succeeds where so many modern horror films fail. It has suspense, build-up, genuine human terror, and messed up ideas the likes of which I haven't seen in cinema for a long time. Color out of Space is not a film for everyone, but it is the best of its kind for those who enjoy well-crafted horror, especially for those who are bigger fans of H.P Lovecraft than I am, and I don't consider myself a fan. More like a casual admirer who appreciates psychological thriller stuff that may or may not happen to feature monsters as well. Apparently, this is to be the first in a trilogy of Richard Stanly films based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft. If they keep up this kind of quality, I will be happy to jump on board this train.
At the time of this writing, Color out of Space is available on VOD (Video On Demand) and, as far as I know, has a limited theatrical run in some areas. It is also likely to be released on disc sometime soon. However you can see this film, if you are of the horror persuasion, I think you will enjoy this one. Take it from someone who didn't grow up a horror fan but discovered a fondness for the good ones later in life.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.
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