T. Rigney (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} filmfiend) wrote,@ 2006-12-12 16:47:00 |
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Dagon
I'a! I'a! Cthulhu fhtagn!
---
H.P. Lovecraft has probably had the most influence on my creative output than any other author I've ever read. There's something inherently creepy about each and every one of his stories, though the Cthulhu mythos is by far the master's greatest literary achievement. While his sci-fi leanings were interesting, they simply cannot match the power of The Old Ones. Because Lovecraft's stories are the very definition of bizarre, it's rather difficult to bring them to life on the big screen. If you're one of the few unfortunate souls who braved last year's Beyond the Wall of Sleep, you know that most who attempt to adapt the man's work often fall flat on their faces. With the exception of the excellent short film Call of the Cthulhu, the only person who has successfully translated Lovecraft's vision to film is Stuart Gordon, the guy responsible for the goofy cult classic Re-Animator. And while he doesn't stick very close to the source material, Gordon is somehow able to capture the FEEL of the late author's best tales. 2001's Dagon, based on Lovecraft's Dagon and The Shadow Over Innsmouth, stands as the talented director's most affecting horror picture to-date. The key word in that last statement is HORROR. After all, I still feel that Edmond is the man's best film.
Yes, EDMOND.
The criminally-underrated Ezra Godden stars as Paul Marsh, a goofy little guy who just made a ton of money fiddling with the stock market. To celebrate his new-found wealth, Paul and his sexy girlfriend Barbara join their WASPy friends Howard and Vicki on an extended vacation aboard their uber-swank sailboat. Before too long, a storm creeps up on the unsuspecting couples, sending their boat crashing into a nearby rock. During this nautical mishap, Vicki's leg is savagely crushed, pinning her in the cabin of the quickly-flooding vessel. Unwilling to leave his wife to suffer alone, Howard sends Paul and Barbara to the small fishing village they spotted moments before the storm crept in. The young couple, having braved the violent sea on an inflatable raft, follow some creepy chanting to a small church occupied by a strange little priest who, much to their surprise, is all by himself. The odd, unblinking man immediately agrees to help. He sends Paul out with a group of very pale, very unusual fishermen, leaving Barbara all alone in that odd little township with those grotesque, leering inhabitants. The rescue mission proves unsuccessful; upon returning to Howard and Vicki's boat, Paul discovers that both are missing. And to make matters worse, when Paul returns to shore, he discovers that Barbara is also missing. So begins his journey to discover the whereabouts of his lovely little girlfriend, an adventure that will lead him into the heart of this truly bizarre village. Will Paul save Barbara before it's too late, or will they become yet another sacrifice to the god Dagon?
Stuart Gordon has really outdone himself with this effort. Though it still has a hefty dose of comedy to alleviate the tension and suspense present throughout, Dagon is more concerned with absolute horror than simply making you laugh. The story is pretty simple, and actually boils down to a by-the-numbers chase picture, with Paul rushing from one set piece to another as he desperately tries to find his girlfriend before the residents of Imboca catch up with him. Though the script is simple and the premise somewhat tired, Gordon's execution couldn't be smarter. The most intriguing aspect of the film is the village itself, which has been realized in amazing detail. It apparently never stops raining in Imboca, giving the joint a dark and dreary atmosphere that literally saturates every single frame of the picture. And instead of giving us clear, clean shots of its fishy citizens, we're treated to mere glimpses and glances as they watch the proceedings from doorways, alleyways, and windows. The decision to keep most of the creatures in shadow is brilliant; showing a lumbering hulk of a man shuffling in the background is much spookier than sticking him directly in front of the camera for all to see. The film also moves at a break-neck pace, thrusting our bumbling hero into a different set of dangers every few minutes or so. It instantly reminded me of the manic pacing of Raimi's Evil Dead 2, right down to the goofy hero's thoroughly entertaining antics.
However, there are a few problems lurking beneath the film's creepy surface. For starters, the CGI is incredibly fake, forcing me once again to say that if you don't have the cash to make it look good, DON'T USE IT. Simple as that. And while this particular aspect didn't bother me at all, I've read that a handful of genre fans don't like the needless exposition towards the middle of the movie. While I will admit that it slows the picture down, I believe it's completely necessary as a storytelling device.
As mentioned, Ezra Godden is an incredible actor, one who doesn't get nearly as much work as he should. And while his shtick in Dagon may be a little too Woody Allen-ish for most to swallow, I thoroughly enjoyed his performance nonetheless. In fact, it's what keeps me coming back again and again. Had Dagon been without a flawed, bumbling hero, I think most of its charm would be lost on me. Godden's easily the best of the bunch. And while the actors portraying the twisted inhabitants of Imboca are pleasant enough, it's late Spanish thespian Franciso "Paco" Rabal who ultimately spoils the film. His accent is so incredibly thick that it's almost impossible to understand what he's saying without the use of subtitles. Now, I'm usually VERY good with accents; having lived in Kentucky all my life, deciphering what people are saying is key to surviving encounters with those from the eastern half of the state. That said, even I had to use the DVD subtitles every single time the man spoke. Had this been a normal picture with normal dialgoue, I don't think I would have had as much trouble as I did. But when you're dealing with Lovecraftian mythology and the sort, a clear pronunciation is not only required, it's instrumental in delivering the names, places, and Gods to those viewers uneducated in the ways of Howard Phillips. Rabal's a fine actor, of course, but his inclusion in Dagon seems a bit questionable at the end of the day.
All in all, Dagon is a great horror film, one that deserves to be seen by anyone who claims to be a fan of the genre. It's fast-paced, frightening, gory, and quite funny in spots. Stuart Gordon is a fantastic director, in my opinion, even when he's not working with Lovecraft's material. Dagon is quite possibly his best HORROR PICTURE in the guy's expansive filmography, though it doesn't even come close to the brilliance of Edmond. Yes, EDMOND. Fans of Lovecraft may balk at the liberties he takes with the source material, but I think his slight modifications are essential to bringing these dark tales to life on the big screen. Because let's face it: Not everyone is going to understand the appeal of Cthulhu and The Old Ones, so why not help ease these non-believers into the author's body of work via the motion picture? I think it's genius, personally, and I'd love to see Gordon handle more stories in the future. The man has a knack for the strange, not to mention a genuine fondness for the material. In case you can't read between the lines, I'm a huge fan of this film, and I won't hesitate to recommend it to anyone, even those who don't know Lovecraft from Adam.
As long as you eventually worship Cthulhu, all will be forgiven.
I'a! I'a! Cthulhu fhtagn!
---
H.P. Lovecraft has probably had the most influence on my creative output than any other author I've ever read. There's something inherently creepy about each and every one of his stories, though the Cthulhu mythos is by far the master's greatest literary achievement. While his sci-fi leanings were interesting, they simply cannot match the power of The Old Ones. Because Lovecraft's stories are the very definition of bizarre, it's rather difficult to bring them to life on the big screen. If you're one of the few unfortunate souls who braved last year's Beyond the Wall of Sleep, you know that most who attempt to adapt the man's work often fall flat on their faces. With the exception of the excellent short film Call of the Cthulhu, the only person who has successfully translated Lovecraft's vision to film is Stuart Gordon, the guy responsible for the goofy cult classic Re-Animator. And while he doesn't stick very close to the source material, Gordon is somehow able to capture the FEEL of the late author's best tales. 2001's Dagon, based on Lovecraft's Dagon and The Shadow Over Innsmouth, stands as the talented director's most affecting horror picture to-date. The key word in that last statement is HORROR. After all, I still feel that Edmond is the man's best film.
Yes, EDMOND.
The criminally-underrated Ezra Godden stars as Paul Marsh, a goofy little guy who just made a ton of money fiddling with the stock market. To celebrate his new-found wealth, Paul and his sexy girlfriend Barbara join their WASPy friends Howard and Vicki on an extended vacation aboard their uber-swank sailboat. Before too long, a storm creeps up on the unsuspecting couples, sending their boat crashing into a nearby rock. During this nautical mishap, Vicki's leg is savagely crushed, pinning her in the cabin of the quickly-flooding vessel. Unwilling to leave his wife to suffer alone, Howard sends Paul and Barbara to the small fishing village they spotted moments before the storm crept in. The young couple, having braved the violent sea on an inflatable raft, follow some creepy chanting to a small church occupied by a strange little priest who, much to their surprise, is all by himself. The odd, unblinking man immediately agrees to help. He sends Paul out with a group of very pale, very unusual fishermen, leaving Barbara all alone in that odd little township with those grotesque, leering inhabitants. The rescue mission proves unsuccessful; upon returning to Howard and Vicki's boat, Paul discovers that both are missing. And to make matters worse, when Paul returns to shore, he discovers that Barbara is also missing. So begins his journey to discover the whereabouts of his lovely little girlfriend, an adventure that will lead him into the heart of this truly bizarre village. Will Paul save Barbara before it's too late, or will they become yet another sacrifice to the god Dagon?
Stuart Gordon has really outdone himself with this effort. Though it still has a hefty dose of comedy to alleviate the tension and suspense present throughout, Dagon is more concerned with absolute horror than simply making you laugh. The story is pretty simple, and actually boils down to a by-the-numbers chase picture, with Paul rushing from one set piece to another as he desperately tries to find his girlfriend before the residents of Imboca catch up with him. Though the script is simple and the premise somewhat tired, Gordon's execution couldn't be smarter. The most intriguing aspect of the film is the village itself, which has been realized in amazing detail. It apparently never stops raining in Imboca, giving the joint a dark and dreary atmosphere that literally saturates every single frame of the picture. And instead of giving us clear, clean shots of its fishy citizens, we're treated to mere glimpses and glances as they watch the proceedings from doorways, alleyways, and windows. The decision to keep most of the creatures in shadow is brilliant; showing a lumbering hulk of a man shuffling in the background is much spookier than sticking him directly in front of the camera for all to see. The film also moves at a break-neck pace, thrusting our bumbling hero into a different set of dangers every few minutes or so. It instantly reminded me of the manic pacing of Raimi's Evil Dead 2, right down to the goofy hero's thoroughly entertaining antics.
However, there are a few problems lurking beneath the film's creepy surface. For starters, the CGI is incredibly fake, forcing me once again to say that if you don't have the cash to make it look good, DON'T USE IT. Simple as that. And while this particular aspect didn't bother me at all, I've read that a handful of genre fans don't like the needless exposition towards the middle of the movie. While I will admit that it slows the picture down, I believe it's completely necessary as a storytelling device.
As mentioned, Ezra Godden is an incredible actor, one who doesn't get nearly as much work as he should. And while his shtick in Dagon may be a little too Woody Allen-ish for most to swallow, I thoroughly enjoyed his performance nonetheless. In fact, it's what keeps me coming back again and again. Had Dagon been without a flawed, bumbling hero, I think most of its charm would be lost on me. Godden's easily the best of the bunch. And while the actors portraying the twisted inhabitants of Imboca are pleasant enough, it's late Spanish thespian Franciso "Paco" Rabal who ultimately spoils the film. His accent is so incredibly thick that it's almost impossible to understand what he's saying without the use of subtitles. Now, I'm usually VERY good with accents; having lived in Kentucky all my life, deciphering what people are saying is key to surviving encounters with those from the eastern half of the state. That said, even I had to use the DVD subtitles every single time the man spoke. Had this been a normal picture with normal dialgoue, I don't think I would have had as much trouble as I did. But when you're dealing with Lovecraftian mythology and the sort, a clear pronunciation is not only required, it's instrumental in delivering the names, places, and Gods to those viewers uneducated in the ways of Howard Phillips. Rabal's a fine actor, of course, but his inclusion in Dagon seems a bit questionable at the end of the day.
All in all, Dagon is a great horror film, one that deserves to be seen by anyone who claims to be a fan of the genre. It's fast-paced, frightening, gory, and quite funny in spots. Stuart Gordon is a fantastic director, in my opinion, even when he's not working with Lovecraft's material. Dagon is quite possibly his best HORROR PICTURE in the guy's expansive filmography, though it doesn't even come close to the brilliance of Edmond. Yes, EDMOND. Fans of Lovecraft may balk at the liberties he takes with the source material, but I think his slight modifications are essential to bringing these dark tales to life on the big screen. Because let's face it: Not everyone is going to understand the appeal of Cthulhu and The Old Ones, so why not help ease these non-believers into the author's body of work via the motion picture? I think it's genius, personally, and I'd love to see Gordon handle more stories in the future. The man has a knack for the strange, not to mention a genuine fondness for the material. In case you can't read between the lines, I'm a huge fan of this film, and I won't hesitate to recommend it to anyone, even those who don't know Lovecraft from Adam.
As long as you eventually worship Cthulhu, all will be forgiven.
