In Search of Lovecraft

In Search of Lovecraft is a 2008 American horror film that was directed and written by David J. Hohl.[1] The film stars Renee Sweet as an unfulfilled reporter that comes face to face with nightmares from early 20th-century horror writer H. P. Lovecraft's work.[2] It premiered at the 2008 H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival.[3]

In Search of Lovecraft
Directed byDavid J. Hohl
Written byDavid J. Hohl
Produced by
  • David J. Hohl
  • Michael Rosen
Starring
  • Denise Amrikhas
  • Tytus Bergstrom
  • Jeff De Lucio-Brock
CinematographyMichael Rosen
Edited by
  • David J. Hohl
  • Greg Whitlow
Music byTroy Sterling Nies
Production
company
HohloGraphic Productions
Distributed byMaxim Media International
Release date
  • 2008 (2008)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

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The film is told through the perspective of Rebecca Marsh (Renee Sweet) a young reporter, dissatisfied with the boredom of her current occupation, who is sent to conduct a special Halloween program dedicated to H.P. Lovecraft, renowned horror writer, and worldbuilder. Rebecca's personality is initially skeptical, however, she and her assistant, Amber (Denise Amrikhas), find that their lives are in danger once they discover that the various creatures, societies, and gods featured in Lovecraft's short stories do exist, and are now actively pursuing the two of them.

Rebecca and her crew enlist the help of an expert in the occult and a witch, who assist them in fighting the forces of evil, which are revealed to be minions of the Dark God Nyarlathotep and are attempting to summon him into the real world. To defeat Nyarlathotep, Rebecca must discover the secret of The Haunter Of The Dark and obtain the Sacred Black Stone.[4]

Cast

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  • Renee Sweet as Rebecca Marsh
  • Denise Amrikhas as Amber Martin
  • Tytus Bergstrom as Mike
  • John D. Edge as Nyarlathotep
  • Tony Grat as Hillbilly
  • Noel Harris as News Editor
  • Larry Laverty as Professor Sutton
  • Saqib Mausoof as Dr. D'Souza
  • Sue Ramsey as Sara
  • Michael Andrew Reed as Homeless Bum
  • Rachael Robbins as Keja
  • Bonnie Steiger as Martha Whitmore
  • Cameron Weston as Nigel Curwin

Reception

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HorrorNews.net gave the film a favorable review, writing "This is a nice representation of making what's due with what is on hand and not having to expense a lot of extra frills. The frills may have heightened the presentation but I think as an audience we get the gist of the direction enough to take in what is being served up. Hohl has created a decent supernatural thriller that holds up just fine in its low budget nature."[5]

In contrast, Brutal as Hell heavily panned In Search of Lovecraft, as they felt that "If Howie were still alive, I think he’d sue the shit out of the filmmakers and possibly use the winnings to hire a hitman and have everyone involved in this travesty solidly whacked right the hell into the outer void of space and time. Word up, Hohl: try searching for Lovecraft a little harder, cuz you ain’t found him yet."[6]

Bloody Good Horror gave the film a mixed review, contrasting the quality of the film, which they called "laughably acted and all around amateurish" against the effort put into its production, referring to it as "labors of love". The article finished by comparing the film to the then-upcoming film by Guillermo del Toro, which was also to be based on the Lovecraft mythos, "At the Mountains of Madness".[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Blood on a Budget Reviews: In Search of Lovecraft". Rue Morgue. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  2. ^ Condit, Jon (16 January 2006). "Hohl, David J. (In Search of Lovecraft) (interview)". Dread Central. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  3. ^ "In Search of Lovecraft". H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  4. ^ "In Search Of Lovecraft | Horror Society". Horror Society. 22 May 2008.
  5. ^ "Film Review: In Search of Lovecraft (2008)". Horrornews.net. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  6. ^ "Instant Review: In Search of Lovecraft". Brutal As Hell. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  7. ^ "In Search of Lovecraft (Movie Review) | Bloody Good Horror". www.bloodygoodhorror.com.
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