p e n g u i n d e v i l

I’m a sucker for Lovecraft movies, especially if they come from the talents of the Gordon/Yuzna team. Dagon, their most recent HPL adaptation, is nothing but fun! As long as you can stand the lead character… Like most Lovecraft movies, it is a loose adaptation (being not a solely a film of the Dagon short story, but a blend of it with The Shadow Over Innsmouth) and I am sure there are some purists who will turn their heads away in dismay, but I think it’s a great and creepy ride. The story of a some young well-to-do’s who are sailing around in the Mediterranean when a storm and accident befall them. Luckily, they are not far from shore where a quaint little town rests. They make their way to the town in a little raft to find no one home. Well, they are home, they’re just a bit hard to find at first. And sadly, our heroes do find the townsfolk, all of whom seem to have something wrong with them… Strange deformities, lack of speech, loud chanting in the church basement and unfriendly attitudes (be sure to catch the great, but subtle, pitchfork scene) all serve to give us the idea that something unsavory is going on here.

Naturally the couple let themselves get separated and then it is every fish for themselves! The lead character Paul, is unpleasing played by Ezra Godden. His uptight and continually freaking out manner is very unconvincing and tiring to watch. And he has an annoying catch-phrase that is irritating the first time you hear it, and just gets worse and worse as he piles it on. His girlfriend is well played and there are some other good roles, but what makes this movie is the town (always dark, creepy and very rainy), the townsfolk, some great makeup effects (creepy, slimy and well, rather disturbing), the crazy story and some fun action scenes! Oh and some gratuitous plugs for the old Miskatonic U.

As “Paul” runs around town in the rain like a chicken who should have his head cut off, he meets an old crazy drunk who fills him in on what the heck is going on. See, many years ago, in times of great need, a strange man came to town. He promised bountiful harvests to the town, if only they would turn away from their christian god (who never answers their prayers, anyway) and worship his god, Dagon. Of course, they go for it and they get those fish, but after a while, great exalted Dagon wants a little bit more. And the town tends to rely on visitors to do their part. On the positive side, the price the town has to pay leads to a great creepy atmosphere, some great sets, lots of action, a creepy romance, human sacrifice, weird dreams and more.

Of course, you can’t take on Dagon, but oddly, after all the dead are forgotten, it has a happy end, of sorts.