Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (2008)

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Unfortunately, if you've ever read anything about Lovecraft's life, this documentary will probably end up leaving you wanting something a bit more in depth. For one thing, the Wikipedia entry on Lovecraft is actually quite good. It covers everything that this documentary covers, and you get the benefit of seeing citations. The interviews aren't really all that great, but you do get to hear some interesting people talk about a subject that interests them. If you're watching this documentary, then you probably share that same interest.Unlike some other reviewers, I'm not sure that this is a good introduction to Lovecraft. The documentary assumes that you have at least passing familiarity with each story, though it usually does give a very brief synopsis. I would have preferred that they had either gone much more in depth, with actual literary criticism (they had S.T. Joshi there, after all) or done more of a beginner's introduction.In the end, I can't really recommend this for either beginners or fanatics. It occupies an awkward middle ground: those who have read the stories but don't really know much about Lovecraft. Thus, I recommend it mostly for the interviews. One of the interviewees is a complete ass, going on some rant about "islamofascism" in the middle of the documentary. I can't believe they left that in, yet they barely got any comments at all from John Carpenter. And this is right after going on about the Lovecraft's xenophobia and racism. Amazing.

This is a documentary about the bizarre fantasy writer, H.P. Lovecraft. It consists of narration and LOTS of interviews--some from such notable personalities as Gillermo del Toro, Neil Gaiman and John Carpenter. All of the folks being interviewed are writers, directors and the like--and they all are huge fans of Lovecraft. To me, this is actually a bit of a weakness, as instead of looking at him objectively, they looked at him as fans. Because of that, they tended to excuse or de-emphasize his many faults. When talking about his extreme xenophobia (he truly hated foreigners and 'inferior' peoples), they seemed to gloss over it--though even by early 20th century standards he was extreme. They also seemed to love him so much that they were reticent to discuss his mental health--which was CLEARLY very, very bad! I would have much preferred the approach that he was a great writer AND a terribly screwed up and nasty man. So, if you want a warts and all look at Lovecraft or an in-depth biography, keep looking--this is more a celebration of his work with some biography thrown in as well. Not bad but not exactly what I'd hoped it would have been.

It was interesting to see, at long last, a documentary about the reclusive "gentleman from Rhode Island" (as Robert E. Howard referred to him). For fans of fright fiction, there aren't a whole lot of writers whose work can hold a candle to that of Lovecraft (for my money, there are only a handful: Robert E. Howard himself, Edgar Allen Poe, Richard Matheson, Harlan Ellison, Charles Beaumont, and Shirley Jackson). Some of my own earliest stories were inspired by Lovecraft and, although I now own two Lovecraft biographies, this is the very first time I've ever seen a documentary (courtesy of The Chiller Channel) about the man. Long overdue, to say the least. The comments made by the frightmeisters herein are all surprisingly well-informed (especially those by director Del Toro, whose movies THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE and PAN'S LABYRINTH are themselves stellar examples of the kind of horror(s) Lovecraft often unearthed). A must-see for anyone interested in one of the pioneering True Greats.

I saw this movie on Fantaspoa/2009. I was anxious to see it, as I am a Lovecraft fan, but I have to admit I got disappointed with this movie. Little information on it was new to me. In my opinion, this was a shallow documentary. It gives only an overview on the works that influenced him, and it covers a bit of his work. It tells more about his life and his career, even though not complete, and missing some points that I consider important. And it gives you some notion of his influence in other artists (writers, musicians, painters), with some testimonials. This really is a documentary for people who know nothing or very little of the author. But you should have read some of his stories, so that you know what this film is talking about when it mentions some characters/monsters. Considering that the books I've already read always tell a bit about his life, assuming those who read Lovecraft also read a little about his life/work/career, I guess this documentary doesn't add much.On the good side, technically this documentary is very good. It doesn't get boring. Displaying places, narrating his life, and mixing that with the testimonials and images of his monsters as imagined by different artists, it keeps a good flow. It really is a professional work.