THE LAST LOVECRAFT: RELIC OF CTHULHU

THE LAST LOVECRAFT: RELIC OF CTHULHU (2010)
US
Directed by Henry Saine

CAST:
Kyle Davis - Jeff
Devin McGinn - Charlie
Barak Hardley - Paul

PLOT:
     Jeff is giving a ancient artifact and told he's last of the Lovecraft family line and that he has to protect the relic at all cost.

REVIEW:
     I must admit something straight out. I love H.P. Lovecraft and his stories. I even love most stories based on his Cthulhu Mythos, also known as the Lovecraft Mythos.  While the Mythos is more of a background setting more than anything else which Lovecraft left open on purpose to let other people play around in, to put it simply, is the coming of the Old Ones by their human followers to help them reclaim Earth and remove humanity from it, though there is more to it than just that. Most movies that are based on the Mythos that I've seen so far are just average to tell the truth but yet interesting due to where the director tries to goes with the story. The reason for that is the Mythos is so wide ranging usually the only thing that connects these movies and stories together is the Old Ones themselves or variances of them. I try to watch as many of these movies as possible, even when I know the movie will be a complete piece of shit. I do this trying to find those rare gems of movies that are amazing and capture the feel of the original stories. Anyway, when I found out that there was another Mythos movie coming out I was filled with hope, but yet trepidation at the same time for what this film might hold as I watched it.

     It's nice to see a movie not take itself seriously sometimes and try not to be more than what it is. This movie knows it's place and doesn't try to go above it. The first time you meet the main characters they're working in an office where they're the misfits of the staff considering one plays with action figures and the other doesn't understand he's being hit on, hard, by a co-worker even if she shot him with a gun. So with that the movie already starts off saying the main characters are not heroes and pretty much clueless. Kyle Davis who plays Jeff , the last descendant of Lovecraft, is the straight man of the whole cast and I must say he does a decent job in the role, even though he really doesn't have any of the truly great lines in the movie, as he's the one member of the group that really doesn't believe the whole experience is truly happening until the halfway point in the film. Devin McGinn on the other hand, who plays Charlie, who also wrote the script, is just fun to watch as you can actually tell he is having enjoying himself through the entire run time of the movie. Not only does he have the best lines of dialogue, but he also the greater portion of one liners. The whole cast can easily be seen enjoying themselves throughout even when speaking lines that would make higher paid actors roll their eyes at the thought of doing it, but they believe in what they're making and in return the movie is better for it.

     The movie does have problems though as some of the lines between Jeff and Charlie gets old and runs for to long. The story on the other hand is basically a played out version of other movies of its kind as the main character is a nobody, finds out he's a descendant of someone famous, goes through trials, then finally becomes a hero. Thankfully with this movie most of the journey has enough comedic bits throughout the whole that it helps rather than hinders while also helping get past the slower parts. Another problem is some of the special and practical effects throughout the film. The deep ones are actually quite well done but lack any movement in the face and you can't tell the difference between any of them unfortunately, but at least the mouth works on them so that helps. As for the Star Spawn, that was the one true thing about the movie I really didn't like at all as it seemed like the makeup effects artist just didn't know what to do so he took slim jims and pasted them on a guys face and spray painted the whole thing red. Then there is the CG. I don't know how many times I've said this but get the coloring corrected with what is on screen as most of the time it's only a shade off and take off the translucent effect and you actually might be amazed at what happens.

     It should be noted if that you don't know anything about Lovecraft and his literary work you will be lost even though the movie does try to explain who is who and what is what and why but it just glances over it and misses a lot of the true points of the stories where these creatures come from. For those that have read these works and know about them, you should be quite amused with what is happening in the film as well as the sight gags as even the t-shirts that some of the characters wear are referencing Mythos creatures. This is a comedy and doesn't try to hide that fact one bit. In fact the movie and the actors relish it, as can be seen by the chemistry on screen and the way they play off each other so well. I should also note that Paul, played by  Barak Hardley, is just a hilarious to watch as the overly geeky inept punching bag for everyone in the movie who just wants to be accepted by Jeff and Charlie, even though he had both his arms broken by Jeff when they were in school and he still thinks the world of them. So if you're looking for a fun semi-light hearted movie for all geeks and nerds (I'm one), this movie is for you.


BEST DEATH:
     Ear to ear cleaning by tentacle.

BEST LINE:
     Every time a foghorn blows, another twisted mer-being get's it's fins.    

FUN FACTS:
     Devin McGinn who plays Charlie also wrote the story for the movie as well as produced and edited.

     The film had it's premiere at the 2010 Slamdance film festival.

     Watch for the ode to Masters Of The Universe's horde creature Leech toward the beginning of the movie.