(1970) **1/2Wilbur Whateley of the notorious Dunwich Whateley family will do just about anything to get his hands on the ancient Necronamicon book. He is hell bent on performing a ritual to help the old ones slip through into this dimension.
Why is it so many H.P. Lovecraft stories fail when adapted to film? This wasn't altogether bad but it just seemed to fall short of good. Perhaps it was Dean Stockwells incessant monotone voice droning throughout the film. Maybe it's the depth of his writing that makes it impossible to properly adapt. I'm sure the 1970 hair and fashion didn't help any either. It's hard to say. The substance of the story is all there but it's like the Tin Man, missing a heart. When it comes to Lovecraft films, I'll stick with the Re-Animator's, Dagon and From Beyond. Who am I kidding, you know I'm gonna end up doing a Lovecraft marathon next year, for better or worse. Horrorthon!
