The Whisperer in Darkness

I really enjoyed this film! From the same folks that brought us the wonderful Call of Cathulu. These filmmakers put the love in Lovecraft!

It is a strange tradition that indie filmmakers with shoestring budgets inevitably want to make science fiction films. One has trouble discerning why; dramas and comedies are far cheaper and period pieces are just as exotic without the need for special effects. Yet the small film maker continues to pound out high-concept science fiction films regardless of their obvious limitations in this regard.Then sometimes one of them knocks it out of the park.The HPLHS already struck gold with Call of Cthulhu, a tremendously faithful 30s expressionist film based on the short story of the same name. With Whisperer they attempt to give a similar treatment to a more narrative Lovecraft story, this time in the trappings of a 1940s talkie. Success in this area is mixed- the feel starts off on target but quickly migrates to the atmosphere of a 60s creature feature... Not that there is anything wrong with that. If anything gives away the film's truly modern nature it is that the photography is a little too clean- again not a problem, and it left me wishing this movie was available on BD as well. The soundtrack is tremendously well done and moody, just like in Call.Without giving too much away, Whisperer follows the short story faithfully until the end at which point it concludes with an action setpiece not present in the original plot. As if by way of apology, the new ending is actually much more grim than the original, placing the protagonist in a much dimmer situation.Just as with Call of Cthulhu, the effects here are far better than the film's small scale would suggest. The alien Mi-go in particular are a wonderfully steampunk mashup of creature and clockwork, realized with a very effective mix of models, costuming and CG. Locations are beautifully shot, and the actors fairly douse the production in character- in particular Daniel Kaemon, who plays the cult leader Mr. Noyse, lapses into a fantastic Mid-Atlantic radio presenter accent when he is (unknowingly?) recorded during his dark rituals- it sounds like it should be corny, yet it is eerily effective.Purists may gape at the liberties taken with the source material, but this is a fantastically solid sci-fi horror flick that is true to the spirit of its source material and for my money far outstrips Lovecraft films with much costlier productions. A must buy if you enjoyed Call, or if you are a fan of old-school horror literature and cinema. This movie proves that epic sci-fi is possible in a small-scale production, and one is left wondering how so many other filmmakers drop the ball.NOTE: buy with confidence, packaging and shipping are prompt and thorough. Even the invoice that comes with this movie is fun.

If anyone ought to be able to turn out a decent, relatively faithful cinematic adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story, then it should be an outfit that calls itself the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society and that is precisely what they have done. In fact this is their second film effort following on the heels of 2005's THE CALL OF CTHULHU which was also a first class adaptation. What makes both of these films so remarkable is that they were done on what would today be considered shoestring budgets. It just goes to show what can be done with today's visual technology if you have the necessary skills and vision. A wise and extremely clever decision made by HPLHS was to film both movies as if they were shot in the years that Lovecraft wrote them (1927, 1931). That means that CTHULHU was shot as a modern day silent film (before THE ARTIST) and WHISPERER was shot as if it were an early Universal horror film.THE WHISPERER IN DARKNESS begins at Lovecraft's legendary Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts (shot at Mount Holyoke College) where we meet professor Albert Wilmarth (Matt Foyer), a skeptical folklore specialist who likes to use science to debunk old myths and legends. After a failed radio show attempt to triumph over a believer in the supernatural (Andrew Leman), he goes to an isolated farm in Vermont to speak with its owner (Barry Lynch) and discovers the type of cataclysmic horror that H. P. Lovecraft specialized in. Fans already know what it is but this review is primarily addressed to those readers who are not familiar with Lovecraft. The film is beautifully made from the opening parody of the old Universal logo (instead of a plane circling the globe it's a zeppelin that crosses over the North Pole) to the period costumes, the old school editing, and an extremely effective soundtrack. The performances by all concerned especially Foyer, Lynch and Autumn Wendel as the young girl Hannah (who is not in the original story) are all you could ask for in an undertaking of this nature. My only reservations, and they are minor ones, are as follows.1) Every modern day attempt I have seen to shoot a black & white film set in the 1920s and 30's (and this includes THE ARTIST) is clearly shot in color first with the color then removed (HPLHS's MythoScope). This creates a sharp focus picture with harsh lighting instead of a soft focus one with subtle lighting although this was likely done out of budget considerations and is therefore understandable. 2) The rather cynical ending (not Lovecraft's own as the last third is an extension by the filmmakers) would not have occured in a film set in 1931. The tone yes (this would have been a pre-Code movie before censorship clamped down) but not the ending. From a visual standpoint, however, it is remarkably effective. 3) I would not have shown the creatures in close-up at the end as a lot of Lovecraft's horror deals with the human mind being unable to process what it sees and they didn't match my imagination's depictions of them. Unfortunately, subtlety and discretion are not trademarks of the 21st century.I offer these observations as a film historian in a purely pedantic way out of a desire to provide some additional background on how films in the 1930s were made, not in an attempt to criticize the film or the filmmakers. I think THE WHISPERER IN DARKNESS and its companion piece THE CALL OF CTHULHU to be minor masterpieces which are truly exceptional when you consider their budgetary limitations (check out the special features on Disc 2 for a true appreciation). I not only look forward to more cinematic endeavors from the HPLHS (so buy this DVD which is available on a made-to-order basis and help to finance their next project) but I wish that other low budget filmmakers as well as big budget ones who attempt to do H.P. Lovecraft would follow in their footsteps. They have proved conclusively that is possible to do cinematic adaptations which are faithful in spirit and execution to HPL's work.

Whisper in Darkness is a great Horror/Scifi Hybrid short story. This adaption was made by, what's essentially a larping community, it's a fan film and a labor of love and I have the highest opinion of it as such. The quality is astonishing considering that it's a fan film with almost no budget, and a far better adaptation of Lovecraft's material than any mainstream or direct to video release I've ever seen (save their other adaptation, the excellent 2005 Call of Cthulthu film). Seriously, this film is working off an extremely small budget, and what they get for it is great.That's not to say it won't appeal to outsiders. If you like 50's style Scifi it's right in the sweet spot. The only weak point is the monster design (which I'm not nuts about) but they did a perfectly fine job and it all fits in with the mood of the piece. Whisperer feels like a 50's style scifi monster movie, partially because the story it's based on laid the groundwork for that genre. There is some genuine suspense and plenty of atmosphere, as well as a few genuinely sad moments that surprised me. It could have been campy, but the film delivers.This is a great example of how love and commitment can create great work that others have written off as unfilmable. The truth is Lovecraft isn't un-filmable, it just can't be achieved if you're trying to please a slasher film demographic as well as a Wierd Fiction one (although I know plenty of people who like both) and do so using only the rudimentary echoes of the original stories.So yes I recommend it, over any Lovecraft adaptation that calls itself such. I will purchase the title if only to encourage them to make more!

If youre a fan of H P LOVECRAFT then this film is for you filmed,written & produced by the HPLHS this film is made for fans by fans filmed in black & white for a orthetic looking movie its a most have

nothing perfect but its entertaining until the very end. fans will love

Although I'm a Lovecraft fan, I dislike most of the Cthulhu wannabe films made so far. So, the main achievement of this Miskatonic film makers maybe to fully catch the atmosphere of the novels, avoiding the bizarre or explicit "fear" techniques used in other films. The Blue Ray version is beautifully presented and stores some interesting extras to complement the film. I encourage all Lovecraft readers to see "The Whisperer in Darkness", as long as "Call of Cthulhu (2005)" from the same producers.

I really enjoyed this the first and re-watched with friends at last weekend who also though that it was excellent.Menace, period feel, great soundtrack etc etcIt is shame that it is not currently available.I noticed that the copy I got was Region O so played fine on the DVD player my mate had.

ITEM HAD A HOLE PUNCHED IN THE FRONT COVER.THIS WAS BAD ENOUGH AS IT WAS A CHRISTMAS GIFT.I KNEW BEFORE I GAVE IT THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THE SPOKES THAT HOLDS THE DISCS IN PLACE WAS BROKEN AS I COULD HEAR THE DISC MOVING INSIDE.WHEN IT WAS OPENED BY THE RECEIVER OF THE GIFT BOTH DISCS, INCLUDING THE ONE THAT WAS SECURED, WERE MARKED AND SCRATCHED AND BOTH DO NOT PLAY WELL AT ALL.THIS ITEM WAS DESCRIBED AS NEW.IF THERE WAS A FACILITY IN THE RATINGS SYSTEM TO AWARD NO STARS, WHICH I'VE ALWAYS FELT WAS A SERIOUS FLAW IN THE SYSTEM, I WOULD HAVE NO HESITATION IN DOING SO.