The Cast of Cthulhu

We know that we're a film podcast, but for this Halloween, our final treat is for the readers: S.T. Joshi, THE preeminent H.P. Lovecraft scholar in the entire world, takes time out of his busy schedule to stop on the podcast and take all things Lovecraft and horror. The author, professor, and all around enthusiast talks with Jim about how he first discovered the late weird fiction author, what drew him to the texts, why he loves the horror genre, how he reconciles his love of a racist author with being an Indian-American, and --- because it is a film podcast -- his thoughts on some of the best Lovecraftian films out there. To keep up on all things Joshi is doing and has done, be sure to visit his website and read his blog! Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

We're knee deep in Spooky Season, so it's about time that we stopped tricking everyone and delivering on the treats. We loved Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham so much that we just had to bring on co-director Sam Liu to talk about his work and influences. The longtime comics and fan and director of many critically acclaimed DC animated titles talks about how he discovered Lovecraft through pencil & paper RPG games, his love of the tragedy of Batman, how to balance individual interpretation with fan service, and much more. Keep up with Sam's work on Twitter and Instagram. Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

"The expendable crew of a corporate space vessel must stop a murderous shape-shifting alien organism that somehow got on board." "The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating an unknown transmission." One of those films is seminal horror film, Alien, and one of them is Japanese anime film, Lily C.A.T. Can you spot the difference? Since a discussion of one film is basically also a discussion of the other, this episode also touches a bit on the dubs vs. subs debate, including some discussion on the controversial character of Carl Macek and how he brought anime to the American mainstream in the 80s and 90s.

Who better to be the logical, unsentimental protagonist of a Lovecraftian journey into discovery than the world's greatest detective? This animated adaptation of a comic miniseries written by Mike Mignola demonstrates how seamlessly the themes of H.P. Lovecraft blend with, compliment, and --- at times -- even subvert the age old themes and narratives that we've grown so accustom to with the Caped Crusader.

If you're anything like us, then you saw the comments about this Portuguese-language horror film being called "one of the goriest films since Braindead" and laughed about it for the 20 or so minutes. Then they dragged Peroá's body into the cabaret in a fish net and boy, oh boy, do the blood and guts start flying! You couldn't exactly call Dark Sea a good film, per se, but with writer/director Rodrigo Aragão very clearly wearing his Sam Raimi influence on his sleeve, you can't deny that it's pretty fun (and also, yes, very gory) despite the unexpected homophobia and seemingly nonexistent internal logic. Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

If you have no interest in the boys discussing theoretical outcomes for Better Than You Bay Bay, then skip ahead to 12:28. If you have no interest in a horror film with troubling sexual politics and which exploits the protagonist's vulnerability for wanting to be a mom to the point of making her a victim of creature rape, then skip ahead to the end of this film. The Deep Ones, weirdly attributed as "H.P. Lovecraft's" despite being based on no text or espousing any coherent mythology, may not be a Troma production, but writer/director Chad Ferrin certainly seems willing to live out some of its less savory traits. Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

Sporting a 4.6/10 on IMDb and a 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, Harbinger Down hasn't exactly imbedded itself indelibly in the public consciousness nor has it earned status as a cult classic. Still, costing just a shade over $380,000 via crowdfunding and created by Amalgamated Dynamics -- the guy's fucked over by the studio on 2011's The Thing -- is an admirable accomplishment, a film brought to life by effects artists who wanted to show the world what they could do. It shamefully wears its influences of The Thing and Alien on its sleeve, but if that's what brought Lance Henriksen to the project, we're here for it. p.s. Could someone Photoshop us a movie poster for Harbinger White House Down? Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

A horror anthology demands a discussion with someone who knows a thing or two about horror anthologies, so Jonathan Inbody of Gray Matter: An Acid Horror Anthology Podcast joins the podcast to discuss the truly weird and difficult to track down Necronomicon: Book of Dead from the long ago time of the 1990s when anthology films were still in vogue. Adapting 3 stories from Lovecraft -- very loosely -- Necronomicon is a quintessential 90s horror film filled with gnarly practical effects, troubling sexual politics, and important questions asked of the viewers such as "would you have sex with David Warner?" and "does Cthulhu want to have sex with that guy?" Listen to episodes of Gray Matter here and follow Jonathan on Twitter @graymattercast

The Cast of Cthulhu will be taking a hiatus for June as Jim moves and settles into a new place, so on this episode, the podcast goes out not with a bang, but with a whimper, discussing a prequel that was so atrociously meddled with by the studio that the director retired from filmmaking for a decade. Asking questions that nobody asked, The Thing can't commit to being either a tense thriller or a creature feature and subsequently fails at both. There could have been something special and unique here, but perhaps the closest thing we'll get to the wasted potential was a crowdfunded B-movie from the creator of the covered up practical effects. Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

Filmmaker, podcaster, musician, and all around good guy, Tim Buel, joins to talk Prometheus, the film that actually first brought Jim and James together so many years ago. The boys all recount what their first impressions (sober or otherwise) were when seeing Ridley Scott's much-anticipated film in 2012 and how their opinions have changed -- or, in Jim's case, have remained pretty much the same. It's a hung jury when it comes to the verdict about whether this is a great or disappointing installment in the Alien franchise, but it's a great conversation about a film that everyone can agree swung for the fences. To tune in to the cool horror shorts that Tim is making online, check him out on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

A film can be forgiven of its crime of being, but it's harder to forgive a film for being boring. Imagine the Sisyphean task of forgiving a film that's both bad and boring? You don't have to imagine if you're Juan Piquer Simon, otherwise known as Spain's answer to Ed Wood and the writer/director of Cthulhu Mansion, a film that, despite its title, has absolutely nothing to do with its titular cosmic entity and, to be honest, very little to do with mansions. Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Facebook or Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

Sorry for the unexpected delay in posting, folks - this is what happens when Norovirus rips through a household! Isn't it funny how sometimes a low-budget Italian horror film set in 1943 is written entirely in anachronistic English and stars actors from Canada, Scotland, England, and America (and also occasionally Italy)? Anyways, none of those things -- budget, language, international cast -- are the problem with Colour From the Dark; that would be adding morality and subtracting despair from Lovecraft's arguably most hopeless story. Tubi CEO Combs Through Goodwill DVDs Looking for Movies to Upload Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Facebook or Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

The Cast of Cthulhu goes low-budget for this episode to cover Slamdance alum, The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu. An intriguing premise is sabotaged by juvenile humor tinged with homophobia and hamstrung by a budget and scope so small that it never feels like there's a threat to anything (other than good taste). Though the filmmakers were clearly tuned into Lovecraftian lore, they were out of touch with B-movie charm. Read the PopMatters review of The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu. And better late than never, check out the Battleship Pretension 2022 year end wrap up content! 2023 BP Winners Battleship Pretension's Ten Best Films of 2022 Battleship Pretension's Ten Worst Films of 2022 Jim's Top Ten of 2022

Have you ever wondered why we take seriously people who believe in ghosts but think believers in UFOs are nuts? Did you watch and have opinions on AEW's Revolution? If you've answered "no" to either of these questions, better skip ahead to 18:24. No use beating around the bush: Gareth Evans's Apostle is not Lovecraftian in the slightest. However, the very thing that makes Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) the opposite of a Lovecraftian protagonist -- an unbeliever who journeys into belief -- is also what makes Apostle so engaging. More pagan than cosmic, Apostle explores the idea that there is something beyond humans, but it's humans that have tainted it. Tense, scary, and beautifully shot, it makes us eager for whatever films Evans does next. Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Facebook or Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

David Bax of Battleship Pretension returns for his third sleepover in the witch house where he witnesses Jim have an existentialist crisis in real time as he realizes that perhaps Mia Watkins' and Catherine Hardwicke's supremely unfaithful adaptation is not very good. Keziah Mason looks cool no doubt, but this adaptation in name only ditches the fatalism and math for spiritualism and a version of Brown Jenkins whose masterplan is just to be kind of a big jerk, I guess? If you want your own "Fight Like a Final Girl" t-shirt, be sure to head over to Poltergeists and Paramours. And for further updates on BP's Tyler Smith, head over to CaringBridge, or GoFundMe to donate what you can to the Smith family. Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Facebook or Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

New year, new Cthulyou! The boys at The Cast of Cthulhu ring in 2023 by tackling "Pickman's Model," the first of two Lovecraft adaptations featured in the Netflix-exclusive horror anthology, Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. One of the longest entries of the anthology, "Pickman's Model" feels like a TV episode trying to be a feature film, but without enough time to commit to any one thread, falls desperately short at establishing meaningful stakes or believable character motivations. It's disappointing that for an adaptation featuring a witch's feast and people carving their eyes out of their own heads, the scariest thing may be Crispin Glover's alleged Boston accent. Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Facebook or Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

Just in time to celebrate spooky season, we've got our final episode of the year talking about David Bruckner's reboot/legacy sequel, Hellraiser. Improving upon Clive Barker's original in just about ever way -- the puzzle box is an actual puzzle! -- this heart-wrenching story has some gnarly new Cenobites and one of the most emotionally mature and resonant endings in any horror film (even if a lot of it is difficult to see sometimes). Happy Halloween, y'all! We'll see you next year!

Jim and James were out of commission this week, so friend of the show, writer, and composer Jerry Smith steps in for this interview with Gwen Callahan, co-director of the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival taking place from October 7 - 9 in Portland, OR! Fans of Lovecraft or even horror in general will want to hear all about what this year's festival has in store including online access to supplement its return to in person attendance, the northwest premiere of Benson and Moorehead's Something in the Dirt, special guest appearance by Jeffrey Combs, Brian Yuzna's personal 35mm print of Bride of Reanimator, and so much more! Visit the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival homepage for more information on films, events, guests, and tickets. Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Facebook or Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

Jessica Scott returns to discuss yet another Shudder exclusive, the glory hole horror film, Glorious. What begins as a film about a sympathetic man trying to work his way through a difficult breakup becomes an often comedic and horrifying examination of a toxic man who thought so highly of himself and so little of his victims that he believed his genitals would save the universe from certain destruction at the hands (tentacles?) of a god older than creation. Oh, also, that god is voiced by J.K. Simmons. Follow Jessica Scott on Twitter @wewhowalkhere Keep up with her work at Film Cred, Daily Grindhouse, SlashFilm, and Nightmarish Conjurings. Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Facebook or Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.

First and most importantly, Battleship Pretension co-host Tyler Smith needs our help. Visit CaringBridge to stay updated on his condition and to leave some support and encouragement to his friends and family and please give what you can to his GoFundMe to contribute what you can to his family. There is hope and reason for optimism and y'all can be a part of that. Any little bit helps! Preemptive apologies to all you cinephiles out there, but this episode is for the bibliophiles. Rob Poyton and Tim Mendees from Innsmouth Book Club hop across the pond to join us for a discussion on horror literature. Leaving the smell of fish behind them, the gents bring classy English accents to go along with a discussion on what makes writing scary in contrast with film, the differences between horror fiction and Lovecraft's signature brand of "weird fiction," and -- of course -- a plethora of recommendations of stories and books to enjoy (and avoid). If you want to check out any of the work mentioned on this episode, you can use the links below to read or purchase. Short Stories "The Willows" by Algernon Blackwood "The Smoke Ghost" by Fritz Leiber "Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book" by M.R. James "The Last Feast of Harlequin" by Thomas Ligotti "Graveyard Shift" by Stephen King "The Tale of Santampara Zeiros" by Clark Ashton Smith "The Outsider" by H.P. Lovecraft "Supernatural Horror in Literature" by H.P. Lovecraft Books & Story Collections The Woman in Black by Susan Hill The Hole in the Moon and Other Tales (featuring "Brenda") by Margaret St. Clair The Folio Book of Horror Stories edited by Ramsey Campbell The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson The Association by Bentley Little The Auctioneer by Joan Samson Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti Weird Shadows Over Innsmouth (featuring "From Cabinet 34, Drawer 6" by Caitlin R. Kiernan) Daughter of Hounds by Caitlin R. Kiernan The Color of Evil (featuring "Sticks" by Karl Edgar Warner) The Book of Cthulhu (featuring "Fat Face" by Michael Shea) Pin by Andrew Neiderman House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski H.P. Selects: Classic Horror Stories Hop the bus and head to Innsmouth Gold Keep up with the work of Tim Mendees, Creator of Nightmares Check out The Cast of Cthulhu on Facebook or Twitter and email any questions or comments to moviesofmadness@gmail.com.