H. P. Lovecraft's the Old Ones

See, this was a really low budget film with obviously not prime acting talent. But, you know what? They had fun with it. They knew their shortcomings and worked with what they had.

So it's a schlocky, campy, horror/comedy.

Proof that an entertaining Lovecraftian film CAN be made by an indie film outfit on a low budget and still not anger the Lovecraft fans (like WAYYYYYYY too many HPL movies do).

The creature effects weren't great, but they used practical effects and had fun with them. Made it have that campy 80s schlock horror feel.

I thought it was all worth a watch and I'll probably watch it again sometime.

Clearly made for next to nothing, this little movie still manages to effectively evoke the spirit of H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulu mythos of madness and despair. It also adds a twist in the shape of a spry and dry sense of humour. Lovecraft fans will get it, even if most viewers may be bemused and befuddled.

Limited resources aside, there are some memorable scenes from the David Lynch playbook and the plot involving the Old Ones, eldritch terrors, time travel, mind control, insanity and more is creepy fun.

Drawing inspiration from several Lovecraft classics, it gets the basics right.

The script, direction and some of the performances may be evocative of Ed Wood, but a thick slathering of humour - and even occasional outright comedy - shows the filmakers do not take themselves too seriously.

Rubber monsters, dime store costumes, bizarre locations and weird set dressing (the giant fire hydrant in the scrapyard is a doozy!) give it "so bad it's good" vibes, but it's better than that. It's got an authentic atmosphere, some surprisingly decent horror effects and gore, a good ending. And could well attract a cult following...

HP Lovecraft is hard work and The Old Ones has a pretty impossible to film concept anyway, but this movie is too low budget and poorly made to hold an audience.

The basic idea of ancient beings possessing humans for centuries and one escaping into the modern world hoping to destroy them could have been entertaining, but sadly this independent film doesn't have the scope or budget or acting talent or script to make it work.

Too much of the dialogue is spoken in demon possessed tones that you cannot understand what is being said, and the filming locations are junkyards, swamps and wastelands that don't fit the action or situation at all.

I tried very hard to stay the course but gave up after about 50 minutes as too many scenes dragged on where the demonic humans chasing the main character spoke reams of dialogue in their devil voices, and simply made no sense.

Far too ambitious a source material to be tackled on the cheap like this. It looks laughable when it ought to be impressive and is rather a bore as well.

The film is actually a remake of the famous '80s "From Beyond," a former videotape hit. Of course with a much reduced budget, but instead a strange humor, and a few sequences changed here and there. It's not a badly made movie, if you compare it to other bigger or lower budget movies, for fans of the genre it's worth watching. And for those who haven't seen the original "From Beyond" yet, take the time to watch it. ("Something is coming").

The ending is predictable and leaves the impression of a hopeless situation for the "Good Samaritans", those who try to help. The funny thing is the leftovers sequence. Greatness, I have brought you gifts. What gifts? Leftovers?

Well, at first, I struggled to stay engaged due to the seemingly subpar acting and script. However, I persevered and was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the film.

Adapting Lovecraft's stories is no easy feat, especially on a limited budget. Despite its challenges, the film managed to deliver some impressive special effects. The ending felt authentically Lovecraftian, adding a satisfying touch to the narrative.

As a fan of Lovecraft's work, I appreciate the efforts put into trying to visually capture his cosmic horrors. Kudos to the filmmakers for their ambitious undertaking.

7/10.