User reviews

This short film is based on the H.P. Lovecraft story of the same name. It follows the plot very closely so I will not be summarizing it here. The film effectively creates a spooky atmosphere as the narrator describes his tale: from discovering a boarding house that he will later never find again to to strange life led by his neighbor, Erich Zann. What the film fails to deliver is a compelling depiction of the other world views witnessed by the narrator prior to his final departure from the boarding house. If you are a big fan of the short story then I'd suggest that you check this film out but it is likely not noteworthy enough to seek out for most.

This is an outstanding production of one of Lovecraft's best stories. I never would have thought it was possible to translate the story onto film, but John Strysik and his cast succeed with wonderful results. After years of obscurity the film has recently been shown at a few genre film festivals and appears on the first of the Lurker in the Lobby video compilations, meaning it is finally available for a wider audience to enjoy. I highly recommend seeking it out and seeing for your self how well Lovecraft can be adapted.

'Then one night as I listened at the door,I heard the shrieking viol swell into a chaotic babel of sound;a pandemonium which would have led me to doubt my own shaking sanity had there not come from behind that barred portal a piteous proof that the horror was real—the awful,inarticulate cry which only a mute can utter,and which rises only in moments of the most terrible fear or anguish..."I always loved Howard Philip Lovecraft's short story "The Music of Erich Zann".This low-budget adaptation by John Strysik truly scared me.It easily captures extremely dark mood that Lovecraft is so famed for.The acting is exceptionally good and the conclusion is terrifying in its suggestive cosmic horror.8 out of 10.

This is a good example of how well things can turn out when a good little story is interpreted as a movie by dedicated artists on a tiny budget. It helps that the tale takes place in filthy little one-room apartments and that the action is pretty character driven, until the unknown vistas of space and time begin to make themselves felt. The special effects are not likely to amaze everybody, but the build-up to them will help you use your imagination to best advantage. Sticks really close to the story as I remember it, so this movie could lead the curious reader into the strange and varied world of one of the great pulp fantacists.

It wasn't bad for a ultra-low budget movie, but disappointing none-the-less. The acting was adequate, but the special effects to show the horrors seen were god-awful. I hate to bash a movie, but unless you're a die hard Lovecraft fan (and even if you are), this film may disappoint you, too. There are a few better HPL adaptions out there, but sadly fewer than there should be.