A whiskey stream of consciousness review.
Surprisingly fun noir fantasy comedy. Fred Ward plays H. Phillip Lovecraft private eye hired to find a missing book. The book? It's the necronomicon of course! It's 1948 and everyone uses magic. Everyone except Lovecraft who refuses to be under anyone's control. Clancy Brown plays another baddie seeking immortality. The guy is great in these roles. Really suave in this one. Julianne Moore's talents shine, but she is perhaps underwritten as the Femme Fatale. Speaking of suave baddies... can't forget David Warner at his best. The writing is purposely over the top but immersive and at times very funny. Between all the wisecracks and euphemisms, and the many "magical" effects, this film may need to be watched again to catch all the subtleties. At times cheesy with some lower end costumes (The dancing gargoyle), it also has some good gore and other creature effects mixed in. Original and well "crafted" surprise film whose protagonists save a virgin and the world from the blackest of Cthulhu evils. Could have had a more explosive climax, but still worth the journey. Conjured with a dram of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. Cheers!
Surprisingly fun noir fantasy comedy. Fred Ward plays H. Phillip Lovecraft private eye hired to find a missing book. The book? It's the necronomicon of course! It's 1948 and everyone uses magic. Everyone except Lovecraft who refuses to be under anyone's control. Clancy Brown plays another baddie seeking immortality. The guy is great in these roles. Really suave in this one. Julianne Moore's talents shine, but she is perhaps underwritten as the Femme Fatale. Speaking of suave baddies... can't forget David Warner at his best. The writing is purposely over the top but immersive and at times very funny. Between all the wisecracks and euphemisms, and the many "magical" effects, this film may need to be watched again to catch all the subtleties. At times cheesy with some lower end costumes (The dancing gargoyle), it also has some good gore and other creature effects mixed in. Original and well "crafted" surprise film whose protagonists save a virgin and the world from the blackest of Cthulhu evils. Could have had a more explosive climax, but still worth the journey. Conjured with a dram of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. Cheers!