Difference between revisions of "The Dunwich Horror (1970 film)"
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| − | Wilbur Whateley pops over to the [[Arkham]] [[Miskatonic University]] to borrow the legendary ''[[Necronomicon]]'' and Sandra Dee. But little does anyone know, Whateley isn't quite human... | + | Wilbur Whateley pops over to the [[Arkham]] [[Miskatonic University (Location)|Miskatonic University]] to borrow the legendary ''[[Necronomicon]]'' and Sandra Dee. But little does anyone know, Whateley isn't quite human... |
==Details== | ==Details== | ||
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| − | This is a fairly faithful adaptation of the original Lovecraft story, updated to the 1970s, with some psychedelic/pseudo-satanic/witch-orgy exploitation material and a romantic subplot added by the infamous [[Roger Corman]] and company. Wilbur Whateley attempts to obtain a copy of the infamous ''[[Necronomicon]]'' for his wizard father to help summon the [[Yog-Sothoth|Old Gods]], while Wilbur's unearthly mutant twin brother lurks in a room in the creepy Whateley farmhouse in [[Dunwich]]. It's up to the [[Miskatonic University]] staff to save the world and keep Wilbur from hypnotizing and seducing beautiful university students. | + | This is a fairly faithful adaptation of the original Lovecraft story, updated to the 1970s, with some psychedelic/pseudo-satanic/witch-orgy exploitation material and a romantic subplot added by the infamous [[Roger Corman]] and company. Wilbur Whateley attempts to obtain a copy of the infamous ''[[Necronomicon]]'' for his wizard father to help summon the [[Yog-Sothoth|Old Gods]], while Wilbur's unearthly mutant twin brother lurks in a room in the creepy Whateley farmhouse in [[Dunwich]]. It's up to the [[Miskatonic University (Location)|Miskatonic University]] staff to save the world and keep Wilbur from hypnotizing and seducing beautiful university students. |
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* Location: [[Dunwich]] | * Location: [[Dunwich]] | ||
* Location: [[Arkham]] | * Location: [[Arkham]] | ||
| − | * Location: [[Miskatonic University]] | + | * Location: [[Miskatonic University (Location)|Miskatonic University]] |
* Location: [[Orne Library]] | * Location: [[Orne Library]] | ||
* Character: Dr. [[Henry Armitage]] | * Character: Dr. [[Henry Armitage]] | ||
Revision as of 00:43, 2 December 2016
Summary
Wilbur Whateley pops over to the Arkham Miskatonic University to borrow the legendary Necronomicon and Sandra Dee. But little does anyone know, Whateley isn't quite human...
Details
- Release Date: 1970
- Country/Language: USA, English
- Genres/Technical: Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Runtime: 1 hr 30 min
- Starring: Sandra Dee, Dean Stockwell, Ed Begley
- Director: Daniel Haller
- Writer: H.P. Lovecraft (original story)
- Producer/Production Co: Roger Corman, Samuel Z. Arkoff, American International Pictures (AIP)
- View Trailer: (link)
Ratings
MPAA Ratings
- Rated: R (Nudity, Adult Content, mild Violence)
Aside from some goofy, hazy, psychedelic nude-hippie-cultist-orgy dream sequences appearing in a couple places and some uncomfortable scenes of Wilbur Whateley dosing college students with date-rape drugs and hypnotically seducing them, the film could probably be watched by older kids with minimal adult supervision.
Tentacle Ratings
A rough measure of how "Lovecraftian" the work is:
- SSSs_ (Three and a Half Tentacles: Lovecraftian; a fairly faithful adaptation)
Three and a Half Tentacles for a slightly watered-down version of Lovecraft's original story, with the usual suspects added in to pad the story and add drama and sleaze (update to the 1960s/70s, nudity, a romantic subplot, a house burning down at the end, etc.)
Note: This rating is not intended as a measure of quality, merely of how closely related to Lovecraftian "Weird" fiction the work is.
Reviews
Review Links:
- BadMovieMarathon "Summer of Lovecraft", (link) - "...Mostly boring and derivative. Characters are plot-conveniently stupid. [The Director] wisely keeps the monster off stage until the very last minute, relying on psychedelic colours and camerawork and POV shots. The final confrontation is nicely atmospheric, but seems very rushed, involving paying off [for] something that is basically not set up at all."
Synopsis
This is a fairly faithful adaptation of the original Lovecraft story, updated to the 1970s, with some psychedelic/pseudo-satanic/witch-orgy exploitation material and a romantic subplot added by the infamous Roger Corman and company. Wilbur Whateley attempts to obtain a copy of the infamous Necronomicon for his wizard father to help summon the Old Gods, while Wilbur's unearthly mutant twin brother lurks in a room in the creepy Whateley farmhouse in Dunwich. It's up to the Miskatonic University staff to save the world and keep Wilbur from hypnotizing and seducing beautiful university students.
Comments, Trivia, Dedication
- Samples from this film appear in the Darkest of the Hillside Thickets song, "Cthulhu Dreams".
- The odd symbol that appears again and again - on Wilbur's ring, on his grandfather's staff, in the design on the main floor, etc. - is actually an ancient Native American symbol commonly termed "Thunderbird in sun".
- Dean Stockwell plays Dr. Armitage in The Dunwich Horror (2009 film)
Associated Mythos Elements
- Fiction: The Dunwich Horror (fiction)
- Necronomicon
- Yog-Sothoth
- Family: Whateley
- Location: Dunwich
- Location: Arkham
- Location: Miskatonic University
- Location: Orne Library
- Character: Dr. Henry Armitage
