14th Feb2019

Movies You May Have Missed: ‘The Last Lovecraft’

by Phil Wheat

Welcome to the latest installment in our regular Movies You May Have Missed series here on Nerdly, in which I highlight some of, what I think, are the best movies that have flown under the radar of many or have been “forgotten” in the intervening years since its release. This time round its the comedy horror The Last Lovecraft.

last-lovecraft-poster

Stars: Kyle Davis, Devin McGinn, Matt Bauer, Honor Bliss, Sujata Day, Todd Duffey, Edward Flores, Marty Fortney, Charles Haigh, Barak Hardley, Max Huber, Bryce Hurless, Douglas Jantzen Jr., Harry Karp | Written by Devin McGinn | Directed by Henry Saine

Official Synopsis:

Jeff is just an ordinary guy stuck in a dead end office job. But when he discovers he is the last living relative of famous horror novelist, HP Lovecraft, he is entrusted with finding an ancient relic and saving the human race. With the help of his best friends, the comic book loving Charlie and Lovecraft super-nerd Paul, he embarks on the danger-filled adventure. What they don’t know is that Lovecraft’s monsters are very real and determined to resurrect a prehistoric monster that will destroy the world! Now, not only do they have to survive a hysterical collection of human characters including Paul’s foul-mouthed Gran, but they also have to battle the Fish People, the Starspawn and an array of other bizarre creatures.

My Thoughts:

Taking its lead from the opening slate: “The world is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind”, The Last Lovecraft is a comic book wrought big on the screen, with a script by co-star Devin McGinn that nods at both comic book/geek fandom and H.P. Lovecraft fandom. Take one part H.P. Lovecraft and one part Jack Brooks Monster Slayer, throw in a dash of road-trip style comedy ala The Hangover and you have The Last Lovecraft.

Obviously shot on a low-budget, the film blends practical monster effects, CGI and traditional animation to tell its story – a tribute to one of the masters of horror. From the outset its obvious the film was a labour of love for everyone involved, the “love” almost seeps out from every frame of the movie in a really infectious, fun, manner. Surprisingly, the creators of The Last Lovecraft use comic-book style animation to tell the budget-busting back story of Cthulhu, which no doubt saved the filmmakers tons of money but at the same time brings a freshness to the film and is incredibly effective in evoking the comic-book vibe that I would assume the filmmakers were striving for.

The cast, whilst consisting of relative unknowns, are so committed to the film and to their roles that they bring a sense of “reality” to the movie that grounds it in the real-world, despite its fantastical overtones. Meanwhile the practical effects, most notably the monster make-up, is superb, especially that of Starspawn (Cthulhu’s right-hand man) and the “deep ones”. I particularly liked the “suckerfish” creature at the beginning of the film – who reminded me so much of Leech from the He-Man and Masters of the Universe cartoon and toyline of the 80s. There is of course the occasional use of CGI – most notably to throw blood around the screen – but unlike some big-budget Hollywood blockbusters, it’s not used to excess and it doesn’t detract from the on-screen (practical) action.

Made by geeks for geeks – be they comic book, role-playing or Lovecraft geeks, The Last Lovecraft is one of those films, like the aforementioned Jack Brooks and movies such as Bubba Ho-Tep, that deserves to find its true audience on DVD and TV; and for those that do see it, like myself, it’s guaranteed to be  a favourite for a long time to come.

Where to Find It:

The Last Lovecraft is available to rent or buy on both iTunes and Amazon Prime. You can also buy the UK DVD, released way back in 2011, on Amazon right here.

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