Ron Howard to Direct Lovecraft Film?

Who would have counted Ron Howard, famous for his roles as film director and earlier as Opie in The Andy Griffith Show, as a fan of H.P. Lovecraft? Many sources across the internet are reporting this is the case as a result of this report from "Variety" on Howard and Imagine Entertainment expressing intense interest in making a cinematic version of the upcoming comic "The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft." This is an even more remarkable development when considering the comic the film is to be based on hasn't even hit stores yet. It is scheduled to be released next month.

This brainchild of Mac Carter, Adam Byrne, and Tony Salmons is one of this year's most anticipated projects utilizing H.P. Lovecraft as a protagonist in his own fiction. It's another case of positioning the imagined heroic Lovecraft as a titan who battles nefarious forces similar to those described in his literary works. The curiously well documented life of HPL (mostly through the mountains of correspondence he produced), alongside earlier trends pioneered by other writers in Cthulhu Mythos fiction that used the writer himself as a character, has made storylines like these workable. Interested readers may pick up this new take on the heroic Lovecraft this spring from Image Comics. And we all may see a movie materialize in the next few years, if interest stays firm enough to sufficiently grease the right wheels in Hollywood's production.

-Grim Blogger

Ron Howard to Direct Lovecraft Film?

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The Voice of Robert Aickman

Thanks to "Julian Karswell" of Thomas Ligotti Online, who uploaded a clip of weird writer Robert Aickman reading one of his "strange stories." Aickman, unlike H.P. Lovecraft and many other masters of the weird tale, will not have his voice recede into the mists of history. Thanks to a few old tape recordings, Aickman lovers are able to know what their idol sounded like, and how he himself would have read the words he forced from his mind onto paper.

I hesitate to say that it's unfortunate the file linked above is a partial sample of Aickman reading "Larger Than Oneself." That Aickman's voice has been preserved and digitized is practically incredible enough to override any other concerns. To my knowledge, this is the only Aickman audio recording ever released (leaked?) online, though as Karswell mentions on the forum, Aickman was known to have tape recorded at least six full story readings at his private home.

-Grim Blogger

The Voice of Robert Aickman

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Weird News: Crystal Skull Creators Remain Mysterious

It is often the case that sensational phenomena, no matter how eerie or enthralling, turn out to be complex hoaxes. This verdict has been officially placed upon the haunting crystal skulls of the Aztecs, which baffled researchers for years with their intricate craftsmanship--seemingly far beyond the abilities of a pre-industrial people. Scientific analysis has again banished the specter of this popular Out-of-Place Artifact, leaving one less mystery in a host of bizarre antiquities. Still, the question should be asked: are hoaxes like these really a total loss? As infuriating and disappointing as the crystal skull hoax surely is to some people, it can't be denied that these objects provided a good deal of curiosity and wonder to countless minds for many decades. Though the hoax that aggressively tries to position itself as a scientific revelation or one merely out for the money can never be welcomed, I think there's still something to be said for the manufactured fantasy.

Moreover, the skulls still yield one unsolved mystery. The question of who created these odd works remains unanswered.

Who's the Brain Behind 'Aztec' Crystal Skulls?

-Grim Blogger

Weird News: Crystal Skull Creators Remain Mysterious

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Thomas Ligotti Collections to be Reprinted

Close on the heels of mass market paperback releases of Teatro Grottesco and My Work Is Not Yet Done is Subterranean Press' announcement that they will reprint several full story collections by Thomas Ligotti. Early indications suggest the books will be durable hardcovers with Ligotti's signature--good items for thumbing through and collecting. The official announcement came in this snippet from their website:

We’ve just reached agreement with Thomas Ligotti to produce limited editions of a number of his classic works, beginning with a signed hardcover of Songs of a Dead Dreamer next year. We look forward to offering readers and collectors new sturdy editions of that classic title as well as Grimscribe, Noctuary, and others.

When combining these reprints with the two paperbacks put out by Virgin (Teatro Grottesco and My Work Is Not Yet Done), almost all of Ligotti's fiction will once again be easily accessible and relatively affordable. It appears this architect of the modern weird tale will have some of his obscurity dissipated with these new books--since it solves the worst conundrum for the prospective Ligotti reader of finding and purchasing his work. The timing is also nice if his non-fiction work of philosophy, The Conspiracy Against the Human Race, hits shelves somewhere in the midst of the Subterranean Press reprints. Thomas Ligotti is reportedly still hard at work on this pessimist tract, and it likely won't appear until it has satisfied his refined standards.

-Grim Blogger

Thomas Ligotti Collections to be Reprinted

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"Young Lovecraft" the Comic

I previously discussed the Spanish web comic "El Joven Lovecraft" ("Young Lovecraft") several months ago here. It appears the creators have seen fit to expand their audience by translating it into English. The "Young Lovecraft" blog features regularly updated translations of their earlier comics, as well as some new material. The strips follow the fictional adventures of a youthful Lovecraft blessed with supernatural powers and acquaintances, along with several other characters.

The Spanish version was recently picked up for publication by Diabolo Ed. It has already made several thousand sales. American Lovecraft fans with a taste for eldritch humor ought to appreciate this artistic bullet from across the ocean. And if it picks up popularity in this language, a physical "Young Lovecraft" comic in English is probably not far off.

-Grim Blogger

"Young Lovecraft" the Comic

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Fangoria's Review of "In Search of Lovecraft"

"Fangoria" magazine's review of Midnight Releasing's new movie "In Search of Lovecraft" says it all about the direct-to-DVD release. While a few redeeming qualities were noted, it seems this is another movie that has bombed in the same ways of many other Lovecraftian cinematic efforts: an insufficient budget, a less sufficient execution of an original idea, and a mixture of gratuitous sex and violence. However, apparently in this film even the senseless erotic mateiral implied on the cover never shows up.

Personally, I won't spend the time watching this one to review it. Though one should always be encouraged to check out these productions for themselves, I think its safe to say the review by "Fangoria" isn't too far off the mark. Only the most avid collectors of Lovecraftiana will be able to justify shelling out full price to add this one to their library. In fact, it's better to give the picture less than the attention it deserves, so as to discourage more of these movies. No, miraculous shrinkage of the slush pile of supposed Lovecraftian films probably isn't going to happen overnight. With less of a market, though, perhaps more directors will think twice before spewing out more hack work that carries H.P. Lovecraft's name and references to a few of his cosmic entities, without anything more substantial.

-Grim Blogger

Fangoria's Review of "In Search of Lovecraft"

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Zalgo Expands Its Hideous Franchise

A few months back, I reported on the rising Zalgo phenomena across the internet. Let's review: in brief, Zalgo involves the mutation of popular cartoons into a flurry of almost nonsensical darkness, evil, and chaos. Its most notable feature is the invocation of its eponymous and pseudo-Lovecraftian entity, the mysterious and terrifying Zalgo. Looking at the increasingly numerous examples of Zalgo tracts (several newer examples of which are contained here in this post), one finds the H.P. Lovecraft connection is obvious.



However, at the same time, we find no mention of a Zalgo being anywhere in either Lovecraft's fiction or any other known Cthulhu Mythos works created by his literary disciples. This slight paradox is both frustrating and fascinating. Where does this blasted meme come from? How did it begin? And why is it so damned addicting? The last one is easy to answer--most Zalgo art mixes the best of the internet. One might describe the formula like this:

Passable or Superior Artwork + Variable Doses of Lovecraftian Horror + Variable Doses of Web Humor = ZALGO



Pinpointing the real origins of Zalgo is a good bit tricker. Although the parodies hold a striking resemblance to horrors out of H. P. Lovecraft's Tales, it's probable that we will never know when and where the first Zalgo comic appeared. It is likely that it only surfaced sometime within the last year or two. It's even likelier that it arose somewhere in the humid and decadent jungles of the online image boards and forums. Some even claim Zalgo refers to an Assyrian demon god and means "ray of light," as the author of this piece says, in between multiple Zalogian portraits in his nightmarish gallery.

In the end, it probably doesn't matter how or why Zalgo sprang onto the scene. Like so much of internet humor and horror, it may merely crest and recede with time. Or, it will expand and spawn an improbably vast enterprise of further media incorporating the Zalgo theme, leaving Lovecraftian scholars to scratch their heads in even more articulate and frustrating ways than I am doing here. All that can be said is this: Zalgo is. We know not whence he came, we know not how he's named, but we do know that he carries the very clear stamp of H. P. Lovecraft. And, of course, we know that it's pretty comical, frightening, and a lot of fun.

-Grim Blogger

Zalgo Expands Its Hideous Franchise

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Charles Bryant's Poems

Writer Charles Bryant recently posted these recitations of a couple Lovecraftian poems to Youtube. The second poem is directly derived from H.P. Lovecraft's classic tale of strangeness and melancholy, "The Outsider." Bryant's version is an artful retelling of the tale in verse, ending with the same shocking conclusion and self-reflection Lovecraft exhibited in the original work. The first poem, a piece called "The Old Taoist," maintains a Lovecraftian taint, whether the author really intended it or not. Though H.P. Lovecraft was not entirely unique in the sort of mindset echoed by the poem, the vastness of the cosmos and the illusory dream-like aspects of this world definitely overlap with the themes of Cosmic Horror espoused by HPL.



-Grim Blogger

Charles Bryant's Poems

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Algernon Blackwood's Best Tales

An author on Vintage Horror has posted an article that effectively summarizes some of Algernon Blackwood's best weird tales. The British writer's more notable cinematic adaptations are also described. Blackwood, though still enjoyed today in Europe and among small circles of readers elsewhere orbiting the worlds of Lovecraft and traditional horror, really lacks much of the attention he deserves. If you've ever wondered what you're missing by not scanning the pages of Mr. Blackwood, then see the article linked above.

-Grim Blogger

Algernon Blackwood's Best Tales

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Seattle Lovecraft Film Festival Opens This Weekend

Seattle's Grand Illusion Theater will be hosting the West Coast's second great H.P. Lovecraft cinematic event next week. This promises to be a scaled down version of the annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival that normally opens in Portland during the fall. The poster above highlights several of the popular full length features and short films slated to flicker across the screen. For admission of only $10, you would be hard pressed to find a better Lovecraftian deal around, if you're in range of the event. Consider it both a teaser and a review of October's HPL Film Festival, which appears to have been so successful in 2008 that it has spawned the Seattle show, and hopefully many more to come.

-Grim Blogger

Seattle Lovecraft Film Festival Opens This Weekend

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The Innsmouth Free Press

"The Innsmouth Free Press" is an enterprising new project that seeks to serve as an outlet for traditional Cthulhu Mythos fiction involving the decrepit New England town. They're currently looking for historical and contemporary tidbits about degenerate Innsmouth, leaving a wide open undersea cavern of strangeness for anyone with an interest in expanding the universe of the Deep Ones. So, Lovecraftian writers, take note. The fake newspaper will serve primarily as a vehicle for news and lifestyle pieces about the mysteries of Innsmouth. This attempt at generating fictional news articles makes it something unique in the history of Lovecraftian endeavors, online or otherwise. "The Innsmouth Free Press" is planning to launch in a fuller form this June. Until then, their website is already up and running, and intends to publish other works relating to Innsmouth every week leading up to its release.

-Grim Blogger

The Innsmouth Free Press

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Weird News: Parade of Mummies to Begin in Italy

The remarkably well preserved remains of kings, warriors, and nobodies from far in the past have always seized the human fancy. Mummies from all cultures continue to fascinate and frighten in a way like few other historical artifacts. The bizarre transition of living tissue to petrified antecedent thousands of years later is one of the most mysterious to try to comprehend. In any case, if you're anywhere within range of northern Italy, this carnival of mummies from across the world sounds too enticing to pass up.

World Mummies Go on Show in Italy

-Grim Blogger

Weird News: Parade of Mummies to Begin in Italy

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Earthbound Trailer

Another amateur film emulating 1920s style cinematography is planned with a Lovecraftian theme. "Earthbound," featured in the interesting but mysterious trailer below, will appear this spring. It seems driven by a mixture of familiar standbys from H.P. Lovecraft's work--period specific environments, ancient tomes, gelatinous monstrosities--and some decent computer generated animation. It will probably be a short picture, and looks like it takes a great deal of inspiration from the successful 2005 black and white silent version of Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu." The Youtube channel lists Millroad films in its description, but their website here contains no information about "Earthbound." Hopefully, more details about this cryptic movie will be known within the next few months.



-Grim Blogger

Earthbound Trailer

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A Couple of 2009 H.P. Lovecraft Memorials

The Ides of March yesterday marked the 72nd anniversary of H.P. Lovecraft's passing from this earth. His memory was marked by an unknowable amount of secret reminiscing, readings, and small gatherings across the country and beyond. The day of Lovecraft's death was also remembered online in several notable posts in the blogosphere. Kind words and exposes of previous Lovecraft memorials have graced the internet in these articles:

• "Today H.P. Lovecraft Died (1937):" Fred Sanders of "The Scriptorium" has written a well thought piece on the literary impression of Lovecraft through his most significant intellectual force: Cosmicism. His notion that every day was the Ides of March for HPL is a significant one. Until the appearance of arguably more grim scribes of bleakness like Thomas Ligotti, Lovecraft's position as the master proponent of a careless, cold, and chaotic cosmos reigned supreme. Sanders' mixture of theology, philosophy, and Lovecraft's mind is a great read.
• "Lovecraft Death Notice: Tryout, Spring, 1937:" Chris Perridas, the collector and cataloger of the most obscure bits of Lovecraftian ephemera found online, has shared a rare item indeed. A short work by C.W. Smith--one of HPL's older friends and correspondents--was published immediately after the author's death in March, 1937, offering us a rare glimpse of genuine grief from those who actually knew Lovecraft. Though it seems Smith forgot Lovecraft's middle name, his terse eulogy emanates a sharp wound that is impossible to replicate by anyone living today.

-Grim Blogger

A Couple of 2009 H.P. Lovecraft Memorials

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Arkham Tales: A New Business Model?

"Arkham Tales," one of the newest online e-zines of Lovecraftian horror, appears to be thriving after the free release of its first couple issues. Last month the editors released their second issue, which showed further growth of a magazine stuffed with art, horror fiction, and interesting articles. Thus far, the effort has seemingly been one entirely funded by advertising. This allows the editors to pay their writers and offer their publication to the niche market of horror fiction readers for free. In the business history of Lovecraftian horror magazines, "Arkham Tales" is charting new territory.

Moreover, one has to wonder if this emerging business model is the way forward for weird and Lovecraftian fiction. Online releases of polished versions printable enough to become real life magazines have dual benefits: it cuts out the messy cost and hassle of printing, allowing e-zines to actually make their appearance deadlines. This last facet is a problem that has previously eluded many amateur horror publications, even bringing some to their knees.

The deeper question of whether print magazines, like newspapers, are slowly edging toward total obsolescence remains unresolved. However, one thing is clear: publications with small niche markets--and the weird readership is admittedly limited, despite modest growth the past decade--may opt to take the road tread by "Arkham Tales." It's important to note that "Dark Wisdom" and "H.P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror," two magazines previously at the top of the pyramid in publishing weird horror, both shuttered their print operations last year. Only "Weird Tales" remains as a beacon of printed weirdism, probably as a result of longstanding name recognition, alongside intense overhaul efforts in marketing and format the past couple years. The print market for horror of all types has always been a minefield. A few professional magazines have stood alongside a slew of little known and/or short lived amateur outlets. Now, with worsening economic conditions, many publishers new and old are looking to retreat from devastating personal risk and dependence on maintaining and growing huge subscriber bases for profit.

Enter the model exemplified by "Arkham Tales." Older readers and those who simply like the feel of a glossy cover beneath their hands will want to bemoan the decline of print markets for weird tales. Yet, a closer examination suggests the future could be bright. E-zines offer the ability to give weird consumers doses of the strange for free or almost nothing, as "Arkham Tales" is doing. A successful e-zine able to attract large numbers of readers and improve quality over time will also have the door cracked to create a printed version, if the winds of fortune ever drift back over the global economy. Love it or hate it, the e-zine option for publishing horror is here to stay: the technology allows it, costs demand it, and cash strapped lovers of darkness want it. And that's a good thing.

-Grim Blogger

Arkham Tales: A New Business Model?

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Thomas Roche on Arthur Machen's "The Bowmen"

All good weird writers often produce something in their career so convincing that multitudes see more than mere fiction. This continues to be the case with H.P. Lovecraft's Necronomicon--a book the Providence writer conjured by inserting it into numerous stories as well as an influential essay about the blasphemous tome that maximized Lovecraft's powers as an amateur historian. Despite many seasoned attempts to discount the notorious Necronomicon as reality after his death, its faux reality crawls onward in the minds and markets of many young would-be occultists and paperback shysters.

Many in America may not realize a similar thing happened with Arthur Machen's tale, "The Bowmen." Penning a ghost story in wartime about spectral archers from the Middle Ages coming to the aid of modern British troops resulted in a rumor mill just as active, if not more so, than Lovecraft's Necronomicon. Contemporary writer Thomas Roche gives a fairly good account of Machen's own attempts to grapple with a legend he unwittingly spun, and which was never successfully put back into the realm of fiction before his death. It seems that even some patriotic Britons and ghost hunters today continue to perpetuate the Machen legend of Mons. Roche's article nicely traces the strange evolution of weird literature into a self-contained reality capable of withstanding multiple debunkings across time.

-Grim Blogger

Thomas Roche on Arthur Machen's "The Bowmen"

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Weird News: The Bony Teeth of the Dracula Fish

It appears the bony teeth of Burma's Dracula fish are literally that: bony protrusions ripe for outdoing regular teeth, and perhaps sucking a little ether on the side (the fish do not normally draw blood, or so the article claims). Many have wondered about the ultra-durable fangs of many fantastic creatures, from the haziest legends to the more elegant monstrosities of weird fiction. Perhaps sharp, bony growths direct from the jaw are the secret to rock hard teeth. Of course, the Dracula fish is now confirmed to be a true species, and as the end of the article indicates, possibly more ubiquitous than you would like to think.

'Dracula' Fish Shows Baby Teeth

-Grim Blogger

Weird News: The Bony Teeth of the Dracula Fish

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Elder Sign Commercial

This humorous commercial parodies the slew of prescription drug ads out there with H.P. Lovecraft's (and perhaps August Derleth's) Elder Sign. Want to stop Flying Polyps? Cosmic dread got you down? Ladies and gentlemen, your cure-all is here! Elder Sign will banish all the wickedness from the black gulfs beyond the stars, without the nasty side effects of other occult talismans. Seriously, this is a well done stroke of genius. Enjoy.



-Grim Blogger

Elder Sign Commercial

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An Interview with Wilum H. Pugmire from Punktalk

"Punktalk" recently published this lengthy and thoughtful interview with Lovecraftian horror writer W.H. Pugmire. It seems this piece is a product of the author's newly established presence online--an eerie shadow that has settled over several weird forums across the internet as of late. This interview also provides an effective introduction to the author himself, for those unfamiliar with him. He discusses all the burning questions: his reasons for writing, Lovecraftian output, and associations with other figures in the Cthulhu Mythos community, among other things. Lovecraft admirers would be wise to acquaint or re-acquaint themselves with the tales of this writer. Certainly, Pugmire is a name likely to grow in the weird community as he continues working on several promising new projects for publication.

-Grim Blogger

An Interview with Wilum H. Pugmire from Punktalk

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D.F. Lewis Readings

Easily accessible readings by weird authors of their own work are exceedingly rare. Voice records for writers like H.P. Lovecraft or Algernon Blackwood are virtually non-existent. You're not likely to hear contemporaries such as Thomas Ligotti or Ramsay Campbell retell full stories on CD or podcast either. This is why D.F. Lewis' recent series of audio readings is so notable. As anyone who has ever had the privilege of hearing an author quote his own work knows, this type of presentation can help one grasp the meaning and mood of the written words.

In the case of Lewis, who is well known for spinning thousands of short, rich tales of cultivated strangeness, these tellings of his stories are more than welcome. Although, fortunately and unfortunately, his readings do little to dispel the damnably tight mystery embedded in each of his curious works. Several Lewis shorts are available for download from his Weirdmonger website here. Hear them on your MP3 player riding the bus, or off your PC in the quiet hours of the night. However, know that you, too, will likely be trapped in the weirdmonger's nefarious wheel. Each recording is like one more spider marching into one's ear--a ticklish delight and a horror.

-Grim Blogger

D.F. Lewis Readings

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Creepy Images: Our Dead Cities

Dead cities of great antiquity and exotic origin are some of the most haunting atmospheres of weird literature and the real life archaeological world. Shells of glorious and strange monuments have haunted the dreams of writers like H.P. Lovecraft, and impress rudely upon the minds of today's Kings, Generals, and citizens as reminders of fallen grandeur. As a people touched by the recent passing of the millennium and tormented by life shattering economic meltdown, we are also very much concerned with the end of our civilizations and perhaps all life on Earth. So, it's only natural that skilled artists have tried to encapsulate the look and feel of imagined apocalypse.

The above painting includes the dichotomy of our speculative deaths: the beauty and the horror of a lifeless world. Nature easily reclaims what seemed impenetrable artificial fortresses. Engineering marvels like bridges and skyscrapers teeter and break into unrecognizable stone. And vehicles dot the previous hives of man like the fossilized bodies of Ice Age beasts.


In the event of a disaster that primarily targets human life and leaves our structures standing, even the all powerful governments will have their administrative centers abandoned and dead. Husks of imperial glory and political ideals like Washington DC, London, and Moscow fester in their last angry bouts of importance, and then become decrepit scabs. Even the generations of surviving humans who might stumble upon these cities would view their vanished power as mysteriously and spectrally as we look at the remnants of Rome, Athens, or Persepolis.


In this time like no other, the seas would teem with shipwrecked detritus after our demise. Before dissolving into blobs of rust and artificial coral, barges as well as aircraft carriers would become oceanic hulks of lost achievement. Innsmouth folk or surviving generations centuries down the line might gaze at the corpses of shore grounded subs and battleships with a mixture of mocking glee and vicious jealousy.


This image brings to mind petrified city-tombs like Pompeii. The inhabitants of this metropolis are buried with their host after an unimaginable firestorm, like slaves with a Pharaoh. The brittle bones of the ancients terrify in stories like H.P. Lovecraft's "The Rats in the Walls," in part because they stand as evidence of the previous civilizations alien and sometimes murderous acts. Future generations may look upon the shriveled skeletons of nuclear fallout victims with the same shudder we feel today upon uncovering a sacrificial grave of the Aztecs.

-Grim Blogger

Creepy Images: Our Dead Cities

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Alan Moore's Lovecraftian Works

With the movie version of "Watchmen" just released, attention will again be poured on graphic novelist and all around talented aesthete Alan Moore. One thing that might get overlooked in fawning over his latest project as well as the previously sensational "V for Vendetta" is his history of work with H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. Indeed, Moore scored several important hits with the Lovecraftian community over the past decade by putting out well illustrated and nicely written comic adaptations of Lovecraftian creatures and concepts. A series of Mythosian comics have been churned out under Moore's guidance in these series: "Yuggoth Cultures and Other Growths," as well as the stand alone piece "The Courtyard."

Unlike "Watchmen," which will likely flood bookstores in nice, new editions as the movie gains traction, Moore's Cthulhuvian works are becoming increasingly rare. This is a real shame. However, there's still time to grab all of these works for the right prices across the internet. Below is a roundup of Amazon.com information on Moore's most notable Lovecraftian works collected for reading:

• "Yuggoth Cultures and Other Growths:" This book of over 300 pages is still fairly easy to get. Amazon has it in stock, and through outside sellers, usually ranging from $15.00-30.00. This novel collects the original three "Yuggoth Cultures" comic books put together by Moore and several other comic producers.
  
• "The Courtyard:" This brief story from 2004 revels in Innsmouth like dereliction. Unfortunately, it is a lot shorter than "Yuggoth Cultures" and pricer per page. Still, one of Moore's best Lovecraftian projects, and well worth it.

-Grim Blogger

Alan Moore's Lovecraftian Works

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The Onion on Lovecraftian Madness

"The Onion," an online and print juggernaut of parodies, seems to have given H.P. Lovecraft a nod this week with this article. In a piece that weaves the joke rounds of Evolution vs. Creationism in schools and the mundane dullness of school board politics, a member of Arkham's own school board argues for the study of classic eldritch texts for the best type of liberal education. The article packs multiple Lovecraftian references into a relatively small slab of text. Note that the school board member in question is even named Charles West--perhaps a relative of the infamous Herbert West, Esquire and Re-Animator? It seems the old ways are still alive and well in Olde Arkham, and will continue to be, with strong advocates like Mr. West. Add this to the file of HPL's growing popularity--with a noticeably humorous slant--in mainstream publications.

Lovecraftian School Board Member Wants Madness Added to the Curriculum

ARKHAM, MA—Arguing that students should return to the fundamentals taught in the Pnakotic Manuscripts and the Necronomicon in order to develop the skills they need to be driven to the very edge of sanity, Arkham school board member Charles West continued to advance his pro-madness agenda at the district's monthly meeting Tuesday.

"Fools!" said West, his clenched fist striking the lectern before him. "We must prepare today's youth for a world whose terrors are etched upon ancient clay tablets recounting the fever-dreams of the other gods—not fill their heads with such trivia as math and English. Our graduates need to know about those who lie beneath the earth, waiting until the stars align so they can return to their rightful place as our masters and wage war against the Elder Things and the shoggoths!"

The controversial school board member reportedly interrupted a heated discussion about adding fresh fruit to school lunches in order to bring his motion to the table. With the aid of a flip chart, West laid out his six-point plan for increased madness, which included field trips to the medieval metaphysics department at Miskatonic University, instruction in the incantations of Yog-Sothoth, and a walkathon sponsored by local businesses to raise money for the freshman basketball program.

"Our schools are orderly, sanitary places where students dwell in blissful ignorance of the chaos that awaits," West said. "Should our facilities be repaired? No, they must be razed to the ground and rebuilt in the image of the Cyclopean dwellings of the Elder Gods, the very geometry of which will drive them to be possessed by visions of the realms beyond."

West has served on the school board since 1997, when he defeated 89-year-old incumbent Doris Pesce by promising to enforce dress codes and refer repeat disciplinary cases to the three-lobed burning eye. He has run unopposed ever since.

"Charles sure likes to bang on that madness drum," fellow school board member Danielle Kolker said. "I'm not totally sold on his plan to let gibbering, half-formed creatures dripping with ichor feed off the flesh and fear of our students. But he is always on time to help set up for our spaghetti suppers, and his bake sale goods are among the most popular."

"I must admit, he's very convincing," Kolker added.

West's previous failed proposals include requiring the high school band to perform the tuneless flute songs of the blind idiot god Azathoth and offering art students instruction in the carving of morbid and obscene fetishes from otherworldly media.

Several parents attending the meeting were not impressed by West's outburst.

"Last month, he wanted us to change the high school's motto from 'Many Kinds of Excellence' to 'Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn,'" PTA member Cathy Perry said. "I asked if it was Latin, and he said that it was the eldritch tongue of Shub- Niggurath, the Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young. I don't know from eldritch tongues, but I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"We already changed the name of the school from Abraham Lincoln High to Nyarlathotep Academy," Perry added. "What more does he want?"

Immediately before the vote on his motion, which was defeated eight to one, West gave his final remarks, arguing that the children are our future and that it's the school board's obligation to make sure they are fully versed in the unspeakable horrors still to come.

"In the information age, it is easier than ever to gather knowledge about things that should not be but nonetheless are, and such wisdom could prepare our students to be better citizens amid the ruins of sunken cities infested with swarms of ravenous, bloated rats," West said. "Also, I believe that birth control should not be distributed by the guidance counselor."

All of West's remaining proposals were tabled so the board could debate repairing the hole in the locker-room wall, as five students have disappeared in the adjacent skull-filled catacombs since the opening was discovered last week.

-Grim Blogger

The Onion on Lovecraftian Madness

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H.P. Lovecraft's "Colour from the Dark"

Via Quietearth.us comes word of a Lovecraftian production in the works called "Colour from the Dark." As the name indicates, this production appears to be based on HPL's "The Colour Out of Space." The trailer embedded below--a surprisingly handsome and eerie one--suggests the film will explore ghastly mutations of land and animals, and appears to be set in a rural environment like Lovecraft's original tale. The fuller description for this upcoming movie has this to say:

Pietro and Lucia live on an isolated farm with Alice, Lucia's younger sister. Poor farmers, they live tilling the soil. Pietro is a good worker and a strong man who, unlike his three brothers, is not at war because of a deformed knee. Lucia is a beautiful and reserved woman dedicated to her family. Their life is peaceful and good, in spite of the hard work. One day, while drawing water from the well, Pietro and Alice accidentally free something from Earth's womb. A strange and alien color flashes underwater, at the well's bottom, then disappears. From that moment on, inexplicable events start happening all around the farm, and by night the surrounding vegetation glitters with a sinister glow. The color soon takes hold of the whole farm, and dwelling inside Pietro and his family's minds, it brings them into its sick world of pain, blood and death.

Though intriguing, some obviously potent gore is evident from the trailer. While this doesn't bother quite a few horror fans, it does raise questions about the ultimate character of this picture as a Lovecraftian film. Anyone familiar with previous attempts to transport Lovecraft's fiction to the screen knows there are dozens of abominable adaptations lurking behind a masque of gratuitous splatter. Certainly, the presence of gore can sometimes enhance the fear and strangeness of a horror tale--particularly in the visual arts. Let every Lovecraft fan hope this is the case with the early previews of "Colour from the Dark."

In any case, it's hard to disagree with Quietearth's originator of the article, agentorange, who asserts that this is a well made trailer. For what is presumably a less-than-stellar production in terms of budgeting and ability, the preview is really eye catching. Keep this one on the radar.



Colour from the dark from AO on Vimeo.

-Grim Blogger

H.P. Lovecraft's "Colour from the Dark"

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Re-Animator Remake on the Way

Just when the series seemed to be dead with the demise of Stuart Gordon's previously planned "House of Re-Animator," it appears Herbert West is about to be...re-animated. The pulpish cult classic which has spawned three movies thus far from H.P. Lovecraft's tale "Herbert West: Reanimator" is said to have a remake on the way. An article on Shocktillyoudrop.com reports the remake will be produced under Ray Haboush and Brian Yuzna, the latter of whom previously worked on the second and third Re-Animator films.

Early indications say the remake of "Re-animator" will closely follow the original's storyline. However, a 3-D film is being discussed. Online sources mentioning this project are unclear about whether 3-D means a fully animated CGI picture, or one that has 3-D effects like what was done with "Night of the Living Dead" several years ago. Given the tentative nature of this project, it's even more uncertain whether this remake will ever truly come to light. Stranger things have certainly happened, though, and Re-Animator rising from the dead would grant greater longevity to an enterprise that would have shocked Lovecraft himself, who considered his own "Herbert West" story hack work.

-Grim Blogger

Re-Animator Remake on the Way

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Shaft of Light

This strange little short film by Bill Tonlinson first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997. "Shaft of Light" is a nice mixture of sci-fi, dystopian, and weird themes. While some might contend that it has more of the first two features mentioned than the last, it is definitely nightmarish and surreal. The style and themes detectable in this piece are also very much in line with the weird. It's worth remembering that weird fiction in recent years by the likes of Thomas Ligotti and Michael Cisco often incorporates an atmosphere that could be described as dystopian or an alternate reality. "Shaft of Light" also echoes Ligotti's obsession with human facsimiles like puppets, as well as his dystopian universe dripping with meaningless work seen in stories like "The Town Manager" and "Our Temporary Supervisor."

Some commentators have identified this specific strain of grungy, malevolent socio-political features as a defining element of the so-called "New Weird." Whatever the case, the idea is certainly nightmarish enough. Perhaps because the meaninglessness of the day jobs featured in such cases, as well as their prevailing environment devoid of prosperity or individuality, so closely reflects our own world as it boils into Meltdown mode.



-Grim Blogger

Shaft of Light

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Who is Thomas Ligotti?

Alberto D. Hetman, an author who frequents the Thomas Ligotti Online forums, recently published this intriguing story that plays with the idea of Thomas Ligotti's non-existence. The conspiratorial notion springs most famously from Poppy Z. Brite, a fellow horror author who wondered years ago if Ligotti is really "out there," or if he is merely a clever literary pen name by some other writer(s) of the weird. Today, it seems the growing archive of dozens of interviews with Ligotti and a few other artifacts confirm his existence. Yet, for some, the extreme rarity of photographic evidence for this author and his cloistered lifestyle still raises the haunting notes of conspiracy.

Hetman, at least for literary purposes, is one of these people. His surreal questioning of Ligotti's existence may be more creative toying than sincere belief. Regardless, the notion of the Ligotti-as-literary-conspiracy continues to produce some interesting pieces like Hetman's, despite its unlikely basis.

-Grim Blogger

Who is Thomas Ligotti?

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