Customer Reviews

The Dunwich Horror

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This film has received more bad reviews than any other horror movie I have ever read about, and after seeing it I can't even begin to understand why! Based on the H.P. Lovecraft short story of the same title, THE DUNWICH HORROR follows warlock Wilbur Whatley's desperate quest to restore his fiendish family to their rightful position as rulers of the universe. However, there are two crucial factors needed in carrying out this mad plan. Firstly and foremost, Whatley must locate a copy of the Necronomicon, an ancient book of evil spells, and the sacrifice of a pure, but still sexually attractive female(that's where beautiful college co-ed Sandra Dee figures into the story). As the wild-eyed Whatley, Dean Stockwell is clearly having a ball, and was obviously warming up for his hammy role in David Lynch's sci-fi opus DUNE. Ed Begley, in his final film role, also seems to be enjoying himself as Stockwell's chief Nemesis, Dr. Armitadge. However, the best and most convincing performance by far is given by lovely young Sandra Dee(of GIDGET fame) who makes an effective SCREAM QUEEN debut. This film has received many negative notices, but it's not bad at all, even by today's standards. The film was made on a noticeably low-budget, but manages to produce some genuine scares and has a menacing air of creepy, Gothic atmosphere throughout. Furthermore, this movie is one of the better attempts to capture literary mastermind H.P. Lovecraft on celluloid. If the film seems rather long(it's 90 minutes), remember that Lovecraft's original story was only about 35-40 pages long. For the most part, the screenwriters have added some genuinely effective touches to flesh out the story. In my opinion, the film is fairly successful at sustaining the viewer's interest for most of its 90 minutes, and most importantly, director Daniel Haller has successfully captured the mood and flavor of Lovecraft's original story. Also, fans of the old DARK SHADOWS/NIGHT GALLERY series will be delighted by this little flick which is similar in tone and style to those early '70's TV horror classics.

I thought this movie ruled. Okay, maybe it strayed from the story a bit, by taking a nine-foot tall alien freak and turning him into Dean Stockwell, and by adding a very hot Sandra Dee, but they at least tried. This is the only instance of movie exploitation, I think, that wouldn't have cause H.P. Lovecraft to roll over in his grave. And maybe Wilbur's star-spawned twin brother was a little goofy, but I thought it had that kind of rubber-suit-monster Night Stalker charm. Overall, the movie had a kind of narcotic gloss that aided well in the suspension of disbelief. I recommend this movie highly---both to Lovecraft fans and to ordinary horror buffs. It's cool, and even if this movie did damage Sandra Dee's career, she was hot. After all, monsters, even the slimy ones from outer space, need love too. So come on, guys, have a heart.

American International Pictures (AIP) and Roger Corman found great success translating (often times loosely) the works of Edgar Allen Poe to the silver screen with such popular films like House of Usher (1960), Pit and the Pendulum (1961), The Masque of the Red Death (1964), and The Tomb of Ligeia (1965). This being the case, why wouldn't the terrifying, mind bending works of H.P. Lovecraft, creator of the Cthulhu mythos * (a shared world in which authors use as a setting for their stories, usually within the realm of horror, science fiction, or fantasy) among other things, fair equally as well? They did try, releasing such films as The Haunted Palace (1963), Die, Monster, Die! (1965), and The Dunwich Horror (1970), but found limited success. The films were entertaining, but if you've ever read any of Lovecraft's stories, what you see on screen is comparatively tame to the visuals created within your mind from the text of the written word. Directed by Daniel Haller (Die, Monster, Die!), who later found work directing television shows like Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, and Knight Rider, the film stars former teen idol Sandra `Queen of the Teens' Dee (Gidget, A Summer Place) and Dean Stockwell (The Boy with Green Hair, Blue Velvet, Married to the Mob). Also appearing is Ed Begley (12 Angry Men), Lloyd Bochner (The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear), and Talia Shire (The Godfather, Rocky), who is actually credited in the film as Talia Coppola as she had yet to take the name of Shire from her impending marriage to composer David Shire.

The story begins essentially at a university as a lecture, held by Dr. Henry Armitage (Begley), a doctor of Philosophy, is letting out. One student, Nancy Wagner (Dee), is tasked with returning the Necronomicon (the book of the dead) back to its rightful place within the schools library (how in the world the University ever came to possess this I have no idea). As she's returning it to its secure location, she's approach by an odd looking man we'll later know as Wilbur Whateley (Stockwell), who has a great interest in the ancient tome, and not just for edification purposes. The two become acquaintances, but there's a feeling of Wilbur having ulterior motives with regards to his interest in Nancy, other than gaining unfettered access to the book. We later discover Wilbur, who lives in nearby Dunwich, has a history in the occult, leading all the way back to his great grandfather, who was killed by the peoples of Dunwich for his strange beliefs. Has Wilbur (the townsfolk refer to him as Weird Wilbur) taken up where his forefathers left off? He certainly has, but how do Nancy and the Necronomicon fit into whatever plans he has? And what's that thing locked away in the upper recesses of Wilbur's house? Based on all the strange noises it makes, I bet it's something very nasty (and slimy)...

Honestly, I have yet to see a well-rendered film adaptation of any of Lovecraft's works. Perhaps the closest came in the form of a film not even based off a Lovecraft story, but certainly inspired by his writings, in John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness (1995). The problem is in the idea of The Old Ones (these were creatures who came from outer space, inhabited the Earth long before man, and have since been banished to a different dimension), in that they are such hideous, vile, unfathomable creatures that to even catch a glimpse would result in complete madness and permanent insanity. How do you depict that on the screen, especially in and AIP film, not known for their extravagant spending (cheap special effects and psychedelic lighting only go so far)? Stockwell was hardly frightening (especially with his Mike Brady hairdo and mustache) and often looks like he just arrived from the set of a homersexual porn film. I think his character was meant to appear suave and smooth-tongued, but he came across as creepy, oily, and, well, just weird. That guy from the movie Manos, the Hands of Fate was a more menacing warlock. If Wilbur were any more laid back, he would have been tokin' a doobie. I had a really difficult time believing he was capable of doing some of the things he later did...as far as Dee's character, she spent much of the film in a state of enchantment, so not much going on there. There are some cheap thrills, seeing once teen idol Dee virginal character being violated by the forces of darkness (oh no, not Gidget!), but it seemed like that was played upon too much. And for the record, Dee does not get full on nekkid in this film as she's wearing a robe with slitted sides, and the camera spends way to much time ogling her, going up and down her sides as she lay on an altar (I thought I did see a nipple at one point, but it could have been a mole). Incidentally, Dee's real life defrocking came a few years earlier, as her marriage to teen idol Bobby Darin disintegrated and she was unjustly stigmatized with the air of being a divorcée (i.e. damaged goods) rather than a competent actress. The direction of the film is decent, and there are some creepy scenes, highlighted very well by Les Baxter's superior haunting score, but ultimately the film, while entertaining, was a little bit of a letdown for me as it lacked the truly nightmarish qualities one would expect from a Lovecraftian story. And who didn't see that ending coming?

The wide screen picture (1.85:1), enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs, looks very sharp and clean. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono comes through clearly most of the time. The only special feature on this DVD is an original theatrical trailer. By the way, the title for my review is probably the funniest line in the film, as stated by a farmer, about his dog, as the dog reacts to the unseen (but certainly heard) approach of a hideous, slobbering nightmare creature, which, subsequently devours the house (I think Rusty survived, though).

Cookieman108

* Lovecraft fans don't care for the term `Cthulhu mythos' as it wasn't coined as such by its creator.

As a gothic style horror this little film has about everything anybody could want - excluding violence. Granted for the most part it is not very scary, and is sometimes campy and there are a few plot elementes that don't make sense.

Here are the positives: Sandra Dee is beautiful in a good girl kind of way. Dean Stockwell is sinister cool and creepy and ultimately deranged. Ed Bagley Sr. gives the film its anchor and an added dimension of credibility. Sam Jaffe as the wanabe warlock Dad is perfectly cast. (Jaffe wisely plays his character as if he were Mosses or John the Baptist.) Even a young pretty Talia Shire is thrown in for good measure. Not a bad cast by any standards!!

There is a wonderfull, creepy haunted house backdrop. Lots of fun supernatural mumbo jumbo delivered as if in normal every day conversation. Extremely colorful photography, sets, location shots and special effects.

There is welcome humor. Production values are far far superior to other horror films of its ilk. Most of the effects are achieved by lighting and the use of intentional coloring in the sets and costumes from pure whites of the insane asylum to deep purples greens, blues, and reds in Wilber's home -

Quite possibly this film influenced the latter styles of Dario Argento and Sam Reme. Very neat colored strobe-light special effects look great in very dark room. Dynamite music score and wonderful cartoon opening credits give the impression your about to see something important.

To top it all off MGM did a fantastic job on this one. The picture is absolutely perfect clean crisp clear, like it was made yesterday. The only complaint is that the sound is in Dolby mono although very good. This film absolutely deserves a 5 channel surround sound. It would add immensely to the atmosphere and special effects.

This film is an old fashioned fun, creepy and atmospheric horror story. But be warned if you are into blatant nudity , gore violence, blood, carnage and visible rubber monsters in your horror you will be disappointed. It has none of those elements.

The film only loosey follows the H P Lovecraft short story but many elements are kept intact. I think the film stands alone on its own merits. Lovecraft's egg monster roaming the contryside may have been silly on film. Plus the film has a cute babe not in the short story. And few horror movies can do without at least one cute babe.

This handsomely filmed AIP Lovecraft offering has more to recommend it than not: colorful production, good cast and performances, and a pretty good script. The alterations made to Lovecraft's original story are acceptable, given production limitations. The Les Baxter soundtrack is hit-and-miss, the intrusion of rock music into the eeriness somehow out of place - as is the Mod Era look of the entire piece, which is partially effective (in the sense of connecting bizarre cults to a tie-dyed druggie generation), but as often as not feels discordant.

Dean Stockwell plays handsome backwoods young man Wilbur Whateley, son of a deranged, mad old cultist (Sam Jaffe), whose wife Lavinia went mad giving birth to Wilbur. The townsfolk never took kindly to the Whateleys, and Wilbur gives them the willies. He's always off looking for arcane books of devil worship, presumably to continue his raving father's attempts to conjure-up some strange sky-demon.

Wilbur encounters wise old Dr. Armitage at Arkham University (Ed Begley), who is more intrigued by Whateley's family history than put-off by it. Armitage's assistant, pretty naif Sandra Dee, is quite taken by the charming Wilbur, and spends the weekend at his ancestral house. Crazy old Jaffe warns Wilbur that what he wants to do with the girl will come to no good, and it doesn't - he wants to impregnate her with his seed under the appropriate circumstances, and create Something Other. Dee's presence contributes to upsetting the Family Secret, long locked up in an attic room - Wilbur's invisible not-quite-twin brother, who breaks free, burns down the house, and wreaks havoc throughout Arkham until Armitage confronts Wilbur in a magic showdown.

The first half of the movie is quite good, and the second half, though uneven, is not bad. Wilbur's brother, once made (briefly) visible, is a pretty obvious spring-and-wire mask affair, but it isn't seen enough to detract from the rest of the piece. The movie's biggest problem is its anachronistic rock score, and repetitive pointless padding scenes of Wilbur performing incantations over Dee on a hilltop stone slab. The finale is abrupt and disappointing.

But the performances and the high quality of the production itself are worth watching, especially if you're a Lovecraft fan. The "demons" in this version are converted to more prosaic devil-worship, which isn't as effective as Lovecraft's vision, but probably more passable to an American audience of the time - not to mention, easier on the budget.

Whooeee! I had no idea that this movie is considered to be such a bomb. Biggest complaints seem to be that Stockwell should have had his hair straightened (so 90s & millenial, in the 60s folks weren't so hung up about the Uniform Hair look), the flick was low budget (duh!), not enough special effects for the monster (yeah, it would have been SO great if they'da had COMPUTER GRAPHICS, you know, like in Aliens 'n' The Thing, complete with lingering scenes of slimy tentacles & dripping puss---for all you jaded unimaginative types out there), clips of painted dated hippie types (anyone ever hear of pagans, Druids, Picts, etc.---they probably didn't have executive hairdos or baseball caps), the ending was anticlimactic (?) (Yeah, it COULD have been more like a Schwarzennegar or Bruce Willis flick with lotsa EXPLOSIONS and stuff, and plenty of sweat and dirt, straining jaw and neck muscles, gritting teeth), wasn't EXACTLY like the original story (and what movie IS? After all, big movie executives feel compelled to dumb down their products for the vast movie going public---that goes for ALL movies, so why pick on this one), the acting was "flat" (yeah, there should have been more EMOTIONS displayed, you know like was done with The Lord Of The Rings or a Springer show---EMOTE for the audience is on a base level and might not "get it" otherwise), screenplay was lacking (yeah, we could have gotten more into Sandra Dee's character background, and so forth), the movie has a "dated", "campy" feel (how dated and campy do you think the overwhelming majority of movies churned out of Hollywood and by the "Indies" nowadays are going to appear 30+ years from now?), etc.

I agree that the movie is a bit campy, but I love it. Yes, the movie is a departure from HP's original tale, but it stands on its own, and does respectfully adhere, in its own way, to the Arkham mythos. I LIKED the special effects, the tastefully short clips don't interfere with the imagination. I loved the soundtrack, it is quite memorable (if you have an attention span past, say, that of a puppy). Graphics, photography, sets, acting, casting, direction---in fact, I find very little wrong with this movie. It is a WORK OF ART! If you don't agree, go pop in your copy of Total Recall (hey man, check out the guy with the talking head growin outta his belly or wherever) or something. BLAMMO! Subtlety is truly a dying art.

I'm giving this movie 5 well-deserved stars. AND I'm going to order the DVD widescreen version---should be a real treat. So there! Troglodytes...

© 2003 RAPWreckerds

Long ago, on a dark and stormy night, two brothers were born. One was a normal, multi-tentacled, half human offspring of Yog-Sothoth. The other grew up to become the hideous, poodle-haired creature with titanic sideburns known as Wilbur Whately (Dean Stockwell)! Wilbur sets out to unleash the dreaded "Old Ones" from their millenia of slumber. He needs two things to get started, #1- The Necronomicon (book of the dead). And #2- A female virgin. Wilbur steals the necronomicon from the local college, and snags a young coed (Sandra Dee), by drugging her. He introduces the girl to a group of demoniacs who look more like the cast of HAIR. Psychedelia ensues, and the movie drags on toward it's inevitible climax. What saves the film for me is the escape of Wilbur's brother from his / it's attic room. Many innocent villagers perish as the beast oozes through the countryside! Of course, we don't actually see much of it, but the rampage is still pretty cool. Worth a peek...

Director Daniel Haller began his career as an art director for Roger Corman. He worked on all the early Edgar Allan Poe pictures and after the success of THE HAUNTED PALACE (1963), was given his chance to direct on another adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story. H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) was a writer who came into his own in the 1960s with the republication of many of his horror stories which were turned into a series of films by American International Pictures and a number of episodes of Rod Serling's NIGHT GALLERY. The story chosen, THE COLOR OUT OF SPACE one of Lovecraft's best, became DIE, MONSTER DIE in 1965. Despite the blatant drive-in title, the film turned out to be surprisingly good and it contains one of Boris Karloff's best late career performances. It was shot in England and had the services of the ill-fated Nick Adams (his early death resembled Heath Ledger's) along with a solid British cast. The photography is impressive, the settings cheap but interesting, and the performances triumph over the OK script. The first half is wonderfully atmospheric and reminded me of the HARRY POTTER pictures. The second half, which is more plot heavy with the typical B movie rushed conclusion (taken from Karloff's 1936 THE INVISIBLE RAY), is less satisfactory but it can't take away from the overall aura that the film generates. Underrated and very much worth your time.

The same cannot be said of THE DUNWICH HORROR which followed 4 years later. This film was shot in America and is full of late 1960s hip trendiness which give the movie an incredibly dated feel. Actually I remember seeing this film in high school when it came to town in 1970. My date and I were not impressed as we weren't really into the counterculture at that time. It did contain a few good scares but those were mostly accidental. I remember afterwards how disappointed we were at how atmosphere had been sacrificed for drugged out visuals. The essential elements of the story are in place with a modern day warlock attempting to resurrect an ancient race of beings by mating them with women. Dean Stockwell as the warlock, gives a subdued, intense performance despite the rather poor script and he receives able support from Sam Jaffe and Ed Begley. Sandra Dee however remains Sandra Dee despite this attempt to jazz up her image and she doesn't help matters. One interesting bit of trivia is that DUNWICH HORROR features an early appearance by Talia Coppola (later Shire) 6 years before ROCKY. It's hard to believe that these two movies were made by the same director but it goes to show the difference between a British technical crew and an American one and how attitudes in the movie business had changed in just 4 years. This DVD is worth it for the first film with the second an interesting time capsule.

a wonderful credits sequence showing the hooded figures known in the film as 'the old ones' preparing to enter our dimension heralds an atmospheric, psychadelic rosemaries baby/ninth gate esque tale...
great score and colours as well as some good actors... but, but, but... ghastly ending, why don't we get to see the old ones?? why does Ed Begley spouting a bit of mumbo jumbo save the day? why don't we get to see the old ones so marvelously hinted at in the beginning? And finally, why don't we get to see the old ones?? could have been so much better, but is entertaining, smooth and colourful as it is (if as daft as most of its genre) and much better than its reputation
Thrid best of these midnight movies after 'It!' and 'theatre of Blood'

There has never been a good movie made of a Lovecraft story. Let me say that again. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A GOOD MOVIE MADE OF A LOVECRAFT STORY. Having said that, this combination is probably the most watchable of movies made from Lovecraft except for "Resurrected". "Die Monster Die" is based on "The Colour Out Of Space" and the changes are huge and basically unforgivable. Only Karloff's presence makes it fun. As for "Dunwich Horror", well, it stars Sandra Dee. That should tell you something. If you absolutely have to see movies based on Lovecraft, these two are far better than the horrible "Unnameable" series, but not by a whole lot. Yes, I have them. I'm just not sure that I'm proud of that fact.