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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Unsatisfying Adaptations of a Great Lovecraft Work, December 23, 2008
This review is from: The H.P. Lovecraft Collection, Vol. 4: Pickman's Model (DVD)
The works of venerable horror writer H.P. Lovecraft have, in many ways, become the backbone of the genre, especially cinematic horror. An astonishing number of relatively contemporary horror flicks and genre TV shows--everything from 1965's DIE, MONSTER, DIE through Rod Serling's series THE NIGHT GALLERY (1970s) to Sam Raimi's THE EVIL DEAD (1981)--have either borrowed elements from Lovecraft's literary mythos or attempted to adapt one of his stories.
In spite of Lovecraft's influence on horror cinema, few filmmakers have been able to accurately or faithfully translate the writer's works to either the small or large screen. At best, most attempts to adapt Lovecraft either vaguely evoke the nihilistic subtext of the author's work (e.g., Stuart Gordon's 1985 classic RE-ANIMATOR) or pay simple homage by making a reference or two (as Raimi does by building his EVIL DEAD stories around Lovecraft's ubiquitous fictional book of the occult, the NECRONOMICON).
Unfortunately, the various adaptations of Lovecraft's short story "Pickman's Model" on this DVD bear out the above rule. The filmmakers seem to ignore the underlying subtext of Lovecraft's story, and more importantly, they don't seem to understand that, as in most Lovecraft works, the horror is not blatant or in-your-face but rather a subtle, almost visceral discomfort. As an art historian, I'm also disappointed by the fact that, instead of commissioning original art, many of these filmmakers try to pass off the 19th-century painting SATURN DEVOURING HIS CHILDREN (aka SATURN DEVOURING HIS SON), by the Spanish artist Goya, as a work by the fictional Pickman. That tactic kind of destroys the illusion or the fantasy, at least for me.
Now, while none of these films seem to capture the essence of the Lovecraft story on which they are based, not all of them are necessarily bad films per se. In particular, the Chilean film is entertainingly scary, and a couple of the other films have some satisfyingly creepy imagery. Nonetheless, none of them succeed as faithful adaptations of the story we love and admire.
A far superior adaptation of "Pickman's Model" can be found in season 2 of Rod Serling's TV series NIGHT GALLERY. Not only is the script very faithful to the subtext and the spirit of Lovecraft's original text, but the award-winning creature FX for the episode are creepy and unforgettable without being blatantly gruesome, and Pickman's paintings--actually created by Tom Wright, the artist who painted all of the paintings used in the series' story intros--are appropriately disturbing and surreal. Incidentally, season 2 of NIGHT GALLERY recently became available on DVD.
In short, this volume in THE H.P. LOVECRAFT COLLECTION is probably one of the least satisfying of the lot. Other entries in the series are much more faithful adaptations of Lovecraft's work, most notably Bryan Moore's COOL AIR on the first volume of the series. Another superior adaptation of Lovecraft is Andrew Leman's 2005 film version of THE CALL OF CTHULHU--available on DVD from the same distributor--which was shot in the manner of an old silent film. Even with intertitles and old-school stop-motion animation, it's amazingly more faithful to the original Lovecraft text than are the films on this volume!
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6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
I really wanted to like this but....., June 11, 2008
This review is from: The H.P. Lovecraft Collection, Vol. 4: Pickman's Model (DVD)
This series of Pickman's model version is truly appalling. It is a perfect example of film makers not reading or understanding the literary work they are trying to adapt.
In the original Pickman's Model the reader is presented with the vivid and disturbing paintings. they are vividly described. The twist is when the narrator finds that the visions of horror in Pickman's painting are real and the are based on a photograph from life.
In the feature version from Chile, we find a newspaper man investigating the death of his friend only to find that there are creatures that live in the sewers and come out to kill those who find out about them. Pickman is an artist that knows the truth and runs off to a remote island, which seems to have a cellar full of the monsters. Its kind of Pickman's model meet the lurking fear. You never see the paintings or the photograph.
The second version is Italian. It has Pickman as the weird guy who lures women to photograph while the monster kills them. The only painting we see is Goyas "Saturn Devouring One of His Children"(which seems to be used in all version)and it is attributed to Pickman. We do see the Photograph at the end but, we didn't see any of the painting with the monster in it there is no real impact.
The third version is from Austin Texas is the most faithful of the three, but the monsters look like guys with wolf heads and they add some silly power to the main character that he can experience the picture by touching it. The worst part of this is that you don't ever see the picture at the end.
The last two features are a short film base on an unfinished tale called between he stars which makes no sense(and the author tells you this)and a badly done animated version of "In the Vault" that completely misses the point of the original story.
I give this three stars for the effort. But I highly recommend that you go back and read the original Lovecraft stories which are much better.
I hope this sub-par attempt will inspire future film makers to do it right. Don't just take the tile and make up some junk.
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb, April 7, 2010
This review is from: The H.P. Lovecraft Collection, Vol. 4: Pickman's Model (DVD)
This is one of the finest DVDs offered in THE H. P. LOVECRAFT COLLECTION from Lurker Films. Each of the three adaptations of "Pickman's Model" catches, in essence and yet imaginatively, the feel and theme of the wonderful story by H. P. Lovecraft. The horror of the original tale is that Richard Upton Pickman was a REALIST -- he depicted with diabolic art what he saw. Of the three adaptations, Cathy Welch has given us the one most faithful to the original story, and does so with an excellent script. Mac Williams gives a strong performance as Thurber, and Marc Mahan has some excellent moments as Pickman. The one flaw of the film is that the artwork, when shewn, is not very good or effective, and if one is going to reveal Pickman's art, it must be exceptional. This is the one American adaptation of the tale. Giovanni Furore's short film, PICKMAN'S MODEL, is an Italian effort, beautifully filmed and superbly acted, with exceptionally fine photography and sets. Filming in an ancient European town or city helps to depict the sense of the past with which Pickman, in Lovecraft's tale, is obsessed. The portrayal of Pickman as a man stunted by the revelations of his art is wonderful -- the film catches exactly the effects of Pickman's art on sensitive souls. Again, the screenplay is magnificent, with some wonderful moments, such as when Pickman says, "To be a visionary is a damnation for many...but not for me...I get the strength to go on. And courage and the conscience to paint what is real." This film has the audacity to shew us Pickman's model -- and it is an image that is as shocking as it is haunting!
The critics of this DVD have neglected the fact that each film is of top quality and that they all work extremely well as effective horror films. CHILEAN GOTHIC, the feature film, is astounding, brilliant. It is presented here in widescreen. Again, script, music, photography and fine acting combine to make this a very effective film inspired by Lovecraft's story, a film that captures the real essence of Lovecraft's tale. The film is so good, so weird and really creepy, with powerful performances from each player.
This DVD also features two shorts, "Stars" and "In the Vault," and has a very fine interview with Ramsey Campbell, filmed when he was a special guest at the H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival. The set comes with a delightful booklet, with essays by Ramsey Campbell and Robert E. Price discussing Lovecraft, and other essays concerning the films presented here. You get a lot of Lovecraftian horror for your money, and all of it is exceptionally fine work from imaginative film makers. Highly recommended!
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