H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness [Special Edition, Digital Sound]

Dark Adventure Radio Theatre | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 18, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Special Edition, Digital Sound
• Label: Microcinema
• Run Time: 74 minutes
• ASIN: B000NFWGCW
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,925 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Opening

2. Worldwide Wireless News

3. Lake's Camp

4. The Elder City

5. The Abyss

6. Closing

Editorial Reviews

"An expedition to the ends of the earth resulting in death and madness..." Dark Adventure Radio Theatre: At the Mountains of Madness brings Lovecraft's tale to life as it might have been adapted for radio during his lifetime. In the style of The War of the Worlds and The Shadow, Dark Adventure Radio Theatre dramatizes HPL's story with a cast of professional actors, exciting sound effects and original music by Troy Sterling Nies (composer for The Call of Cthulhu). Relive the excitement of 1930s radio with one of HP Lovecraft's most exciting and fascinating stories: At the Mountains of Madness. In addition to the full 75 minute radio drama, the CD packaging includes clippings from a 1930s newspaper chronicling the expedition's progress in the Antarctic and reproductions of photographs of the ancient city taken by Danforth and Dyer which corroborate their findings. There's even a reproduction from Danforth's sketchbook, depicting the Elder Things and their fantastical murals. And of course it's beautifully produced and packaged with the same deranged attention to detail that you'll find in other HPLHS products.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ah, Those Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear...., March 26, 2007

By 

RJDiogenes "Idealistic Cynic" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness (Audio CD)

The world needs more people like the guys at the HP Lovecraft Historical Society.

First, they produced a movie adaptation of Lovecraft's classic CALL OF CTHULHU. And did they do the obvious, and update the tale to the 21st century, film it in living color, with photorealistic CGI effects and self-consciously edgy modern characters? Nope. They did it right, as a picture-perfect impersonation of a silent film contemporaneous with the publication of the original story.

Now, they've followed that up with an adaptation of Lovecraft's AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS. Not a silent movie this time, but a radio play in the classic style of LIGHTS OUT or SUSPENSE (complete with commercials!). See, these guys know what I know: That cineplex- and ratings-driven fashion have not made artistry and style obsolete. If you know it, too; if you love good, old-fashioned urbane horror; if you love the timeless ambiance of a radio dramatization (played in the dark); if you want a Lovecraft adaptation that's appropriate to the life and times of the man himself, then do yourself a favor and buy this CD. You'll get well over an hour of Lovecraftian goodness and you won't be disappointed.

I just wish more people had this much respect for the style and artistry of the past.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovecraft meets modern OTR, September 20, 2008

By 

J. W. Zorn (Chehalis, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness (Audio CD)

As a lifelong fan of both H.P. Lovecraft and the genre of Old Time Radio plays (especially Suspense, X Minus One, and Quiet Please), this modern retro radio play-style adaptation of 'Mountains of Madness' is a real gem.

Capturing the feel of the old radio plays perfectly, the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society delivers a dramatic, suspenseful version of one of the master's greatest achievements in sci-fi horror. There are moments (like when the characters are on an aeroplane) that the dialog is hard to hear, but that's perfectly in keeping with the OTR feel.

Even the charmingly tongue-in-cheek 'advertisement' for the bogus Fleurs-de-Lys brand of cigarettes is a hoot. It's all about attention to detail, and what old radio play ever had no annoying advertising?

Excellent voice performances, terrific sound effects, and a solid adherence to Lovecraft's story make this a must-add to any Lovecraft fan's collection. An added bonus are the inserts for the CD, which include a newspaper cutting from the Arkham Advertiser, photos of the City of the Elder Things, and a page from Danforth's sketchbook.

The HPLHS has also released a 'Dark Adventure Theatre' adaptation of 'The Dunwich Horror'.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Voices in the dark, August 21, 2008

By 

William Timothy Lukeman - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness (Audio CD)

Now this is how it should be done!

Adapting the stories of HP Lovecraft to other media has always been a thankless & mostly futile task. But the creators of this adaptation have succeeded wonderfully, because they had the sense to recreate the times & atmosphere in which Lovecraft wrote, setting his tale in context.

How?

By recreating the glory days of radio drama, right down to the static & commercials & slightly over-the-top acting style of the 1930s. You can practically hear the vacuum tubes warming up when you put this CD on to play! The attention to detail & authenticity is truly astounding, from beginning to end. You'll swear that you're listening to something contemporary with Orson Welles' famed "War of the Worlds" broadcast.

At the same time, they don't focus so much on details that they lose sight of the story. Everything is in service to Lovecraft's vision of an ancient, titanic city in the frozen waste of the Antarctic mountains, created by weird alien beings & their monstrous servants, now long dead ... or are they? The hapless expedition of mere mortal men will discover the horrifying truth before long!

So settle down in a cozy chair, turn the lights down low, and enter the theater of the imagination. But be prepared for some chills! For both horror & classic radio fans, this is a treat. Highly recommended!