Customer Reviews

H.P. Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Length:: 2:04 Mins

The Dunwich Horror is another intriguing Radio drama tale. Not only did the story capture my interest, but the actors' voice performances, music, and sound effects all kept me at the edge of my seat. I was captivated the whole time! Loved the intensity and would listen to it again!

The HPLHS Dark Adventure Radio Theatre presentation of The Dunwich Horror is Brilliant!

I am an avid Lovecraft fan and to put his stories to script are extremely difficult, as many lovecraftophiles know however; the HPLHS has done it again with this eldritch production. The pacing is perfect for that OTR feel, the actors do a great job of making you feel that you are really there in Dunwich as the Whateley Family (Decayed) engage in their bizarre rites and doings atop Sentinel Hill.

The goodies keep coming with the "props" that are included such as:
A map of Dunwich
A page of the dreaded Necronomicon
A passage from Whateley's diary

These guys pull out all the stops on this, one of Lovecraft's best stories.

BRAVO!!!

IÄ IÄ YOG SOTHOTH!!

Picked this up for a road trip (along with the other release). Great Lovecraft story done well in the style of 30s radio dramatization. Creepy and well told. Lovecraft stories are notoriously hard to put into scripted drama, but these radio styled performances have done it quite well, and not surprising, it is done by the Lovecraft guild (or whatever the group is called). I think these people also did the fantastic silent film "Call of Cthulhu" that recently came out). Well done!

The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society scores another success with their retro-style entertainment. This follow-up to their audio play 'At The Mountains Of Madness' is further proof that the HPLHS is the yardstick for adapting the works of Lovecraft to other media.

Once again capturing the feel of OTR plays, this CD is a must-have for Lovecraft fans. From the genuinely frightening performance of the story to the extras in the CD case (a map of Dunwich, a page from The Necronomicon, and newspaper clipping), 'The Dunwich Horror' by Dark Adventure Theatre is a five-star masterpiece.

The HPLHS is prepared to release another 'Dark Adventure Theatre' production, this one an adaptation of Lovecraft's 'The Shadow Out of Time'. I, for one, can hardly wait.

The folks down at HPLHS have done it again with yet another "radio broadcast" cd production. This time it's my all time favorite bedtime story of "The Dunwich Horror". Now you might think that just because this is my favorite story I'm going to be lenient on it. Well quite the contrary. As a fan of the written work I can be very picky about how it is translated.
For those of you who have missed the once popular radio plays of the 20's, 30's and 40's. This cd brings it all back to life. (And without the help of Herbert West I might add!)Complete with traditional foley sound effects used back in "the day". Along with a couple of commercial sponsor spots. This brings back a a healthy mix of nostalgia and modern creativity.
The story adaptation is terrific. Many scenes are brought to life through creative (yet extremely faithfull) scripting, and production. This is Lovecraft for Lovecraft fans by Lovecraft fans!
I did however note a slight "nod" to the HPLHS production of "Shoggoth on the Roof" in this particular play. And it would be prudent for me to mention it. Though it does not effect the story at all.
The cd also comes complete with a few extra printed "goodies" to add to the mood.
Overall this was a very entertaining cd. One best listened to with the lights down low or off. With your only source of illumination being that of the pale celestial neighbor that hangs in the sky. A small decantur of brandy. And your revolver handy. Though it will do you less good than the brandy.
A first class production all the way. Fans of Lovecraft will be spellbound by it's quality and adherence to the written work. I can't wait for thier next piece!
--Jonathan of the undecayed Zuchowskis'

Very well done and the props that come with it only add to the experience. If you enjoy Lovecraft, you love this product and the others from Dark Adventures Radio Theatre!

Great CD, I highly recommend it. I had bought the box set of four, but it was missing one CD, so I purchased this last one separately. The whole set is fantastic.

This review is for H.P. Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror

There are some authors who write books easy to dramatize, and then there are others . . .

As a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's fiction, I was intrigued by the idea of this item, a 1930's-style radio theater adaptation of Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror," but at the same time I was skeptical. Much of the effect of HPL's writing is bound up in the narrative and the florid (sometime overflorid) prose he used. I wasn't sure whether the guys at DART (Dark Adventure Radio Theater) would be up to the task of translating it to radio-play format. I'm happy to say that they did a magnificent job.

The adaptors did an excellent job of distilling the essence of the story, the voice actors for the most part did an excellent job with their deliveries, and the whole package comes together into one glorious, if spine-tingling, whole. Well done, folks!

It doesn't hurt that the CD jewel box include some extra items to get you into the proper frame of mind for being spooked: a map of the area in question, an authentic-looking newspaper clipping, a creepy page of Wilbur Whateley's cipher, and a distressed-looking excerpt from the infamous Necronomicon (the Dee copy).

Overall, an excellent product. Next up for me: a copy of this one for my brother and more of the radio plays for myself. Money well spent.

By choosing "The Dunwich Horror" as the second Dark Adventure Radio Theater production, the group set themselves up for a something of a challenge. A branch of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, Dark Adventure Radio Theater creates Lovecraft adaptations in the style of the 19303-40s "Golden Age of Radio" mimicking not only the acting style and sound effects but also the commercials of the era.

Unlike the previous adventure, At the Mountains of Madness, there actually was a production of "The Dunwich Horror" produced during the Golden Age of Radio. Starring Academy Award winner Ronald Colman (A Double Life) as Henry Armitage, "The Dunwich Horror" was broadcast on the the radio series "Suspense" in 1945. This allows for a direct comparison of an "actual" Golden Age of Radio adaptation of Lovecraft, and a modern adaptation of the same story in an imitative style. Because they used the same source material, both adoptions even often use the exact same dialog.

So how did they do?

Fantastic. Clocking in at 75 minutes, as opposed the "Suspense" version which ran less than 30 minutes, the Dark Adventure version packs in more Lovecraftian goodness and more of the original text. "Suspense" starts out near the death of Old Whateley, but in the Dark Adventure series you get the whole weird life of Lavinia, Wilbur and his mysterious twin. The Dark Adventure story follows Lovecraft's text without any variation that I could find.

The voice acting in Dark Adventures is a marked improvement over their previous release, "At the Mountains of Madness." Although it was a good production, there was too much "over-the-top" enunciation that comes of as more of a parody of Old Time Radio rather than an imitation. Listening to the "Suspense" production, the actors were very serious about their roles and produced some chilling horror, and I was glad to see that captured here. Wilbur's voice gets extra props here. I don't know what they did for that effect, but it captures Wilbur's unearthly nature perfectly.

Like "At the Mountains of Madness," Dark Adventure Radio Theater's "The Dunwich Horror" is packed with tremendous "bonus materials;" A reproduction newspaper clipping from the "Arkham Advertiser" supposedly talking about the poor health and hygiene in rural areas, using the Whateley family as examples. A page torn from Dr. Dee's English translation of the Necronomicon (be careful when reading this!). A map from a proposed rail-line showing Dunwhich and its surroundings. And a hand-drawn and stained memo from the Wizard Whateley himself. All of these supplemental materials are so well-done it is simply amazing. Dark Adventure Radio Theater really knows how to add value to their products, and anyone who merely downloads the adventure is missing out on some truly special Lovecraft memorabilia.

This is the second release of an HP Lovecraft tale by Dark Adventure Radio. Like the "Mountains of Madness" the "Dunwhich Horror" does what film probably could not. To appreciate the terror of Lovecraft it is best to imagine it, than actually be shown. The radio drama provides the sounds to help guide one's imagination into the black abyss of horror that we all crave!

The work is done in the manner of a 1930's radio production and the nostalgia factor alone makes the CD a great buy. How can you not love a program that has advertisements that say cigarettes are good for your digestion?

This particular Lovecraft tale is different than his others, in that there is a blatant good vs evil fight. The voice acting is well done and the story follows the written tale quite well. I will ruin nothing, but only say that the climax was fantastic. I actually jumped and loved it so much that I had to listen to it three times to take in what can only be put in these sophisticated, college educated terms; 'Wuz Teh Awesomez"

The CD is literally bursting with goodies including a newspaper article, a clumsy diary entry from a strange three year old who takes after his father, and a page from Abdul AlHazrad's Necronomicon. For fun I read the page aloud on a given night, at a certain place, when the stars seemed right. Needless to say, I regretted my decision.

Any drawbacks to this one? No! Dark Adventure's prior work, "The Mountains of Madness" had some 'pacing' issues in the begginning, but not so in "The Dunwich Horror". I'd say it is a must for any Lovecraft fan and well worth a listen to anyone who appreciates good horror.