I recently stumbled across a 2007 anime film that anthologizes three of H. P. Lovecraft's stories: The Picture in the House, The Dunwich Horror, and The Festival. The film--titled The Dunwich Horror and Other Stories--was produced in Japan in 2007 and was directed by Akira Shinagawa. Sadly at present it does not look like a Region 1 DVD exists, but it seems probably that the American otaku community has set up a grey-market copy somewhere, possibly fansubbed for the non-Japanese-speaking viewers.
Here is the Ganime page for the movie. The text is all in Japanese, but it does include a small movie file for the trailer. It looks like the film is a stop-motion affair along the lines of Jan Švankmajer's animation. I am very excited to see this.
Showing posts with label lovecraft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lovecraft. Show all posts
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Podcast Review: HPPodcraft.com
Some podcasts come and go from my normal listening rotation, but one has stayed among my favorites for more than a year now. That is HPPodcraft.com. For those not familiar with it, this is a weekly podcast devoted to the writings of weird fiction author H. P. Lovecraft. Most episodes are detailed plot summaries for each story, punctuated by a combination of excerpt readings, host banter, and interviews with special guests, typically Lovecraft scholars or members of the ever-growing creative community that translates Lovecraft's work to other media.
The two hosts - Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer - share a passion for all things Lovecraftian. They are clearly well-read not only in the official Lovecraft canon, but also in such useful ancillary writings as Lovecraft's correspondence and S. T. Joshi's critical essays. Their podcast accomplishes something noteworthy in that it is great for both new and veteran Lovecraft fans. Their summaries of his stories give a good sense of what all his writings are about (while sparing the more wary listeners from having to read, say, "Medusa's Coil" on their own). But also, the more experienced Lovecraft fan can find many interesting details about the publication histories of his stories, his literary influences, and different adaptations of his works.
Sometimes, they also commission a reading of a particular story, and these episodes are absolute must-listens. The production values are always top-notch, the readers are excellent, and the use of stereo sound in the music and effects virtually demands listening to them via earbuds, preferably alone and in the dark. These readings are usually tied to fundraising drives for the podcast, and they might be one of the best rewards anyone can ask for donating to a podcast. Three stories have been read so far ("The Haunter in the Dark," "From Beyond," and "The Picture in the House" - one of my favorites), and two more are currently in the works.
I cannot possibly recommend their podcast highly enough. As a pulp lit nerd, I dream about emulating this model for other writers (a "Robert E. Howardcast," maybe?). However, it would take serious talent for anyone to develop as good a product as HPPodcraft.
The two hosts - Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer - share a passion for all things Lovecraftian. They are clearly well-read not only in the official Lovecraft canon, but also in such useful ancillary writings as Lovecraft's correspondence and S. T. Joshi's critical essays. Their podcast accomplishes something noteworthy in that it is great for both new and veteran Lovecraft fans. Their summaries of his stories give a good sense of what all his writings are about (while sparing the more wary listeners from having to read, say, "Medusa's Coil" on their own). But also, the more experienced Lovecraft fan can find many interesting details about the publication histories of his stories, his literary influences, and different adaptations of his works.
Sometimes, they also commission a reading of a particular story, and these episodes are absolute must-listens. The production values are always top-notch, the readers are excellent, and the use of stereo sound in the music and effects virtually demands listening to them via earbuds, preferably alone and in the dark. These readings are usually tied to fundraising drives for the podcast, and they might be one of the best rewards anyone can ask for donating to a podcast. Three stories have been read so far ("The Haunter in the Dark," "From Beyond," and "The Picture in the House" - one of my favorites), and two more are currently in the works.
I cannot possibly recommend their podcast highly enough. As a pulp lit nerd, I dream about emulating this model for other writers (a "Robert E. Howardcast," maybe?). However, it would take serious talent for anyone to develop as good a product as HPPodcraft.
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