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Review by The Ninja Master A 90's horror movie based on H.P. Lovecraft's The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. The only film based on his work that actually follows the original story, and does it well. THINGS THIS MOVIE CONTAINED: That one guy who played Prince Humperdink in The Princes' Bride, a Private Investigator, some seriously cool creatures THINGS THIS MOVIE DID NOT CONTAIN: Steven Seagal, John Wayne, a martial artist Seagull named Steven. Untrue Fact: Little Orphan Annie directed this movie. The Review: Anyone familiar with Lovecraft needs to check this out. There aren't a lot of good Lovecraft movies, in fact there are barely any. The reason being that his short stories just don't translate well to film. Usually the director's take enough liberties to destroy the original work, leaving behind nothing but a few names and places. I'm happy to say this one follows The Case of Charles Dexter Ward quite well. Mrs. Ward hires a private investigator to discover what her husband is up to. He's moved out of the house and is engaged in strange experiments involving human remains, which is freaky enough. On top of that, he's got a mysterious associate that seems to be working with him. Skeptical at first, the investigator uncovers more and more strange clues that point towards an impossible reality. This movie builds a bit slowly, but it works. The atmosphere is dark and creepy, and the first half seems more like a dark mystery movie than a horror flick. I won't even begin to ruin the end for you, but when you do see some creatures the effects are awesome 90's style. There's some gore, but it's not over the top. The increasing sense of stumbling into the unknown brings a feeling not found in many movies, one that I welcome completely. Howard Philips Lovecraft has pretty much inspired all the greatest horror writers of our time. It's great to see a faithful adaptation of his work, and any fans of his need to get this immediately. There's no Cthulhu or Yog-Sothoth in here, but this Lovecraft movie delivers on the eldritch secrets that we all crave so deeply. Complaints: A few scenes could have been done better, and the acting isn't too great. This is easily overlooked by the overall feel of the film. As a long time Lovecraft fan, I devoured this movie like candy. Compared to the usual Lovecraft films, the problems with this one were negligible. On a side note: The Ninja Master knows all. Charles Dexter Ward would have been better off taking his online course, "Unknowable Secrets of the Darkest Cosmos." The final involves sacrificing yourself to the hideous Daemon Sultan Azathoth, who bubbles and blasphemes at the center of the Universe. (Easier than it sounds, just get the Cliff Notes.)
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