Badmovies.org Forum

Okay, okay, okay... why do they keep making <i>horrible</i> translations of H.P. Lovecraft films.  I must admit, though, that Brian Yunza usually does pretty well (he made Reanimator) as does Stuart Gordon (Castle Freak) and possibly soon to be making <A HREF="http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/display.cgi?id=2377">The Shadow Over Innsmouth.</A>, although there are still rights issues with it.

This movie was directed by J.P. Simon, the Spanish equivalent of Fred Olen Ray who gave us such classics as Pod People and Pieces.  Somebody needs to quit giving him money to make more painful cinematic turds.

Cthulhu Mansion.  REnted it thinking that Cthulhu would be in it, and be really nifty and eat everyone and kill lots of stuff.  I was worng.  they never even said 'Cthulhu'.  Man...  That is sad.  If your looking for a Lovecraft Tale...  Go somewhere else.

Did anyone notice Chandu. Bela Lugosi played a mystic/magician by the same name. Not only leaving out Lovecraft referances, with the exception of the Necronomicon, but actually dredging up old Lugosi movies

If you're looking for a good Lovecraft movie... well you'd have better luck trying to find the Holy Grail. If you're looking for a movie to sit around and make fun of with a bunch of friends. This movie is ideal.

I saw this movie recently and reviewed it too...I'm deeply disturbed.  
Was Chris kicking the guy or is that
a really bad kicking scene? I swear, I saw better acting from the high school drama department.

This movie was great for my crew, because the guy that gets the blood shower and the chick that gets eaten by the Cream-cheese Demon in the fridge look just like two people we know.  Other than that, ouch.  This movie hurt.  And I've seen it twice.  May Cthulhu have mercy on my soul (dramatic music)

i hate to bring it up again, but, man, what kind of vengeful demon did frank finlay displease to end up in this disaster? finlay's a good actor with a gift for comedy, as demonstrated in richard lester's musketeer movies amongst other things, you'd think he'd know better.
this thing is unspeakably awful. not entertaining bad, just infuriating, 'i can't believe they got away with this' bad. watching for the goofs can only be enertaining for so long. naming the magician after the old radio character, played in movies by edmund lowe and bela lugosi, can only garner so many points. and advertising it as being 'from the imagination of h.p. lovecraft' is just plain evil. if there were a law, it would be against it. the only thing this movie has in common with cthulhu is that you should flee in abject terror when confronted with both.

Not even remotley close to any of Lovecraft's work...but the film is o.k. none-the-less. A gang of punks take a magician and his daughter hostage in their own home. They soon discover that an evil force inherits the house. O.k. story, and good effects, but mediocre acting, and slow at times. **1/2 out of *****.

I'm puzzled at peoples lack of appreciation of this film, its marvellously entertaining with an eerie, fobidding atmosphere to the house itself. The hoodlums terror as the place becomes 'alive' is superbly contrasted with their initial arrogance. Throughly enjoyable - check it!

I've come to the conclusion that good cinematic Lovecraft is impossible.  The Elder Gods forbid it.

The only good that's ever come out of Lovecraft screen adaptations is that one where Jeffrey Combs plays the big L himself...and only those scenes.  The rest of the movie (the Necronomicon, I believe?) was awful.  Jeffrey Combs is awesome.

I agree with almost everything you say in your web. Only a litle mistake: The guy walking after Chris was shot, isn't him. I know that very well, cause I did play Chris ten years ago, and never shot the scene passing by the guards. I don't mean gods will forgive me for that work, but I promise I've done better things since then (easy, ¿doesn't it?). I've had a very good time reading your funny opinions. I promise praying on my knees 10min. a day during next ten years. Sincerely "Chris".

By the way... What happened to the Octopus-Head himself. Does he appear in the movie? No? Booo!

Lovecrafts books are much better than films based on his work. This movie is the perfect example why. It made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Cthulhu doesn't love you, really.
Isn't this movie proof enough? The Old Man of Providence is twisting on his grave, I'm positive.

B Wing - suggest you stop taking, or reduce dosage of whatever is messin' with your mind. CTHULHU MANSION is utter drivel - a 100% badmovie.

Who cares about H.P. Lovecraft and the 'faithfulness' of this adaptation?  Just seeing the name JUAN PIQUER SIMON in the opening credits should be the tip-off for some poorly acted, written, and directed cheese.  'Cthulhu Mansion' is probably Simon's best film, with truly hilarious bad acting and a few decent scare scenes.  But did we really need those crotch-shots while the guy was drowning in the shower?

The title is a lie. Cthulhu has NOTHING to do with this film. The movie is big on upside down crosses and stereotypical satanism, but there is no cthulhu anywhere to be seen. Yeah, they mention the necronomicon. That's it tho.

Lovecraft's stories never involved "satan" vs "jesus" - he was an athiest - his horror stories were absolute; there is no god, only ancient, unknown alien things that are waiting for the stars to be right so they can come back and eat our brains. This movie isn't even a good badfilm. It totally sucks balls.

And i agree with a_salieri@hotmail.com - a well done version of The Call of Cthulhu would be the ultimate authority on horror films anywhere. I doubt it will ever happen -there's not enough fans to promote it, and not enough rich directors/producers/writers who understand/appriciate lovecraft to take it up.

so in the mean time we're stuck with boring slasher flicks or regurgitated tales about the devil. True horror lies dreaming in sunken r'lyeh.

This was the worst movie I ever saw hands down.  It should have gotten one drop at best not three!  The acting was terrible, basically I could have done better as a mute then they did in the whole film and for get it the plot was well... WHAT PLOT?! Its good if you want to laugh at some idoits getting killed and that is that, best charactor, the little black cat.

    The best film adaption of Lovecraft's work that I've watched is a Spanish production titled "Dagon."  It is based upon "Shadow Over Innsmouth," and even though the setting's been relocated from New England to the Spanish coast, it's does a superb job of capturing the lurking horror of H. P.'s work.  The human-fish hybrids will make your skin crawl!
    As for Juan Simon Piquer, he is truly Spain's answer to Edward D. Wood, Jr. In addition to this piece of faux Lovecraft, he has directed/produced Pod People, Slugs, Pieces, and Supersonic Man (a lame ripoff of the 1st Superman movie). Thrill as Supersonic Man lifts a plywood bulldozer out of harm's way! Supersonic Man is definitely a film that should be featured at this website.  It's far worse than Cthulhu Mansion.

This movie sucked wild ass!! The mute guy was kind of cool, and the guy who played Chandu probably had to accept a hefty bribe to star in the film, but acting was simply atrocious. That part in the beginning where the cops were "kicking the s**t out of some poor guy"? I could direct better than that!!

I saw Dagon, and it was okay. But the best Lovecraft adaptation to date is Dan O'Bannon's the Ressurected, hands down. The Reanimator may be a better movie, but that story really is not the quintessential Lovecraft. Imagine an adaptation of "Call of Cthulhu" done with the passion and talent of Jackson's Lord of the Rings. The world has yet to see something like that.

Movies like this are just too painful to watch so many mistakes the director should be barred from making anymore movies