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Movies => Good Movies => Topic started by: Mofo Rising on April 16, 2013, 04:44:08 AM



Title: Die Farbe (2010), aka The Color Out of Space
Post by: Mofo Rising on April 16, 2013, 04:44:08 AM
Die Farbe (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1756479/) is a low-budget German film that is an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space."

Basic plot set-up, a young man's father, a WWII vet, has returned to Germany and promptly disappears. He travels to Germany to find him and is caught up in a troubling story involving a meteorite falling near a German farm and the disturbing incidents that happen afterwards.

So this is probably the most faithful adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's classic story. I'm assuming you're familiar with this story, because you're on this website. And if you're not, read it right now (http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/thecolouroutofspace.htm). And then go on and read the rest of H.P. Lovecraft. You will love it.

Now it is a very low-budget affair, and it is German. It's also in black and white, although that stylistic choice does pay off. I did say it is the most faithful adaptation of the story, and I'm going to go ahead and say it is the best. Certainly better than The Curse (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092809/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2).

Certainly not a perfect film. It is rather slow, but if you're familiar with Lovecraft, that shouldn't be a surprise. I also got a bit of laughs from the fact that it is a German production that features several American backdrop characters. The main character, the son of the WWII vet, is supposedly an American, but is played by an actor with a pronounced German accent. The same thing happened with another movie I watched recently, Juan of the Dead, where a supposed American is played by a guy with a very obvious Cuban accent. I guess it doesn't really matter when most of your audience doesn't speak English. It actually makes me quite curious as to how often this happens in American movies. I would say it happens all the time. Makes me wonder if the main actor affected a "German with American accent" for his role. If he did, hooray! I'm guessing it is probably lost on everybody.

At any rate, this production understands the original story and plays it straight and succeeds. I've seen a lot of Lovecraft inspired movies, and they are almost always awful. This one is really good. There's a bit at the ending which is unnecessary, but, eh, movie adaptations. If you like H.P. Lovecraft, make it a point to see this movie.

It actually may be a bit difficult. Doesn't seem to have any sort of release strategy. I found it on Amazon Instant. It doesn't seem to be on anywhere else easier to see, unless you count the way the internet works.

At any rate, if you are a Lovecraft fan, this film should be immediately placed on your short-list of films to find. If you are not a Lovecraft fan, go to Hell. I'm disappointed in you.

Final aside, this page (http://lovecraftzine.com/movies/mikes-recommended-lovecraftian-movies/) is the one that recommended the film to me, and I agree with all of the films mentioned. (Well, The Shrine is a bit iffy.)


Title: Re: Die Farbe (2010), aka The Color Out of Space
Post by: indianasmith on April 16, 2013, 06:19:05 AM
This actually turned up at our Hasting's store last fall and I watched it.  Your impression pretty well summed it up for me, too.


Title: Re: Die Farbe (2010), aka The Color Out of Space
Post by: Archivist on April 17, 2013, 10:20:36 PM
Thanks for the recommendation, I'm a huge Lovecraft fan.  Have been since I read Dagon and Other Weird Tales in 1986.  And I agree, just about all the other Lovecraft movies are awful!  :cheers:


Title: Re: Die Farbe (2010), aka The Color Out of Space
Post by: ulthar on April 18, 2013, 07:56:15 AM


At any rate, if you are a Lovecraft fan, this film should be immediately placed on your short-list of films to find. If you are not a Lovecraft fan, go to Hell. I'm disappointed in you.


 :teddyr:

In 1985, I brought the girl I was dating to see RE-ANIMATOR at the theater.  While there, we happened to run into a friend of hers with her date.

Neither of the girls had ever heard of HP Lovecraft.  "He writes horror?  Oh, so he's like Stephen King, then?"  There we were in line, with the two guys trying to explain the style of Lovecraft and doing a literary 'compare and contrast' with King.


Title: Re: Die Farbe (2010), aka The Color Out of Space
Post by: Archivist on April 21, 2013, 12:00:06 AM
Re-Animator?  My Dad and uncle saw that on VHS back in the day.  Reportedly, my uncle was so sickened that he had to make an abrupt visit to the toilet.  I hope your dates went better than that!