Housewife (2017) #447

“Housewife” was one of the feature films screened at the 24^th annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. Its single screening was filled to capacity and was well received by those in attendance. There is an overtly obvious nod to Lovecraft’s style of cosmic dread in the film as well as use love of cults. I enjoyed the film well enough and was glad that I chose this film over the other offerings at that time slot.

“Housewife” is the second feature film from Turkish writer/director Can Evrenol. His first film, “Baskin”, was seeped in folklore and symbolism which made that particular movie possibly somewhat confusing for people unfamiliar Turkish culture. “Housewife” feels slightly more approachable for the average viewer; it’s not as visually dark, there is less, if any, hidden Turkish references, and the cast speaks English, although with slight to thick accents.

 “Housewife” may be an ode to the stylish European horror films of the 1980’s and 1990’s. The visual palette and the use of colors in “Housewife” help draw the viewer in; warm amber and orange hues conflict with scenes of shades of blue and black, from moments of innocence and sex to trauma to hypnosis. The first two thirds of the movie are focused on trauma, memories, and sexual connection while the ending is purely unexpected horror.

Narratively “Housewife” is a chaotic tale about a woman named Holly who is barely tethered to reality ever since her childhood when she witnessed her mother kill her sister and father. She has a phobia of toilets, she is lying to her husband about wanting children, and her former best friend ran off with a cult. When that friend comes back into her life and is invited to meet the cult’s leader, Holly and her husband lives’ and turned upside down from revelations from the past and a very cultish, cosmic future. 

Color Out of Space (2019) #446

H.P. Lovecraft was a pulp magazine writer from the 1920’s and 1930’s who left behind a small treasure trove of fantastic short stories after his death. Since the mid 1980’s, Lovecraft’s popularity has grown to incredible heights. Because of this, movies have been slowly adapted from his stories. Scores of independent and amateur films have been produced and shown at film festivals around the country but only a handful of adaptations have been big budget spectacles, which include director Stuart Gordon’s classics “Re-Animator”, “From Beyond”, and “Dagon”. Finally Lovecraft’s classic “Color Out of Space” has received the royal treatment.

Before it's theatrical release, “Color Out of Space” was screened for the loyal fans at the 24th annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, Oregon in October of 2019. Returning guest of honor Richard Stanley, the film’s director and  co-writer, was full of pride as he presented his film to a sold out audience with appreciative standing ovations. Mr. Stanley was also on hand for a Q&A session. Those in attendance know what many others have come to know, that “Color Out of Space” is one of the best, craziest, and most fun film adaptations of an H.P Lovecraft story ever made.

At first glance, seeing names like Richard Stanley, Tommy Chong, and the ever unpredictable Nicholas Cage attached to a Lovecraft project may cause anyone to have serious doubts about the film being any good, but those names are exactly why this movie works. Mr. Stanley has been a fan of Lovecraft since he was a child. I had a chance to talk to him briefly at the 23rd annual H.P.L.F.F and he told me that he had been working on this script and fine tuning in for quite some time. His version of this well known story stays true to the nature of the narrative while adding visuals and events that add, and not detract, from Lovecraft's original vision. Casting Nicholas Cage as Nathan Gardner is perfect; it's a role that allows Mr. Cage to go all out crazy as he is known to do and horror movie fans are still talking about his recent role in the film "Mandy". Tommy Chong rounds out the noticeable casting choice as Ezra, a reworked version of Ammi Pierce. This is one of the biggest changes from the source material but it fits in perfectly in the narrative of this film. 


 

The rest of the supporting cast bring their respective characters to life and help make this particular film amazing. Joely Richards (Event Horizon) plays Theresa, Nathan’s wife, and Madeleine Arthur, Brendan Meyer, and Julian Hilliard were cast as the Gardner children, Lavinia, Benny, and Jack. Naming Madeleine’s character Lavinia, and having her performing a magical ritual in her opening scene was a clever nod to another well known Lovecraft character from the short story “The Dunwhich Horror”, a detail that I’m sure most Lovecraft fans will notice at once. 

In this adaptation of Lovecraft’s famous short story, an unusual meteorite crashes on the Gardner family farm, releasing an evil, malicious force that corrupts the land, animals, and the family themselves. There is a fair amount of high quality special effects as well as a few surprising moments of gore and body horror.

There is also a gracious amount of purple and pinks representing otherworldly color, so please accept that fact and enjoy the film.