The Call of Cthulhu (2005) directed by Andrew Leman
What if "The Call of Cthulhu" was adapted for film right after Lovecraft finished the story in 1926? It would look damned close to this, I'm sure. Made in the style of a silent movie, the only bits that give the movie away as being from 2005 are the superior image quality (computer generated dust and scratches can't mask the better lenses and film stocks we have now) and the too-good-for-'26 stop motion. The sets are dead-on silent movie, with a stage play-looking boat and expressionistic city of R'lyeh, as is the exaggerated acting. It's an impressive technical achievement.
Story-wise, it's pretty much an exact adaption of the story, covering the plague of strange dreams, the story of the backwoods cult, and the sea encounter with Cthulhu itself. Due to this, it's a bit slow to get going. The beginning of the story is basically a man reading newspaper clippings and interviewing people. The adventure in the Pacific, however, makes for a very cinematic finale. (7/10)
Taking the lead from the surrealistic first and fourth movies, it dives into the deep end of weirdness. It's 2047 and Mike has been in a dream coma for 68 years, except he looks like the Mike from part two. Everything that happened in the movies really happening in Mike's dreams. Except that Rocky from part three is for-real and also stuck in a dream coma. And they're the only two people to ever wake up from it. And a dream coma plague has swept the planet and the scientist caring for Mike thinks he's the key to solving the problem. Or maybe not. Maybe the scientist is the Tall Man and he's messing with Mike again. And Reg died in the car wreck with Jody back in 1979. Except, he's advertised as returning in the second issue.
Maybe not where I'd like to see the series go, but it is some trippy fun.
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