Books
‘Annihilation’ and the Adaptive Legacy of H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Colour Out of Space”
A meteor crashes to Earth, emits strange colors in the perimeter around the crash, and begins altering the flora and fauna in bizarre ways that defy Earthbound science. In H.P. Lovecraft’s popular short story “The Colour Out of Space”, the strange alien meteorite affects a farm near the coast with “colour,” indescribable globules of color that taints and alters everything around the crash site. In Alex Garland’s Annihilation, the meteor crash near the coast unleashes the “Shimmer,” an iridescent dome of color that has irrevocably changed everything inside it. For Lena (Natalie Portman) and the expedition sent to investigate the Shimmer, their journey is nothing like the horrific decay of the Gardner farm in Lovecraft’s story, but they reach very similar conclusions. And that looming fear of the unknown feels very much in line tonally, as well. Annihilation isn’t based on Lovecraft’s works at all, and yet it feels like the greatest adaptation among his most popular stories; the story that’s garnered more adaptations than any other in Lovecraft’s catalog.
Among Lovecraft’s personal favorites of his work, “The Colour Out of Space” was the first in which he blended sci-fi with horror. Lovecraft’s brand of horror emphasizes the unknowable, usually in the form of indescribable monstrosities, and a whole lot of unanswered questions that leave a lingering feeling of dread. It allows a lot of room for interpretation, and yet Lovecraft’s stories have proven very difficult to adapt. But “The Colour Out of Space” puts its focus on the Gardner family, through the eyes of their neighbor Ammi Pierce, who recounts the colour’s changes of the Gardners to a land surveyor from the city. The story may have referred to the glowing colors of the meteorite as “almost impossible to describe,” but it gets precise with the description of the squirrels, rabbits, woodchuck, cabbages, asters, and other common ecology that are morphed and warped into something horrific. The horror comes from twisting the familiar into something grotesquely unknown, making it hit much closer to home than a lot of his works. It’s the relatability and familiarity that makes “The Colour Out of Space” work, and ripe for consistent adaptations.
The first was 1965’s Die, Monster, Die! Directed by Daniel Haller, this adaptation is very loosely based on Lovecraft’s story and adheres closer to the Edgar Allan Poe film series by Roger Corman that kicked off the decade. Haller served as production designer for many of the Corman produced Poe films, which no doubt played a major factor in his look and feel for Die, Monster, Die! Boris Karloff stars as Nahum Witley, a wheelchair-bound scientist that discovers a radioactive meteorite and keeps it in his basement, using it to mutate the plants and animals in his greenhouse. Save for some of the names, the core effect of the meteorite, and certain character fates, this is furthest removed from Lovecraft’s story.
It took almost twenty years for another cinematic attempt at “The Colour Out of Space” to come along, this time an Italian-American production directed by actor David Keith (An Officer and a Gentleman, Firestarter) and co-produced by Lucio Fulci. Set in the present, The Curse is a much more faithful take on the story, though it does devolve into an insane creature feature by the third act. Starring a young Wil Wheaton and his sister Amy Wheaton as the only two Crane family members not infected by the meteorite that’s crash-landed on their Tennessee farm, they watch in horror as the crops, then livestock, and finally, their family members mutate. It’s a showcase of gory, gooey, ‘80s effects, of which Fulci also contributed, and made enough of an impact to earn an unrelated sequel.
In 2008, Colour from the Dark marked another loose adaptation of the story. Starring Debbie Rochon, this story also followed a farm and its inhabitants as they descend into chaos after a strange color appears from their well. But there’s no meteor crash or cosmic horror in this adaptation, just a supernatural based entity and themes of religious horror.
The most faithful take yet came two years later, with German film The Colour Out of Space, or Die Farbe. The plot has a man traveling to Germany in search of his missing father, and uncovering the secrets of the land where he was stationed after World War II. Save for that setting update, it plays out almost exactly like Lovecraft’s story. With its low budget, director Haun Vu makes an interesting style choice- The Colour Out of Space is in black and white. Though puzzling at first, aside from hiding some of the rougher CG effects, it makes the appearance of the “colour” pop.
These films are just the straightforward feature length adaptations, and doesn’t even touch upon the impact “The Colour Out of Space” played on meteorite-based horror. The Blob, “The Lonesome Death of Jody Verrill” segment of Creepshow, Slither, and many more draw influences from Lovecraft’s story in some capacity. Almost always in more rural settings, all see the alien horror consume and spread across the land, be it creature, radiation, or blight. Annihilation subverts that by turning the alien destruction into a thing of beauty, but the core similarities remain the same. It’s the most well-executed take on Lovecraft’s story yet, but the possibilities are limitless and leave the door wide open for more perspectives on Lovecraft’s cosmic “colour.”
Books
‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans
In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.
The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.
Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.
Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.
For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.
Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.
One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.
At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.
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