For this inaugural column of Lovecraftian short film reviews, I've chosen to examine a selection of related, direct Lovecraft adaptations. All four entries draw inspiration from The Statement of Randolph Carter, one of Lovecraft's most adapted tales. Perhaps due to its small cast and relatively simple staging, this story has been brought to screen more than forty times. As all of these films share the same source material, for those unfamiliar with the story, here is a quick summary.
In the murky depths of Big Cypress Swamp near the Gainesville Pike, the story unfolds as the narrator (Randolph Carter) recounts the events preceding the disappearance of his friend, Harley Warren. Outfitted with electric lanterns, shovels, and a telephone wire system, the two venture to an ancient cemetery where Warren's research into forbidden texts has led them to uncover a tomb. After prying open the granite slab, Warren descends into the crypt, maintaining contact with Carter via their wired telephone. The communication grows increasingly disturbing as Warren describes the strange things he sees beneath the cemetery. Finally, he encounters something unthinkable in the depths, culminating in his frantic pleas for his friend to flee and seal the tomb. The retelling reaches its zenith when Warren's desperate screams fall silent and an inhuman voice declares through the telephone line, "You fool, Warren is dead!"
While both space and sanity dictate that I not address every adaptation, these films provide a solid cross-section of approaches. Despite their shared source material, each stands apart from the others in significant ways.
Throughout this series, I'll refrain from providing numerical ratings, allowing viewers to judge these films through the lens of their own tastes. That isn’t to say that I have no opinion on these films and their merits. Indeed, I feel that one can easily determine my particular feelings on a film from the below reviews. Rather, in the case of these films, I think that they highlight a number of differing approaches to adapting the same story, providing readers with a broader appreciation for what can (and has) been done with the same idea. These examples stand out clearly in what they are attempting and are successful in those efforts where other films may fall short.
Each film is available to view online, and I encourage readers to explore them and provide feedback to the filmmakers, letting them know their work continues to find and affect new audiences.
The Statement of Randolph Carter (2007)
Dir. Lance Hendrickson
Starring: Conner Bohne (Randolph Carter), Tony Czech (Harley Warren), C. J. (Voice)
6m ✦ Color ✦ US ✦ Youtube
The Statement of Randolph Carter takes much of its dialogue directly from Lovecraft's tale, and takes care to maintain the proper flavor where it is not. Sometimes this finds itself at odds with the more modern wardrobe of the characters, and certainly with their radio, but somehow it all just works.
The film opens on a dark cemetery as Randolph Carter and Harley Warren (miscredited as Warren Harley), make their way through the dark until they find the story's "half-obliterated sepulcher". While Tony Czech's delivery isn't the strongest, we are introduced to Conner Bohne's Randolph Carter as he stares, wide-eyes and open-mouthed at his companion. There is such a genuine feeling in that expression, one immediately believes in Carter's genuine nature. Indeed, for someone without a single listing on IMDB (something that shall be corrected shortly), Bohne’s natural appearance before the camera is worthier than any number of similar performances by known names and faces.
The location serves to enhance the scene. Cold air leaves breath hanging in the air, and wide shots serve to emphasize the isolated nature of the cemetery. All the while, wordlessly, Carter's concern and emerging sense of dread are written plainly across his face. Every facet of the film, lighting, location, and sound design, serve to paint a dark and desolate scene which one would expect in a much higher budgeted production.
As the film moves towards its climax, Warren's frantic dialog becomes less discernable, obscured by the wind, but serves only to support Bohn's performance as mounting terror plays across his face. Even the camera work grows more frantic as the tension mounts, lending a feeling of being present and the powerful delivery of the story's concluding line pays off in a genuinely frightening moment. The film closes with a brief scene in the interrogation chamber, its handheld-style footage adding to the authenticity of these final moments.
Note: This film, Lance Hendrickson's directorial debut, exists as something of a curiosity. While available online, the quality is sadly compromised. Originally uploaded to randomcreatureface.com in Quicktime format, the official version on YouTube is 360p and lacks the clarity one might hope for.
The Statement of Randolph Carter (2010)
Dir. Doug Simon
Animation: Doug Simon, Becky Bettencourt, Kate McElroy
Voices by: James Soper
4m ✦ Color ✦ US ✦ Youtube
This short take on The Statement of Randolph Carter offers perhaps the darkest adaptation of Lovecraft's tale, despite - or perhaps because of - its animated format. We find Randolph Carter on death row, convicted of Warren's murder, with the classic story intercut with Carter's final hours.
The spare animation style serves both narratives effectively. Whether following Carter through the swamp or watching him contemplate his last meal of lobster in his cell, the minimalist approach enhances the bleakness. The animated format allows for more exotic imagery than live-action adaptations could achieve, especially on a budget. The richness of background detail, both in Warren’s library, as well as within the cemetery, would undoubtedly by lost on film (unless jarringly lit to highlight them, defeating the purpose of such a “background” in the first place. Doug Simon wrings every advantage from his animation while Soper's world-weary narration matches this tone perfectly, his voice carrying the weight of inevitable doom.
The familiar Lovecraftian tale almost becomes secondary to Simon's framing device. The procession to the execution chamber, a priest's final prayers over the hooded condemned, and the brilliant juxtaposition of the story's famous final line with the film's closing image create a powerful reimagining.
The Statement of Randi Carter (2012)
Dir. Michael Alan Fitzgerald
Starring: Madeline Milden (Randi Carter), Thomas Auslander (Professor Harley Warren),
Jim Wallon (Detective Thomas F. Malone)
23m ✦ Color ✦ US ✦ Youtube
Taking Lovecraft's tale in an unexpected direction, The Statement of Randi Carter recasts the leads as lovers rather than colleagues. Warren emerges as a flawed man, his relationship with Carter colored by the gap between his position as respected professor and her status as a high school dropout.
Opening in a spot lit interrogation room, the dramatic lighting frames Madeline Milden's Randi Carter with shadow, concealing her face save for key moments. When both of her eyes become visible, there is a punch of earnestness, adding depth to a performance which leans more towards the theatrical. This near-monologue approach serves well in the opening scene, although the theatrical approach falters a bit when the scene shifts to the location of Carter and Warren’s investigation.
Fitzgerald retains the original setting within a swamp near the Gainesville Pike, but shifts the location of Warren and Carter’s investigation from a cemetery to that of a mansion cellar. Here, the sound design here suffers a bit, becoming a bit tinny and a bit of the dialog is circular and feels as if it might have been improvised. Additionally, Thomas Auslander's Warren struggles to be convincing as a man who is significantly older than Milden, and this undermines some of what Carter has told us.
Finally, Warren breaches the crypt, greeted by green light and fog which create additional atmosphere, despite the effects themselves being rather simple. Randi waits in silence for Warren's response, building tension until both the audience and Carter are at their breaking point.
Where the film truly finds its footing is in its finale. As events unfold, the dialogue becomes faithfully Lovecraftian, often word for word from the source. Milden's performance grows more convincing as Randi's emotions turn raw, her anguished cries of "you promised you wouldn't leave me" carrying the weight of their complex relationship. The familiar "You fool, Warren is dead" lands with fresh impact, underscored by the otherworldly voice that delivers it.
The Ordeal of Randolph Carter (2016)
Dir. Grieg Johnson
Starring: Greig Johnson (Randolph Carter), Chris Lackey (The Voice),
Andrew Leman (Harley Warren) 5m ✦ Color ✦ US ✦ Youtube
With its first establishing shot, this film sets a high standard for visual quality. The cemetery has such a dreamy appearance that one could be forgiven for mistaking it for a miniature – until our leads walk into the scene. The transition from day to night, with the film's title emerging on a headstone, demonstrates thoughtful cinematography that serves the story well.
Following a suitably moody opening, the film takes a refreshing turn, injecting a sense of humor that one might expect from some sketch comedy shows such as Studio C or Saturday Night Live. What begins as a faithful adaptation of Lovecraft's conclusion - complete with the ringing phone and Warren's desperate warnings - transforms into something altogether different when the classic line "You fool, Warren is dead" is subverted as the voice instead launches a series of increasingly absurd attempts to lure Carter down.
Greig Johnson brings a perfect deadpan delivery to Carter's role, particularly as he deflates the voice's attempts at deception, such as calling out a mentioned go-kart track as being closed for nearly two centuries. Chris Lackey’s voice performance navigates the shift from horror to humor with skill. There is also a blink-and-you'll-miss-it on screen cameo by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's Andrew Leman (who himself filmed a feature-length adaptation of this story, The Testimony of Randolph Carter, in 1987).
The film's finale, with its shift to lonely entity seeking companionship and inappropriate questions, provides a clever twist on Lovecraft's cosmic horror.
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About the Author
Bob Brinkman dwells in the forbidden realms of Indiana, where he and his wife share their domicile with a quartet of midnight-hued felines. A former contributor to Unfilmable.com and HorrorNews.net, he now chronicles cinematic nightmares both cosmic (through Apep Press) and conventional (via Macabre Movie Morgue). When not documenting the unspeakable horrors of weird cinema, he can be found crafting eldritch tomes of adventure for Goodman Games. As a scholar of Lovecraftian film, he delves deep into the shadowy archives where celluloid nightmares slumber, seeking to illuminate the darkened corners where cosmic horror meets the silver screen.