No one covers H.P, Lovecraft stories better than veteran horror director and Lovecraft extraordinaire Stuart Gordon. So it was no surprise to myself that Mr. Gordon choose an H.P. Lovecraft story to use while making his Masters of Horror episode.
This episode of Master of Horror is one of the best and if not the scarcest episodes I have viewed so far. The story is about a young college student named Walter, whom is working on his thesis paper. He is in need of a place to stay so he finds a room for rent in a big old house, who has one hell of a nasty landlord. The house is home to a few people whom don’ make much money and can barely afford to pay the rent. Walter finds himself in a room with many odd shaped corners. While working on his thesis he soon begins to discover odd things about the room and hears strange noises coming from within the wall. He then begins experiencing bizarre dreams, and starts to experience the first hand horror of the Witch and her human-faced rat. The story begins to take shape involving the neighbors baby and Walter himself and ends in a bloodbath of madness and the unexplained.
I personally found this film to be very frightening, and the ending put thoughts into my mind that make me think twice about who you trust with your kids, as I’m soon to be a father myself. Gordon really got me good here in the psyche. You” understand what I mean when you see the scene involving the baby, enough said there.
The film has such a dark and decrepit feel to it, that it brings you into this world of helplessness and dread. One can only sit and watch as these characters live there lives in a world full of hopelessness and evil. Gordon manages to make you feel these characters feelings, and the hell that they all are being put though.
The acting in the film is really good. Ezra Godden whom we all know as Walter in this film. (He was also in Gordon’s film Dagon, based on another H.P. Lovecraft story). is excellent in his part. Right up to the very end of the film, he made me feel his characters feelings of dread and sorrow. The helplessness that he portrays as Walter is top notch. The supporting cast did very well also, even the baby was good.
There are some pretty decent effects in the film. There is a mixture of CGI, Make-effects and also puppets for the human rat scenes. All of are used pretty good, however there is one scene using the human rat puppet that looks a bit fake, but hey you’ can’t win em all. The human rat is one scary and not to mention freaky looking thing. I have four rodents of my own, and to picture them with human faces is kind of freaky. In fact it’s freaking me out thing about it.
Overall, Dreams In The Witch-House is another one of Stuart Gordon’s Lovecraft masterpieces. I truly was frightened by this film as well as entertained. No one could of done it better.
– Horror Bob
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- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
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