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Cthulu Mansion
Aka: Black Magic Mansion
(Magic book/Hoods/House) skulls
* Blood * Violent * Lots of Strong Language * No Nudity *
* No Sexual Situations *
1990/Color/92 Min./Republic Pictures Home Video & Golden Pictures & Filmagic/Spain/Rated R
Director..........J.P. Simon (Endless Descent, Pieces, Slugs, the Movie)
Screenplay....J.P. Simon
Music.............Tim Souster
Producers......Jose G. Maesso & J.P. Simon
Executive Producer.....Jose G. Maesso
Special Make-up and Effects Directed by Colin Arthur
Visual Effects by Emilio Ruiz
Additional Dialogues by Linda Moore
Inspired by the Writings of H.P. Lovecraft*
Dramatis Personae
Chandu.......Frank Finlay (Cromwell, Lifeforce, The Wild Geese)
Lisa/Lenore..Marcia Layton
Hawk.........Brad Fischer
Eva..........Melanie Shatner (Bloodlust: Subspecies III)
Billy........Paul Birchard
Candy........Kaethe Cherney
Chris........Luis Fernando Alves
Felix........Frank Bra¤a (Yellow Hair and the Fortress of Gold)
Eddie........Emile Linder
Fatman.......Ronald Faval
Larry........Pascal Muzadi
Policeman....Steve Jordan
Critique: Crooks unwisely hole up in the mansion of a cursed wizard in possession of the Cthulu book. Finally some screaming, evil laughter, flames, and a creaking door to open a horror picture! This knack for the back to basics approach doesn't end there as the film is packed with corroded faces, hellfire, magic books, and visits From Beyond (yes, it lifts liberally from earlier Lovecraft inspired films, Evil Dead 2 in particular). The use of black and white footage for the happier times is very effective. Some decent visual effects are spread cleverly enough to hold the viewers' interest while the story drags every so often, which is the main drawback of the picture, along with the preponderance of gags that are near direct citations from the above mentioned Lovecraftian predecessors, done without the energy. After they had pulled every other Evil Dead 2 gag, we winced everytime a plant was shown. Sooner or later the possessed plant gag had to come and come it did, as did the "Sweet Henrietta" laugh from an "Evil Dead" Chris. The same goes for the animation of the house, which seems to occur everytime another step in the plot development is due, thus leaving many story angles dangling in the air like so many pieces of possessed furniture. It's less than confidence-inspiring that the names in the credits at the beginning are spelled differently than those at the end. So it has its problems. It also has fine colors, a great haunted house, nice music, and just about every traditional horror movie trope we like to see, including deserving demon fodder punks.
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