Will
the Social Justice Warriors just shut-up and let us enjoy Lovecraft? Sadly, his
notion of racial distinctions is awkwardly antiquated by today’s standards, but
he lived a short, sickly life of seclusion, profoundly dominated by a mentally
ill mother during his formative years. He never had a chance to broaden his
perspective. However, his macabre writings made him the most influential
American dark fantasist since Poe. C. Courtenay Joyner took a stab at one of
Lovecraft’s frequently adapted short stories, helming the Charles Band-produced
the better-than-its-reputation-suggests Lurking Fear (trailer
here),
which is now available on BluRay from Full Moon.
If
you are familiar with the Lovecraft story, maybe you should try to forget while
watching Joyner’s “loose” adaptation. There are no reporters snooping around
Martense Manor this time around. Instead, recently released ex-con John
Martense has returned to his ancestral hometown of Leffert’s Corners, hoping to
find the loot his father buried in the local graveyard. Unbeknownst to Martense
and the gangsters on his trail, there are evil entities lurking (so to speak)
beneath the church and surrounding grounds.
Martense
happened to pick the one day a hardy band of villagers chose to rise up and
strike at the evil beings. Unfortunately, Bennett, the spiteful kingpin, will
largely undo their preparations, taking the desperate locals hostage along with
their reluctant ally Father Poole and Martense, whom they do not know from Adam.
Of course, Bennett is in for some cosmic payback.
Even
by horror movie standards, Lurking’s
budget constraints look unusually severe. Yet, despite the fakeness of the
makeup and effects, the film sort of works. Largely, this is due to a great
cast that chews the limited scenery with gusto. Most reassuring to fans, Lovecraft
specialist Jeffrey Combs is back (reportedly, Lurking was initially developed with Stuart Gordon attached) as the
aggressively alcoholic Dr. Haggis—you’d drink too, if you were related to Paul
Haggis or had to stitch up a lot of people mauled by demonic Morlocks.
Jon
Finch (Polanski’s Macbeth)
wonderfully hams it up as the snide Bennett. Allison Mackie (the previous
tenant of Sharon Stone’s Sliver apartment)
also delivers some flamboyant villainy as Ms. Marlowe, Bennett’s gun moll (orc
whatever). Paul Mantee (star of Robinson
Crusoe on Mars and a recurring on Cagney
& Lacey) brings some dignity to the proceedings as Father Poole, but
not so much Blake Adams often appearing shirtless as Martense. Still, you
cannot fault his appropriately over-the-top-and-out-there voice-overs.
