Cthulhu Cthursday: Cthulhu Revisited
Posted by Qais Fulton
When word started spreading in Seattle that someone was making a film entitled Cthulhu my local ilk became cautiously excited. Not only was someone taking a shot at producing a quality piece of Lovecraftian cinema, they were doing so locally. Unfortunately, the film ended up being a confused mess of sloppily applied Lovecraftian mythos infused with a political and sexual agenda.
In the latest issue of The Stranger (Seattle’s local alterna-newspaper), Cthulhu’s screenwriter Grant Cogswell published a piece outlining the long, torturous journey that was getting the film completed. It’s quite a read, detailing depression, suicide attempts, insane parties, drug abuse, and the eventual realization that sometimes it takes more than hard work. However I’ll spare you all the hard lessons of Mr. Cogswell by outlining exactly where he went wrong.
In 10 days I typed a 200-page draft of a “Gothic, apocalyptic, anti-Bush gay horror” script (no idea what I was doing) titled The Festival. Then the title changed to Leviathan, then Mayday, and then, most improbably, Cthulhu.
I understand that he had a message. I get it, I’d like to shake the foundations of society with a piece of art too. But in spite of a long history of production plagued with horrors it was early that everything started to fall apart. With a concept like “Gothic, apocalyptic, anti-Bush gay horror, oh and Cthulhu too I guess” things probably aren’t going to go well unless you have backers with bottomless pockets.
Sadly, Mr. Cogswell didn’t have backers with bottomless pockets in spades. What he had was tenacity, most likely a mild death wish, and a questionable idea; all three of which might account for the troubled production of the film. Personally, I like to imagine it was nameless evil bleeding over from some no-place into the lives of those presumptuous enough to meddle in the affairs of ancient dark Gods and Republicans.
While occasionally reading like a pity party held by and for Mr. Cogswell, it’s interesting to see what went on during the filming, what may have effected its outcome, and what he learned in the process that can be applied to his next film venture, “a rock musical about the romantic poet John Keats, set in present-day Seattle”. I can’t wait.
Thanks, Kid Icarus!
Categories: Cthulhu Cthursday, Film
Posted at 8:52 pm on June 5, 2008
9 Comments -
Unfortunately, self-conscious esoterism != art.
Comment by Joe Shadows — June 5, 2008 @ 9:17 pm
Everything I hate about Seattle in one article. What a nightmare.
Comment by Eliza Gauger — June 5, 2008 @ 11:57 pm
it’s not Seattle’s fault that Grant Cogswell is such a self-serving tool. the fact is most cities of any size produce delusional nitwits who think they and they alone hold the key to “showing all those cultural arbiters what they’re missing”.
it’s definitely preposterous that he has the audacity to slam filmmakers from Seattle who are actually making art with a point (like Charles Mudede, who for all his faults as a writer is vastly more creative and intelligent than Cogswell), as opposed to his own self-appointed mission to produce something commercial that will make him rich. but again, trashing your supposed competition as a tactic for self-justifying your own morbid excess is hardly unique to Seattle.
the fact that this production dragged Cthulhu’s good name through the mud is only one of many unfortunate side effects. but as is true of most silly things in this world, Cogswell will be forgotten soon enough.
Comment by Scotto — June 6, 2008 @ 2:20 am
Heh, “through the mud”
Comment by Henk — June 6, 2008 @ 7:53 am
“Personally, I like to imagine it was nameless evil bleeding over from some no-place into the lives of those presumptuous enough to meddle in the affairs of ancient dark Gods and Republicans.”
Have you seen what’s been going on over at Footnotes to the Human Species lately?
Well, the site’s been down for a few days–WordPress up and died on me, and I’m still getting it back together, but….
9/11 + Azifist terrorists crashing planes into the World Trade Center Towers to release Other Gods = giant monsters destroying entire Island of Manhattan.
Think Cloverfield mashed up with In the Mouth of Madness. Now slather it in mucous.
Enjoy!
Comment by Derek C. F. Pegritz — June 6, 2008 @ 4:48 pm
Think Cloverfield mashed up with In the Mouth of Madness. Now slather it in mucous.
Fthag’nlicious.
I expect bigger horrors to be released from the Bilderberg meet-up in DC. Can just picture poor Obama, naked in front of all, being tested for his new role….
Comment by Optical — June 7, 2008 @ 4:02 am
it WAS a VERY bad “film” (if you could call it a film. It made me want to kill for the WRONG reasons)
Comment by ITHIDET — June 7, 2008 @ 10:49 am
it was terrible.
Comment by mirc — August 18, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
I think so it was bad.
Comment by sohbet — August 18, 2008 @ 6:21 pm