08.26.2020 LOVECRAFT!!! With FRANK H. WOODWARD!
IN THIS EPISODE, MONSTER PARTY SUMMONS THE ELDER GODS! AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT THE GUYS LIKE TO CALL THEMSELVES.
JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, gather under a gibbous moon, to explore the dark universe of one of literature's most famous, and controversial writers. So pour yourself a stiff brandy, and try to ignore the rats in the walls, as we bring you an episode we simply call... LOVECRAFT!!!
The terrifying tales of HOWARD PHILLIPS LOVECRAFT, have frightened readers for decades. He created a vast pantheon of inter-dimensional creatures, whose names we are warned not to say. Probably because many of them are unpronounceble. But although monstrosities like Cthulhu, Yog-Sothoth, Azathoth, and Nyarlathotep are tongue-twisters, they are household names to the lovers of weird fiction. But what about H.P. Lovecraft... the man?
In this episode, we will explore the various factors that shaped Lovecraft and his work. We'll discuss his influences, his inner circle of collegues, and the lasting legacy of his writings. But, we'll also shine a light on the more unpleasant aspects of Lovecraft's life. His sheltered upbringing, poor health, troubled relationships, extreme xenophobia, and his racist and anti-semetic views. Maybe you should pour yourself another brandy.
Joining us for this excursion into Lovecraftian horror, is an award-winning producer, director, writer, podcaster, and amatuer necromancer. He's a friend of the show, and gave us the definitive H.P. Lovecraft documentary, LOVECRAFT: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. Please welcome, direct from Miskatonic University... FRANK H. WOODWARD! (FILM SENSE, MEN IN SUITS, DAMN DIRTY GEEKS, WRONG TURN 6: LAST RESORT, BLACK FOREST, FIREQUAKE, BALLOON, PINATA, QUINT IN '58)
SO GIVE US A LISTEN! WE'RE SUPER POPULAR IN INNSMOUTH!
Guest(s)
Frank H. Woodward:
Follow Frank: Frank H Woodward (@frank.h.woodward) • Instagram profile | Frank H. Woodward | Frank H. Woodward | Frank H. Woodward
Key Topics Discussed
H.P. Lovecraft’s Life, Themes, and Controversies: Monster Party and Frank talk about Lovecraft's sheltered upbringing in Providence, the core concept of cosmic indifference, his prolific letter-writing correspondence, and how to address his well-documented xenophobia and racism.
The Documentary Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown: Frank Woodward shares insights into making his 2008 documentary, assembling interviews with horror and fantasy creators, and creating a definitive primer on the author's work.
Cinematic, Audio, and Comic Adaptations: The entire crew goes deep exploring adaptations across multiple mediums, including classic AIP productions, Stuart Gordon's cinematic and theatrical projects (such as Re-Animator and From Beyond), the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's period-accurate films and radio plays, and various comic book titles.
HBO MAX’s Lovecraft Country: A spoiler-(ish)-free reaction to the series, discussing its approach to blending mid-century historical racial drama with Lovecraftian creatures and themes.
Literary Legacy, Public Domain, and Collectibles: How publishers like August Derleth and Donald Wandrei kept Lovecraft’s work alive through Arkham House. And with all the stories entering the public domain, a dive into all the other new works (even musicals!) and the wide array of toys, board games, and pop culture merchandise that is expanding the Lovecraft universe.
Timestamps
00:00:18 – Introduction to the episode and welcoming guest Frank H. Woodward.
00:03:29 – Frank Woodward discusses directing the documentary Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown.
00:05:35 – H.P. Lovecraft’s life, sheltered upbringing, and the roots of his xenophobia.
00:08:56 – Arkham House, August Derleth, and preserving Lovecraft's legacy.
00:12:22 – Cosmic horror, the Elder Gods, and human insignificance.
00:15:12 – Recommended entry points: The Dunwich Horror, The Call of Cthulhu, and At the Mountains of Madness.
00:20:31 – The broader cinematic influence of Lovecraft on sci-fi and horror.
00:24:37 – Adapting The Dunwich Horror and Richard Stanley’s Color Out of Space.
00:30:07 – Classic film adaptations: The Haunted Palace and The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.
00:32:24 – Director Stuart Gordon's adaptations: Re-Animator, From Beyond, and Dagon.
00:35:45 – Unmade sequel ideas and Re-Animator: The Musical.
00:41:01 – Bonus materials and home video distribution for Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown.
00:43:25 – Examining Lovecraft's personal correspondence, marriage, and racial controversies.
00:48:03 – Mythos lore: Cthulhu, the Necronomicon, and Miskatonic University.
00:51:09 – Vintage paperback editions and Michael Whelan’s cover art.
00:55:33 – HBO's Lovecraft Country and recontextualizing weird fiction.
01:10:30 – Public domain status, copyright history, and expanded mythos fiction.
01:14:15 – Lovecraft in rock and metal music (Metallica, Ningen Isu, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets).
01:17:06 – Comics and indie films: Alan Moore's Neonomicon, The Valdemar Legacy, and Dark Horse's Creepy.
01:22:18 – Obscure adaptations: The Curse, The Resurrected, Cast a Deadly Spell, and Lurker in the Lobby.
01:29:41 – The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society: silent films, audio dramas, and props.
01:35:07 – Television adaptations: Night Gallery (Cool Air, Pickman's Model) and Dark Intruder.
01:43:08 – Lovecraftian action figures, vinyl toys, board games, and Cthulhu Monopoly.
01:51:10 – Frank Woodward plugs upcoming projects, podcasts, and contact info.
Resources/Links Mentioned
Films
Men in Suits: Mentioned as one of guest Frank Woodward’s award-winning documentary films.
The Splat Pack: Mentioned as another documentary directed by Frank Woodward.
A Life in Film: Mentioned among Frank Woodward’s documentary credits.
Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown: Frank Woodward's 2008 documentary about H.P. Lovecraft, discussed extensively throughout the episode.
The Thing: Mentioned as an example of a film sharing the trope and atmosphere of finding frozen, ancient entities like in At the Mountains of Madness.
Alien: Cited as a prominent sci-fi horror film influenced by Lovecraftian themes.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers: Brought up as another film carrying Lovecraftian undertones.
In the Mouth of Madness: John Carpenter’s film, cited as an explicit cinematic homage to Lovecraft.
Godzilla (and Godzilla: King of the Monsters): Discussed as sharing Lovecraftian themes of giant, ancient, indifferent gods sleeping in underwater cities and causing destruction.
The Dunwich Horror (1970): The AIP adaptation starring Dean Stockwell and Sandra Dee, discussed regarding its faithfulness to the source material.
Color Out of Space: Richard Stanley's adaptation starring Nicolas Cage, discussed for its visuals and additions to the original short story.
Die Farbe (2010): The German film adaptation of The Colour Out of Space, praised by Shawn and Frank for capturing the bleak dread of the story.
Die, Monster, Die! (1965): The AIP Boris Karloff film directed by Daniel Haller, noted as an earlier, plot-heavy adaptation of The Colour Out of Space.
The Haunted Palace (1963): Roger Corman’s film starring Vincent Price, noted for being marketed as Edgar Allan Poe despite actually adapting Lovecraft's The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.
Re-Animator (1985): Stuart Gordon's horror comedy adaptation, discussed for its gore, humor, and how it shaped the public perception of Lovecraft in the 1980s.
Dagon (2001): Stuart Gordon’s adaptation of The Shadow over Innsmouth, praised by the hosts and guest.
From Beyond (1986): Stuart Gordon's body-horror adaptation, discussed as being perhaps even more faithful to Lovecraftian cosmic horror.
Edmond (2005): Mentioned as a David Mamet play adaptation directed by Stuart Gordon.
Psycho (1960): Mentioned when discussing author Robert Bloch, who was mentored by Lovecraft in his youth.
Candyman (1992): Cited by Frank Woodward as a notable horror film centered around Black perspective and themes.
Tales from the Hood (1995): Brought up as another example of Black horror cinema.
Green Book (2018): Mentioned regarding the historical "Green Book" guide for Black travelers.
The Valley of Gwangi (1969): Brought up as a comparison for pacing and waiting for monsters to appear on screen.
Star Wars (referenced via "the raid on the Death Star"): Used as a cinematic storytelling analogy by Frank Woodward.
Nightbreed (1990): Clive Barker's film, referenced for its theme that human monsters are more terrifying than actual creatures.
The Valdemar Legacy (La herencia Valdemar) & The Valdemar Legacy II: The Forbidden Shadow: Spanish period horror films featuring Paul Naschy, Aleister Crowley, and a depiction of H.P. Lovecraft.
The Curse (1987): Directed by David Keith and starring Wil Wheaton, brought up as an 1980s adaptation of The Colour Out of Space.
The Resurrected (1991): Dan O'Bannon's adaptation of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward starring Chris Sarandon, discussed along with its elusive director's cut.
Necronomicon: Book of the Dead (1993): Anthology film featuring Jeffrey Combs portraying H.P. Lovecraft in the wraparound story.
The Lurking Fear (1994): Full Moon feature directed by C. Courtney Joyner, adapting the Lovecraft story.
Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort (2014): Frank Woodward mentions writing this film and incorporating themes of decayed family lineage inspired by The Lurking Fear.
Castle Freak (1995): Stuart Gordon film, noted as being loosely based on Lovecraft's The Outsider.
Cast a Deadly Spell (1991): HBO film noir fantasy featuring detective H. Philip Lovecraft, praised by Larry and Frank.
Witch Hunt (1994): The sequel to Cast a Deadly Spell starring Dennis Hopper.
The Dunwich Horror (2009): Low-budget TV/direct-to-video adaptation mentioned by James for featuring Dean Stockwell.
The Call of Cthulhu (2005): The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society’s silent film adaptation.
The Whisperer in Darkness (2011): The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society’s 1930s-style talkie adaptation featuring vintage miniature and stop-motion effects.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962): Referenced by Frank Woodward via the famous saying ("print the legend") regarding the HPLHS origin story.
Dark Intruder (1965): Leslie Nielsen occult detective film produced by Jack Laird, noted for its Lovecraftian tone.
The Night Walker (1964): William Castle film mentioned as part of a double-feature DVD release with Dark Intruder.
Frankenstein (1931): Mentioned generally alongside classic literary/horror staples.
Fahrenheit 451 (1966): Mentioned in passing during a discussion of high school sci-fi curricula.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Mentioned in passing during the sci-fi reading/viewing discussion.
Dracula (1931): Mentioned alongside Frankenstein when discussing classic monster tropes.
Clean: Frank Woodward’s then-upcoming short film set to premiere at Screamfest.
Dracula (Hammer Films series): Christopher Lee Dracula films mentioned by Frank Woodward as a recent home video purchase.
Planet of the Apes (1968): Referenced regarding Monster Party's past convention coverage and lore.
Pollyanna (1960): Disney live-action film brought up by Larry and Frank during a tangent on wholesome films.
Song of the South (1946): Discussed during the pre-show tangent regarding bootleg box sets, racial sensitivity, and Disney theme park changes.
The Princess and the Frog (2009): Discussed in the context of replacing Song of the South motifs on Splash Mountain.
Gone with the Wind (1939): Brought up in comparison to Song of the South regarding historical depictions of the Antebellum South.
Aladdin (1992): Mentioned by Frank regarding lyrical edits made to the opening song after theatrical release.
Africa Screams (1949): Abbott and Costello comedy cited by Frank as an example of vintage comedic racial stereotypes.
Avatar (2009): Mentioned during a brief pre-show tangent about the Disney World theme park land.
Television
Quatermass and the Pit: Cited by Larry and Frank as a classic British television serial heavily inspired by Lovecraft's themes of alien architects.
Lovecraft Country: Discussed extensively throughout the episode regarding its HBO release, high-profile production by Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams, and its approach to blending racial drama with cosmic horror.
Yokai Monster Series: Japanese 1960s television series brought up by James when comparing heroic monsters to corrupt humans.
Night Gallery: Rod Serling's anthology series, brought up for its memorable 1970s Lovecraft adaptations ("Cool Air" and "Pickman's Model") produced by Jack Laird.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: Referenced as a stylistic comparison when describing occult investigative television pilots.
The Little Rascals (Our Gang): Mentioned by Shawn during the pre-show discussion on vintage comedy shorts and evolving historical portrayals.
Books & Comic Books
Lovecraft Country (novel by Matt Ruff): Referenced as the acclaimed source novel behind the HBO series.
The Dunwich Horror (H.P. Lovecraft): Recommended by Frank Woodward as the ideal introductory story to the Cthulhu Mythos.
The Call of Cthulhu (H.P. Lovecraft): Highlighted for its documentary-style narrative structure and cosmic dread.
At the Mountains of Madness (H.P. Lovecraft): Discussed regarding its Antarctic expedition setting, ancient alien history, and the Shoggoths.
The Shadow over Innsmouth (H.P. Lovecraft): Discussed for its suspenseful pacing, aquatic themes, and ambiguous copyright status.
The Colour Out of Space (H.P. Lovecraft): Brought up in relation to its indescribable alien colors and various film adaptations.
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward (H.P. Lovecraft): Discussed as Lovecraft's longest narrative, closest to a full novel.
Herbert West–Reanimator (H.P. Lovecraft): Discussed as a serialized Frankenstein-style pulp tale.
From Beyond (H.P. Lovecraft): Mentioned regarding Stuart Gordon's cinematic expansion of the original short story.
History of the Necronomicon (H.P. Lovecraft): Described by Frank Woodward as a short pseudo-historical bibliography of the fictional grimoire.
The Necronomicon: Brought up by the panel as real-world published paperback books claiming to contain authentic spells.
Dark Carnival (Ray Bradbury): Mentioned as an early Bradbury collection published by Arkham House.
The House on the Borderland (William Hope Hodgson): Cited by Frank Woodward as a direct literary influence on early episodes of the Lovecraft Country TV adaptation.
Watchmen (Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons): Mentioned when introducing Alan Moore's literary credentials.
Neonomicon (Alan Moore & Jacen Burrows): Comic book miniseries exploring disturbing, adult themes within modern Lovecraftian fiction.
Providence (Alan Moore & Jacen Burrows): Alan Moore's follow-up comic series exploring the roots of Lovecraft's universe.
Lost Girls (Alan Moore & Melinda Gebbie): Mentioned in passing regarding Alan Moore's explicit comic works.
From Hell (Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell): Referenced by Frank Woodward regarding Moore's willingness to incorporate graphic material.
Fall of Cthulhu (Boom! Studios): Mentioned by Shawn as an enjoyable modern Lovecraftian comic series.
Cthulhu Tales (Boom! Studios): Comic anthology series from Boom! Studios highlighted for its varied creative teams.
Creepy #10 (Dark Horse Comics): The all-Lovecraft issue featuring the short comic story "Mint in Package," written by Shawn Sheridan with art by Darick Robertson.
Lurker in the Lobby: A Guide to the Cinema of H.P. Lovecraft (Andrew Migliore & John Strysik): Reference book examining the history of Lovecraft film and television adaptations.
The Lurking Fear (H.P. Lovecraft): Discussed regarding its ancestral horror themes.
The Rats in the Walls (H.P. Lovecraft): Highlighted alongside The Lurking Fear for its themes of cursed lineage, as well as its classic audio recording by David McCallum.
The Outsider (H.P. Lovecraft): Noted as the loose literary inspiration for Stuart Gordon's Castle Freak.
The Whisperer in Darkness (H.P. Lovecraft): Mentioned in the context of its independent cinematic and audio adaptations.
Cool Air (H.P. Lovecraft): Discussed regarding its television adaptation on Night Gallery.
Pickman's Model (H.P. Lovecraft): Discussed regarding its classic Night Gallery adaptation.
Frankenstein (Mary Shelley): Referenced as a classic sci-fi novel suitable for high school curricula.
Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury): Mentioned alongside Frankenstein as essential high school sci-fi reading.
Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell): Brought up regarding historical romanticism and racial depictions in vintage American literature.
Other Media
Music, Bands & Audio Recordings
Ningen Isu (Band): The Japanese heavy rock/metal band praised as the definitive Lovecraft band, specifically highlighting their song and music video for "The Color Out of Space".
The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets (Band): Lovecraftian rock band mentioned by Frank Woodward, along with their albums:
Metallica: Mentioned for their Lovecraft-inspired song The Call of Ktulu.
The Dunwich Horror & The Rats in the Walls Audiobook: The Caedmon audio recording narrated on tape by actor David McCallum.
H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society Radio Dramas: Professional, vintage-style radio plays adapting Lovecraft's stories.
Ray Stevens Novelty Songs: Discussed during the pre-show tangent ("Ahab the Arab", "Gitarzan", and "The Streak").
"Arabian Nights": The original opening song from Disney's Aladdin soundtrack, discussed regarding theatrical lyric changes.
Stage Plays & Theater
Re-Animator: The Musical: Directed by Stuart Gordon with songs by Mark Nutter and book by Stuart Gordon, William J. Norris, and Dennis Paoli, starring Graham Skipper.
Sexual Perversity in Chicago: David Mamet's stage play, noted for its original stage run directed by Stuart Gordon.
Tabletop Games & RPGs
Cthulhu Wars: Sandy Petersen’s large-scale strategy board game featuring sculpted Lovecraftian figures and factions.
Cthulhu Monopoly: The officially licensed thematic Monopoly board game, held up and described on air by Frank Woodward.
Call of Cthulhu Tabletop RPG: Referenced in the context of live-action role-playing roots of the HPLHS.
Magazines
Weird Tales: The iconic pulp magazine where Lovecraft and contemporaries originally published their short fiction.
Look Magazine: Referenced as an example of mainstream mid-century print media compared to disposable pulp digests.
