Necronomicon (1993)

Directors:

Christophe Gans
Shusuke Kaneko

Writers:

Brent V. Friedman (screenplay) (parts 1-3 and wraparound)
Brent V. Friedman (story) (part 3 and wraparound)

Release Date:

29 July 1994 (UK)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

From the master of terror comes a chilling tale of unspeakable evil.

Plot:

H.P. Lovecraft, the well-known horror writer, is looking in the late thirties after the book 'Necronomicon'...

Plot Keywords:

H.P. Lovecraft | Anthology | Necronomicon | Blood Splatter | Straight Razor

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Jeffrey Combs	...	H.P. Lovecraft (wraparound)
Tony Azito	...	Librarian (wraparound)
Juan Fernández	...	Attendant (wraparound)
Brian Yuzna	...	Cabbie (wraparound)
Bruce Payne	...	Edward De Lapoer (part 1)
Belinda Bauer	...	Nancy Gallmore (part 1)
Richard Lynch	...	Jethro De Lapoer (part 1)
Maria Ford	...	Clara (part 1)
Peter Jasienski	...	Jethro's Son (part 1)
Denice D. Lewis	...	Emma De Lapoer (part 1)
William Jess Russell	...	Doctor (part 1)
Vladimir Kulich	...	Villager (part 1)
David Warner	...	Dr. Madden (part 2)
Bess Meyer	...	Emily Osterman (part 2)
Millie Perkins	...	Lena (part 2)

Also Known As:

H.P. Lovecraft's Necronomicon, Book of the Dead (USA) (video title)
Necronomicon: Book of Dead (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence and gore, and for language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:R

Company:

Davis-Films

Trivia:

Director Shusuke Kaneko did not speak any English at the time of filming his segment with an all American cast.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (2002) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Because The Dawn

Not a bad anthology

Necronomicon is a horror anthology, loosely based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft regular and B-movie icon Jeffrey Combs gets to perform as Lovecraft himself in the wraparound story for this movie, which involves Lovecraft reading stories from the 'Necronomicon' inside a library.

The first story, titled "The Drowned" follows the story of a house in which a man resurrected his dead wife and son with the help of the Necronomicon. This tale is directed by Christophe Gans, the same man that went on to direct the French horror hit "Brotherhood of the Wolf". This tale is well directed, Christophe manages to create the right atmosphere for the house, and the special effects are surprisingly well executed, especially upon the appearance of the demon god towards the end. Surprisingly, it is the story that lets this tale down. After a delightful sequence in which we see an elderly man, consumed by the loss of his family, throw his bible into the fire and then resurrect his family with the Necronomicon; the tale is unable to suitably follow it up, and the ending disappoints as it doesn't go anywhere; it doesn't have a point to it and it leaves it feeling rather empty.

The second tale is without doubt the best of the three and is worth the film's running time on it's own. This tale, titled "The Cold" and based on the Lovecraft story "Cool Air" follows the story of a reporter that is sent to a woman's house to investigate a series of murders. The lady of the house tells her story of how the murders occurred and through this story, a great sense of mystery and intrigue is built up and it makes you want to find out what the truth is behind the events. Unlike the first tale, this tale is not skilfully directed, and also unlike the first tale; it has a story that is more than enough to carry it despite this. This tale also features a predictable, but non the less satisfying twist at it's conclusion.

The third and final tale of the three, titled "Whispers", is the darkest of the bunch. This tale is about a policewoman that follows a criminal, known as "The Butcher" into an old abandoned house. This story is directed by the accomplished horror director; Brian Yuzna, whom horror fans will recognise instantly as the producer of the horror classic "Re-Animator" and the underrated "From Beyond", as well as the director of both the Re-Animator sequels, and the under acclaimed horror gem; "Return of the Living Dead part 3". His dark and repulsive style is shown abundantly in this tale. Despite its dark and creepiness, this is, unfortunately, the weakest of the three tales. This is a shame because it has a great set up, and it does feature some really nice moments, such as the brain dead cop and the atmospheric 'cave'. This tale is also the goriest and most horrifying of the three, and its lack of a coherent plot is most definitely its downfall.

The film is finished off with the conclusion to the wraparound tale, which stars Jeffrey Combs. The conclusion feels rather rushed, and is something of a rip-off of the ending of the first tale. This is a shame because the film ends on a limp note rather than an exciting one, and it therefore doesn't leave a good taste in the viewer's mouth.

Necronomicon is not essential viewing, or even recommended viewing; but if you just want a film that will entertain you for 90 minutes, then you could do a lot worse.