The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (2003)

Director:

Edward Martin III

Writers:

H.P. Lovecraft (short story)
Edward Martin III (screenplay)

Genre:

Adventure | Animation | Fantasy

Plot:

"Three times Randolph Carter dreamed of the marvelous city, and three times was he snatched away while...

Plot Keywords:

H.P. Lovecraft | Based On Novel

Cast

Toren Atkinson	...	Randolph Carter / Bragging Ghoul / Dylath-Leen Bar Mate #3 / Oriab Villager #3 (voice)
Raymond Beckett	...	Dylath-Leen Bar Mate #1 / Ghoul #4 / Inganok Tavern Goer #4 / Lava Gatherer #1 (voice)
Jason Brooks	...	Black Galley Cook / Hungry Ghoul / Inganok Navigator / Nasht / Oriab Lookout (voice)
Andrew Hamlin	...	Inganok Villager / Kaman-Thah / Quarry Man #2 / Scared Bar Mate #2 / Thran Sailor #3 / Vivisectionist Victim (voice)
Sheri Hinshaw	...	Grandson Kitty / Inganok Sailor #1 / Inganok Singer / Thran Cat (voice)
Marky Kelly	...	Inganok Sailor #2 / Old Zoog / Ruby Guilder #3 / Zoog Rabblerouser / Inganok Tavern Goer #1 / Curious Ghoul / Chief Ghoul (voice)
Lev Koszegi	...	Inganok Sailor #4 / King Kuranes / Ruby Guilder #2 / Third Ghoul / Warning Ghoul (voice)
Leopoldo Marino	...	Dylath-Leen Innkeeper / Inganok Captain (voice)
Edward Martin III	...	Oriab Innkeeper / Second Ghoul (voice)
Katrina Martin	...	Hostage-Minded Cat / Inganok Sailor #3 / Kind Farmer / Zoog #3 (voice)
Martin McClure	...	Wine Ghoul / Inganok Tavern Goer 2 (voice)
Enrika Newbury	...	Celephais Chief Cat / Inganok Tavern Goer 3 / Zoog 2 (voice)
Andrew Nicoll	...	Atal / Oriab Sailor / Ruby Ghoul #1 / Thran Sailor #1 (voice)
David Palmer	...	Dylath-Leen Bar Mate #5 / First Ghoul / Oriab Merchant (voice)
Michael Pearce	...	Richard Upton Pickman / Old Lava Gatherer / Ruby Guilder #1 / Thran Sailor #2 (voice)
Piph	...	Cat Leader (voice)
Rand	...	Celephais High Priest / Celephais Soldier / Dylath-Leen Bar Mate 2 / Oriab Villager 1 / Ruby Ghoul #2 (voice)
Silven Read	...	Zoog 1 (voice)
Tinessa Russell	...	Thran Sailor 4 (voice)
Eric Stenson	...	Narrator / Quarryman #1 / Dylath Leen barmate #4 / Scared Barmate #1 (voice)
Dwight Stone	...	Merchant (voice)
Jeffery Tubbs	...	Dylath-Leen Barbarian / Ghoul#5 / Quarry Man 4 / Thran Sentry (voice)
Kate Webb	...	Nyarlathotep (voice)
Marc Wells	...	Caravan Master / Oriab Captain / Oriab Villager 2 / Quarry Man 3 (voice)

Runtime:

USA:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Portland, Oregon, USA

Company:

Guerrilla Productions

Quotes:

Merchant: One searches for gods, yet claims humility? The stories I could tell of presumption.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Other Gods (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Nyack

Not that I'm biased or anything...

...but considering that The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath is a full-length animated feature made by a bunch of people on three continents, connected by email and FTP, none of whom had ever made an animated feature before (or a feature-length film of any kind) it is really something special.

Sure, the graphics are largely black and white line-art (provided by masterful comic artist Jason B. Thompson, by way of his five part comic series) and the animation of quite simple (probably half the movement in the film is simply panning and zooming on static images) but somehow it works.

Its first big asset is Thompson's art - imaginative, fantastic, and ambitious. His glorious panoramic vistas of dream-world locations are incredible, and despite their static features, his depictions of the many characters in the story are so good that they truly come to life. The film's second major asset is its gorgeous, haunting score, provided by underground musician Cyoakha Grace O'Manion, with some help from her band Land of the Blind. It is great music in its own right, but it complements the visuals perfectly, and gives the whole film a sense of dream awe and dread.

Add to these assets some very clever animation, that suggests far more than it actually shows, plus some very good voice performances, especially from Toren Atkinson, who provides the voice of the film's hero, Randolph Carter, as well as surprisingly professional and complex foley and sound effects work, and you are left with a film that simply should not have worked, but which works very well.

Technical issues aside, and most important of all, it is entertaining, engrossing, and sometimes even funny, playing up H. P. Lovecraft's under-recognised black humour.

The movie world needs more people like Edward Martin, who are willing to take a huge risk and produce something unique. Fans of H. P. Lovecraft owe it to themselves to see this film.