Dagon (2001)

A boating accident runs a young man and woman ashore in a decrepit Spanish fishing town which they discover is in the grips of an ancient sea god and its monstrous half human offspring.

Director:

Stuart Gordon

Writers:

H.P. Lovecraft (short stories "Dagon" and "The Shadow Over Innsmouth"), Dennis Paoli (screenplay)

Stars:

Ezra Godden, Francisco Rabal, Raquel Meroño

8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ezra Godden	...	Paul Marsh
Francisco Rabal	...	Ezequiel
Raquel Meroño	...	Bárbara
Macarena Gómez	...	Uxía Cambarro
Brendan Price	...	Howard
Birgit Bofarull	...	Vicki
Uxía Blanco	...	Madre Ezequiel
Ferran Lahoz	...	Sacerdote
Joan Minguell	...	Xavier Cambarro
Alfredo Villa	...	Capitán Orfeo Cambarro
José Lifante	...	Recepcionista Hotel
Javier Sandoval	...	Padre Ezequiel
Victor Barreira	...	Ezequiel Joven
Fernando Gil	...	Sacerdote Católico
Jorge Luis Pérez	...	Chico

Storyline

Based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, the undisputed master of the macabre, Dagon tells the story of Paul Marsh, a young man who discovers that the truth will not set him free instead it condemns him to a waking nightmare of unrelenting horror. A boating accident off the coast of Spain sends Paul and his girlfriend Barbara to the decrepit fishing village of Imboca looking for help. As night falls, people start to disappear and things not quite human start to appear. Paul finds himself pursued by the entire town. Running for his life, he uncovers Imboca's dark secret: that they pray to Dagon, a monstrous god of the sea. And Dagon's unholy offspring are freakish half-human creatures on the loose in Imboca...

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Plot Keywords:

half brother half sister relationship | half brother half sister incest | brother sister incest | sea | half human | 

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence/gore, sexuality/nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Fantastic Factory Official Fantastic Factory Site

Country:

Spain

Language:

English Gallegan Spanish

Release Date:

31 October 2001 (Spain)

Also Known As:

H.P. Lovecraft's Dagon

Filming Locations:

Castellbisbal, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

EUR4,200,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$145,046

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castelao Producciones, Estudios Picasso, Fantastic Factory (Filmax)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The chant by the locals at the sacrificial ceremony near the end, "Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!" appears in many H.P. Lovecraft tales, shouted by followers of the Old Ones.

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Goofs

When Paul is trying to escape in the car and hits one of the villagers in the road, the man is yanked back, (by an obvious harness), before the car even touches him.

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Quotes

Uxía Cambarro: Before you came, there had been no sacrifices for a year. Dagon needs her.
Paul Marsh: Fuck Dagon!
Uxía Cambarro: Yes, and their child will be immortal!
Paul Marsh: Yeah, but there's a catch. It has to live the rest of its life as some kind of half-ass fish of the sea.
Uxía Cambarro: [agreeing] In joy, with Dagon!

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Crazy Credits

Dedicated to Francisco Rabal, a wonderful actor and even better human being.

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Alternate Versions

German version was edited by approx. 20 seconds to secure a "Not under 18" rating.

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Connections

Version of The Cthulhu Chronicles: The Ropes (2004)

User Reviews

Dagon: Everything a Lovecraft adaptation should be

I love Lovecrafts work, I grew up with them and yes I'm fully aware that's probably not the best reading material for the young!

It's prime material for movie adaptations, but they always tend to be terrible. Sure there have been exceptions like Necronomicon (1993) and the Re-Animator franchise but for the most part they've been plain awful.

Dagon is a rare exception and is fantastic on near every level. Spanish made it tells the story of two couples of after a boating accident are forced to seek help at a nearby island which holds a horrific secret.

Cue the great visuals, strong performances and a near flawless story. I watched this immediatly upon release and have thankfully had the chance to watch it multiple times since then. It's a pure unadulterated horror nightmare which I think is highly underrated.

It looks Lovecraft, it feels Lovecraft, it IS Lovecraft.

The Good:

Looks great

Mostly loyal to the source material

Genuinely atmospheric

The Bad:

Could have done with being a tad longer

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Proof! The problem is the filmmakers not the material

Movies are just better with tentacles