Dagon (2001) User Reviews

Gruesome adventure and one of Stuart Gordon's best

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 1 June 2016]

Lovecraft fans be warned – DAGON is a very loose adaptation of his Shadow Over Innsmouth, changing much of the action and containing little of the atmosphere that Lovecraft painstakingly created in his works. Saying that, this is a very atypical movie which makes great use of Lovecraft's themes and ideas, but bizarrely alternates between scenes of pure horror and other moments of outright comedy. The mixture is uneven but the result is worth a look; an action-packed and eventful thrill-ride of a film with great costumes and make-ups and a fantastic setting. The setting (despite its relocation to Spain) is one thing that director Stuart Gordon and his associates got exactly right and they deserve praise for their efforts.

Not everything about this film is good. The extremely spooky and weird inhabitants of the town are incredibly played for laughs instead of menace – the result is weird but the audience's reaction mixed. At least Gordon works in a sense of uneasiness into the characters – especially the creepy hotel clerk played by veteran performer Jose Ruiz Lifante (THE DEVIL'S KISS), who steals the show in his cameo appearance. It's great to see Lifante back on screen after his appearance two decades previously in such classics as THE LIVING DEAD AT THE MANCHESTER MORGUE and his presence is a lovely touch. Also appearing is veteran Spanish actor Francisco Rabal, who sadly died shortly after production. Unfortunately for the viewer, his poor English makes it hard to understand a word of what his character says, which is doubly unfortunate as he is the guy who explains the plot to us!

It doesn't really matter, because this film's script isn't a strong point. What is strong is the visual impact, from the scenery and the effects. There are some strong scenes of gore and gruesomeness which are pretty hard-hitting, including a totally surprising face-pull which pushes the boundaries of good taste to the limit. Unfortunately the creature effects (created by CGI) are less even and rather laughable in places, but work if you're in a kind mood. The film ups the exploitation value by including a fair amount of female nudity, especially prominent in the ritual sequence which ends the film on a high.

The acting ranges from okay to good in the most part. Lead Ezra Godden actually starts off pretty bad and wooden as the film progresses, but as the danger increases he comes into his own and makes an impact as the hero. The basic template of the film is all action, a big long chase scene, which has its strengths and weaknesses. A strength is the driving suspense and excitement in some sequences – the attack in the hotel is devastatingly effective, for instance. Unfortunately such attacks soon become fairly repetitive, lacking the drive that made the film so gripping initially. Thankfully things pick up for a strong finale and are heightened by an effectively spooky score. Generally this is an uneven movie but one definitely worth a look for Lovecraft followers, as it's a lot closer to his spirit than many other so-called adaptations.

Cold, Icky and Eerie

[Gafke · 6/10 · 21 December 2003]

I'm not a huge Lovecraft fan. Don't get me wrong, the man was a master - but that's the problem I have with him. He simply wrote too well. His mutant fish fixation has always upset my equilibrium, and his tentacled Monster Gods still give me nightmares. Maybe, as a Pisces, I was subconsciously insulted, I don't know...but I've never sought out either his written works or the films based upon them. So, it was with little enthusiasm that I watched "Dagon" one cold, rainy morning. I wasn't sorry.

This film could probably be easily lost in the deluge of direct-to-video slashers with unimaginative plots and stale gore effects, which is a shame because it is neither stale nor a slasher. Based on a short story (which runs no more than five or six pages, if memory serves me correctly) "Dagon" is a cold, slithery, unnerving tale set in one of those isolated seaside towns that Lovecraft loved so much to write about. A boat accident sends a young couple ashore seeking help for their stranded friends. There have been warnings already, in the shapes of underwater nightmares suffered by the young man; a huge, submerged stone disk, a mermaid with a vampire's mouth, etc. The town's listless inhabitants soon reveal themselves to the terrified young couple - white, slimy gills and fish black eyes make their appearance, and by the time they do, it is too late.

There's a beautiful syren with mesmerizing eyes and an unfortunate case of tentacles, a bloody sacrifice above a stone pit, a sick face-ripping scene, a self-immolation and a twist ending. "Dagon" is hardly a throwaway slasher flick - its a dark, nasty, twisted fairy tale with neither a happy nor an unhappy ending. People with fish phobias probably would do well to steer clear, but this is a very well done little film that deserves better attention.

Gordon Invokes The CGI Gods, Feels My Wrath

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 21 November 2006]

A man, his girlfriend and their two wealthy friends get caught in a storm off the coast of Spain. The man is forced to go to shore to seek help, but stumbles across a town with a legacy both dark and treacherous.

As I've said before, Stuart Gordon is the undisputed master of H. P. Lovecraft adaptations, this one coming from the short story "Dagon" and one other tale (to flesh it out). He captures the imagery perfectly -- the storms, the fear of the water, the importance of an arcane faith (without making it cheesy) and of course the tentacles.

The acting is quite good, especially from the star (who was also the star of "Dreams in the Witch House")... Ezra Godden, I believe his name is (forgive me if I'm wrong). He plays a much nerdier character than in "Dreams", so much so that I might not have even noticed it was the same actor. The other characters are also good. All of them. The bum, the girlfriend, the townsfolk... I have no complaints.

The scenery was very drab, and I mean that in a good way. It was a dirty, isolated town that really portrayed the feeling of helplessness. I read in another review that Gordon moved the story from New England to Spain to capture this feeling, as modern America really has no such place left. Spain seemed natural, and fit the theme perfectly. Besides, an ancient cult does tend to have more of a "European" rather than "American" flavor to it (unlike witches, which are right at home in America).

I really have to protest about the CGI in this film, though. Some scenes use amateur computer graphics, which come across looking cartoonish. This upsets me any time I see it in a film, but even more so with Stuart Gordon. I have seen what he can do with old fashioned makeup and special effects. I've been impressed. Why has he resorted to this technique? While I would say this is the least of the Gordon-Lovecraft films I've seen, it's still a fine job. It's probably the only film you'll ever watch where you find a fish attractive. Well, besides "The Little Mermaid", of course. Ariel's pretty dang sexy.

A charming diversion.

[goodellaa · 7/10 · 20 May 2002]

This movie is based more on "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", "The Festival" or "The Stange High House in th Mist" than on "Dagon". Still, this sort of strange tale tends to fall into a certain pattern and if you enjoy this movie, you may find that you like Lovecraft's tales also. This movie captures the atmosphere of many of these stories and presents some of their weird concepts as well as any I have seen. It also plays sort of like an adventure serial, so it dosn't hurt that the hero is played in the manner of Harold Lloyd. There is plenty of comedy and gruesomeness, and the question of whether human self-determination or monstrous outside forces are stronger gets asked, in a nice graphic, non-preachy way. My only complaints are the "orchestral crash" which accompanies some of the shock effects, and the fact that aside from one showing in Hollywood two days ago, this movie seems destined only to be seen on the small screen in North America!

I am very torn on this one...

[markovd111 · 6/10 · 31 August 2022]

Start of the movie is awful. You are greeted with dated CGI and very irritating main characters. Then at 20-30 minutes in, when you already lost almost all hope for this movie to be good, movie surprisingly turns into a thrilling and adrenaline filled survival horror for good half an hour. It's not scary or anything, but it's weird, creepy and even stylish at moments. From there on you are left with last third of the movie which is for sure better than the beginning, but still not what you would necessarily call good. "Dagon" is a movie surely made with love and care for Cthulhu mythos, but it doesn't completely hit the mark. I give it 6.5/10 and I recommend it only to the genre fans and Lovecraft fans, but to the latter I say, don't expect complete faithfulness to Lovecraft's work and style.

A Fun B-Horror Film.

[eyescor · 21 May 2002]

I was at the same screening the previous fellow was at an it was very obvious to me what kind of film we were seeing. It was a classic B-Movie Horror film with all of the camera movements, dialogue, makeup and effects of a good B-movie. This film does not, at any time, present itself as anything other than being an homage to the B-Movie Genre. The trailer preceding the film, which showed horror film trailers by Mario Bava, were an indication of what we were in store for. It's seems to be so easy for people to completely miss the point. (I am not a regular fan of this genre nor did I know who Mario Bava was so I am not a blind loyalist.) It was a fun film, it was entertaining. Actually, there were some very striking underwater shots.There also were moments that were extremely creepy and there was a lot of value for the budget they had. Good gore. I also know that the director, Stuart Gordon, is a guy who is well aware of what the film is and what its intended audience is. After all, it is very easy to pick friday the 13th or any of these films apart if one wants to appear superior. Is that the point? If you want to see a good horror film in the style of "Night of the Living Dead" and that style of film, "Dagon" is worth renting.

Horror and fantasy based on stories by the master H.P. Lovecraft

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 6 March 2011]

Dagon tells an incredible story of terror , marine monsters and including fantastic touches. As it packs horror ,suspense , plot-twists, tension , chills , thrills with sensationalistic scenes . A shipping accident off the Galician coast of North of Spain sends the starring named Paul (Ezra Dodden) and his sweetheart Barbara (Raquel Meroño)to the decrepit fishing village called Imboca looking for help. As night falls, people start to disappear and things not quite human begin to appear. Paul finds himself chased by the entire people of Imboca . There he meets an old fisher named Ezequiel(Francisco Rabal) and a strange young girl (Macarena Gomez). Running for his life, Paul uncovers Imboca's dark secret but he is taken by the secret sect . The villagers worshipping the God Dagon and his unholy offspring are on the loose in the place .

Based on two short stories by the undisputed expert of the terror H.P. Lovecraft titled ¨Dagon¨ and ¨The shadow over Innsmouth¨ . The picture packs thrills, chills , terror , fantasy and lots of blood and gore . Furthermore , unrelenting twists and turns as when the starring discovers that the truth will not set him free instead it condemns him to a waking nightmare of impressive horror . B-entertainment with a fairly suspenseful and horrifying story about an ancient fanatic religious cult of followers of Dagon. This tale about a young couple who is involved into a twisted intrigue begins well and grows more and more until a downbeat finale . Good makeup on the freakish half-human creatures by DDT that subsequently won Academy Award for ¨Pan's labyrinth¨ . Dark and colorful cinematography by Carlos Suarez and atmospheric musical score by Carles Cases that includes Galiacian sounds . The flick is finely produced by the chairman of Filmax and Castelao Productions , Julio Fernandez who along with his brother Carlos Fernandez are two successful producers and experts on Horror genre , producers of hits as ¨The machinist¨ ,¨ Fragiles¨, ¨Darkness¨, Rec 1, Rec2 and many others. The picture is compellingly directed by Stuart Gordon who along with Bian Yuzna are important American filmmakers expert on terror cinema , both of whom working for Castelao , Fantastic Factory or Filmax . Rating : 6 , acceptable and passable film , though contains some flaws.

When will the world get a good Lovecraft movie

[Vodstok · 4/10 · 2 February 2005]

Though not a terrible movie, i really could not truly enjoy Dagon. I love cheesy horror flicks, but when it is yet another crappy adaption of one of HP Lovecraft's stories, it kills all of the fun for me.

Looking at it as a cheesy horror flick only, it is fun. Go watch it and enjoy the cheddar.

If, however, you are a fan of Lovecraft looking for something marginally watchable, i would find something else. Dagon takes the story "Shadow over Innsmouth" and completely bastardizes it. Rather than being set in a creepy new england town, it is a creepy Spanish town, lamely named "Imbocca". (In-Mouth for the non-Spanish speaking) In th end, the main character finds out he is descended from fish men, lets Dagon eat his fiancé, and takes off with a squid woman. Not really the kind of thing the master of Modern horror would have written.

I could have said more, but it really doesn't warrant it.

Dagon: Everything a Lovecraft adaptation should be

[Platypuschow · 8/10 · 10 December 2018]

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

Another decent effort at H.P. Lovecraft from the great Stuart Gordon... Rewatchability: High Blu-ray (German) Good A:8 V:8

[lathe-of-heaven · 7/10 · 23 May 2015]

I'm a bit torn about this one... I read Bowmanblue's review and I must say that I mostly agree with what he wrote about the movie. I liked the film and it really did have a pretty good atmosphere. The town where they chose to set the story had a nice creepy vibe going for it and could be considered an actual 'Character' in and of itself.

I guess if you look at this movie from the basic premises and stories that H.P. Lovecraft used, it seems to fit into his universe pretty well. His stories were really almost ALL atmosphere, which isn't a bad thing. Heh... I'M usually the one who is most vocal about how important mood and atmosphere is in Horror films, especially Classically themed ones, and yet here I am actually considering spouting off about the lack of substance or story through most of the middle part of the film. (shame on me...)

I REALLY love Stuart Gordon's films, especially his first 3 and 'FORTRESS'. I think that he is very talented and he is DEFINITELY the guy to do this kind of movie. I honestly wish that he would get off his more modern thing of doing these more 'Realistic' Horror films and just get back to doing what he does best and what we all REALLY want from him: Good, old-fashioned, creepy Horror films.

I suppose if I am truly being honest, I will admit that I sorely missed Jeffrey Combs in this one. Maybe he just had other commitments or couldn't go to Spain to make this film, I don't know... But, that was kind of nagging at me as I was watching the movie and I THINK that if the main guy had been Combs, I bet that I would probably have liked the movie even more. However, he had a good 'nice guy' vibe going on, sort of like the romantic lead in 'REANIMATOR'

The look and atmosphere of the film are very good. The acting is fairly decent for the most part and the story is pure Lovecraft. There are a few gruesome touches thrown in here or there (or it wouldn't be a Gordon/Yuzna film now, would it...?) but, I really didn't feel that it was nearly as grisly as some others. Overall, and also objectively taking into consideration how many here really do like this film, I would say that if you are a fan of H.P. Lovecraft or Stuart Gordon at all, then you should find this film to be fairly entertaining.

The way the film finishes has a nice touch to it that gives the movie a little bit of a welcome punch at the end...

A crazy, gratuitous mess.

[jashezilla · 5/10 · 23 September 2019]

The acting is horrible and just the crazy, gratuitous mess that it turns into is really disappointing. Loved the premise and the feel of the whole thing, and it did genuinely creep me out a bit, but it's not well put together at all.

Like a terrifying nightmare. Lots of atmosphere with a very brutal kill.

[Fella_shibby · 8/10 · 21 June 2019]

I saw this for the first time recently. Was on my radar for a long time.

A couple gets trapped on an island after a boating accident. The girl disappears n the boy is chased by people who r slowly turning into creatures.

The constant rain, the empty houses n lanes, the hostile folks, the creatures with sharp teeth n the peeling of skin of an alive person, all this makes this film a solid dark horror. The hotel scene is tensed.

I was engrossed from the beginning till the end n found this film like a nightmare.

Something's fishy in Imboca...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 4 May 2017]

I have watched "Dagon" for the third or fourth time already now, and the movie still keeps being enjoyable. You just need to let some years pass in between every time you sit down to watch it.

I am a big fan of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft and have watched many of the movie adaptations of his stories; some good, some not so good. "Dagon" from 2001, actually is a rather enjoyable adaptation, and as such it is also a good movie.

It is quite clear that writer Dennis Paoli wrote the script for this movie based on at least two of H. P. Lovecraft's stories, that being "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" and "Dagon", of course. And this combination actually does work out quite well.

The story told in "Dagon" is about a young man and woman whom are sailing off of the coasts of Spain when their ship is run ashore and badly damaged by a freak storm. Seeking refuge and help in the small fishing village on the coast, things take a turn for the worse as the reclusive villagers harbor a dark secret.

Storywise then "Dagon" is nicely paced, and the characters are fair enough.

However, I don't understand why writer Dennis Paoli and director Stuart Gordon opted for having the movie take place in a Spanish coastal village. That just made very little sense, unless they were trying to branch out and say that the influence of Dagon and the Great Old ones reach out to all corners of the Earth.

As for the cast, well the lead cast were doing good enough jobs, and it was nice enough that they opted for performers that were not huge stars and thus influenced by previous performances and characters. However, lots of the Spanish cast were not great at speaking English, which resulted in moments where it was quite difficult to understand what they were saying, and parts of the dialogue were just lost due to weird pronunciation and thick accents.

"Dagon" did not boast a myriad of special effects. I will say that the practical effects in bring the changes from human to Deep One was good enough; here I am thinking of the cosmetic make-up and prosthetic special effects used to give them a fish-like quality, such as gills, bulging eyes or even tentacles. The CGI effects used in "Dagon" were not overly great, and it was actually painstakingly obvious that it was CGI, because it had that fake feel to it.

This is, luckily, a movie driven by the story and the sense of dread that it build up throughout the course of the story. So the poor CGI effects only inflicted a minor dent on the overall movie.

The ending of the movie, was actually quite predictable, and also rather campy and cheesy. I do believe that "Dagon" deserved a more crafty and fulfilling ending.

Of course, this movie is nothing in comparison to the actual written works of Lovecraft, but it is still a very entertaining and adequate adaptation of his writings.

Not quite there...

[capnhowdy69 · 4/10 · 21 March 2010]

This movie could have been an amazing film. The budget didn't need to go higher, the acting didn't need to be better and the actors were for the most part very fitting. The thing about this movie that throws me off is how it mish-mashes multiple Lovecraft themes into a collage of failure. If it had JUST been "The Shadow over Innsmouth" it could have been so much more. It takes the entire story rearranges the sequence of events and then craps them out in a disjointed, immemorable, forgettable and ultimately pointless film. The story conveys so much horror and atmosphere than the director was able to convey. Die-hard Lovecraft fans such as myself will appreciate the film, however I think we can all agree that this is not true Lovecraft. This is a sub-par director cutting his teeth on a low budget movie and actually being pretentious enough to think he could turn an atmospheric, chill you to the bone tale into a slasher flick. This movie goes over the top making the town out to be crazed fish people and ignores the subtlety that makes Lovecraft and his mythology truly fantastic. It's the horrors you DON'T see that inspire the fear. It's that bump in the night you just aren't QUITE sure you heard... it's the way things are just a LITTLE bit off. From the very get go we are confronted with blatant fish people and everybody is murdered etc. Ah, what might have been... I suppose it's worth a single viewing if you are are a fan of Lovecraft. If you aren't then save your money for something you will actually enjoy.

An 80's horror with no ironic Kids to ruin it.

[muttley_1 · 20 August 2002]

Just watched Stuart Gordon's DAGON. Having enjoyed Gordon's 80's genre outings Re-animator, Bride and From Beyond I was looking forward to this latest opus.

Now the problems I have with the film aren't insurmountable but they do take away some of the enjoyment. Firstly Ash in evil dead was cool, that's a given but the guy in this (Ezra Godden) is like Ash lite and I never really bonded with him as a character basically coz he didn't have any. It starts with a really nice sequence that bodes well for a H.P Lovecraft adaptation but the middle third soon degenerates into a half assed prolonged chase . Now I was starting fidget just a touch but I thought I've paid for this it's got to get better and you know what? It does. WAhhaaay.

Once the Dagon Mythos is shown as back-story Told by an old fisherman in a ridiculously thick accent the Great Old Ones atmos kicks in.

The last third pulls the film up by it's Lapels from mediocrity to pretty damn good. I'll not spoil it but let's just say there's Boobies, Blood, Monsters, and one of the most painful gory protracted deaths I've seen in a long time.

This was like a welcome throwback to the early 80's when Ironic teenagers hadn't yet nudged and winked the credibility out of the genre.

Dagon - The Lovecraft film that Lovecraft fans have been waiting for?

[Robbie-21 · 6/10 · 25 September 2002]

"Dagon" certainly stands a cut above the rest when it comes to film adaptations of the works of H.P. Lovecraft. However, like pretty much every other attempt, Stuart Gordon and company also manage to fail in creating anything other than a Lovecraft-inspired B-grade horror movie. With this film, it is truly a shame. Unlike some of the utterly unwatchable adaptations that have been done, "Dagon" manages to, in places, bring an authentic-feeling Lovecraft mood and look to the screen. The in-town locations are, by-and-large, wonderful. Using a Spanish location and Spanish language was a great idea. The Actors playing the priest and the old man are excellently cast. Also, Gordon and company get high marks for the scenes where the true, horrible nature of the townsfolk is merely hinted at or teased. However, all of the successful teasing and hinting is for naught if you eventually show some guy in a big rubber monster mask, oozing slime all over the camera. Two great character actors are wasted if your central hero is so dreadfully written. And it is odd that film makers would be so inspired by Lovecraft's stories to make films (or are they inspired by the potential $$$$ in Lovecraft's name?) and yet end up either not noticing the strengths of Lovecraft's storytelling or purposely abandoning it. How can one admire a story enough to bring it to film and not admire its strengths? Lovecraft is all about the tease, about not showing, about what we can imagine from just a glimpse beneath the mask being far more terrifying than what we can gather in an extended shot? Example: the first glimpse that the movie's hero gets through a cracked door of mutated father character. The hints of inhuman deformity do wonders towards creeping the viewer out, forcing them to imagine a horror far worse. But then Gordon and company end up *showing* us the father's full facial deformities in a long, extended shot full of latex and rubber squid parts. This is bad storytelling. This is bad filmmaking. This is not Lovecraftian in the least and it throws away any former success in hinting at it. The hint is far, FAR more effective. It's like a striptease versus hardcore pornography. Lovecraft is the striptease and while other horror storytellers may revel in disgusting details, in the pornography of horror, it was never H.P.'s style. So either Gordon didn't trust Lovecraft's work and thought vainly that he could improve upon it or the man was simply too daft to grasp the complexity of Lovecraft's horror to begin with. I cannot say which I hope is the case. Other issues that bug me about "Dagon" include the romantic angle and the *action-man* crap. Lovecraft's stories almost never feature a romantically involved secondary character. In fact, if there *is* a Lovecraft story that features a man involved with a normal woman in a romantic way, I am not remembering it at present. There certainly is no mention of a romance in "Shadow over Innsmouth" and it is simply not an aspect of the Lovecraftian tale. To give a Lovecraft hero a romantic interest is like giving one to Sherlock Holmes--it simply isn't a part of the picture. So, shame on Gordon and company for giving us such an ugly horror movie cliché. Really, from where did they gain their true influence for this picture? From Lovecraft or from every other bland horror movie ever thrown up on a U.S. screen? Blah. Also, all of the action in the film is distressing. Is this Evil Dead or is this Lovecraft because I saw a helluva lot of running around with guns, fire, and whatnot? Lovecraftian horror is not about running around with guns and blasting stuff. To slap his name on a film like that is simply insulting. That combined with the profanity... really, in what Lovecraftian tale does H.P. Use the F word? Which one? Because I don't think I've read that particular story. At times, with gun in hand, the central character in Dagon says everything short of "I've come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass..." *sigh* And why must these tales always be transported from their atmospheric, early 1900's settings to modern day? What purpose does this serve? Given the look of the locations used in `Dagon,' to have it set in the 1930's would not have required an enormous amount of additional work or funds. In closing, the film is fun and perfectly acceptable so long as you expect nothing more than a B-grade horror film-and even as a Lovecraftian horror film, it's better than most. But anyone claiming that this is the great, true Lovecraft film that we've been waiting for all these years is simply out of their mind. This film is fair, but that's it.

Not a great movie but a really decent one

[tdroszko · 7/10 · 17 April 2018]

I'm a huge fan of H.P Lovecraft and for years I've wanted to see this movie. I finally did that. Despite the title, it isn't based off "Dagon" but rather "Shadow Over Innsmouth". And it actually does it pretty good. Of course, they modernized the story a bit, throwed in a couple elements, the story's location is now in Spain, which didn't bother me. Actually, I was fairly surprised how well it translated into the story. Spanish can sound really terrifying and city of Imboca (Innsmouth) seems even more alien and isolated when you don't understand what citizens say. Overall, even with all the changes, it was a fine adventure and all the checkboxes from Lovecraftian lists are there. Especially the atmosphere. From the things I didn't like... Well, CGI. The scene from a dream, where Uxai screams and awful CGI tentacles come out of her mouth... Really? Why do this? I also didn't like the fact that they have shown Dagon. CGI was far better in that instance but you guys read Lovecraft... His motto is "fear the unknown". You don't show ANY of the Elder Gods, they are supposed to be vague and scary. Main character is also sometimes too annoying and throwing one-liners much to easily. I don't think it works because film takes itself much too seriously to play the campy card. Other than that, it's a good movie, especially taking its budget into consideration. Good soundtrack, good sound fx, nice practical effects. Mainly for fans of Lovecraft but I think anyone who enjoys B horror movies will be pretty content with this.

Not bad, but not quite there

[bowmanblue · 6/10 · 27 March 2015]

'Dagon' is one of those films where I watch and yet still can't really make up my mind about. I didn't hate it. It has its good points, yet overall there didn't really seem like there was enough story to flesh it out (even to its quite average ninety minute runtime).

It's about an American couple whose boat gets shipwrecked off a remote Spanish island. When they get to shore they find the locals are hardly the hospitable types. It kind of reminded me of 'The Wicker Man,' i.e. outsiders who are up against the whole of a town.

My main problem with the film was that very little happens. Once the couple arrive on the island, they're quickly separated and we're left with just the man. Pretty much the whole of the middle part of the film is him being chased from one dark and creepy location to the next. He's all on his own and doesn't really have anyone to interact with, therefore we don't really get to know him that well and know that he's going to make it out of each area, simply because the film would end if he didn't. He does meet one local, but the old man talks with such a strong accent I actually had to put the subtitles on to understand him! Seriously, if you were watching Dagon on DVD, you could skip a few chapters in the middle and you wouldn't miss anything 'story-wise,' just a few creepy scenes here and there. The atmosphere is one of the plus points. The story is nicely creepy and the monsters are well done. It's just a pity not much happens for the majority of the movie.

The last act is a bit more dramatic and they've saved some of the best gore for last, but it's too little too late to turn what could have elevated an okay film to a really classic one. Bottom line, it's okay, but because there's so little story, I probably wouldn't watch it again because I can remember everything about it.

Bad Sushi

[petra_ste · 5/10 · 25 May 2007]

Based on two of the best H.P. Lovecraft short stories (Dagon and The Shadow over Innsmouth), this horror movie does a few things right - even very well - but overall it's a missed occasion.

Dagon's greatest achievement is the atmosphere permeating its first act. When the protagonists visit the small sea-town of Imboca (boca=mouth, Innsmouth, in-joke, har har) after troubles with their boat, tension is palpable. The beginning, as they explore the creepy village and glimpse its mysterious inhabitants, is powerful stuff.

Unfortunately, in its second half the movie falls apart. Director Stuart Gordon doesn't trust the incredible atmosphere he has managed to craft and goes for gore and bad taste, two cheap tricks a master like Lovecraft never felt the need to use.

Gordon seems to be a Lovecraft aficionado, regularly adapting his works. Which feels strange, since their sensibilities appear very much at odds: Gordon is loud and in-your face, Lovecraft subtle and insidious.

5/10

The first H.P. Lovecraft movie

[akasch-2 · 10/10 · 25 February 2002]

While it's not technically the *first* Lovecraft film, "Dagon" still has the honor of being the first actual adaption of one of his stories, rather than existing in the 'Lovecraft-inspired' genre.

I think I speak for everyone when I say that a good straight-forward Lovecraft film has been a long time coming. Sure, "Re-Animator" was a great quirky homage, but we've also suffered through more "Unnammables" and "Lurking Fears" than one can point a shotgun at!

Adapted from "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," this film actually does justice to Lovecraft's rich universe. Die-hard fans will no doubt go nuts when they see that every bit of the 'Deep Ones' mythos has been preserved. "Dagon" also marks the first time Cthulu is ever mentioned in a film (unless you count "Cthulu Mansion." Heh heh.)

While it doesn't contain the high production values needed to properly execute every aspect of Lovecraft, the film still looks damn good considering it's microscopic budget. This is the best looking Lovecraft film we're apt to see, as Hollywood won't touch this material with a ten-foot pole.

Sure, a few of the elements look cheap and the acting delivers its share of ham (does anyone understand a word Pablo Rabal is saying?!?!), but Stuart Gordon still succeeds in making "Dagon" an entertaining (and sometimes creepy) foray into one of history's greatest horror authors.

Lovecraft inspired monster movie

[siderite · 7/10 · 18 May 2015]

Dagon is the first story Lovecraft wrote and this adaptation is both good in the sense it captures the original material's unsettling story, but also bad because it goes through the classic monster movie routines with no respect to character development or quality of story and using the clichés I game to hate so much like "Americans in spooky European country trying to communicate by adding an 'o' to every English word", "Americans looking for police and/or a phone and, lacking that, looking for a car or a gun", Deus ex Machina overload and so on.

This is the second time I watch the film and, besides some scenes that I vaguely remembered, the rest of the movie was completely forgettable. In truth, with a little effort this could have been a decent movie. I don't get why they had to break it using such bad acting and such a silly script.

Catholics abandon faith and become Kevin Costner from Waterworld

[Punch-3 · 4/10 · 31 July 2002]

'Dagon' is a nicely filmed, atmospheric, technically competent production by the guy who gave us 'Re-Animator.' It just isn't a very good movie. Two couples, Howard and Vicki, and Paul and Barbara, recently stinking rich (from what were never told), celebrate on a boat not far from a Spanish fishing village. When a preternatural storm blows the boat onto the rocks, seriously injuring Vicki, Barbara and Paul go ashore in a rubber raft seeking help. They find instead a town of very inhospitable people who are slowly metamorphosing into fish, sort of much nastier versions of Kevin Costner's Mariner from Waterworld. Some have webbed hands, some have gills, some don't talk as much as make guttural sounds strangely reminiscent of the sewer creatures from Lucas Arts', 'Dark Forces' video game, and one, High Priestess, Uxia, the gorgeous Macarena Gomez, has a human torso with octopus legs (bummer). The one thing they all share in common is hatred of outsiders. They like to skin them alive and wear their faces as masks (don't ask, they never really say why). A flashback reveals that they were all once good Catholics who rejected Christianity when their fishing nets started turning up empty in favor of Dagon (rhymes with pagan), a sea-god who gave them fish and lots of gold. Dagon, as we discover, demands worship and occasional sacrifices, preferably young, nubile, naked women, and Barbara certainly fills the bill. After she is taken to be prepped for sacrifice, we're unfortunately left with Paul, whom Ezra Godden plays with all the finesse of a community theater actor. With his horn-rimmed glasses and whiny, Woody Allen persona, why would Barbara be attracted to him? His strongest acting techniques are delivering his lines and mugging for the camera. It's too bad more time couldn't be spent finding a more capable lead - the production clearly had a budget - and patching up some the gaping plot holes and contrivances in the story.

There's something fishy in Imboca!

[BrandtSponseller · 10/10 · 31 January 2005]

Based on two short stories ("Dagon" and "The Shadow Over Innsmouth") by horror author H.P. Lovecraft, Dagon tells the story of Paul Marsh (Ezra Godden), who has just made a bundle of money from stocks. While vacationing on a small boat with his girlfriend, Barbara (Raquel Merono), and an older couple, they run into trouble off the coast of a seemingly deserted, small Spanish fishing town of Imboca. Paul and his Barbara make it to shore to look for help, but things turn from bad to worse as they discover the town's evil secrets.

This is director Stuart Gordon's third Lovecraft related film, after Re-Animator (1985) and From Beyond (1986). All were also at least co-produced by Brian Yuzna and co-written by Dennis Paoli. While I can't say Dagon is the best, it is just as good, finishing as a solid 10 out of 10 for me.

What really puts Dagon over the top early on is the incredible atmosphere that Gordon achieves from the beginning of the film. We see a prologue of sorts with Marsh diving beneath the ocean, coming across bizarre, creepy ruins, and finally running into a beautiful mermaid who just happens to have a set of shark teeth. This turns out to be a dream, but shortly after, it gets even better when our heroes spot the deserted Spanish town and the ominous weather that's quickly approaching.

By the time Paul begins exploring the spooky town, I wanted to spend an eternity there. It has all the atmosphere of Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's superb Delicatessen (1991), with the addition of creepy, freakish townspeople. The more we learn about everything, the more strange it becomes, until we're finally in the middle of a nightmare that seems like a melding of Federico Fellini, David Cronenberg and Frank Henenlotter--we get visceral horror, captivating dark fantasy, and beautiful surrealism. There couldn't be a much more exquisite mix for my tastes. Don't miss this one.

Decent euro-horror genre flick

[SkullScreamerReturns · 6/10 · 22 May 2021]

At some point I read a lot of H. P. Lovecraft but I've never seen many movies based on his works because it is a common opinion that the maestro's atmospheric and abstract stories are not easy to translate to the screen. Now I finally saw Dagon which I remember seeing sitting on a store shelf some 20 years ago but didn't buy because of reasons above.

I don't remember the written story of Dagon very well so I can't do comparing if the movie is faithful to it or not, but maybe it's a lso a good thing. I judge it as a horror movie and not so much as a Lovecrft movie.

I liked it. The characters at first seemed goofy but when the movie gets going it becomes more serious. The setting is very cool, the eerie fisherman village really gave me a Lovecraft mood. I also liked how the story moved on constantly bringing something new to the table.

There's a slightly amateurish quality to the film but the special effects are cool in a b-movie style. At some moments I got a little bit of Dario Argento vibes from the atmosphere. (Btw, I thought the hotel employee actor looks a lot like Argento!)

Not a classic of any kind but maybe a bit better than I expected. Worth watching for horror fans. But I must also say that I'm not going to watch it again very soon.

Another stupid Lovecraft 'adaptation'

[Lupercali · 3/10 · 19 April 2004]

Just by the law of averages you would expect that sooner or later someone would make a movie based on a H.P. Lovecraft story, which has something to do with the original story. Or that it captures something of the original atmosphere.

Forget it. This is yet another entry in the seemingly endless pantheon of bad European 80's style schlock flicks which has about as much to do with H.P. Lovecraft as a nanny goat does with Yuri Gagarin.

The film seems more based on 'The Shadow over Innsmouth' than anything else, but that connection is fairly tenuous. There is some reasonably atmospheric cinematography (this is easily one of the dampest movies ever made), but none of this saves it from the idiotic script and laughable major characters, who seem more like Brad and Janet from 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' than something Lovecraft would have approved of.

When is somebody going to get the hang of a Lovecraft story? Is it impossible? Is there some occult force preventing it from happening? I'm beginning to think so. 3 out of 10. - and that's because the director slipped me a few bills.