The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (2003)

"Three times Randolph Carter dreamed of the marvelous city, and three times was he snatched away while still he paused on the high terrace above it." Thus begins H. P. Lovecraft's epic tale... See full summary »

Director:

Edward Martin III

Writers:

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

Stars:

Toren Atkinson, Raymond Beckett, Jason Brooks

Cast

Credited 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)

Storyline

"Three times Randolph Carter dreamed of the marvelous city, and three times was he snatched away while still he paused on the high terrace above it." Thus begins H. P. Lovecraft's epic tale of the courageous dreamer Randolph Carter and his search for the mystical sunset city by petitioning the gods of Kadath. During his journey, he travels deep into the world of dream, to the edge of the world, to the moon and back, and to the heights and depths of human and... inhuman experience.

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Plot Keywords:

h.p. lovecraft | based on novel | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Animation | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 October 2003 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Portland, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Guerrilla Productions, Hellbender Media

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in The Other Gods (2006)

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Soundtracks

Catacomb Creature Crawl
Cyoakha Grace O'Manion
Mark Brown/Equinoxe
Based on "Golden Domes" by Equinoxe from Worlds Beyond Language
Transformations/Additions/Alterations: Cyoakha Grace O'Manion

User Reviews

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.