Strange Aeons: The Thing on the Doorstep (2005) User Reviews

One of the better Lovecraft adaptations

[Mark_a_Wood · 7/10 · 15 January 2015]

This is probably the most faithful adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's short story "The Thing on the Doorstep" yet produced. Director Eric Morgret had made an earlier short of the story and returns with some of the same cast of that film for this full length feature. The film was made on a very small budget but comes across as being a real labour of love by the film makers.

Lovecraft's story has been transported into the modern era, and has undergone some modernisation. Kerry Young has done a very good job of adapting the original story and I feel the modernisations are not too intrusive.

In this version of the story Dan Upton (J.D. Lloyd) is an academic at Miskatonic University whose star pupil Edward Derby (Erick J. Robertson) surprisingly begins dating the beautiful but mysterious Asenath Waite (Angela M. Grillo). The pair marry only months after first meeting but Upton notices that Derby is a changed man. Dropping out of college life and exhibiting some strange behaviour. What he doesn't know is that Waite has planted esoteric ideas and images into her husbands mind as a way of preparing the way for her to magically exchange minds with him - ultimately as a precursor to her unleashing the horrifying power of The Great Old Ones.

One of the most contentious elements introduced into the film are the sex scenes between Edward and Asenath. I think that it will be a matter of personal taste as to whether viewers feel these scenes are an unnecessary addition to the story. Personally, I felt they were not intrusive and actually added to a modern retelling of the story. Lovecraft would never have included such material in one of his stories but I think many modern audiences would speculate about the mind swapping implications for the newlywed Derby's.

Strange Aeons is not without it's problems, there are some annoying issues with the sound quality throughout the film. Some of the actors give very average performances - in particular Robertson in one of the three central roles is far from impressive. However, the biggest problem with the film is that a short story has been extended into a one hour plus feature. There are some moments that feel padded out and slow. The film's opening has been altered and lacks the punch of Lovecraft's opening.

That said there are many things to like about Morgret's film. Angela Grillo gives an excellent performance as Asenath Waite. J.D. Lloyd is good in a very exposition heavy role. Jerry Lloyd steals ever scene he is in as the mentally unbalanced Robert Black. Some excellent locations around Washington state have been used to good effect. There is a genuine atmosphere of creeping horror building throughout the film - which is greatly enhanced by Richard Temple's musical score. Whichever poor production assistant had to sit and draw esoteric symbols and diagrams all over the walls of a padded cell, and then the windows of a house and then someone's body deserves a medal. There are some good effects used in the film, in particular the bleached out almost blindingly white room used as a background when Ephraim Waite (Peter Anthony Holden) appears.

So, overall I would say that Strange Aeons is a very good adaptation of one of Lovecraft's lesser short stories. It will undoubtedly be too slow, and maybe too amateurish for some, but personally I thought it was one of the best Lovecraft inspired films I have seen in recent years.

Recommendation

[jantis · 8/10 · 13 September 2006]

I attended the screening of this in Atlanta (Sept 4, 2006) at an H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. It was in the wee hours of the morning when this film ran, which is a shame because many of us were tired and would have preferred to see the film when we were more awake, but you do what you can and take your opportunities when they are presented.

The Criticisms: 1. The showing time of the movie aside, my only real complaint about the film is that it was unpolished. There were a number of issues with sound and a few moments of rough editing. I believe the movie as a whole would improve with another pass through an edit booth. The movie is a little slow at times. I don't list this issue higher simply because many of us in attendance were influenced by the late hour. I'd really like to see this again at a more normal time to see if the pacing truly is slow, or if it was just me. So I'm giving the film the benefit of the doubt here. 2. The acting was not bad, but it also was not impressive. 3. A die-hard Lovecraft fan might not like that this story was brought into the modern era, though I believe the script writer did a good job of leaping this normal fan complaint. Due to standard film-making constraints (time & money), the script was edited down to the standard 'adaptation' role, meaning it isn't 100% true to the original story. But that is common and I think Mr. Young did a good job with the limits imposed upon him. I don't know that some of the adaptations were necessary (the intimate/nude scenes were brought up at the screening), but in this regard until I stand in the screenwriter's shoes, I don't know what challenges he faced. The scenes I take issue with did not detract from the film as a whole, but they did not seem to add anything, either. That's where I'll leave that.

The Congratulations: 1. The overall Lovecraft story (The Thing at the Doorstep) is intact. This is a key element often removed from Lovecraft adaptation films. Most scenes throughout the film are recognizable to anyone who has read the story. While anything but 100% devotion is always going to bring up some degree of questions from purists, Strange Aeons does a better job in terms of 'loyalty to the story' than many Lovecraft-based movies. 2. The modern adaptation worked. Very little was lost in transitioning this to a modern story. 3. This is independent film-making at its finest. The film has progressed from a snippet to a short and now to a feature length film.

I recommend this film. It remains loyal to Lovecraft's story, even considering some of the adaptation that occurred. It isn't often that I can say that about a film. It isn't perfect - it could still use a little clean up - but it is certainly worth watching.