Dagon

Director: Stuart Gordon Stuart Gordon

Overview

"The work of famed author H.P. Lovecraft is once again brought to the screen in the horror hit Dagon. The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and is an overall fine looking transfer. A few mild inconsistencies float around the image (including some artifacting and a small amount of grain), though otherwise this is a very presentable looking picture which should please fans. The soundtrack is featured in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and is a fair if unimpressive soundtrack. There are a few instances where the surround sound kicks in (i.e., a storm scene and during a few action sequences) and the mix is generally clear of any hiss or distortion. Also included on this disc are English and Spanish subtitles. The extra features are small but substantial, including two commentary tracks: one by director Stuart Gordon and writer Dennis Paoli and a second by Gordon and actor Ezra Godden. Taken as a whole, both of these commentaries should provide a wealth of production information for the consummate horror viewer. Also included on this disc are a few storyboards, some production art, and some theatrical trailers for other Lion's Gate films."

Product Details

Release Date:	07/23/2002
UPC:	0658149800229
Original Release:	2001
Rating:	R
Source:	Lions Gate
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:38:00
Sales rank:	22,768

Special Features

Closed Caption;16x9 widescreen (1.78:1); 5.1 Dolby Digital; Production commentary with Stuart Gordon and Dennis Paoli; Production commentary with Stuart Gordon and Ezra Golden; Storyboards; Production artwork; Interactive menus; Scene access; English & Spanish subtitles; Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ezra Godden	Paul
Francisco Rabal	Ezequiel
Raquel Merono	Barbara
Macarena Gomez	Uxia
Brendan Price	Howard
Birgit Bofarull	Actor
Ferrán Lahoz	Actor
Alfredo Villa	Actor
José Linfante	Actor
Uxía Blanco	Actor
Carles Cases	Composer

Technical Credits

Dennis Paoli

Stuart Gordon	Director
Brian Yuzna	Producer
Julio Fernández	Producer,Executive Producer
Dennis Paoli	Screenwriter
Anthony Barnao	Casting
Julio Fernandez	Executive Producer
Americo Pineiro	Casting
Gregory Kyle	Casting

Editorial Reviews

H.P. Lovecraft fans may well be the most elusive cinematic horror gold mine that filmmakers have yet to find an effective means to harvest. With a rich and imaginative body of work that has spawned some of the most memorable images in literary horror history and inspired such beloved contemporary genre masters as Stephen King and Clive Barker (whose works have also been adapted into less-than-stellar films), such efforts as The Dunwich Horror and The Unnameable have left Lovecraft fans waiting anxiously for someone to come along and get it right. And though this has happened on rare occasion (Dan O'Bannon's The Resurrected (1992) offered a fairly chilling adaptation of Lovecraft's The Case of Charles Dexter Ward), most film versions of Lovecraft's complex and far-reaching tales have failed to capture the essence of terror that he managed to imbue so effectively onto the written page. Though it's more of a hodgepodge of stories rather than a straight adaptation of the singular tale of Dagon, Stuart Gordon's return to Lovecraft land captures the supreme sense of dread represented in the best of Lovecraft's writings and manages to work it into a well-paced film with some great settings. The seaside town which has fallen prey to the influence of a malevolent sea deity named Dagon is a dank maze of crumbling buildings that becomes a terrifying character on its own terms. Additionally, Fantastic Factory has wisely opted for more traditional prosthetic effects rather than the current trend toward CGI-based animation, with the exception of a brief moment in the film's climax. In the world of Lovecraft's tentacle-bearing beasts, this choice seems far more realistic and provides an effective means of literally fleshing out the characters who have succumbed to Dagon's lures of wealth and prosperity. Though it's not perfect, Lovecraft fans will most likely be willing to forgive Dagon's shortcomings in favor of a film that obviously shows great respect and appreciation for its source materials.