The Dark Sleep (2012 film)
The Dark Sleep (2012), AKA H.P. Lovecraft's The Dark Sleep
Summary
A loose re-telling of "Dreams in the Witch House (fiction)", in which a recently-divorced writer moves into a haunted house to finish her next book, only to be troubled in her sleep by the apparitions of a sorcerer and his rat-like familiar as they lead her on bizarre journeys into strange nether-worlds.
Details
- Release Date: 2012
- Country/Language: US, English
- Genres/Technical: Fantasy, Horror
- Runtime: 1 hr 20 min
- Starring: Taylor Nicole Adams, Bob Dennis, Steve Diasparra
- Director: Brett Piper
- Writer: Brett Piper, H.P. Lovecraft
- Producer/Production Co: Brett Piper, Polonia Bros Entertainment
- View Trailer: (link)
- IMDB: (link)
Ratings
MPAA Ratings
- Rated: (not rated) (perhaps equivalent to PG-13 for mild Violence, Profanity, and Adult Content)
Tentacle Ratings
A rough measure of how "Lovecraftian" the work is:
- SSS__ (Three Tentacles: Lovecraftian)
An amusing gender-flipped loose adaptation of "Dreams in the Witch House (fiction)", with plenty of added do-it-yourself-low-budget-special-effects monsters to torment the character with.
Note: This rating is not intended as a measure of quality, merely of how closely related to Lovecraftian "Weird" fiction the work is.
Reviews
Review Links:
- Mark Cole at Rivets on the Poster (link) - "It is (supposedly) “inspired” by Lovecraft’s short story, “The Dreams in the Witch House,” although there seems to be little that carried over except for the writer moving into a sinister house; Nyarlathotep (The Crawling Chaos); Brown Jenkins, the messenger rat; and a lot of surreal dreams."
- Eric Cotenas at DVD Drive-In (link) - "The setup is a bit of a slog, but not because the house isn’t even remotely historical or atmospheric... it’s the ill-tempered main character. Even though her tendency to be abrasive is addressed in the dialogue, she pretty much comes across as the least sympathetic character... Piper’s visualization of the other dimension is creative and ambitious, and the climax is energetic."
- Ian Sedensky at Culture Crypt (10/100) (link) - "H.P. Lovecraft is not merely rolling over in his grave. He is actively seeking a way to haunt Brett Piper and company to make sure they never again molest the author’s name."
Synopsis
Spoiler Section (Highlight to Read)
A loose re-telling of "Dreams in the Witch House", in which a recently-divorced writer moves into a haunted house to finish her next book, only to be troubled in her sleep by the apparitions of a sorcerer and his rat-like familiar as they lead her on bizarre journeys into strange nether-worlds.
Notes
Comments, Trivia, Dedication
Associated Mythos Elements
- TO DO
- fiction: "Dreams in the Witch House (fiction)"
- film: compare to Equinox (1970 film) for the loads of adorable low-budget monsters
- character: Brown Jenkin
- character: Walter Gilman
- location: Dreamlands
- artefacts: Altar, Alien Carving, Painting
- creatures: Skeleton-things, Hellhounds, Deadites, etc.
- deity: Nyarlathotep
- cult: Brotherhood of the Beast
