Dagon (2001)

This is the best adaptation of Lovecraft made to date... for simple reason that it is the only adaptation of Lovecraft made to date. All predecessors are just inspired by some Lovecraft story or his mythos overall, while Dagon is, although modernized, pretty faithful adaptation of "The Shadow Over Innsmouth". Finally! Although I have to admit that most of 18 Lovecraft inspired movies I saw so far were entertaining, I was being seriously annoyed by lack of real adaptation of this great master of horror. Considering really small budget that destroys any serious attempt of bringing supernatural to the screen, this movie is real masterpiece.8/10

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...

The problem with H.P. Lovecraft's work whether it should be labeled pulp fiction or art. Either way, he was the father of contemporary horror genre. For some reason there hasn't been any major studio production inspired by his work, apart from occasional mentioning in, for example, Pacific Rim.Dagon answered the dilemma about H.P. Lovecraft's writing with resolution: It was a trash flick. It has some atmosphere, though, but it remains a jewel for B and C movies aficionados.So, if you're not into horror movies, this might be to much for you. And if you've read Lovecraft work, Dagon wouldn't be the ultimate treat. The best part, in my opinion, was the scene with topless Raquel Meroño.

I have just watched this film for the second time, so that means I like it, enough to buy the DVD. There are so many big-budget and even-bigger-budget films out there that are utter rubbish, insult the viewers' intelligence and waste their time & money. Its a genuine pleasure to see this small budget production, and a Spanish one at that, showing the big boys a thing or two. I agree with a previous poster's comments about Hollywood being too scared to touch this material, which is a real tragedy. Such imaginative writing deserves the bigger budget treatment. Firstly I am a real fan of H.P.Lovecraft's work and to best appreciate the film, you'd probably be well advised to read some of his work, particularly in this case, "Shadow over Innsmouth" and "Dagon", both in the excellent volume: "Necronomicon". Lovecraft's writing has a claustrophobic, nightmarish and dreadful feel and the film captures these attributes admirably. The film spends a lot of time in pursuit of the "hero" by nightmarish creatures who, alone would pose but a slight threat. Its their strength in numbers and perseverance that creates the real fear factor, and vain attempts to hide and subsequent discovery and flight are genuinely scary. Add in the constant rain and flooding, used to great effect in "Bladerunner" and "The Hitcher", the decrepit feel to the village and you have a superb backdrop to paint on the action. The actors may not be A-listers but they do a decent enough job and Macarena Gomez's countenance is striking. Special effects are also decent enough considering the budget, and there is a mild sexual undertone too which is in keeping with the popularity of more current productions like "Game of Thrones" and "Sparticus". There is one gory scene that in my opinion interrupts the progressive feel to the action. In summary I'd say another underrated low budget triumph, I would liken to the original "The Wicker Man". Watch it and I am confident you will have seen worse. In my opinion a lot worse.