The influence of science fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft is widely felt in modern literature; authors from Robert E. Howard to Stephen King can claim him as their ancestor. But cinema too has seen Lovecraft's impact, and author Charles Mitchell offers here a comprehensive guide to the dozens of films that are representative of this influence. Mitchell studies the films in detail, analyzing the major Lovecraft elements and examining the fidelity of the films to the original works. Amateur films as well as television productions and foreign cinema, are included in Mitchell's scrutiny, revealing the challenge of transcribing Lovecraft to the screen, while at the same time suggesting the potential of Lovecraft's work for future, quality screen adaptations.
In addition to plot summaries, entries for each film include annotated cast lists, critiques of actors' performances, the degree of fidelity to Lovecraft, and representative quotes from each film. This thorough work will be of interest to students of cinema as well as modern literature.