The Dunwich Horror - 1970 USA d: Daniel Haller

Haller's second Lovecraft adaptation is a far more accomplished affair.  As with Die, Monster, Die! it uses the source as a rough basis only and the film is a very loose retelling of Lovecraft's original story.  Quite what Lovecraft would have made of Dean Stockwell's turn as Wilbur Whately as some kind of hipster wizard one dreads to think!

It may stray from the source in its updating and condensing of the story, but it is done well and the film retains a lot of the sense of escalating dread found in the story.  Indeed, the film is really very atmospheric in this way with a peculiar mood of "something's not right" throughout.  Helping this greatly is Dean Stockwell's perfect performance as the central character, appropriately, there is a hint of otherworldliness to his manner. In strange but inspired casting, America's favourite virginal ingenue Sandra Dee is cast in the lead.  A long way from Gidget, she brings just the right vulnerability and innocence to the film, which would be one of her last, sadly. The rest of the cast are splendid also.

There is a real sense of budgetary constraints towards the end, unfortunately. You sit through the film with great expectations ("What's in the attic?", "What does Wilbur want with Nancy?"), the film building to a climax which is more than a tad anti-climactic.  To be fair, Haller and crew do OK with what they had. Using psychedelic optical effects to hide their dodgy monster works quite well, but the ultimate ritual to open the way for the Great Old Ones and occult battle between Stockwell and Ed Begley is all a bit underwhelming, though the film's final image is a chilling one, just about saving matters.

I have a soft spot for this film. I think it's a very decent and stylish attempt to film a story that doesn't immediately seem filmable - certainly not with 1969 technologies.  It is genuinely creepy and is well paced as it heads towards the rush of activity at the end.  Despite its flaws, I would rate this picture and recommend it to fans of the era and of Lovecraft. It's well worth a go.