The Dunwich Horror

Plot synopsis:
The film begins with the groaning of a woman. The camera slowly pans to show two elderly women (who look like twins) and an elderly man who are watching a woman writhe and moan with the pain of childbirth on a bed in an old-fashioned looking bedroom. She is then led out of the room by the elderly man, who is later revealed as the elder Whateley.
The film continues, after the opening credits, at the fictional Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts, where Dr. Henry Armitage (Begley) has just finished a lecture on the local history and the very rare and priceless Necronomicon. He gives the book to his student Nancy Wagner (Dee) to return to the library. She is followed by a stranger, who later introduces himself as Wilbur Whateley (Stockwell). Whateley asks to see the book, and though it is closing time and the book is reputedly the only copy in existence, Nancy allows it under the influence of Whateley's hypnotic gaze.
Whateley's perusal of the book is cut short by Armitage, who has researched Wilbur's family's sordid past. His warnings about the Whateleys go unheeded by Nancy, who decides to give Wilbur a ride back to Dunwich after he misses his bus, perhaps purposely. At a gas station on the outskirts of town, Nancy first encounters the ill-esteem in which the locals hold Wilbur.
Once back at the Whateley house, she meets Old Whateley (Jaffe), Wilbur's grandfather. Her car is then disabled and she is drugged by the younger Whateley. She decides under the influence of hypnosis and drugs to spend the weekend, and does not change her mind when Armitage and Nancy's classmate Elizabeth arrive from Arkham the next morning. The duo does not abandon Nancy, however. They investigate further and discover that Wilbur's mother, Lavinia (Joanna Moore Jordan) is still alive and in an asylum. The town doctor, Cory (Bochner) informs Armitage that Lavinia delivered twins when Wilbur was born, but one was stillborn, though he was not there for the delivery and never saw the body. The childbirth was very traumatic and Lavinia "lost her mind" during it, and nearly died.
In the meantime, on the advice of the locals, Elizabeth enters the Whateley house looking for Nancy. She opens a locked door, and releases a creature (which we are led to believe is Wilbur's monstrous twin) that kills her and escapes. Upon Wilbur and Nancy's return, Old Whateley confronts them about the presence of the missing girl's car, and in the ensuing argument, falls down the stairs and dies. Wilbur takes him to the local cemetery for a decidedly non-Christian burial, but the local townsfolk vociferously stop him.
As the story draws to a close, a rapid unfolding of events occurs. Wilbur's twin runs amok in Dunwich, killing several people. Lavinia dies in the asylum, looking much older than her 45 years. The Whateley estate burns down in a conflagration that may have to do with a pagan ritual. At the top of a coastal cliff, Wilbur prepares Nancy for sacrifice to bring back what he calls "The Old Ones." Confronted by Armitage, Wilbur chants and calls down his demon father as his adversary chants reverse spells. Wilbur is struck by lightning in the ritual and falls in a ball of fire into the sea.
In the closing scene, the physically unharmed Nancy is escorted off the sacrificial altar by Armitage and Cory, who calm her by stating that the Whateley line has ended. Just before the credits, it is revealed that Nancy is pregnant, presumably with Wilbur's ill-conceived child.

Tags: insanity, murder, flashback

Review:
Sandra Dee (the original GIDGET to you beach bunny fans) is Nancy Wagner, a virginal blonde student at Miskatonic University who meets Wilbur (Dean Stockwell), the grandson of a warlock who was lynched years earlier.Wilbur shows interest in the Necronomicon and in Nancy, because he needs both to open a gateway for demons called "The Old Ones" to enter our world.
A strange-looking, barely-seen, multi-headed flying monster that sees things in negative (and looks kind of like GHIDRAH!), is kept locked in the attic, but escapes for the silly finale.It's amusing to see the once-wholesome Sandra Dee saying sex is "great" and simulating orgasm while being groped on an altar, but she should also get credit for delivering a decent performance.
Stockwell is so soft-spoken and weird it's hard to gouge just how good (or bad) his performance really is.Compared to most recent H.P. Lovecraft adaptations, this isn't half bad and it all looks very cool and colorful.
Many films based on Lovecraft writings are downright brilliant all-time Horror-greats, above all Roger Corman's "Haunted Palace" (1963) with Vincent Price (which was marketed as a Poe-adaptation), Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead" (1981) and Stuart Gordon's "Re-Animator" (1985), just to name three absolute masterpieces inspired by this great writer's work.
"The Dunwitch Horror", of course, comes nowhere near the brilliance of films like those just mentioned, it is not even comparable to films like these, and it is certainly no classic, but while the film has its flaws, it is still an entertaining film that has its qualities.I will not go into detail regarding the plot, but, as usual for Lovecraft adapt ions, the Necronomicon, and the 'Old Ones' play an important role.
Dean Stockwell (who sports one of the most fake-looking mustaches in motion picture history) arguably delivers the best performance in the film, and the cast furthermore includes Sam Jaffe and the weird-looking Ed Begley ("12 Angry Men", "Hang 'Em High") in one of his last roles.
The Dunwich Horror was an effort to save her career and break the typecasting.Sandra getting a little long in the tooth for a college student meets a rather strange Dean Stockwell who is looking a rare book that professor Ed Begley has.
And he's got reason to want to bring these beings into our universe.The Dunwich Horror didn't serve the careers of Dean Stockwell or Sandra Dee very well.
I remember reading Lovecrafts classic The Dunwich Horror back when I was a boy, I always enjoyed his works and nobody else could write quite like him.As I grew older and my movie obsession truly took hold I was astonished how bad almost every Lovecraft adaptation was, seriously awful stuff.It's taken me a longtime to get round to the original 1970's movie and I can confidently say I'm more than a little miffed.Starring Dean "Quantum Leap" Stockwell and Sandra Dee this is a very loose streamlined version of the tale and it simply isn't very good.Upon investigation it turns out that The Dunwich Horror has been adapted quite a few times and I can only hope the others are better than this.
It looks terrible, it doesn't do the source material justice and strip Dunwich from it's title and you'd likely not even realise it was a Lovecraft piece.Utter mess and that's a damn shame.The Good:Dean Stockwell is on formThe Bad:Some weird choices for the scoreReally crummy sfxThings I Learnt From This Movie:The best method of tackling a man with a spear is to dive right onto itH.P Lovecraft was the original purveyor of hentai.
Dean Stockwell and Sandra Dee give low key, almost distracted performances that, intentionally or not, contribute to the eerie tone, and presentation of Dean Stockwell's unearthly twin was very atmospheric and evocative - a good example of how to play on the viewers' imagination (a lost art in most of today's horror movies).
Dunwich Horror is very similar in style to the Night Gallery tv series (which was rarely successful, but I still enjoy watching it if I get a chance).So - not a great movie, but good if you like this sort of thing and are in the right frame of mind.
The writings of the great H.P. Lovecraft have lead to some truly great films, but unfortunately his stories aren't always enough to carry a film through, and despite the fact that this film features all the elements of a successful Lovecraft adaptation - The Dunwich Horror is a sadly lacklustre movie.
It has to be said that the film does look very nice - for a low rent early seventies production, the cinematography is surprisingly crisp and the locations look good - but this isn't matched by the story, which is always intriguing but director Daniel Haller lets the suspense build and build and then makes the cardinal blunder of not giving his audience a worthwhile payoff at the end.
Wilbur Whateley wants this book so that he can complete some ancient rite, and in order to do so he needs the services of Nancy Wagner - a young University student that offered him a lift home when he unfortunately missed his bus.The film is packed with provocative imagery (for the time), and includes a nude scene for Sandra Dee and a whole host of trippy psychedelic scenes.
There is a good sequence mid-way through in which we find about the birth of the main character and some other scenes are interesting (like the fight between our warlock and a library security guard...), but overall there really isn't much to recommend this film for and I don't doubt that my fellow Lovecraft aficionados will be disappointed..
Due to this being a very old CD that was used many times, it was dirty as hell and I had to take it out to clean it.Needless to say, once it was cleaned, the show was on and going and I had not heard another peep of disapproval from her because the story is a great one despite it's out of date dialog and mannerisms.I will not go into the story of this movie but rather just ask, who doesn't like a good 'ol HP Lovecraft story?
Dean Stockwell moves through most of the movie like he's heavily sedated (or maybe in shock at finding himself in such a bad movie), only coming to life in the film's climax.Poor Sandra Dee--the eternal virgin--has to learn the hard way never to give strange young men a ride home from the library.Psychedelic "special effects" complete the experience...all of it taking place in the accursed hamlet of Dunwich...but I won't spoil the fun by saying any more.
"The Dunwich Horror" is the second H.P.Lovecraft adaptation from art director Daniel Haller("Die,Monster,Die!")is actually another flawed attempt to capture the unimaginable darkness of Lovecraft's literature on film.Sandra Dee plays Nancy Walker,a young college student who is lured into the mysterious house of Whateley by the creepy young warlock Wilbur Whateley(Dean Stockwell).The local community has long suspected that the whole Whateley family-Wilbur,his grandfather(Sam Jaffe),and his mother,who is in an insane asylum-is unholy,and soon their suspicions are confirmed.Wilbur intends to use Nancy as a human sexual sacrifice that will unleash dark powers-represented by his monstrous twin brother,who exists in another dimension-across the earth.Occult professor Dr.Armitage(Ed Begley)discovers what Wilbur's up to,and with the aid of Nancy's roommate (Donna Baccala),he tries to stop it."The Dunwich Horror" is a psychedelic little horror film that offers some interesting visuals.The film is slow-paced and there is absolutely no gore.It relies more on suggestion than shocks,so if you like old-fashioned horror give it a look.7 out of 10..
It's a story that might work on paper but just doesn't translate very well to the silver screen and doesn't make a good horror movie, or just movie in general, at all.The movie has Dean Stockwell, Sandra Dee and Ed Begley in it but still I can't say I was too happy about the casting.
Upon watching this, I cared more for the dignified soul of H.P. Lovecraft, that is if he ever had the chance of viewing this in the possible afterlife, since he himself was fascinated with film in the 1920s, and would have been honored to have this "classic horror tale" be displayed unto the screen--BUT NOT LIKE THIS!!!One good quality: the psychedelic sequences were interesting, and Elizabeth's death looked decent--that's all!
Sandra Dee spends half of her screen time writhing about like a bashful pornstar (no wonder this was her last film) and Dean Stockwell seems almost ashamed of the horrible dialog that he is forced to spew forth.
Curtis Hanson adapted H.P. Lovecraft's short story about a modern-day warlock living as an outsider in the East Coast town of Dunwich, where a relative of his was once hanged for believing in a race "superior to man"; robbing the local university library of its Necronomicon, he uses a pretty blonde to complete an occult fertility ritual (he props the book up between her legs!).
Sandra Dee (miscast, but not bad) writhes and undulates under Dean Stockwell's spells, but only in the film's opening scenes is she allowed to act.
I liked 'The Dunwich Horror' and I really wish I could call it a lovely American equivalent for the delightfully grim Hammer movies made around that time, but it just isn't good enough for that.
It's based on a short story by H.P Lovecraft so you can count on the fact that the basic premise of this film is terrific occult matter, handling about a quiet little town terrorized by the Whateley-family who're morbid worshipers of an alternate dimension that they want to bring back.
The production also has decent performances by a noble star-cast, including Ed Begley (he died the same year it was released), Dean Stockwell and cult-nymph Sandra Dee. Keep an eye open for Talia Shire (Rocky, The Godfather) in one of her first film roles..
Dated adaption of the H.P. Lovecraft book, is more faithful to the source material then past films and has some very eerie moments and good performances, but features a weak ending.Rated R; Violence and Nudity..
Sandra Dee is pretty good as virgin in distress but the loopy drugged out way the story unfolds will cause you to bust out in chortles frequently....It may make sense under the influence of pills and too much cough syrup, but I doubt it.Still, hilarious enough for consideration in the howlingly bad movie category.
Weirdo student of the occult Wilbur Whateley (Dean Stockwell) tries to get his hands on a copy of the Necronomicon in order to perform a ritual that will open an inter-dimensional portal and free 'the old ones'.
For his ceremony, he also needs a virgin: cue cinematic goody goody Sandra Dee as librarian Nancy Wagner, the actress ultimately shaking off her wholesome screen image by baring some flesh during the film's climactic ritual.Based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft, The Dunwich Horror is an undeniably atmospheric movie, with a great sense of foreboding helped in no small part by a sinister score, but director Daniel Haller's best efforts are undone by a script that treads water until the finale, a plodding pace and an over-reliance on groovy psychedelic visuals, the image becoming negative and changing colours during key scenes: what may have seemed cool to the hippy generation now looks horribly cheesy and incredibly dated.And, of course, anyone looking forward to the arrival of the 'old ones' is heading for disappointment: all the budget can stretch to are some rubbery snake heads, their awfulness partially disguised by one of Haller's crappy visual effects..
The movie is an embarrassment to Lovecraft, and I feel sorry for Sandra Dee and Dean Stockwell for having this in their portfolios.
When Nancy innocently asks Wilbur what it was used for, he gives her a rundown on the program of events.It entailed selecting a beautiful girl, just like Nancy strangely enough, who would be placed on the altar naked to the elements while black robed figures gathered round to observe and 'relish' her, "and then they waited for the moment when she would allow the power of darkness to enter; the moment when the gate would open and the Old Ones would come through." Sandra Dee wasn't someone you automatically associated with sexy roles, but she has her moments in "The Dunwich Horror", especially when she ends up on the altar with a fair amount of thigh and hip exposed to relishing.Less appealing is Lex Baxter's score; he needed a safety catch on that theremin - his music makes the film seem more cheesy than it actually is.The film was remade in 2009, but it was a cheap looking effort with even worse special effects than the original.
The Dunwich HorrorWhen you birth a monster the C in C-Section stands for 'clawed its way out'.Mind you, the monstrosity in this horror movie is rumoured to have been a stillbirth.Years after his insane mother brought him and his malformed twin into this world, Wilbur (Dean Stockwell) appears on the Miskatonic University campus in search of the Necronomicon.Hypnotizing a student (Sandra Dee), he not only gets her to hand over the magical textbook but to also accompany him back to Dunwich, Massachusetts, where he plans to use it and her in an occult ceremony to summon the otherworldly Old Ones to Earth.Based on the H.P. Lovecraft short story, B-Movie producer Roger Corman's low budget interpretation is not the best incarnation of the Outer Gods, but it's not without its Gothic charms.Unfortunately, the crucifixes for these tentacled gods will require way more nails than the ones before.Yellow Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca.
Armitage finds out what Wilbur has planned and gathers help to put an end to it.This is not a bad late night film - it is worth watching for those interested in occult topics or for those who simply like classic horror films.7/10.
***SPOILERS*** It's Wilbur Whateley's, Dean Stockwell, obsession with the mysterious book, the one and only copy in existence, of the unabridged occult classic "Necronomicon" that caught pretty blond Nancy Wanger's, Sandra Dee, eye.
Wilbur's, known as Weird Wilbur back home in Dunwich, obsession soon shifts to Nancy in her being a virgin, how did he know that?, that he needed for his soon to be conducted, with instructions from the book, far out occult ceremony to bring back the evil spirit Yog Sothoth to destroy the entire human race!The movie "The Dunwich Horror" goes into a number of different directions in its story about the evil that Wilbur is about to unleash on earth.
And with the help of Dunwich's doctor Cory, Llyod Bochner, who delivered Wilbur and his stillborn twin brother 25 years ago Dr. Armitage does everything he can to stop him!While all this is going on Wlibur's grandfather Old Man Whateley, Sam Jaffe, knows he's gone off the deep end in him bringing Yog Sothoth and his minions back to life.
There are few really good adaptations of the work of H.P.Lovecraft, and only one that features Sandra Dee being ravished by the Elder Gods while Dean Stockwell looks on.
Title: The Dunwich Horror (1970)Director Daniel HallerStars: Sandra Dee, Dean StockwellReview:Having only read a few of Lovecrafts short stories, I still havent had a chance to read the short story in wich this film is based on so Ill focus my review on the movie itself.The story is about this guy called Wilbur Whateley, who is very interested in The Necronomicon, a book wich explains how to bring "the Old Ones" here to earth.
Like many of Lovecrafts stories this movie has that feeling of going into the unknown, of discovering an otherwordly thing that has existed for eons yet we know nothing about.It was cool to hear the characters talking about the Necronomicon, The Miskatonic University and about "The Old Ones" after having heard these terms in many other Lovecraft based films, it felt very familiar (for me anyways) to hear these terms.I got the same feeling as I did when I watched The Wickerman or Rosemarys Baby.
Good stuff.Then theres one of "The Old Ones", one of the creatures that Wilbur is interested in bringing to earth...well, this is where I was a tad dissapointed because the monster looked like a cheap effect.
Made on a noticeably low budget, THE DUNWICH HORROR nevertheless produces some genuine scares, benefits from a consistently eerie and mysterious Gothic atmosphere, and admirable performances from Dean Stockwell, Sandra Dee, and Ed Begley in his final screen role.
The Dunwich Horror starts as a strange fellow named Wilbur Whateley (Dean Stockwell) ask's college professor Dr. Henry Armatige (Ed Begley) whether he can borrow the magical book of the Necronomicon, Armitage refuses.
Still, a cast with Dean Stockwell, Sandra Dee and old vets Sam Jaffe and Ed Begley Sr. wasn't a bad one to work with.Director Daniel Haller was a former Art Director for Roger Corman (who produced), and he, along with Cinematographer Richard Glouner and Art Director Paul Sylos, give DUNWICH a visual look far richer than such a budget would normally allow (a trait Haller was applauded for in the in he Poe pictures).
P. Lovecraft adaptation but also not the worst, The Dunwich Horror stars Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap) as Wilbur Whatley, Sandra Dee (Gidget) as Nancy Wagner, and Ed Begley (12 Angry Men) as Dr. Armitage.
He is approached by a rather odd and soft-spoken young man, Wilbur Whateley (Dean Stockwell, who would go on to appear in the epic disaster "The Last Movie" in the following year, as well as "The Werewolf of Washington" three years later), who asks to see and even borrow the incredibly rare book known as "The Necronomicon." When his request is denied, Whateley uses his hypnotic power to coerce Armitage's pretty blonde assistant, Nancy Wagner (Sandra Dee, here 28 years old and a far cry more mature than in her Tammy films), to drive him to his home in Dunwich, a town of notorious repute.