The Lovecraft horror film The Deep Ones opened yesterday in a limited release. Were you one of the lucky ones who got a chance to see it?
Written and directed by Chad Ferrin, based on the wrtings of H. P. Lovecraft, Deep Ones moves from the Atlantic coast of Massachusetts in the late 19th-early 20th century to the Pacific coast — California in the 21st century. In the film, a married couple rents a beach side bed and breakfast, only to be surrounded by peculiar neighbors and occurrences. They soon discover themselves to be in the grips of a mysterious cult and their ancient sea god.
The Deep Ones stars American actress Gina La Piana (probably best known from her role as Gabby Ortiz in Days of Our Lives, also Rosa Bianchi in Sangre Negra) as the grieving Alex. Estonian actor Johann Urb (Vincent Sobel in the CW’s Arrow) co-stars as her husband Petri. Robert Miano (Vincent Sabatini in Sangre Negra, Big Little Joey in Elvis from Outer Space) plays the ominious Russel March.
The Deep Ones appears to owe as much to Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby as to Lovecraft’s Cthulu Mythos, and was shot primarily in one location, a beach house that happens to be owned by actress Gina La Piana. Its $1M budget puts it firmly in the “low budget” category by modern standards, but the creative skills and experience of the filmmakers can more than make up for such modest underpinnings.
The Deep Ones appears, from the trailer, to be one of those rare Lovecraftian gems of filmmaking. Lovecraft mythos films are rare, in large part due to the difficult job of portraying the ancient, otherworldly horrors that tended to inhabit H.P. Lovecraft’s books. If you have seen the film, we invite you to offer your opinions in the Comments section below.
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Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress #30”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.
