I just think "The Dunwich Horror" is an awful telling of the H.P. Lovecraft tale. This is so stuck in its late '60s early '70s period that it really distracts from the story. Given the limits of '60s special effects I suppose I should be less critical with the way that the filmmakers showed the Old Ones, but it was pretty lame. Dean Stockwell, Sandra Dee, and Sam Jaffe were just so off-kilter and odd. I didn't like this.

Since this movie is based on a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, you kinda expect something weird and slightly otherworldly to be involved. What stood out to me while watching was this strange sense of time. A lot seems to pass, but not really that much actually happens. Everything moves very slowly, slow enough that you just drift through it without any big moments pushing it forward. Not sure how to describe it exactly, but it gives the whole film a very unusual pacing. The visuals are probably the strongest aspect. Instead of showing things directly, it relies on colors, negative images and overlapping shots that sometimes almost melt into each other. At times it feels like one image is slipping into the next. The music supports this really well, blending into the scenes and adding to that slightly hypnotic atmosphere, even when not much is going on. You can clearly see the limitations, but they turn them into something creative rather than a weakness. The acting and story can feel a bit uneven here and there, but it never really pulled me out of it. Overall I liked it. The story itself is alright, nothing super new now but maybe at the time something totally different. It’s one of those cases where the film still manages to feel unique because of everything around it. It has this dreamlike quality, calm in parts but also a bit strange, not really following clear rules. I’m for sure glad I watched it, probably wouldn’t have come across it otherwise, and it’s definitely something I think I would visit sometime again.

Not even trash. Pure garbage.

An adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's story about a crazed Satan worshipper's sinister plan to lure a young college co-ed into his family's mysterious house in New England. As an occult film, I thought it's decent enough despite some woody acting and slow pace. Nothing exceptional but it has the charm that keeps leaving you interested throughout. It conveys Lovecraft's atmosphere really well. Given the limits of late 60s special effects, how it uses psychedelic color to create "another dimension" feel is pretty interesting. Very spooky and generally entertaining.

Not sure why this gets so many rave reviews. I guess I'm not a Lovecraft fan. I found this dull despite a good creepy performance by Dean Stockwell.