After so much wonderful cinema from Stuart Gordon, I have to admit, I'm a sucker for movies that are based on H.P. Lovecraft's work. Gordon created some of the most fun, over-the-top, and overall finest examples of movie horror with other Lovecraft stories like Re-Animator, From Beyond, and Dagon. I like the subject matter of Lovecraft's work so much, that even though these films strayed a lot from his original material, the spirit remained intact and that's all I asked for. You wouldn't think that stories that are only three to five pages long would be adaptable film material, but Gordon made them so, and some of my favorite movies ever were created because of that.
Beyond the Wall of Sleep is not a Stuart Gordon film, however. Nor was it written by Dennis Paoli, or produced by Brian Yuzna (both Gordon regulars), but it keeps the marketing of this triad in mind, by putting Lovecraft's name before the title. It is playing with fire to be sure, because the author has a very devoted fan base that isn't easily satisfied. Not to mention the fact that much of this crew is very green, as Beyond the Wall of Sleep is the first major feature length film from directors (both), producer, writers, and a lot of the crew. So how do they fare?
Well, as it turns out, not so well. But I cannot deny their ambition. This is a film that truly wants to be something original, not just the regular schlock of low-budget horror flicks. It zips in and out of black-and-white photography, produces some great nineteen-thirties horror homage (mad “scientists” and all), and blasts with non-stop subliminal imagery. The film's narrative also takes place in that time era, which is also takes a lot of effort on the filmmakers' parts, because they have to create costumes, and set pieces that aren't readily available. Thom Maurer and Barrett Klausman will make more movies, and will get better, and I look forward to seeing more of their work, as they have the potential to be great.
Beyond the Wall of Sleep is not great, however.
When I mention non-stop subliminal imagery, I am not exaggerating. From beginning to end, the film is edited in choppy, “can't quite see what is happening, but sure looks scary” flash-frames. The audience may find this to be intoxicating at first, but it soon becomes tiresome and unwatchable. As does, I suppose the campy dialogue, and cheesy acting. Normally I would be forgiving of such things, but because Beyond the Wall of Sleep such a chore to sit through from beginning to end, every little thing stands out as a giant hurdle that is almost futile for the viewer to attempt to conquer. I imagine most people not being able to sit through the entire picture, even though I also imagine a lot of them wanting to.
In the end, Maurer and Klausman managed to make their picture look and feel different than almost every other film in their genre. Beyond the Wall of Sleep succeeds in capturing the spirit of Lovecraft as well, and is a very faithful adaptation of his story. If you are a Lovecraft or genre fan, and were to watch this movie in fifteen minute intervals, you may really like it. Unfortunately for the normal viewer, seventy minutes is much too long. Its ambition over-steps the boundaries of cinematic tolerance, and it goes way too far in its attempt to be original.
