The Testimony of Randolph Carter - DVD

I very much enjoyed watching the film project, and so did my friend (a HPL fan) when I screened it for him. I enjoyed it more than any studio films I've seen in many years; it was cleverly staged making the best use of available resources. The acting was good. I wish the HPLHS would be able to make more films (I have 3 of theirs) because I feel they have the best grasp on and approach to translating these stories into visual form.

Okay I guess for a student film shot over 30yrs ago, (I have VHS tapes from that time period that are far better quality). As noted video quality and audio leave alot to be desired. A little modern video editing might have gone a long way to fix those issues. The story was strung along until it became a real slog in places and honestly a bit hard to follow. So if you're looking for a entertaining and enjoyable viewing experience this is not a video I would recommend, and even for die hard HPL fans I'd say it's a bit of a stretch. I love HPLHS offerings but this is one that should have been left in the dust bin of time.

I went into this knowing that it was going to be challenging, visually. I grew up with VHS cassettes and am all too familiar with the medium and difficulties therein. So casting that aside, how was this? It was...good. Some of the acting was hackneyed and cringe-worthy (hey, YOU try and do better!) and the camera angles were very "art school"-esque (hey, it's an art school project!). But how was the story? It was faithful to the original. How was the ending? It was satisfying as only HPL can provide. Much is left to the reader, er, viewer, to fill in the blanks.

Is this worth getting? If you are a fan of HPLHS and/or a collector, then yes! If this is your first purchase from the HPLHS, turn right around and check out The Call of Cthulhu or The Whisperer in Darkness!

As a film, the project suffers some due to the restrictions of its medium - what are meant as long, dramatic pauses often drag in fuzzy silence, and the amateur lighting often leaves scenes nonthematically dark (to say nothing of the forewarned audio issues). Complaints aside, "Testimony" is at its heart a project of passion, and this shows in most every scene: the actors perform in earnest, sets and costumes evoke the age (alongside a fantastic practical effect of scaly eldritch hands); and when the score does creep in, it achieves a commendable level of eeriness. Certainly a must for hardcore Lovecraftian acolytes, if not solely for its historical novelty and value.

Let's get the negative out of the way first; this DVD was mastered from some very sketchy sources. Transfers from VHS masters to DVD seldom look terribly good and that curse has found its way to HPLHS's Testimony of Randolph Carter. There are no extras but who really needs them?

Perhaps it's the non-existent budget that gives this film its minimalist impact. I found the film eerily effective, causing the full spectrum of chills, goosebumps and hairs standing on end. Sean Branney brings a subdued lunacy to Harley Warren that I found truly terrifying. Darrell Tyler does a superb job as the ever-faithful Randolph Carter, a young man who knows this is a very bad idea but can't abandon his friend to the gruesome fate that awaits him.

Yes, this is a student film. Regardless, there are a lot of big-budget Hollywood horror films that can't touch it in any aspect. It's probably not a 'got to have' for your HPL collection, but it will certainly enrich your enjoyment of HPL and your understanding of the enigmatic Randolph Carter.

Highly recommended.