Young Howard Lovecraft begins his adventure by going to the Butler Sanitarium with his mother to visit his father Winfield Lovecraft, a patient there who has been driven mad by something he’s done. Howard’s father goes into a spasm of paranoia and fear, begging his son to destroy a book that he should have never written. The boy doesn’t scream during the incident, but does go home with a small gift – a paper star made by his father. Once home, Howard’s curiosity is too much and he begins to read his father’s book. He’s drawn into a dark, cold world of magic and deceit. The book tells of a place – R’yleh – a “kingdom described as an unholy marriage of fairy tales and nightmares.” Unwittingly, the boy reads a few words written in the book in a strange language – and is sucked through a whole in the fabric of the universe. He meets a Deep One, Thu Thu Hmong, who initially tries to eat Howard but comes around after the boy saves the creature’s life. Howard, who fails to pronounce the creature’s name, simply calls him Spot. From that point on, things get very interesting for the young Lovecraft as he is drawn into the intrigue of a strange new world. Howard, accompanied by Spot, meets local children named Felch, Davik, Tw’i and Nes. These four children give Howard the education needed to begin his journey in the Kingdom of R’yleh. When Howard and Spot get to the Frozen Castle they meet Algid Bunk, the Earl working under King Alzhared. Guided by Algid, Howard and Spot must uncover the dark secrets of R’yleh in order for Howard to get back home to his family.
Sean Patrick O’Reilly
Ron Perlman, Christopher Plummer, Jane Curtin, Alison Wandzura
03 Oct 2016 (Canada)tt4768656