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Title: Dagon (2002)
Format: DVD
Score:
Starring: Ezra Godden, Francisco Rabal, Raquel Meroño, Macarena Gómez, and Brendan Price
Director: Stuart Gordon
Rating: R (Restricted)
Runtime: 98 minutes
Hits: 126
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Review of Dagon

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Comments for Dagon

• Posted on 2009-10-25
  Dagon...Fried Fish with a dollop of H.P. Sauce
  
  
  Dagon: 9 out of 10: Early on in his novella Mountains of Madness;H.P. Lovecraft paints the following picture "On and around that laboratory table were strown (sic) other things, and it did not take long for us to guess that those things were the carefully though oddly and inexpertly dissected parts of one man and one dog".
  
  I bring this quote up because so many who are casually equated with the Lovecraftian genre naturally assume he wouldn't approve of the sex and violence portrayed in modern film versions of his work. He of course had to work within the mores of the day as he sought to get his works published in magazines often read by children. Graphic sex and violence was no more acceptable in the popular fiction of the 1920's and 30's than it was in the movies of the same time period. He however often pushed the boundaries of the time and though Victorian by both birth and nature he creatively expanded what was acceptable.
  
  Dagon is a movie filled with nudity and very graphic violence. It is also simply the best Lovecraft adaptation ever. A combination of the title work and The Shadow Over Innsmouth, Dagon creates a phenomenal atmosphere and doesn't let up. The tension is palatable for almost the entire running time till the grand finale (which I'll admit was a little to much Lair of the White Worm for my tastes).
  
  The make up and special effects are wonderful(with the exception one bad blink and you miss it CGI effect). The actors (at least the ones that are intelligible) do a fine job. But it is the incredible foreboding atmosphere that propels the movie along.
  
  Filmed on a low budget they apparently found a remarkably frightening real life city that didn't need a lot of dressing up. Add a cast of stranger and stranger "creatures" and you simply have a winner. If you are unfamiliar with the Lovecraftian canon this is a great B movie. If you love his books however this is pure bliss.
  
  
  
  
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• Posted on 2009-06-10
  low budget take on Lovecraft
  
  Aren't they all though? Not bad for what it is but not a terribly notable film.
  
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• Posted on 2009-04-07
  Decent Horror Flick
  
  I thought this was a decent movie when i first saw it. It is kinda cheesy in parts but i thought for the most part that it was pretty good. Also if you enjoy a sence of clastrphobia in movies this is for you because I got a sence of that while watching it for sum reason. Overall its worth it to spend the few bucks and get the movie.
  
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• Posted on 2009-02-02
  Don't put this one back into the water.
  
  AGON wasn't going to be a hard sell for me. Being a BIG fan of both director Stuart Gordon and producer Brian Yuznas' previous work, the prospect of another H.P.Lovecraft adaptation made by the guys who gave us the gonzo horror hit RE-ANIMATOR and the equally spaced-out FROM BEYOND was too good to pass up.
  Thankfully, the film is a triumph. The right amount of atmosphere, tension, sexual undercurrent and (of course) bloodletting combine to produce a truly unique horror experience. The timing of this movie seemed to be just right, as the horror genre seemed to be flagging under its own weight. What with teen-led slasher flicks dominating the movie theatres, this small, weird little movie about people turning into fish is just what the genre needed. The story is simple. When a boating accident forces Paul Marsh (an excellent Ezra Godden) and his girlfriend to seek help on the small spanish isle of Imboca, they uncover a dark and otherwordly secret about this quaint fishing village. As the story progresses, we learn that the towns folk have struck a deal with the monsterous god of the sea Dagon, who has helped the village prosper in bad times and in return, must have his hunger satsified.
  
  The film has many high points. One in particular gory sequence is reminiscant of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with a cast member being peeled apart by the clearly insane villagers. Lead actor Ezra Godden is well cast (however, he bears a striking resemblance to regular Gordon/Yuzna star Jeffrey Combs - a coincidence?), and he is clearly having fun in the role, coming off like a bewildered Bruce Campbell in many of his scenes. Fanboys take note of the sweater that he's wearing. Nice touch. The rest of the cast a good too, with the beautiful Macarena Gomez dominating every scene she is in.
  
  As with this kind of movie, the make-up effects work is top notch. Just the right amount of rubber monsters in this CGI age. Thats not to say DAGON doesn't have its fair share of computer-trickery, it just thankfully keeps it to a minimum. That said, I didn't find the CG work that bad (considering the obvious budgetry constraints), but the excellent prosthetic work stands head and shoulders above it. The cinematography is lush, with cool aqua blues complimenting the story and Gordons' direction is imaginative and commanding as ever. He really is the best guy at adapting Lovecraft (his 2007 Masters of Horror/HPL entry cements that), and fulfilling the strange visions and mannersims of the text. Dennis Paolis' screenplay is funny, sick and inventive in equal measure, and one wishes these three guys made movies more often.
  
  The DVD disc of this movie (Lions Gate) is good. Offering an excellent transfer of the film with two informative commentaries (one by writer/director, the other by star/director). They both get into the meat of the production and offer an entertaining chat about the movie. All in all, a pretty good package. Recommended.
  
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• Posted on 2008-08-16
  Dagon Good
  
  Yes!!!
  
  This is everything a horror movie should be.
  
  It has abominations that should not exist
  and evil goings-on galore (and la gore).
  
  Great creepy atmosphere,
  lots of creepy creepies and one creepy plot
  that crescendos to a mind-numbing conclusion
  (watch it all if you can).
  
  The ending is horrific and perversely happy
  at the same time.
  
  Lovecraft and Gordon, oh my!
  If your looking for sick, twisted humor,
  a la "Re-animator", forget about it.
  This is serious sick, twisted stuff.
  
  Highly recommended for the horror fan.
  
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