I didn't think I was going to have any lingering fears after the two movies I watched yesterday, but after a sleepless night, I can tell you that I had some pretty spooky visions of fanged mermaids and possessed maidens.
I started off the day with H.P. Lovecraft's Dagon. It started off a little cheesy, with not so great acting, the usual set-up ("Something's... in... the water"). But it got better. I ended up liking it, I think.
The monsters were creepy, until they reveal themselves completely. In the beginning, we see just enough of them to know they're NOT normal and the prosthetics are hidden just well enough to let us believe that they're not, well, false parts put on the actors. But in the big reveals.... ugh let's just say CGI has come a long way. The chase scenes were also pretty lame, but that's mostly because Paul, the main character, is such a freaking dork. A good drinking game could be created here for every time he loses his classes or talks about having "two choices." Unfortunately, anyone playing probably wouldn't make it to the the third act, which is where the plot actually gets weird.
I liked the plot twist at the end, even if it was a bit contrived. It really came out of left field (NOT a positive aspect), but it did allow for what I think was the eeriest ending possible. I also dug the religious aspect of the movie. It's hard to pull off a movie with idol-worship without getting to preachy, but this movie doesn't try to push Jesus in your face at all. In fact, it's barely even mentioned- only to show that the island used to be Catholic before they started praying to the fish god.
I would say definitely stick with this movie for the final few scenes, where Paul goes to rescue Barbara. The effects of the big monster are awful, but that's only a few seconds and I really like where the movie ends up. It definitely sticks out in my mind as something totally different than any of the movies I've watched so far.
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