Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Cthulhu Mansion Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 15, 2021

A director with a long history in genre entertainment, Juan Piquer Simon (“Pieces,” “Slugs,” “The Rift”) attempts to do something with the static location of a house that’s being taken over by a demonic force. Taking pieces of “Poltergeist” and trying to play tribute to the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Simon offers 1992’s “Cthulhu Mansion,” which pits cocaine-dealing punks against the forces of evil during one long night in Madrid. Simon isn’t blessed with a major budget for the endeavor, but he tries his best to create something memorably macabre, providing genre fans with loathsome creeps and bizarre deaths to help fill the run time. More exotic elements of supernatural menace aren’t quite as enchanting, but “Cthulhu Mansion” delivers compelling weirdness as Simon creates a war between generations and highlights building pressure from beyond.

Attending a local carnival, Hawk (Brad Fisher) organizes a drug deal to score a bag of cocaine, electing to murder his connection in the process. Eager to sell the stuff and make a small fortune for his crew, Hawk is joined by Billy (Paul Birchard), Eva (Melanie Shatner), Candy (Kaethe Cherney), and Chris (Luis Fernando Alves), who try to sneak out of the event undetected. Sensing an opportunity, Hawk holds magician Chandu (Frank Finlay) at gunpoint, forcing the old man and his daughter, Lisa (Marcia Layton), to drive the punks back to his remote mansion. Trying to set up a meeting with dealers to sell the cocaine, Hawk looks to maintain control of the situation, but the house is filled with dark secrets, including the story of Lenore (Layton), Chandu’s wife who was killed during a special magic act that tested the performer’s interest in the power of evil.

Hawk isn’t the smartest crook around, with the opening of “Cthulhu Mansion” detailing his strange plan to score a bag of coke while being pushed around a haunted house ride at the carnival, stabbing the dealer and leaving his body inside the attraction. As crimes go, it does win points for originality, with the story soon settling into a home invasion tale, finding Chandu and Lisa dragged inside their dwelling by Hawk and his goons, forced to wait as the thugs figure out how to sell their stash. Pressure is applied by Chris, who was shot by carnival security, forcing the magician to deal with his bleeding wound while the rest of the gang tours the premises. And that’s basically it for set-up in “Cthulhu Mansion,” which primarily tracks Hawk’s buddies as they march around the property, looking for things to steal and corners to explore.

It’s not the most alert move in terms of incident, but “Cthulhu Mansion” has an interesting opening half, examining Chandu’s hidden pain involving the loss of Lenore, while something wicked in the basement is accidentally unleashed by the punks, commencing a game of survival for the dimwits, who kill time looking for food, sex, and expensive goods. The writing mostly follows slasher tradition, with the invaders picked off one-by-one, and Simon gets something going with these deaths, including one character who drowns in a sealed shower that slowly fills with blood. It’s a spark of imagination in an otherwise muted endeavor, which only perks up around demonic encounters, leaving the rest of the effort to weak banter among Hawk’s friends.

Cthulhu Mansion Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.67:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Cthulhu Mansion" is sourced from a 2K scan of "35mm archival film elements." The viewing experience carries a touch of softness, but detail remains intact, surveying mansion decoration as the action visits various rooms, and costuming is fibrous, exploring showy stage outfits and leather-clad punk gear. Skin surfaces are textured, along with makeup effects, which retain their monstrous intent. Colors are accurate, with brighter hues for magic displays and carnival lighting, while interiors are darker, with deeper reds and blues. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is heavier but film-like. Source is in good condition, with some mild scratches at times.

Cthulhu Mansion Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD mix isn't sharp, but intelligibility isn't threatened, offering clear dialogue exchanges that dealing with balanced argumentative behavior and moments of screaming panic. Scoring cues support as necessary with a slightly muddier sound, but instrumentation is appreciable. Atmospherics are pronounced, with whipping winds and demonic happenings.

Cthulhu Mansion Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "The Simon's Jigsaw" (101:20, HD) is a feature-length examination of filmmaker Juan Piquer Simon. Friends, admirers, and collaborators are interviewed for the endeavor, which walks through the helmer's career in genre pictures, including work on "The Rift" and "Slugs."

• "Colin the Special Effects Makeup Magician" (24:42, HD) is an interview with Colin Arthur, who recalls the Madrid shoot for "Cthulhu Mansion," working at his own studio and inside a rented house. The limitations of low-budget moviemaking are explored, with Arthur trying to do something in a short amount of time. The interviewee details multiple effects found in the feature, working with wires, propane, and fans. Arthur also explores his satisfaction when reviews mention his work.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

Cthulhu Mansion Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Surprises are limited in "Cthulhu Mansion," but it does contain some inspired moments, with Simon providing sharp visual ideas on ghostly communication, and Finlay provides a decent take on Chandu's pain and growing panic, with the magician messing with the dark arts without understanding how to control it. The screenplay doesn't have enough to fill 90 minutes, but that doesn't stop the writing from introducing superfluous characters (including a mystery man tailing the punks) and dull relationship issues between idiots, but "Cthulhu Mansion" has the right idea for some of its run time, delivering malevolent encounters with seemingly unstoppable evil, and makeup effects try their best to bring gruesomeness to the screen. The feature isn't precise, but it's amusing, with Simon working to do something wild with his budgetary pennies.