Dagon

“Based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, the undisputed master of macabre, DAGON follows Paul and his girlfriend, Barbara, as they celebrate the success of their new company on a yacht off the coast of Spain. When a sudden storm smashes their boat on a reef, Barbara and Paul swim to the nearest town for help. The decrepit fishing village of Imboca at first seems to be deserted, but unblinking eyes peer out from boarded-up houses. The strange inhabitants offer little help to the stranded couple. By nightfall, Barbara is missing and Paul finds himself pursued by the entire town…but a town of what?”

Dagon opens as Paul (Ezra Godden) and Barbara (Raquel Meroño) are sailing off the coast of Spain with friends Howard (Brendan Price) and Vicki (Birgit Bofarull), celebrating the success of their new business venture that could potentially be worth a lot of money. After a quick spat between Paul and Barbara, menacing clouds moving rapidly toward them catch their eye. With waves quickly crashing upon them, the boat is smashed on a rock trapping Vicki below. Paul and Barbara make their way to shore in the small town of Imboca to try to find help. In the near deserted town they meet only a priest who promises to send a small boat crew to help their friends, with Paul accompanying them and Barbara seeking shelter in a hotel in town.

When Paul returns and ventures further into town he notices something isn’t right. Not being able to find Barbara, he enters the hotel only to glance out the window and see a hoard of people pushing and shoving, trying to get in to the hotel and ultimately his room to get him. Paul narrowly escapes capture and meets the only normal looking person left in the town, an old man who grew up here and tells him the tale of Dagon and the terrible curse that has befallen the town and its people. Armed with this new information, Paul must evade capture and find out what happened to Barbara and his friends before it’s too late.

Dagon is based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, the second Vestron title in their newest batch of releases. With Stuart Gordon, who directed Re-Animator, at the helm, we journey again into the mind of Lovecraft with this very ambitious story, and a very unique one at that. It has a mixture of a sea god/religious horror aspect that I don’t think has ever been done before. It’s a very interesting story that’s peppered with some cool practical effects and grotesque mutations between humans and sea creatures. It creates a creepy atmosphere and is very effective at maintaining the mystery throughout, including a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming, but makes complete sense when you think about it after finding out. There is one scene in particular that is one of the most gruesome I’ve ever seen, and because of that it makes for a very memorable moment you won’t ever forget. You may also notice Paul’s Miskatonic University sweatshirt, a nod to the fictional college in Re-Animator which was the location of the Miskatonic Massacre.

While Dagon definitely has an interesting story and some great points in the film, the execution and technical aspect of the film leave quite a bit to be desired, which may ruin the enjoyment of the film for many, including myself.

Video

Dagon is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.78:1. The transfer itself looks fine, with no defects noticed in the source print. Colors are a bit muted, mainly due to the incredibly low light used throughout the film in which hardly anything can be seen. It does take place at night in a terrible storm, but there is a certain washed out, blue-ish hue to it that is indeed an interesting look and feel, but because of the low lighting lacks a lot of detail and sharpness that makes it hard to watch at times.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The audio on this disc is perhaps the worst mix I’ve ever heard. The entire film is undecipherable unless you turn on the subtitles thanks to this terrible mix that fails to account for the deafening storm and atmospheric effects which are set markedly louder than everything else. Trying to turn up the volume to hear only exacerbates the issues, making it one of the most uncomfortable experiences I’ve ever had watching a film. Whether or not this mix is carried over from the source material or a product of the new restoration I don’t know, but the fact that you literally can’t hear the dialogue for the majority of the film is a major issue that can’t be overlooked. Although I really enjoyed the film for what it was, the awful audio definitely brings this down a few notches in my book.

Special Features

Vestron has put together a great set of extras on this disc. They are all worth checking out to learn more about the film that may give you a greater appreciation and allow you to look past the technical issues. On this set you’re going to see:

• Audio Commentary with Director Stuart Gordon and Screenwriter Dennis Paoli
• Audio Commentary with Director Stuart Gordon and Star Ezra Godden
• Interviews: “Gods & Monsters” – A Discussion with Director Stuart Gordon, Interviewed by Filmmaker Mick Garris
• “Shadows over Imbocca” – An Interview with Brian Yuzna
• “Fish Stories” – An Interview with S.T. Joshi, Author of I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H.P. Lovecraft
• Vintage EPK Featurette
• Archival Interviews with Stuart Gordon, Ezra Godden, and the Other Cast & Crew
• Conceptual Art Gallery from Artist Richard Raaphorst
• Storyboard Gallery
• Still Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer

Dagon is a very interesting film that delivers some great and memorable moments. If you can look past the technical issues with the film and judge the film on the story alone, fans of the horror genre will find some new and exciting moments here. Vestron continues to delivery on some exciting and obscure titles and I for one cannot wait to see what they come up with next!