Really Surprised!

not horrible nor great

disgusting, overrated, pointless

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

I'm a bit torn about this one... I read Bowmanblue's review and I must say that I mostly agree with what he wrote about the movie. I liked the film and it really did have a pretty good atmosphere. The town where they chose to set the story had a nice creepy vibe going for it and could be considered an actual 'Character' in and of itself.I guess if you look at this movie from the basic premises and stories that H.P. Lovecraft used, it seems to fit into his universe pretty well. His stories were really almost ALL atmosphere, which isn't a bad thing. Heh... I'M usually the one who is most vocal about how important mood and atmosphere is in Horror films, especially Classically themed ones, and yet here I am actually considering spouting off about the lack of substance or story through most of the middle part of the film. (shame on me...)I REALLY love Stuart Gordon's films, especially his first 3 and 'FORTRESS'. I think that he is very talented and he is DEFINITELY the guy to do this kind of movie. I honestly wish that he would get off his more modern thing of doing these more 'Realistic' Horror films and just get back to doing what he does best and what we all REALLY want from him: Good, old-fashioned, creepy Horror films.I suppose if I am truly being honest, I will admit that I sorely missed Jeffrey Combs in this one. Maybe he just had other commitments or couldn't go to Spain to make this film, I don't know... But, that was kind of nagging at me as I was watching the movie and I THINK that if the main guy had been Combs, I bet that I would probably have liked the movie even more. However, he had a good 'nice guy' vibe going on, sort of like the romantic lead in 'REANIMATOR'The look and atmosphere of the film are very good. The acting is fairly decent for the most part and the story is pure Lovecraft. There are a few gruesome touches thrown in here or there (or it wouldn't be a Gordon/Yuzna film now, would it...?) but, I really didn't feel that it was nearly as grisly as some others. Overall, and also objectively taking into consideration how many here really do like this film, I would say that if you are a fan of H.P. Lovecraft or Stuart Gordon at all, then you should find this film to be fairly entertaining.The way the film finishes has a nice touch to it that gives the movie a little bit of a welcome punch at the end...

I wanted to like this one, especially after Stuart Gordon's RE-ANIMATOR and FROM BEYOND, both of excellent revamps of HPL. But this Dagon is over-lit, generic "big" music, and overall not very atmospheric. Jeffrey Coombs would have compensated for this, he's got screen presence. Instead this hero is a dorky doof better suited as a Friday the 13th victim - you just want this goof to get it - and we sure don't need to see him making out with a hot girlfriend for the first 10 minutes. It's reminiscent of the endless Italian horror cheesers of the 1980s, more adolescent than adult. A shame.Read the original HPL - that story literally oozes gloom; the film version just drips.

It's a pleasure to view a horror film that actually lives up to the *word* "horror". This film is like a nightmare that just goes on and on, with no real relief and no promise that there will be light at the end of its tunnel. It shows its characters no real mercy, and is absolutely overwhelmed by a constantly threatening atmosphere. Note that once the sun disappears in this story, it stays gone. ("Dagon" *has* to be a leading contender for rainiest film of all time.) Director Stuart Gordon and screenwriter Dennis Paoli, old hands at adapting the works of H.P. Lovecraft, don't spend very much time easing you into this madness. Some of the performances are excellent and the dialogue is quite literate. That's not to mention the fact that the visual effects and makeup effects are overall superb. The sets and the lighting are perfect for the material. And it's all topped off with an unnerving, ominous music score composed by Carles Cases.Of course, Lovecraft buffs know that this only takes the title of one Lovecraft short story, and is actually an adaptation of a different one, "The Shadow Over Innsmouth". It stars Ezra Godden as Paul Marsh, on vacation with his sexy wife Barbara (Raquel Merono) with another couple off the coast of Spain. Trouble arises with their boat, a storm arises, and Paul & Barbara make it to the coastal town of Imboca. Here the people behave very strangely; in fact, they're all something other than human and have been praying to Dagon, a monstrous god of the sea, for a long time. And they have plans for Paul and Barbara.Giving "Dagon" some heart and soul is the robust performance of veteran Francisco Rabal ("Belle de Jour", "Nightmare City"), in one of his final roles (the film is dedicated to the late actor). He's basically our exposition provider but does a wonderful job. You quickly become attached to this character and lament his departure from the story. As for Godden and the character of Paul, they may be a matter of taste as it takes a while for Paul to change from agitated nerd to ass kicking hero. The ladies are lovely; also capturing our attention is Macarena Gomez as Uxia, the mysterious young woman who's instantly smitten with Paul.Genre fans will likely have a fine time with this one. It's good, grim entertainment that truly creates a little world of its own.Eight out of 10.

Dagon is the closest Brian Yuzna ever got to Lovecraft - and that is still quite far away from getting near to it. Yuznas movies have never been anything else than cheap splatter and horror with some vague plots of Lovecrafts stories. There is no feeling of real deep horror, no atmosphere, no madness in it, just a lot of blood, skinned corpses, naked boobs, plastic tentacles, dated computer animation and the like, combined with interior settings reminding me of "Xena". If you want the real feeling of fear and alienation look out for "Cthulhu", if you want authentic Lovecraftian myths look out for the productions of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society - and forget about Yuzna. Well, still the Spanish city really has a great atmosphere and Raquel Merono is not only a great actor but looks terrific. That makes it two stars instead of one..