We’re back and we’re digging through the crypt to bring you another toothsome Lovecraft tale, dripping with succulent grave mould. This time it’s the turn of The Outsider, probably the most popular story from Lovecraft’s early, Gothic period. While the twisted shadow of Poe lies heavily over The Outsider, there are many elements that make it essentially Lovecraftian. These include hints and references that touch upon what would eventually become the Mythos.
Sadly, the ghouls in Lovecraft’s later stories spend more time moping around in graveyards than riding the night-wind.
As is usual for our story discussions, we look at the history of the tale, its adaptations into other media and what elements we can steal for our games. The meatiest part of the discussion, however, is our synopsis, which spoils the story worse than the most putrid of charnel fruits. If you haven’t read The Outsider yet, we advise you to do so before listening.
You may want to find a cheaper edition than this one, however.
While there are many films inspired by The Outsider (just search for “Lovecraft” and “The Outsider” on YouTube), we focus on two of them. Stuart Gordon’s Castle Freak stands out as the only one of his Lovecraft adaptations that none of us particularly like. It will still appeal to Lovecraft completists and connoisseurs of cheesy horror films, however. Aaron Vanek’s award-winning short film The Outsider is entertaining if still none too faithful to the source material. It may be found on volume 3 of Lurker Films’ HP Lovecraft Collection.
Had Lovecraft lived to see this, he would have kicked himself for not thinking of that title first.
The protagonist of The Outsider only emits one sound in his strange unlife. He describes this as “a ghastly ululation that revolted me almost as poignantly as its noxious cause”. The only thing distinguishing this from the sounds we make towards the end of this episode is that their cause is far from noxious. As long-time listeners know all too well, we sing our thanks to those generous souls who back us on Patreon at the $5 level. This episode features two such explosions of gratitude.
“No, don’t run! There’s only one song left to go.”
We also have a brief discussion about Matt and Paul’s recent visit to the Dragonmeet convention in London. One of the people Paul spoke to there is Chris Lackey, co-host of the excellent HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast. Along with his friend Greig Johnson, Chris has produced three comedic takes on Lovecraft stories that number amongst the best Lovecraftian short films available. Paul was shocked to learn that they haven’t received many hits yet on YouTube, which is deeply unjust. We urge you to watch them and share them with friends who enjoy Lovecraft, comedy or blasphemy of the most exquisite kind.
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Thanks for the mention! “The Outsider” was one of my first film school films, and the faculty hated it. But it was a fun exercise, and notable for being the first movie I saw in my mind’s eye when reading the original HPL story, years before I made it.
We rewatched The Outsider just before recording this episode to refresh our memories, and it proved rather inspirational. It still stands up as being an enjoyable and nasty reworking of the story.