by: KFear
Posted on 03.19.10 in All Horror Films > Supernatural > Thriller/Suspense
Release Date: 2001

Stuart Gordon is a director that deserves an outstanding amount of praise for his contributions to horror in terms of his traditional influences in theatrical styles, character direction, signature color schemes, and metaphysical subject matters.   Simply for the fact that most of Gordon’s films are loosely based on short stories by H.P. Lovecraft, these themes should not come to a surprise in any of his films.  Worlds that are nearly beyond our comprehension are briefly described in many Lovecraft collections, but does such short and poetic miseries translate into a well “crafted” storyline?  Well, not all the time, but when Stuart Gordon has produced such classics as Reanimator and From Beyond, both of which are based off Lovecraft shorts, you’d start to think that he as a knack for such subject matter.  The incredible aspects of these films lie within their writing and Gordon’s direction.  Lovecraft often has left many of his tales incredibly open ended with the intent for the reader to visualize the story as a larger and therefore more horrifying event.  Dagon was that sort of Lovecraft story.  In fact, Dagon was not so much a story as it was a sick mans remembrance of a horrifying world in which humans, evidently, were turning into fish.  These “fish people” had but one ruler, and his name was Dagon.  The written story is just that, and nearly as brief.  In order to show his audience his unique visions of this town turned to cult, Gordon expands the story with amazing characters, dramatic and dreary environments, and most importantly, that simple type of campy, yet dramatic, charm that Gordon himself creates within nearly every frame.

Our two main characters (Paul and Barbra) are on a small but sturdy passenger boat in the middle of only god knows where.  They are on this mini vacation with a middle aged couple that are also good friends of theirs.   It’s time for them all to relax and forget about work, the stock market, and their busy lives on the main land.  While they relax, a storm approaches with incredible abruptness, and it is soon time for our young couple to abandon ship and flee toward a nearby island.   It is evident that the older couple that they have sailed with was left behind in the wreckage and they have most surely drowned in the unforgiving sea or died of injury.  Once our couple safely arrives at the mainland, they find that the town is occupied by uninviting townsmen.  Our characters are soon separated, and throughout most of the picture, Paul is determined to find and reconnect with Barbra.  Along the way he soon finds out many of the secrets behind the island and the villagers that inhabit it.

Dagon unfolds like a tale you’ve read as a child.  As the film progresses, as do the vibrant color schemes and dramatic elements in both the plot and Paul’s struggles with love and personal identity.  At no point does the film’s progressions and themes seem at all mature or thought provoking.  Stuart Gordon and Dennis Paoli (screenwriter) have no intent to convey this hidden world as a complexity of science and religion.  More so than anything, they aim to tell a story about a man’s journey in finding his identity and true belonging in such a preoccupying world.   The man being Paul, the geeky yet lovable boyfriend turned hero.  This was probably not Lovecraft’s intent of the story.  Still, Gordon has followed Lovecraft’s bare-bones structure and still managed to create a world that is not just violent, sadistic, and biologically strange, but also created a place in which someone can discover identity and meaning.  In Paul’s case, a world that doesn’t revolve around probability and foreseeable outcomes , because in a world that is ran by Dagon, anything is possible.

Watch Dagon for its story and atmosphere.  They both progress within a horrific dream that will both captivate and entertain.  Gordon brings the film to a climax that seems a bit halfhearted, but still fitting.  Some will find that after its first viewing, Dagon is nothing but a skillful production with an unusually silly and possibly lazy outcome.  Fans of Lovecraft might even be upset by Gordon’s translation of the original work, but it is very necessary to keep in mind the films intent and Gordon’s usual themes.  If you let the story grab your attention and you except the film for the tale that it’s trying to tell, you will not be disappointed with any of its aspects.  If anything, something that is so violent, simplistic, yet vividly so dreamlike is very welcomed by this film viewer.  If you have enjoyed the rest of Stuart Gordon’s collection, you will undoubtedly hold Dagon to heart, even if you are a fan of the short story of which the film pays little resemblance.  If anything, Dagon and Reanimator are his most well-rounded productions.

• ★★★★★

  Acting:

• ★★★★★

  Blood:

• ★★★★★

  Violence:

• ★★★★★

  Partying:

• ★★★★★

  Language:

• ★★★★★

  Humor:

• ★★★★★

  Predictable:

• ★★★★★

  Girls:

• ★★★★★

  Gore:

• ★★★★★

  Sexuality:

• ★★★★★

  Torture:

• ★★★★★

  Overall:

Ending in spontaneous CGI?...what is this, a Tobe Hooper film??? I think that the added CGI is almost fitting as the story approaches more fantasy than horror. I hate bad CGI as much as anyone, but in this film I didn't mind it so much. Kind of like "The Mangler", toward the end of it, while still mentioning Mr. Hooper. This film also has that 80's feel as well (ahhhem...sprouticus...) but that can also be said about other Gordon films. Maybe it's the characters and color scheme, but who knows. I've always been a big fan of his.

I remember watching this in college. The atmosphere is fantastic (though the CGI ruins it in parts) and there are some really frightening bits. It reminded me of a Richard Matheson story called The Children of Noah.