Men in hoods gather outside The Warner Grand Theater chanting,”Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn”… over and over. Many onlookers watch them chant outside the 83 year-old theater by the ocean in San Pedro, California. Women dressed in dapper in 1930’s looks and other people dressed in black. The men in hoods are acting as the worshippers of Cthulhu chanting the words, “In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming”, in a the foreign language that is in The Call of the Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft. All of the people who have gathered ARE lovers of Cthulhu, (the ancient sea god that looks like a kraken that is out to destroy mankind),and the creator H.P. Lovecraft. Welcome to the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival and Cthulhu Con!
There are some amazing things lurking at the Grand Warner Theater; vendors, monsters, scary films, spooky entertainment and the love for Cthulhu. All weekend they screened short films made by filmmakers who are inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Films about going insane, evil forces that are unstoppable, suspense and even films of stories by the featured author. Also they screened an Infamous film starring Vincent Price, The Haunted Palace directed by Roger Corman.
Sure the terrifying features are the centerpiece of this festival of horror, but there are also other spooky happenings taking the stage. Let’s travel back to the time when Lovecraft was alive in the 1930’s… and turn on the radio. Featuring on Friday evening was Macabre Fantasy Theatre telling their tales of mystery and terror. All of the performers portrayed the image that they were live on radio with sound effects and commercial jingles. Everyone in the theatre closed their eyes and let the sound take them away in the stories being told on stage. The performers guided us through the darkness in our minds and igniting our imaginations with a tale of a horrifying family dinner where terror strikes! 
In between the films and the entertainment, there is MORE evil awaiting in the lobby and the upstairs of the Warner Grand Theater. From horrifying creatures to Cthulhu enthusiasts around every corner. When you are in the historic Warner Grand, you FEEL like you are transported back in time to Lovecraft’s time.
Additional to the terrifying goodness of seeing Lovecraft and horror fans enjoying the event is the vendors! There are many strange and unusual items for sale; such as evil stuffed animals, Cthulhu memorabilia, wine, books, and art. It is only at events like these where horror fans can purchase these wonderfully scary items to add to their collections. I certainly fell in love with the killer bunnies that I found at the Gashly Tentacles booth.
Overall this was a wonderfully TERRORIFIC event! Especially for those who love the Cthulhu and H.P. Lovecraft. All of the films were spine tingling and being amongst other Lovecraft enthusiasts was a pleasant time. As a plus the Warner Grand Theater is down the street from the sea, who knows if the Cthulhu could of heard the festivities in his honor? This is just a small overview of the event but if you want to see it in action, click on the video below of the Fright Zone coverage. I do highly recommend visiting this fun festival and con next year if you are a Lovecraft or Cthulhu fan. But if you can’t wait till next year for your Cthulhu fix and you are going to be in Portland, Oregon in October… the you are in Luck! The 20th Annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Fest and Cthulhu Con will be visiting Portland next from October 2nd to the 4th of this year. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to the H.P. Lovecraft Filmfest and Cthulhu Con! Hope to see you fiends soon In The Dark!
– Mary Imagination
