Cosmic Horror Cast-a-thon

A fellow blogger and Lovecraft enthusiast over at Hitchcock’s World is hosting a Cast-a-thon for a Cosmic Horror film. What exactly is Cosmic Horror, well it is horror that focuses on how small and insignificant humans are. It is a fear based in the unknown of an unquantifiable nature. It is the terror that comes in knowing that you are really nothing compared to grand scheme of the cosmos – accepting that there is any scheme to the universe. See, it is even scarier that way. Check out the post What Makes a Cosmic Horror Story over at Hitchcock’s World.

You don’t see too many films that attempt this type of horror, and good old H.P. Lovecraft is probably one of the most famous writers of this type of tale (and you could argue he originated the concept).

The rules for this Cast-a-thon are simple. Pick one of Lovecraft’s elder god horrors. These beings are always causing mischief for various reasons. Then assemble a dream team of characters from various horror films to combat the evil. It’s all done in the name of fun and it allows me to stretch my creative thinking brain cells a bit.

So without further ado here is my Cosmic Horror Cast-a-thon.

The Old One - Nyarlathotep

A maniacal being from beyond the spheres of our known dimension has arrived on earth. His goal is to subjugate the people of earth and drive them slowly insane. His motives are unknown. His methods are subtle and terrifying. Even now, those who are corrupted by his power walk among us. He goes by many names, takes many forms, and has been here before. Some texts call him Nyarlathotep. All mentions of him are filled with fear.

Nyarlathotep in one of his pre-determined
forms

Is it even possible to face such a terrifying being? He was thwarted before, and not all that knowledge was lost. It requires a team of special heroes to attempt to stop Nyarlathotep – even if it means their destruction to do so.

The Sage

Agent Dale Cooper – Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

 

"Diane, I need to you look up the spelling for
Nyarlathotep."

Agent Cooper dealt with the supernatural before, he is quite skilled at accepting the unexplainable, and keeping a level head when things go badly. He relies in intuition and appears to have a touch of extrasensory perception. He is also a bit eccentric (which would make for some humorous moments). Cooper would be quick to realize the danger that Nyarlathotep poses, and come up with the best way to combat the elder god. However, his sensitivity to the paranormal could make him a target for the dangerous being.

The Loremaster

Detective William Somerset – Se7en

Searching for the Necronomicon?

A cynic to the core, Detective Somerset may be difficult to convince that some ancient god is coming to destroy humankind. But I get the feeling that Agent Cooper may be able to convince him. Once Somerset is on board, his researching skills and tenacity to see the job completed would make him invaluable. He has plenty of connections in law enforcement as well, and this may come in handy as things become more and more bleak. Somerset is also a realist, willing to lay it on the line and say it plain.

The Scientists

Dr. Elizabeth Shaw – Prometheus

"An Elder God? Are you kidding me?"

Dr. Shaw is an archeologist and her research has uncovered interaction of humans and Nyarlathotep. Her faith is a driving force in her life and the concept of an elder god disturbs but intrigues her. Shaw’s research brings her to the attention of Somerset and so she joins the crew bringing her scientific skills. While the main force is supernatural in origin, most of Lovecraft’s villains use science to execute what appears to be magical to humans. Dr. Shaw’s clinical mind and ability to stay very calm and collected under pressure would be the perfect asset.

Dr. Lesh – Poltergeist

"I've seen this before. Back in 82 we had a similar
experience."

After her work with the Freeling family and their little ghostly problem, Dr. Lesh was pretty confident in her abilities to identify, classify and deal with supernatural beings. She is a parapsychologist, and has continued her work at narrowing down supernatural causes and using scientific methods to handle them. Not all of her work has been successful, but she has an open mind and is willing accept the supernatural as something that we don't understand now, but may come to understand with more research. She'll make an excellent partner for Dr. Shaw.

The Warrior

Nagi Kirima – Boogiepop Phantom

 

She isn't about to sit back and let her mind
be destroyed. She will fight to the end.

Nagi faced the darkness many times when she was a teenager in Japan. But her desire for justice drove her above the horror. As a teen, she was resourceful, fearless, clever and dangerous. Ten years later she’s facing another evil menace, once that threatens the whole world. She won’t sit still and let it happen. She will act, and she will do it alone if she has to. But armed with tools provided by Cooper, Somerset and Shaw, she has a real fighting chance. Nagi Kirima is a force to be reckoned with. She just needs a partner.

The Fool

Jack Burton – Big Trouble in Little China

 

"You know what old Jack Burton says at
time like this?"

Jack just can’t catch a break. After his adventures in and beneath Chinatown, Jack thought he had faced the worst life could deliver. Well the old Pork Chop Express got mixed up with a nasty shoot out between Nagi Kirima and some of Nyarlathotep’s devoted disciples. Jack just couldn’t let a hot girl like Nagi take on those nuts alone, so he came her rescue (if you ask Nagi he just got in the way and she had to save his ass). This little incident put him directly in the sights of Nyarlathotep. So Jack figures he might as well help save the world again, he didn’t really have anything special going on this weekend anyway.

* * *

So there is my dream team to face this cosmic threat. Will have have a hope in any of the nine hells? Hard to say, but I think it will be fun to watch them try. And yeah, I cheated a bit by adding Nagi, since a) she's animated and b) she's from a television series. But Boogiepop Phantom is one of my favorite anime series, fits perfect in the theme, and Nagi just kicks all kinds of ass. She'd spit in one of Nyarlathotep's multiple eyes, that's for sure.

Don't forget to check out the Cast-a-thon page over at Hitchcock's World to find links to other eldritch horror sagas.