directed by Martin Campbell
produced by Gale Anne Hurd
Los Angeles, California, 1948. Phil Lovecraft (Ward) is a private investigator who lives in a world where magic is everywhere but he refuses to use it. He is hired by Amos Hacksaw (Warner) to find a missing book, the Necronomicon. Hacksaw's daughter shows an interest in Lovecraft but he still seems to be carrying a torch for Connie Stone (Moore) his ex and a lounge singer. She's with Harry Bordon (Brown) now.
Bordon and Lovecraft are old friends. Once upon a time they were both police detectives. Bordon is now the owner of a nightclub.
The world of the story is populated with all sorts of critters: gargoyles, werewolves, vampires, zombies, and humans. The movie predates CGI so all the special effects are practical ones. I can see how that might turn off some people but I enjoy the old-style effects.
The ending is a bit muddled. Part of it seemed a little too convenient and simple.
The movie is somewhere between a film noir and supernatural thriller. I like the combination of the two elements but toward the end it feels like it falls apart. Not awful but a bit too lacking for me to recommend it.
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