In this SPOILER-FILLED episode, your Planet 8 crew, plus our special guest, Lord Blood-Rah, explore the HBO mini-series, Lovecraft Country! We will discuss the show from top to bottom, so if you haven't seen it yet, you may want to check it out and then come back! But if you have already watched the show, grab a beverage, get in a comfy chair, and join us for a wide-ranging convo!
The show is based off a book by Matt Ruff, but as we note, it is based loosely on that novel. Both the book and show take inspiration from the strange works of author H.P Lovecraft, probably best known today for creating the bizarre elder being Cthulhu and its ilk. It's come to light that Lovecraft was a racist, and by using his works as a background for telling a tale about the racist, segregated America of the 1950s, and making the protagonists African American, it really turns the Lovecraft milieu on its ear. It's a fascinating combination of fantastical horror and real-life horror - as Commander Larry points out, do you run from the monsters or the people?
The show is beautifully made - the production values are amazing. It's also more than a little gory, which was too much for Recon Officer Karen! But much of the gore is in service of allegory. We'll discuss how Lovecraft Country uses allegory in ways similar to Twilight Zone. Social injustice has always been a concern of fantasy and science fiction and this show continues that tradition powerfully, by looking at not only racism, but also sexism and sexuality.
It manages to incorporate many real world elements, such as the Tulsa Massacre, the Emmett Till trial, and more, which makes it feel so very relatable. The characters too, are well-drawn, with good qualities and flaws, achingly human. The leads, Jurnee Smollett and Jonathan Majors, bring Leti and Atticus to life. As the series goes on, we really get to know them and understand why they are who they are. Considering they only have 10 episodes, it's tremendous work.
We'll talk about the most shocking moments in the show -and there were many! This is a show heavy in imagery. It sticks with you long after the episodes are over. We all got freaked out by those spooky little girls from the episode "Jig A Bobo"! We'll also go over some of our favorite moments in the show. There are a lot of magical, even beautiful moments and we really enjoyed that aspect of the show as well.
Apparently HBO plans to make a second season, so we look forward to that, although we're a little perplexed about what direction it might go! Perhaps a time jump to the 1960s?
For our Sensor Sweep, we turn to our guest, Lord Blood-Rah, to discuss his many projects! Unfortunately there are still no live shows right now, but fingers crossed, Creatures Con is planned for August 8th at the Crowne Plaza in Concord, California. This year's show will be celebrating 90 years of the Universal Monsters! David J. Skal, author and audio commentator, will be the con's special guest. Season 11 of Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wrackin' Theatre will be going into production. You can go to the site to find out where you can watch or stream the show. Soon our good Lord will have a new weekly show coming exclusively to Patreon, so keep your ears open for that. And hey, Lord Blood-Rah will be joining us for our next episode, to talk about Star Trek Discovery!
That brings us to a close this time. Let us know what you thought of Lovecraft Country. Did you enjoy it? Did it make you think? What do you think season two will be about? As always, you can leave comments here on our site, or reach out to us at our other locations:
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Oh, yeah. Really enjoyed the show, because, man, I absolutely loved Lovecraft Country. It's such a fantastic horror/dark fantasy show on its own merits, but - as you all noted - it's an incredibly thought-provoking exploration of racism in America, as well as homophobia, discrimination of women, etc., etc.
ReplyDeletePersonally, what I found the scariest and creepiest is something you also discussed: the demon girls, Topsy and Bopsy - although it surprised that that's what they were called in the show. Since I'd read Uncle Tom's Cabin (back in college), I recognized them as Topsy and Eva - on whom they were based. Anyway, just thinking about the creepy dance they were doing as they were haunting poor Dee sends shivers down my spine.
I'm surprised that there's going to be a second season, although I'm all in for it. There's no shortage of themes they can explore, although my question would be how they would tie in the Lovecraftian aspect, given the resolution of this run of episodes.
Otherwise, the name of the American dancer in Paris that was confounding all of you is Josephine Baker.
p.s. On the possibility of a Blacula remake, as soon as you guys mentioned it - and I am *not* making this up - I immediately thought that Idris Elba should be cast in the title role. And then Lord Blood-Rah confirmed that great minds think alike!
-Edo Bosnar
Josephine Baker!!! Lol glad you knew who we were referring to!! Let’s hope a Blacula remake happens some how and some way... Oh and yes a second season will be very interesting where they go. Thanks for all the support!
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