Call Girl of Cthulhu

Call Girl of Cthulhu is a 2014 film directed by Chris LaMartina, featuring a dynamic ensemble cast including David Phillip Carollo, Melissa LaMartina, and Nicolette le Faye. The movie embraces its B-movie roots, combining elements of horror, comedy, and even leaning into an unconventional romance story. Full of off-beat charm and unique characters, this film is sure to satisfy fans who appreciate both horror and absurdist humor.

In the heart of Baltimore, we primarily follow the story of struggling artist Carter Wilcox (David Phillip Carollo), whose life is mainly consumed by his daytime job as a pizza delivery boy and his nighttime hobby of illustrating erotic horror novels. Carter’s lonely existence takes a shift when he chances upon an enchanting call girl, Riley Whatley (Melissa LaMartina) during a routine pizza delivery to a bachelorette party. There’s an apparent spark between them despite their divergent lifestyle. But before their relationship can fully bloom, Carter stumbles upon the disturbing reality about Riley's connection to an ancient, malevolent entity known as Cthulhu.

Melissa LaMartina delicately maneuvers the character of Riley and develops her from a mere call girl to a complex figure directly linked to a sinister monstrous entity. With her engaging acting, the character's supernatural turn feels believable and dreadfully chilling. Transformed into the “chosen bride of Cthulhu,” Riley's involvement in the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft's well-known cosmic entity gradually unfolds.

David Phillip Carollo, who plays Carter Wilcox, captures the audience's empathy, playing a likable yet somewhat down on his luck protagonist, navigating both his budding affections for Riley and the bizarre revelations that threaten to destroy the normalcy of his life. Carter’s struggle between love and morality, his quest to save Riley from the clutches of evil, and the weird horrors he faces form the central thread of the movie.

Nicolette le Faye delivers an amusingly horrifying performance as the devoted, malevolent cultist, Erica Zann. As the orchestrator of the haunting rituals surrounding the awakening of Cthulhu, her character adds a significant dose of fear and suspense to the storyline.

The creative brilliance of director Chris LaMartina is evident in how he weaves the complex mythos of H.P. Lovecraft into the contemporary setting. LaMartina blends various cinematic elements - horror, sci-fi, romance, and comedy - making the film more than just a typical horror piece. His approach to Lovecraft’s monstrous entity is fresh and filled with humorous nods that recognize and appreciate the source material's influence.

Dark humor plays a significant role in the narrative, offsetting grim horror elements with comedic relief. This cleverly placed genre-bending device makes the film as funny as it is terrifying. The film does not shy away from gore and gruesome details, maintaining its horror genre roots, but it handles those elements in such a way that fans of dark humor will also appreciate it.

The movie boasts some truly inventive special effects, reflecting the film's low-budget origins while managing to create an eerie and uncanny atmosphere. The visual effects pay homage to the bygone era of practical effects in horror, reminiscent of classics from the genre. The soundscape, too, helps establish a creepy and foreboding atmosphere.

Call Girl of Cthulhu is not your routine horror movie - it subverts the genre with unique additions, inventive storytelling, and solid character performances. It plays with the macabre, the romantic, the unholy, and the humorous, making it a cult classic in its own right for fans of Lovecraftian horror and dark comedy.

In essence, Call Girl of Cthulhu is a love letter to H.P. Lovecraft's cosmic horror universe. It expertly balances humor and horror, making the difficult task seem easy. With well-crafted performances and a plot that keeps the audience hooked, it's a delightful mishmash of genres destined to become a favorite amongst fans of unconventional horror films. Expect laughs, shocks, and a whole lot of bizarre thrills on this quest to save the girl, navigate the horrors of ancient mythology, and hopefully still make it in time for another pizza delivery.