Pickman's Model...of How Not to Adapt Lovecraft! - Mr. P. Reviews Stuff - Ep: 01

Note: Took me several tries to get it edited in a way that wouldn't get a copyright claim from YouTube. But, finally managed. Ignore the moments where I'm clearly scanning through the video to find the next point. It was originally visible but that made it look like I was using too much of the footage and got flagged. No problem for the channel, just a pain to go back and re-edit.

I realize it's become a bit of a meme at this point that Netflix adaptations of most source material is...loose to say the least, if not downright trash. I had hopes that maybe this episode of Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities would be an exception. Sadly, I was wrong. That's what I get for getting my hopes up I suppose.

As you know, a couple of weeks ago I recorded and uploaded a recording of "Pickman's Model" to the channel. Though I've come to see at as far less than a stellar performance on my part (only 30% at the least I like, at the most 50%) it's still a better production than this crap since I at least stuck to the material and tried to do it justice, even if I think I could do better.

There is a lot in this particular that adaptation that just didn't make sense, let alone need to be in it. First, the friend, Eliot, as I recall makes no appearance in this episode whatsoever. Just gone. Secondly, Thurber has a wife and child. Okay, sure, fleshing out characters isn't a terrible idea sometimes, but they served no purpose other than to be sacrificial lambs for the ending of the show which bore little to no resemblance to the original work. Thirdly, there are all sorts of references to other parts of the Lovecraft mythos. I don't mind easter eggs every now and then, but they steered the story in a direction that was never a factor in the original. Cosmic horror wasn't really an aspect of the original, so why drag it into this? Also, if your audience has no clue what the name "Yog-sothoth" means, or why some random witch cult is using his name, why put it in there? Fourthly, why the heck are you shoe-horning a witch cult into the story at all? Fifthly, why is gore and body horror present in the episode? That wasn't really Lovecraft's schtick. True, he had some cannibalism every now and again ("The Rats in the Walls" for example" but still not his usual go-to for content.

There's plenty of other issues: characterization, plot development, dumb action scene at the end, etc.

I had high hopes for this episode, but I learned my lesson. Have a listen and FEEL WHAT I FEEL!