Sci-Fi H P Lovecraft short story 'The Colour Out of Space'

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"The Colour Out of Space" is a science fiction/horror short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written in March 1927. In the tale, an unnamed narrator pieces together the story of an area known by the locals as the "blasted heath" in the wild hills west of Arkham, Massachusetts. The narrator discovers that many years ago a meteorite crashed there, poisoning every living being nearby; vegetation grows large but foul tasting, animals are driven mad and deformed into grotesque shapes, and the people go insane or die one by one. ~ wiki

HP Lovecraft said:
West of Arkham the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut. There are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight. On the gentler slopes there are farms, ancient and rocky, with squat, moss-coated cottages brooding eternally over old New England secrets in the lee of great ledges; but these are all vacant now, the wide chimneys crumbling and the shingled sides bulging perilously beneath low gambrel roofs.
The old folk have gone away, and foreigners do not like to live there. French-Canadians have tried it, Italians have tried it, and the Poles have come and departed. It is not because of anything that can be seen or heard or handled, but because of something that is imagined. The place is not good for the imagination, and does not bring restful dreams at night. It must be this which keeps the foreigners away, for old Ammi Pierce has never told them of anything he recalls from the strange days. Ammi, whose head has been a little queer for years, is the only one who still remains, or who ever talks of the strange days; and he dares to do this because his house is so near the open fields and the travelled roads around Arkham.

Read the full short story online free at "The Colour out of Space" by H. P. Lovecraft

Based on this work, there are a series of movies that attempt to put the concept to film.

The Curse ( 1987 )
The Curse: Nathan Hayes is a religious man trying to hold onto his farm and keep his family in line. A real estate developer is trying to buy most of the farm property in the area, including Mr. Hayes family farm, in the hope that the Tennesse Valley Authority will choose the town for the site of a new dam and recreational area. The night of a terrible storm, an unidentified, glowing object crashes on the Hayes farm and with it comes a horrible curse for the Hayes family and the members of the community.

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  • Currently 3.59/5
(39 votes)
Ratings: IMDB: 4.9/10 Metascore: N/A RT: N/A
Released:
May 15, 1987
Runtime: 92 mins
Genres: Horror Sci-Fi
Countries: USA
Director: David Keith
Actors: Amy Wheaton Claude Akins Cooper Huckabee John Schneider Malcolm Danare Steve Carlisle Steve Davis Wil Wheaton

Curse II: The Bite ( 1989 )
Curse II: The Bite: After a young man is bitten on the hand by a radioactive snake, his hand changes into a lethal snake head, which attacks everyone he comes into contact with. Also, his body becomes filled with snakes. Now, he must prevent himself from hurting others.

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  • Currently 3.38/5
(8 votes)
Ratings: IMDB: 4.7/10 Metascore: N/A RT: N/A
Released:
December 28, 1989
Runtime: 98 mins
Genres: Horror
Countries: Italy Japan USA
Actors: Al Fann Ana Auther Barbara Glover Bo Svenson Deke Anderson J Eddie Peck Jamie Farr Jill Schoelen Jose García Marianne Muellerleile Savina Gersak Shiri Appleby Sydney Lassick Terrence Evans Tiny Wells

Curse III: Blood Sacrifice ( 1991 )
Curse III: Blood Sacrifice: In 1950s Africa, a tribal magician calls up a demon to kill Europeans.

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  • Currently 3.41/5
(17 votes)
Ratings: IMDB: 3.6/10 Metascore: N/A RT: N/A
Released:
May 10, 1991
Runtime: 91 mins
Genres: Horror
Countries: UK South Africa
Actors: Andre Jacobs Christopher Lee Gavin Hood Henry Cele Jenilee Harrison Jennifer Steyn

Keyword is ATTEMPTS.
IMdb said:
Followed by
Catacombs (1988)
Curse II: The Bite (1989)
Curse III: Blood Sacrifice (1991)

Catacombs ( 1988 )
Catacombs: A demon is trapped in a monastery. 400 years later a young girl arrives at the monastery to study.

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  • Currently 2.87/5
(15 votes)
Ratings: IMDB: 4.8/10 Metascore: N/A RT: N/A
Released:
May 14, 1988
Runtime: 84 mins
Genres: Horror Short Western
Countries: Italy USA
Director: David Schmoeller
Actors: Ian Abercrombie Jeremy West Laura Schaefer Timothy Van Patten

Monster of Terror (1965)
based on the same H.P. Lovecraft short story "The Colour Out of Space"

Die Monster Die ( 1965 )
Die Monster Die: A young man visits his fianc�'s estate to discover that her wheelchair-bound scientist father has discovered a meteorite that emits mutating radiation rays that have turned the plants in his greenhouse to giants. When his own wife falls victim to this mysterious power, the old man takes it upon himself to destroy the glowing object with disastrous results.

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  • Currently 3.00/5
(3 votes)
Ratings: IMDB: 5.6/10 Metascore: N/A RT: 71%
Released:
October 27, 1965
Runtime: 80 mins
Genres: Horror Mystery Sci-Fi
Countries: UK USA
Director: Daniel Haller
Actors: Billy Milton Boris Karloff Freda Jackson George Moon Gretchen Franklin Harold Goodwin Leslie Dwyer Nick Adams Patrick Magee Paul Farrell Sheila Raynor Suzan Farmer Sydney Bromley Terence de Marney

La couleur de l'abîme (1983) (TV Movie)
based on the same H.P. Lovecraft short story "The Colour Out of Space"

Colour from the Dark (2008)
based on the same H.P. Lovecraft short story "The Colour Out of Space"

Colour from the Dark ( 2008 )
Colour from the Dark: Pietro and Lucia live on an isolated farm with Alice, Lucia's younger sister. Poor farmers, they live tilling the soil. Pietro is a good worker and a strong man who, unlike his three brothers, is not at war because of a deformed knee. Lucia is a beautiful and reserved woman dedicated to her family. Their life is peaceful and good, in spite of the hard work. One day, while drawing water from the well, Pietro and Alice accidentally free something from Earth's womb.

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  • Currently 2.65/5
(31 votes)
Ratings: IMDB: 4.7/10 Metascore: N/A RT: N/A
Released:
October 19, 2008
Runtime: 92 mins
Genres: Horror
Countries: Italy
Director: Ivan Zuccon
Actors: Debbie Rochon Eleanor James Gerry Shanahan Marysia Kay Michael Segal

The Color Out of Space (2010)
based on the same H.P. Lovecraft short story "The Colour Out of Space"

The Color Out of Space ( 2010 )
The Color Out of Space: A boy, looking for his missing father, travels to Germany and uncovers a haunting legacy that a meteorite left behind in the area. Based on H.P. Lovecraft's short novel "The Color Out of Space."

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  • Currently 3.54/5
(13 votes)
Ratings: IMDB: 6.8/10 Metascore: N/A RT: N/A
Released:
October 30, 2010
Runtime: 86 mins
Genres: Drama Mystery
Countries: Germany
Director: Huan Vu
Actors: No Famous Actors
 
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