Friday, July 7, 2017

Cool Air (1999)

Cool Air (1999) dir. Bryan Moore, Beyond Books





We now see the third proper version of Lovecraft's "Cool Air" and frankly it might be the best version of the bunch.


1925, New York City

Impoverished writer Randolph Carter (Bryan Moore) has just moved into the best apartment he can afford, that is to say a cheap flophouse in one of the poorer areas of the city. His neighbors are a fairly standard bunch, except for the man who lives on the top floor.

He first learns of the man when ammonia starts dripping through the floor. From his landlady Mrs. Caprezzi (Vera Lockwood), he learns that the man upstairs is Dr. Munoz (Jack Donner), who he is never to talk to or bother.

Carter is fine with that, except for a heart attack one day. Staggering upstairs, he begs for help from the mysterious doctor, who reluctantly lets him into his room and treats him. The doctor seems pleasant enough, but there is the fact that the room is almost filed with a large freezing unit keeping the room almost constantly chilled. Munoz seems to have a total phobia about heat.

The two's friendship begins to grow, but the doctor's fear grows to near hysteria when his pump breaks down during a heat wave. Begging Carter to get him ice, the reason for his fear proves to be well founded...

Aside from the Re-Animator series I'd say this is the best Lovecraft adaptation so far. The acting is wonderful, the big reveal perfectly macabre, and the overall just a tightly shot film.   

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