Review of Shadows Over Filmland

Shadows Over Filmland is a collection of scenarios for the Trail of Cthulhu RPG game inspired specifically by the horror movies of the 1930's. The book is written by the legendary game designers Robin D Laws (who designed the GUMSHOE system that Trail of Cthulhu is based on), and Kenneth Hite (who designed Trail of Cthulhu). The game designers have a clear passion for both the Lovecraft mythos and for the classic horror cinema that informs the book. The book contains 12 scenarios and several relevant essays and background materials. The essays, one each by Hite and Laws are interesting enough - the first "Lovecraft Meets the Wolfman" details the link between Lovecraft and the horror cinema of his day (it is a pretty tenuous link, as the author of the essay admits, but the case can probably be made that Lovecraft and the filmmakers read many of the same Gothics and horror stories and thus there are undeniable themes in common). The second breaks down the thematic elements that define the "Silver Nitrate" mythos, that is, the Gothic cinema of the 1930's and 1940's. The background materials are the usual sort of thing one finds in an RPG setting guide - in this instance, the stock characters, locations, and moods that one finds in a Universal or RKO horror film. The scenarios in Shadows Over Filmland are all wonderful, especially if you are familiar with the source material. Death Across the Nile is The Mummy, but with Nitocris (she of Masks of Nyarlathotep fame) instead of a smoldering Boris Karloff. White Bokor is a direct sequel to the Bela Lugosi classic White Zombie, combining the vodou master Murder Legendre of the first film with elements from Night of the Living Dead. Dr. Grave Dust is a sendup of Frankenstein with a bit of Herbert West mixed in. Dreams of Dracula is a strange and interesting take on the classic story - Dracula is mostly non corporeal, and the mythos elements are taken mainly from The Case of Charles Dexter Ward (ye essential saltes). The Green Ape is a King Kong/Green Hell story with a twist (gasp). The Lord of the Jungle is very similar, with elements of Tarzan mixed in (lost city, white god). The Night I Died is a Val Lewton/RKO style, investigation heavy story. The Non Euclidean Man is a Lovecraftian take on The Invisible Man. The Black Chateau merges one of my absolute favorite horror movies, The Black Cat, with the King in Yellow/Hastur mythos. Under A Werewolf Moon. Guess what that's about? The Preserve is a mashup of The Most Dangerous Game and a monster party style movie, featuring the villains from earlier in the book. The Final Reel is an interesting meta-horror story about a film adaptation of the Call of Cthulhu that intends to make sure the stars are right. It will likely take me years to play through this book, but it will definitely be my go-to whenever the mood strikes for a one-shot style gaming adventure. Highly recommended for fans of Trail of Cthulhu or for fans of horror movies of the golden age. Trail of Cthulhu: Shadows Over Filmland on Drive Thru RPG (PDF Download) Trail of Cthulhu: Shadows over Filmland on Amazon Trail of Cthulhu: Shadows Over Filmland on the Pelgrane Press Website (the publisher)