Movie Theaters Near Portsmouth NH Host To Film Festival

It may seem surprising today, but New England was very active in the years before the film industry was centralized in California.Early examples, taking advantage of the rich local history, include Benedict Arnold (1909), Ralph Once's Battle of Bunker Hill (1911) and Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (1914). The benefits at the time were the varied landscape, the cooler climate and—this would change—easy access to local or regional film distributors. Vitagraph, Lubin and Edison were just a few of the major companies to record their films there. David Mamet chose to do the same when shooting his Hollywood comes to New England drama, State and Main (2000).

Other filmmakers were attracted to the land's representations of contrast; community and isolation, darkness and light. The New England horror film has a lengthy history and can be traced back to 1900's Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel (1900), the story of an encounter in a haunted house. Only ten years earlier there was a child born in Rhode Island who would grow up to be a legendary influence on horror fiction: H.P. Lovecraft. The subtle haunting appearance of centuries-old towns and deep, mountainous forests appear in numerous Lovecraft stories and films. His novel, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" was the first of numerous Lovecraft film adaptations, the title renamed by director Roger Corman as The Haunted Palace (1963). From that start, there have been nearly 30 screen adaptations, the setting of which frequently features a spooky New England backdrop. The so-called Cthulhu Mythos built around Lovecraft's characters and settings have been used by many writers and directors in their own works, including John Carpenter, Guillermo Del Toro and Sam Raimi. The lead character in Carpenter's homage to Lovecraft, In the Mouth of Madness (1995), follows a mysterious disappearance to New England, specifically Hobb's End, New Hampshire, a small town where bizarre things are the norm.

One New England author said to have created a similar setting for his own creations is Stephen King. A native of Maine, King sets almost all of his tales there, building on the mystique and history of the area to bring the stories to life, much as Lovecraft did. In fact, writer Michael Sletcher said King has "probably done more to shape popular culture images of New England than anyone since Eugene O'Neill..and like O'Neill, he has an obsession with looking behind the picket-fences facades of the small town." One can draw an almost direct line from the genre fiction of Lovecraft and King to the literature of fellow New Englander Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Salem Witch Trials, for example, was used by Hawthorne to add impact to his scary stories. Maid of Salem brought the trials to the big screen in 1937, the first of many films on the subject.

Other genres have explored the lighter, or at least more natural, aesthetics New England offers, as well. Lost Boundaries (1949) is one of these socially aware films, concerning racism in a small New Hampshire town and recorded in Portsmouth.Portsmouth features some of the great New Hampshire movie theaters for major studio features while independent films are highlighted every year in the New Hampshire Film Festival. Similar events and festivals occur each year across New England, not just New Hampshire.

The culture of the arts continues to the present day and has advanced decade by decade—in fact, inexpensive cameras and editing software have reinvigorated film production at a local level. "The digital video revolution has encouraged a great many filmmakers, particularly in New England," said New England actor and historian Phil Hall. Hall adds, "Theaters around the country need to exhibit movies that are going to turn a profit;" a decision by Portsmouth NH movie theaters between a big-budget movie or "a no-budget movie made in Vermont, their choice is clear." The internet and social media have enabled startup filmmakers to distribute their works alongside major productions from Hollywood and the opportunity to rival it.

In a time before the film industry centralized in New York and Hollywood, areas like New England enjoyed their own cinematic successes. Early New England films, such as Benedict Arnold (1909), Battle of Bunker Hill (1911) and The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (1914). New England's scenic backdrop and seasonal climates encouraged filmmakers to shoot pictures there and the lack of complicated equipment and regional, rather than national, distribution made it possible. Major film companies such as Vitagraph, Edison, and Lubin took working vacations in New England seaside towns to escape the scorching heat of the cities. Even in the modern, major studio driven market, some filmmakers still film their movies there in the same manner.

Recent films have been more likely to play up the dual natures of darkness and light, urbania and isolation, penance and redemption and hidden things. Horror has been a part of New England's history of film almost from the start, going back to the 1900 release of Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel. Only ten years earlier there was a child born in Rhode Island who would grow up to be a legendary influence on horror fiction: H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft's numerous tales of terror in pulp magazines often took place or were influenced by the history and land of his home region. His novel, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" was the first of numerous Lovecraft film adaptations, the title renamed by director Roger Corman as The Haunted Palace (1963). The Dunwich Horror (1970), Re-Animator (1985), From Beyond (1986) and The Whisperer in Darkness (2011) are some of the other films set in New England towns which are taken from the pages of Lovecraft's writing. The author also inspired a number of other authors and filmmakers to use his established created universe (the Cthulhu Mythos) in their own works, including director John Carpenter. Carpenter used the fictional, Lovecraftian town of Hobb's End, New Hampshire as the setting for his homage to the author, 1995's In the Mouth of Madness.

One New England author said to have created a similar setting for his own creations is Stephen King. A native of Maine, King sets almost all of his tales there, building on the mystique and history of the area to bring the stories to life, much as Lovecraft did. King's stories have helped shape the image of New England in popular culture, perhaps more than anyone since playwright Eugene O'Neill. Both Lovecraft and King heavily used the supernatural in their stories, possibly drawing on the literature written by predecessors like Henry James and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne wrote "Young Goodman Brown" in 1835, using the type of satanic meetings that were alleged to have taken place in the Salem Witch Trials. This shameful part of the region's history has been featured frequently on the big screen, starting with Maid of Salem (1937) and continuing with films such as I Married a Witch (1942), The Devonsville Terror (1983), Warlock (1989) and The Crucible (1996).

Other genres have explored the lighter, or at least more natural, aesthetics New England offers, as well. One of these socially conscious films, Louis de Rochemont's fictionalized account of a racially divided New Hampshire town, Lost Boundaries (1949). Portsmouth has some of the great New Hampshire movie theaters and hosts the annual New Hampshire Film Festival every year. One will find that similar events take place every year throughout New England, preserving the independent spirit of filmmaking.

Film in New England, as it happens, is benefiting from technological progress. "The digital video revolution has encouraged a great many filmmakers, particularly in New England," said New England actor and historian Phil Hall. Hall does have concerns about the available venues for displaying so many films, adding, "When faced with exhibiting Angels and Demons or a no-budget movie made in Vermont, their choice is clear" (except perhaps in Portsmouth NH movie theaters). Online communities and social media have given these filmmakers new venues for distribution, however, so that New England may once again come to rival Hollywood.

In a time before the film industry centralized in New York and Hollywood, areas like New England enjoyed their own cinematic successes. The start of their film output mirrored that of the American republic, with films such as Benedict Arnold (1909), Ralph Once's Battle of Bunker Hill (1911) and Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (1914). The benefits of shooting a motion picture in New England were largely practical, whether the close proximity to regional distributors, the lack of adaptive technology or the cooler setting. Vitagraph, Lubin and Edison were just a few of the major companies to record their films there. Despite changes in technology and film distribution, location shooting in New England is still done during summer, including The Man Without a Face (1993), Message in a Bottle (1999), In the Bedroom (2000) and David Mamet's State and Main (2000) with Massachusetts location photography.

Recently, New England's beautiful but at times haunting landscape has attracted filmmakers of a different ilk: producers of horror. Horror has been a part of New England's history of film almost from the start, going back to the 1900 release of Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel. Only ten years earlier there was a child born in Rhode Island who would grow up to be a legendary influence on horror fiction: H.P. Lovecraft. The subtle haunting appearance of centuries-old towns and deep, mountainous forests appear in numerous Lovecraft stories and films. In 1963, director Roger Corman adapted a novella by Lovecraft, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," to become the film titled The Haunted Palace. Some of his other films that take place in so-called "Lovecraft country" are The Shuttered Room (1967), The Dunwich Horror (1970) and From Beyond (1986). It isn't just Lovecraft himself that worked to flesh out his Cthulhu Mythos but a range of others who have added to this fictional universe through their own work, such as directors Sam Raimi and John Carpenter and writers Mike Mignola and Robert E. Howard. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness," for example inspired Carpenter to create his homage, In the Mouth of Madness (1995), set in the eerie, fictional village of Hobb's End, New Hampshire.

Horror writer Stephen King has created a similar mythos for his own characters. Nearly all of King's stories take place in his fictional New England and of his many film adaptations, a few strongly highlight the dynamics of New England at work, notably The Dead Zone (1983), Misery (1990) and Needful Things (1993). In fact, writer Michael Sletcher said King has "probably done more to shape popular culture images of New England than anyone since Eugene O'Neill..and like O'Neill, he has an obsession with looking behind the picket-fences facades of the small town." Both Lovecraft and King heavily used the supernatural in their stories, possibly drawing on the literature written by predecessors like Henry James and Nathaniel Hawthorne. For instance, Hawthorne made good use of the region's infamous Salem Witch Trials in his stories. Maid of Salem brought the trials to the big screen in 1937, the first of many films on the subject.

Some of the area's best known films concern not evils from the past but those in modern New England. These include New Hampshire filmmaker Louis de Rochemont's socially conscious films, Lost Boundaries (1949) and Whistle at Eaton Falls (1951), about racism in and labor issues in New Hampshire, respectively. Portsmouth features some of the great New Hampshire movie theaters for major studio features while independent films are highlighted every year in the New Hampshire Film Festival. One will find that similar events take place every year throughout New England, preserving the independent spirit of filmmaking.

Film culture in New England continues to morph and adapt to the times. The digital revolution has inspired a new generation of filmmakers says historian and actor Phil Hall. Hall does have some concern as about a flooded marketplace, especially in regional or local markets, such as Portsmouth NH theaters. With modern benefits provided by the internet, filmmakers from New England are seeking to rival Hollywood once again and they just might.

It may seem surprising today, but New England was very active in the years before the film industry was centralized in California.The start of their film output mirrored that of the American republic, with films such as Benedict Arnold (1909), Ralph Once's Battle of Bunker Hill (1911) and Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (1914). The benefits at the time were the varied landscape, the cooler climate and—this would change—easy access to local or regional film distributors. Vitagraph, Lubin and Edison were just a few of the major companies to record their films there. This trend continues to this day, with films as recent as David Mamet's State and Main (2000).

New England's landscape has also inspired those whom wish to explore darker, more controversial matters. In fact, one of the earliest films to mine this vein was 1900's Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel, in which the title character finds himself forced to spend a night in a haunted building. Around the same time, a highly influential writer of the genre was born in Rhode Island, Howard Phillips Lovecraft—better known today as H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft's numerous tales of terror in pulp magazines often took place or were influenced by the history and land of his home region. The Haunted Palace (1963), directed by Roger Corman and starring horror icon Vincent Price, adapted Lovecraft's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" in 1963. From 1967's The Shuttered Room to 2011's Whisperer in the Darkness, some thirty films have been adapted from Lovecraft's work, several set in sleepy New England towns. The author also inspired a number of other authors and filmmakers to use his established created universe (the Cthulhu Mythos) in their own works, including director John Carpenter. Carpenter used the fictional, Lovecraftian town of Hobb's End, New Hampshire as the setting for his homage to the author, 1995's In the Mouth of Madness.

In a similar vein is famed horror author Stephen King. New England, specifically King's home state of Maine, features prominently in nearly all of his works. Writer Michael Sletcher has even asserted that Stephen King has "probably done more to shape popular culture images of New England than anyone since Eugene O'Neill..and like O'Neill, he has an obsession with looking behind the picket-fences facades of the small town." Both Lovecraft and King heavily used the supernatural in their stories, possibly drawing on the literature written by predecessors like Henry James and Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Salem Witch Trials, for example, was used by Hawthorne to add impact to his scary stories. This shameful part of the region's history has been featured frequently on the big screen, starting with Maid of Salem (1937) and continuing with films such as I Married a Witch (1942), The Devonsville Terror (1983), Warlock (1989) and The Crucible (1996).

Some of the area's best known films concern not evils from the past but those in modern New England. The films Whistle at Eaton Falls (1951), concerning labor complaints, and Lost Boundaries (1949), about bigotry—filmed in and around Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Portsmouth features the annual New Hampshire Film Festival, one of the most popular in the Northeast, and also some of the great New Hampshire movie theaters. Such events are mirrored in most states and areas across New England, a remnant still of those early years in film and theater.

Film in New England, as it happens, is benefiting from technological progress. The digital revolution has inspired a new generation of filmmakers says historian and actor Phil Hall. Hall does have concerns about the available venues for displaying so many films, adding, "When faced with exhibiting Angels and Demons or a no-budget movie made in Vermont, their choice is clear" (except perhaps in Portsmouth NH movie theaters). Technology still, it must be admitted, is making it easier to film, edit and distribute films made in New England not just in Hollywood but worldwide.

Portsmouth NH : A Great Place To Watch Movies (Pt. 2) There Have Always Been Portsmouth NH Movie Theaters (Pt. 2)