This list contains movies that are not based on Lovecraft stories or ideas, but merely make Lovecraftian references.

Army of Darkness (1993)

Bruce Campbell is back as Ash in Sam Raimi’s third Evil Dead film. This film has all the manic pace of the first two films and, once again, the Necronomicon figures prominently. (Purchase on Blu-ray from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble or on DVD from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.)

Cast a Deadly Spell (1991)

Fred Ward stars as a private eye named H. Philip Lovecraft in a 1940s Hollywood where everyone uses magic. David Warner hires Ward to retrieve his stolen copy of the Necronomicon so he can release the Old Ones. Not very Lovecraftian, despite all the references, but still fairly amusing. (A sequel, Witch Hunt, with Dennis Hopper as Lovecraft, has no Lovecraftian elements whatsoever other than the detective’s name.) (Purchase on VHS from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.)

Cthulhu Mansion (1990)

This terrible film isn’t even remotely Lovecraftian—the word “Cthulhu” appears on a book and a wrought iron gate, and that is all. As an example of how far off the mark this movie is, here’s a quote from the back of the box: “Feeding on fear, the satanic, primal forces of Cthulhu, the Devil’s footsoldiers, now stalk the hallways in search of vengeance.” (Purchase on VHS from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.)

The Evil Dead (1982)

Sam Raimi’s directing debut and one of Bruce Campbell’s earliest roles, this manic film has become a cult classic. Essentially a zombie film, the mayhem is due to the discovery in a cabin in the woods of a copy of the Necronomicon. Tom Sullivan, well-known as an artist for the “Call of Cthulhu” roleplaying game, created the special make-up effects for the film, as well as the copy of the Necronomicon. (Purchase on Blu-ray from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble or on DVD from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.)

Evil Dead II (1987)

Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell return in what seems to be more a re-make of, than a sequel to, The Evil Dead. Fans seem to enjoy this film ever so slightly more than its predecessor. (Purchase on Blu-ray from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble or on DVD from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.)

Forever Evil (1987)

In this horribly amateurish film, a cult that worships “Yog Kothag” kills several people and is then tracked down by the sole survivor of the massacre. There are references to the Necronomicon, the “Lost Gods,” and The Gate and the Key by C.D. Ward. (Purchase on DVD from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.)

In the Mouth of Madness (1995)

John Trent (Sam Neill) is hired by Jackson Harglow (Charlton Heston) to locale missing horror novelist Sutter Cane (Jurgen Prochnow). Trent finds Cane in a New England town that isn’t on any map and finds that Cane intends to bring back the “Old Ones” with his ability to alter reality through his writings. Many consider this to be one of the better Lovecraftian films of recent years, but there are probably more references to King than there are to Lovecraft, and the mood of the film isn’t especially Lovecraftian. (Purchase on Blu-ray from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble or on DVD from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.)

La Setta (a.k.a. The Sect and The Devil’s Daughter) (1990)

An Italian re-tread of Rosemary’s Baby with some Lovecraftian references thrown in for good measure.

The Shuttered Room (a.k.a. Blood Island) (1967)

“The Shuttered Room” is a story marketed as having been written by “H.P. Lovecraft and August Derleth”—like Derleth’s many “posthumous collaborations,” he was responsible for most, if not all, of the tale. The creature from the story is replaced by a deformed girl, which some have said actually improves upon Derleth’s original tale. (Purchase on DVD with It from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.)

Transylvania Twist (1990)

A horror-comedy that gets more unintentional laughs than intentional. A copy of the The Book of Ulthar is stolen from the Arkham Library, and librarian “Dexter Ward” attempts to retrieve it from a vampire, Lord Byron Orlock (Robert Vaughn). (Purchase on DVD from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.)