Pirates of the Caribbean

[Cthulhudrew]

Did any other gamers immediatly think mind flayer when they saw the evil squid dude?

I thought Cthulhu myself. If that comes as a surprise.

 

[arscott]

I disagree that Davey Jones was primarily inspired by lovecraft. While the octopus head is an obvious parallel (and probably poached from cthulhu), the general feel of Davey Jones and his crewmen was more along the lines of a myth or fairytale.

Creatures resembling the local flora and fauna steal away careless souls for hundred year stretches? A powerful figure, turned bitter by romatic difficulties, Hides his heart away in a box?

I think the Lovecraft connection is mostly just an artifact of H.P.'s fear of the fishies.

One of the best parts of the movie was on the Dutchman when the pirates were gambling--I went to see it w/ two gamer friends, and liar's dice is one of the games we play when going out to eat or when we otherwise have a few minutes to spare.

 

[Desdichado]

I disagree that Davey Jones was primarily inspired by lovecraft.

Well, yeah, I wouldn't say primarily inspired. Unless you're talking only of the visual element. I think that was (probably) clearly most inspired by Lovecraft. But as a character, Davy Jones is nothing like Cthulhu.

For one thing, he's really short, chicks love him, and he's always running around with his goofball friends.

Oh, uh... wrong Davy Jones. Sorry.

 

[davidschwartznz]

Have any of you ever thought that maybe Davy Jones having an octopus for a head might have been inspired by just octopuses? You know, sunken ship, sea creatures, its an easy connection to make without refence to Lovecraft or Gygax.

 

[arscott]

It's possible. But I get the feeling that the folks who wrote Pirates are too well read to not know about Cthulhu. And when you realize that they probably new about the archetypical squid-headed dude, you just kinda get into a philosophical debate about what inspiration entails, exactly.

 

[Desdichado]

Have any of you ever thought that maybe Davy Jones having an octopus for a head might have been inspired by just octopuses? You know, sunken ship, sea creatures, its an easy connection to make without refence to Lovecraft or Gygax.

Not really, no. That seems phenomenally unlikely, actually.

 

[Huw]

He's closer to a Walktapus from Glorantha - and they're closer to Cthulhu than mind flayers.

Haven't seen the film, but I've seen plenty of posters.

 

[davidschwartznz]

Not really, no. That seems phenomenally unlikely, actually.

So, then, who inspired the guy with the conch for a head?

 

[I'm A Banana]

So, then, who inspired the guy with the conch for a head?

Egyptian mythology, obviously.

 

[Agent Oracle]

Have any of you ever thought that maybe Davy Jones having an octopus for a head might have been inspired by just octopuses? You know, sunken ship, sea creatures, its an easy connection to make without refence to Lovecraft or Gygax.

We're just goofing around David. Seriously, I think that it was bad enough that they named the bad guy "Davey Jones". I mean, the original movie was so brilliantly original, and they scuttled it's sequel with a cheesy pirate-y name bad game master. They might as well make the next enemy Capn' Crunch.