Colour from the Dark (2008)

   

Directed by: Ivan Zuccon

Written by:
H.P. Lovecraft

Starring:

Debbie Rochon .... Lucia
Michael Segal .... Pietro
Marysia Kay .... Alice
Gerry Shanahan .... Giovanni
Eleanor James .... Anna


Release Dates:
Schloktoberfest: October 19, 2008; Torino Horror Film Festival: October 31, 2008; Oldenburg International Film Festival: September 17, 2009

 

 

Rating:

 

Taking place during the World War, a group of poor farmers a husband and wife named Pietro (Michael Segal) and his wife Lucia (Debbie Rochon) along with Lucia's mentally challenged sister Alice (Marissa Kay) discover a well that seems to glow in which one of them free's an object from the Earth's womb which causes their vegetables to grow bigger in which they think is doing good for them as well as taking a hold of their farm with things glowing by this some sort of alien color.
Suddenly, Lucia acts overly lustful towards Pietro and behaving aggressively as well as causing harm towards both him and Alice that he had to keep her locked in an attic and tried to have her exorcised by a preacher named Father Mario (Matteo Tosi) but she kills him while he tries to perform this. Not only that, both Alice and Pietro both are badly effected too which causes them to act insane as well as this womb is a form of evil from the Earth's core.

 

A new look at an Italian horror film and a real good one too. Probably one of the best independent films you can see in this day and age with a good budget too.
There's alot of mysterious moments especially around the mentally challenged young lady with her doll as there seems to be something about her doll that comes into the horror story. Also the mother in the film suddenly acting so nice and calm and next so insanely evil since she has become possessed. Plus there's good special effects mainly surrounding the dark well which gives it a totally creepy feel to it along with moments of a crucifix hung on a wall falling to the floor as well.
A nice beginning with the child Alice holding a doll and trying not to look at anything with great camera shots on her walking down the stairs as well as going to a well with her dropping the doll in the well which makes you wonder what it was all about. There's also a great hallucination sequence with her in bed all bloodied screaming and putting her hands to her head which looked quite intense.
There's alot of good camera shots involving both Alice and Pietro at a well trying to reach for a bucket with a pole as well as good reactions with mist flying out of the well at them.
There's also nice nightmare sequences as well as flashback scene's which almost seems similar to the retro style of Children of the Corn with a possessed woman running through a cornfield but done in a much better fashion. There's also great moments with twisted dialogues in the nightmare scene's which at times seems quite shocking too especially with a preacher trying to perform an exorcism to the lead actress in the flick.
We spot a perfect flashback night sequence with Lucia running through the cornfield with quick shots on the cornfield passing by as well as her burying a crucifix into the ground along with the mother trying to talk to her and acting shocked by what she's doing along with a nice close up shot on Lucia's face with her possessed dark eyes which looked quite spooky. There's also good shots on the Mother racing through the field and a nice surprise shot in the head with her falling down which was choroegraphed nicely.
There's a nice brief discussion between Lucia towards Alice the next day with her trying to help her walk down a staircase showing a nice caring attitude on her fears.
Nice dark setting with Alice next to the well too scared to look into it with sounds coming out and having her doll peek in as well as a brief shot shooting up towards her from the bottom of the well.
Great discussion between both Lucia and Pietro acting full of life after discovering that their vegetables have grown bigger as well as later on at the dinner table Alice speaking and them encouraging her to talk again which looked like a good direction on a family having a nice conversation.
There's also a nice glowing shot on Lucia staring expressionlessly into the well and then getting back into herself with Pietro approaching her.
Good forceful reaction on Lucia towards Pietro when she tries to seduce him which looked powerfully done as well as her lying in bed with her possessed black eyes wide open.
Good shot on Lucia standing up still with an evil glance and then snapping out of it when Alice approaches and speaking peaceful towards her with suddenly screaming out sinfully towards her.
Nice shot on Lucia sitting in a bathtub grabbing a razorblade and cutting her face up which will make you cringe with great shots on all of this.
A good distant shot up in the attic with a preacher performing an exorcism with Lucia up close lying sideways acting expressionless and then him approaching her with her attacking him and getting menacing towards him with terrific fast action camera shots on the two of them.
There's some good camera shots looking down on Alice near a staircase stabbing her doll.
A good shot with Anna at the well and speaking towards Alice on the other end with her getting in a rage and then a good approach by a soldier pointing a gun at her head and firing. All of this had some timing looking truly twisted.
Nice dark moment with Alice entering the attic with her doll and Lucia speaking softly towards her and the talking to the doll too which seemed quite spooky. Plus during this moment there's great reactions on Pietro and Alice as if they're in pain on what's happening.
There's a good moment with Lucia staring out the window in the attic and turning around and trying to speak nicely towards Alice with her looking upset and then a great traging moment happens between them which breaks the silence in a good horror fashion.
A great shot looking up from underground with Pietro burying a corpse.
There's a good shot rolling around all Anna, Giovanni and Pietro in a home at a table with the discussion of the death and murder of someone showing their sad emotions.
There's a perfect dark shot on a supporting character named Luigi acting zombielike with his cold words in a dark house with a nice creeped out reaction by Anna in which has a perfect horror moment.
There's also alot of great intensity with the attack scene's too which totally makes the film very supernatural and psychological at the same time along with the odd moments of some zombie action sequences too giving the film a darker and creepier feel to it.
Bottom line is that this film is an H.P. Lovecraft flick and one of the best independent Italian horror film's and can really be inspirational and can change the Italian horror form in a good way with it's dark silent and creepy edge to it all. By all means check this one out.

The acting is terrifically done as scream queen Debbie Rochon (Lucia) lived to play this part and her best work ever proving to be a worthy character actress with a great range of versatality. Finally she gets her big break with this film compared to alot of the made for video quality junk she had in the past. She shows a nice attitude in the beginning and then does her possessions nicely showing a terrific nasty side to her really coming acorss as someone totally different. A nice intense moment with her screaming out and acting crazy in a hall of her house. She certainly studied this role very well with tons of energy and I have to say hats off to her on this.
Michael Segal
(Pietro) shows a nice masculine but soft hearted attitude in his role as the husband of the film. He shows some nice upsetting emotions too with all that's surrounding him. There's a terrific violent, aggressive and possessive reaction on Segal with a pitchfork slowly approaching someone and plunging in the pitchfok acting brutal which looked perfectly performed.
Marysia Kay (Alice) was another fine actress in the film playing someone mentally challenged and having a difficult time speaking showing nice sensitive actions to her part as well as her fears bringing it all out of her. She also does well acting obnoxious and aggressive when she becomes possessed really leaping into it big time. A great moment with her getting into a possessed lustful rage forcing herself on someone else which shows alot of energy. Plus she has a nice mysterious look to her which is one of the film's plus'.
Eleanor James
(Anna) showed a nice girl attitude to her part of the film and knowing how to be very characteristic to what she was doing. She also had the nice good looks which helps a horror film in a good way with a girl next door appeal.

Debbie Rochon briefly flashes a breast shot as well as exposing her breasts in a bathtub during a separate scene of the film.

There's someone bloodily shooting someone else in the head during a nightmare sequence
Lucia cuts off the side of her face in a bathtub
A preacher's eye is stabbed by a crucifix
A person's body is bloodily crushed
A man is stabbed by a pichfork

The music was very strong and superb sounding all done by Marco Werba with alot of quivering violin music plus some tragic sounds with some trobone playing blended in. There's many chilling piano playing for the possessive moments too. Plus there's the odd female chanting sounds. There's also the typcal horror booming sounds for the most terrifying moments. All in all the music sounds fit for a mainstream motion picture which was surprising since this was an indepdendent flick.