 
Two people named
Professor Richard Austin (David Gaffney)
and Charles Sadler (David Akin) goes to
the aid of a one legged hypnotist named
Miss Helena Voyich (Julia Matias) after
they met her at a party introduced by Dr.
John Wilson (Robert Taminga) who claims
to be capable of mesmerism, a form of
very powerful hypnosis dismissed by
science in the late nineteenth century.
Charles has issues with his life after
killing his girlfriend (Tori Davis) and
stabbing himself in the hand but is
unconvinced but Richard agrees to be a
test subject so his doctor named Wilson
can submit a prize-worthy article.
Helena seems to interfere with his work
and ignores her other clients so she can
practice some voodoo on him and trying to
have him all to herself as she seems to
put him in a trance to kill others and
disrupting his relationship with his
girlfriend Audrey (Marissa Hall) in ways
she is largely unaware, and having his
maid (Isabel Setter) wake him up at noon
only for him to discover copious blood on
his clothing...
Slowly, Richard starts to lose his sanity
and has horrifying nightmares but can't
seem to put a stop to Helena's evil
doings.
During the beginning of
this film the discussions were a little
rushed but still the scene's looked effective
nonetheless.
There's a nice beginning with Charles Sadler stabbing his
own hand and losing it as this looked perfectly twisted to watch.
I found a scene with Professor John Wilson talking to Professor Richard Austin in his office about coming to a staff party with him as this looked quite wooden and rough by their interactions towards one another. It needed a bit of a push.
Then the staff party happens which the interactions have improved a bit here as well as Miss Helena Voyich introduces herself as this is a real attention grabber.
We have a good shot on Audrey in a trance on a chair and Miss Helena Voyich rubbing her neck and face as this looked nice and soothing. Good shots on the hands with sparks coming out which looked mysterious.
Real effective moment when Audrey calls off her engagement the next day as it leaves a sinking upsetting feeling which looked fairly natural as well as making you wonder why she's so upset about everything.
There's a scene with Charles trying to warn Richard about Helena and who he's messing with as this seemed mildly effective but needed a bit of a push to make this moment seem to work more powerful than what it was.
We spot some good camera shots on Richard having a nightmare showing
different angle shots where he's sleeping
in his bed. There's a lustful moment with him and Audrey in bed but she does something shocking towards him as this looked half effective.
There are many nice shots on Helena closing her eyes casting a spell with
candles around her.
A good and intense discussion
between Richard and Helena in her house when he tears something up
and screaming at her with her getting
emotional. Plus alot of good wicked moments on her trying to have him all to herself in many spots of the story as it draws in the evil of a horror character as well as wondering on what will happen next.
We have a nice shot on Richard teaching
his students at his college and then he's
in a trance with his eyes rolled up which
looked intense. However after that when he seems to be in a trance it doesn't shine off too well.
A nice shot on Charles shaving and
cutting himself losing control with a
nice whispering voice towards him. This leaves a nice painful feeling to anyone who cuts themselves from shaving. For sure it looked painful.
A good shot on a
college student working at a corner store with an
expressionless almost zombie like
presence by Richard approaching
towards him giving the scene a nice
horror effect but yet he starts killing him which looked a little
fake.
But the beginning on him slowly approaching him looked creepily well done.
Nice upsetting situation when Richard is watching the news on one of the murders of his students and finding some bloodied weapon he used as well as clothing with him losing control and panicking when this all happens as it's a decent psychological moment on the outcome of all this.
Many good angle shots on both Audrey and Richard acting lustful in
bed turing into a gruesome event.
It does look mildly cringing when we spot this bloodied moment.
However we spot a pointless moment when Richard goes towards a shower that Audrey is having with a razor and are showering together since this was almost a time killer while Charles is waiting for him to show up to put an end to Helena but at the same time you kinda wonder if Richard himself is gonna actually kill his fiance or not when we try to watch the outcome out of all of this.
I was mildly amused when Charles is out of it trying to approach Helena with an axe but with her spell she makes him tortur himself as this looked good and graphic for fans who enjoy horror violence.
A nice brief battle between Richard and Charles in which this looked perfectly powerful and wondering who will survive this madness.
Bottom line: I bought this as a
compilation of other underground horror
films titled Tomb of Terrors
as I almost expected it to be a no
budgeter but yet it carried quite a
decent picture quality. The story is hard to understand at first
as it seems like just a mystery type of
drama but the horror gets going later on
as you start to wonder what is going to
happen next as this was nicely portrayed.
The acting is
fairly good as David Gaffney
(Professor Richard Austin) does a nice job playing a university
teacher trying to have a good serious and
sane attitude and then really going crazy
for the times he needed to be. We have a great reaction on him after he hears the news about a murder
and crying uncontrollably which looks
realistic. Another great outburst by him almost losing it towards his fellow actress. Well done. However at time to time he's a bit stiff with his lines but can seem to get into what he does later on.
Julia Matias (Miss Helena Voyich) played a nice bitter
type of voodoo hypnotist as she potrays a
nice smooth wicked attitude to her part. She knew how to act believeably wicked
towards her fellow actor. Also shows a nice mellow behavior during the beginning of her performance as she seemed perfectly deceiving. Knew on how to speak coldly later on with her vicious reactions too
David Akin (Charles Sadler) really knew how to let
his painful expressions out as another
disturbed client who has been hypnotised. Plus does okay by acting frusterated or stressing something. At times he's stiff anf needed the odd improvements here and there. There's a nice gloomy presence on him slowly coming into a room where someone is sitting and then he shows
nice insane expressions lifting an axe in
the air.
Robert Taminga (Professor John Wilson) was quite wooden in his performance but came across as someone who's caring and helpful along with being cheerful. So I will give him some pointers by coming across that way. He was a bit over the top in certain scene's. Not a terrible actor but not that great either.
Marissa Hall (Audrey) came across very nicely
as the fiance with a nice and loving
attitude to her part. She also shows a nice upsetting emotional attitude when she plans to break off her engagement sobbing as this looked believeable. Also shows a good natured attitude later on as well as coming across as charming and outgoing too. Brought all of this in wonderfully.
Sam DeLong (Mrs. Wilson) drew in nicely as a calm type of housekeeper in which she shows a nice patient attitude as well as offering a good assertiveness too. Was on the ball with stuff and almost had the right appeal to portray this type of role. Seemed like a decent character actress.
A hand is stabbed
A woman digs her hands inside a man's
chest during a lustful dream sequence
A guy chops off his fingers with an axe
Terrific powerful music
composed by Kristopher Carter
with great clear violin and synthesizer
playing with touches of mysterious flute
playing and banging sounds too. Alot of sharp music too as well as piano music too which we've heard before in Z-grade movies but everything else seems to work in nicely.
Charles (After
being stabbed) Kill herrr.... Kill
herrr.... |
