A
star reporter named Karen Marks (Christine
Bonfanti) and her boyfriend Eddie (Michael Bruni)
hurry off to a place called the Red Midnight
Theater to hear the ranting of a popular psychic
(Patrick J. Egan). He probes into Karens psyche
and tells three different stories which are a
part of Karen's terrifying experiences too
chilling to be kept a secret.
The
first story is titled Anathema about
a lonely widower named John Kitano (Roger Woo)
who joins an intwernet dating service to get over
his depression of his dead wife Anathema (Jasi
Cotton Lanier). He goes on outings with women for
one nighters and other types of events but
however his wife's ghoast haunts his house still
and wants him all to herself. She ends up killing
the women he dates leading the police suspecting
that he is responsible for the murders as he
becomes hypnotised by Anathema herself.
The
second story is titled The Creation of
Dr. Grecoz about a disturbed
doctor named William Grecoz (Hugh Daly) who has
an obsessive love for his son Billy (Shawn-Caulin
Young) and he tries to love him more and wanting
him to be loved back but it backfires so he kills
his wife and creates gory events leading to
death.
The third
chapter is titled Pilgrimage in
an eternal city of Rome, a Satanic plot is about
to happen in the city streets as a cult follower
named the Master (Maurizo Rapotec) kidnaps a nun
and other people for sacrifices. However, a tough
FBI agent named Lt. Angelo Santana (Joe Zaso)
tries to track down this maniac before all hell
breaks loose but he has a dealdy secret of his
own.
After the
stories are told Karen tries to leave the theatre
but her nightmares seem to catch up to her as the
audience aren't who they seem to be.
A no
budget horror anthology but with much good
chapters and quite enjoyable. I find this one to
be Cinema Image Productions best work so far as
it's an enjoyable ride almost all the way though.
My
favourite is the first chapter Anathema with
the hauntings as it almost makes you jump with
the ghost appearing and attacking plus towards
the ending of the film was quite clever too. It's
also a good look at internet dating as alot of
the people aren't who they seem to be which is
true in the real world of that type of dating.
Lots of fun touches throughout this chapter which
should please most fans of underground
independent horror films.
There's many good takes with John Kitano and Anathema showing lots of
good haunting shots surrounding him like with him
lying down sleeping and her crawling up on him
and then he wakes up and she disappears.
There's a real stale discussion between him and Leigh when she tries to
encourage him to do internet dating in which the
conversation doesn't look believeable at all.
However there's a nice shot on Anathema looking over Leigh and acting creepy like.
There's good camera shots panning in on John when he goes on the internet as well as showing
the screen on the women spotted on the net.
Many good different takes on the women John is dating by having
conversations with him while having
their first date with him and spotting the
different personalities on these three women
which looks like a realistic going on's with
dating and not what it's cracked up to be.
There's many great moments during this dating
moment with the main one Sarah by getting outrageous
while she's eating which adds some nice humor to
the story.
Next, there's nice blocking betweenthe two of them when they get lustful towards
one another at his house taking certain clothes
off and then him breaking the moment with her
having an attitude about which also showed good
timing with this scene.
There's a nice moment with Anathema by rising
up with a horror expression and killing Christie with a computer monitor which looked very
effective.
Another great moment with Tanya in a
house hallway walking to her room with Anathema storming out and pushing her to the ground as
well as attacking her which looked truly intense.
A good discussion between a detective questioning John about
some incidents on some deaths which looked quite
good with close up shots on the two of them.
However, sometimes the close up shots looked a
bit out of synch.
I
found the second chapter The Creation of
Dr. Grecoz extremely disturbing and
emotional as it made me teary between the hateful
relationship with the father and son as well as
the pleading in which it looked like a horror
version of a Greek tragedy. While watching this
one the thought will stay in your mind for
a while thinking to yourself "Why is this
happening?". However, it's not as disturbing
as the story was supposed to be due to a lack of
the budgeting on it.
Good intensity between Dr. William Gregoz and Billy as the scenario look upsetting
between these two characters. There's lots of
anger between the two of them as well as a good
shot on Billy holding his mother screaming intensely at William.
A good shot on Billy pointing a gun but
with the close up camera shot you can tell the
gun is a toy.
There's a good tense moment with William in
a room full of pictures with Billy being
disgusted with him and going into a rage at him.
The
third chapter Pilgrimage kicked
ass and had the best picture quality ever. It was
filmed in Italy too which alot of horror films
are shot. The action in the film was excellent.
There many good twists and mysterious moments too
and it all comes together in the end of the film
which is one of the best moments ever.
The film tried for a gothic type of appeal and it
almost works too. It's very imaginative seeing a
fallen angel disguised as an FBI doing deadly
deeds when he needed to. Plus we spot zombies
towaqrds the end which gives this chapter a
perfect touch.
There's a nice approach by Lt. Angelo Santana: The FBI Man trying to find his way around Italy.
There's many good scene's involving a blind nun
praying at a church as well as finding her ways
around along with good close up shots on her face
when she's speaking.
Great camera shooting
scene with both the blind nun tied up looking
nervous with the Master doing his cult ceremony with her by opening her
top with a knife and drawing blood on her. Good
close up shots on that too.
There's a good misty shot on Angelo wearing a demonic mask.
A perfect close up shot on him with his
eyes red acting nasty with his hissing words
towards the Master telling him that he is
nothing and acting brutal towards him which
looked very powerful. There's a real strong
discussion between the two of them during this
moment as the scene looked like a semi-gothic like
type of fashion too.
Two thumbs up as I can't say anything else but
watch it.
The acting is nailed down well for
this no budgeter. In the wraparound story, Patrick J. Egan (The Psychic / The Therapist) does
well as a performer at a theatre introducing each
of the tales showing a good focus on his
character in the film and looking highly
entertaining.
In the Anathema chapter Roger Woo (John Kitano) seems to do okay with his part
as a depressed lonely one showing a good
seriousness to his part in the film. He does well
being expressionless and emotionless towards the
end as if he really was hypnotised and came
across as truly intimidating. He does well acting hypnotised walking inside
the building with no clothes on as well as him
showing an evil expression about to attack.
Stephanie Roy (Leigh) did her best playing the
sympathetic friend in the film and can just pass
as a character actress. It was a bit hard to tell
alot of the talents in the film due to the type
of budget this was made on but yet she speaks her
lines across clearly. Sometimes she needed
improvement in the odd spots of the plot.
Jasi
Cotton Lanier (Anathema) really brought alot of
terror and energy to her performance as the ghost
of the dead wife just ready to go whenever she
did a scene. She was truly a good horror
character actress in my books.
Michele
Marie Traina (Sarah) showed a great outrageous
bubbly attitude for her part ready to get it on
with her date and had the perfect looks too. She
knew her part inside out as you can tell bringing
the most energy out of the whole cast.
Brianna
Shaughnessy (Christie) totally knew how to
portray as someone who is very sketchy with being
disturbed by her phone ringing and acting way too
easy. Reminds you as one of those flakey types
that you don't wanna date again.
Tara
Magalski (Tanya) showed a good self centered type of
person really acting snappy and not wanting to be
there. She made her part truly believeable and
knew how to make you uncomfortable by watching on
how she performs she did it that well.
During the Creation
of Dr. Grecoz, Hugh Daly (Dr. William Gregoz) really
knew how to show his pleading emotions as a
disturbed one in the film and made his part so
good that you'd want to try and sympathise as to
why he did the evil deed he did. He shows perfect
characteritics on set. Plus he had the perfect
looks and appeal for his role and I couldn't see
anyone else portraying his part.
Shawn-Caulin Young (Billy) as the son showed perfect
aggressions and emotional attitude really acting
gutsy with what he had to do in the story. He
portrayed it very intensely. He showed a great
growly voice when he expresses his anger too
which gave the film a perfect touch to it.
In the final chapter titled Pilgrimage, Joe Zaso (Lt. Angelo Santana: The FBI Man) steals the anthology in his role as
a fallen angel disguiseed as an FBI with a deadly
secret as he showed a great tough attitude and
cold speaking too. He brought what he had to do
and it was like cicing on the cake. I'd find this
one of his best performances ever on all the
shows I've seen him in. In one of the scene's he showed a perfect aggression asking
for a room but however there's a moment when he
gets physical towards someone at the front desk by hitting his head on the desk
which looked a bit amaterish and could've been
better performed.
Giada
Vadala (The Nun) knew her stuff as a blind Italian Nun
showing a great nervous attitude on her behalf
and really focusing well on her character. She
made her part necessary to the horror story.
Maurizo
Rapotec (The Master) brought good energy to the set too
as a wannabe cult leader preaching to Satan with
a good strong voice and yet really knew how to
act like a wimp when it comes to
the lowdown. He had the right looks too for this
part revealing himself and not looking like he's
who he's cracked up to be.
There is a butt shot of Roger
Wu's character walking naked in an apartment
building during the Anathema chapter.
A nuns breasts are exposed in the Pilgrimage chapter performed by Giada Vadala.
There is a very gruesome chapter
titled The
Creation of Dr. Grecoz as a lady's eyes
are plucked out as well as having a teens face
scarred plus lots of blood.
Also in the Pilgrimage chapter
there's flesh torn off the faces of corpses with
maggots all over them and lots of blood.
Brian
Michael Finn for the second chapter was
quite good directing the intensity between Hugh
Daly and Shawn-Caulin Young as he
knew how to make the scenario look upsetting
between these two characters. There's lots of
anger between the two of them as well as a good
shot on Young holding Lindley Lee as the mother screaming intensely at Daly.
There's a good shot on Young pointing a gun but
with the close up camera shot you can tell the
gun is a toy.
There's a good tense moment with Daly in
a room full of pictures with Young being
disgusted with him and going into a rage at him.
The
music was composed by Function Zero as
they have composed music for many other films by
Cinema Image like Nikos and Machines
of Love & Hate which some of their
music was used in this one too. There's some good
hissing sounds as well as drum beats trying to
sound like heartbeats along with some cheesy
synthesizer sad sounding music for the second
chapter too.
Tanya: Are you looking at my boobs???
Sarah: You mean we aren't gonna fuck??? |
