A married couple named Colline (Shirly Brennar) and Masden (Edward Furlong) are grieving over the loss of their young daughter during a car accident that they were responsible for and head to the desert where a mansion resides as they plan a healing ritual hosted by Pirino (Laurence Mason) but yet this backfires as they conjur up demonic forces.
We spot in the beginning by focusing on a couple named Colline and Marsden which is supposed to grab your attention while the story unravels but this seems to fall flat a bit.
However, we do spot a fairly strong and mysterious scene involving the two of them and their friends going to a deserted land with the mansion as well as a mysterious landlady telling them the rules and regulations before entering the home which offers a fair suspense to the story that we hope to see.
During the beginning on their moments in the mansion is incredibly slow with pointless discussions between each of the couple about their tragic past which I was thinking to myself "Ho hum!"
Yet we do spot a shot on a door leading to a cellar and then a surprising fast action camera shot zooming down the staircase in which the area looked quite gloomy in a Saw sort of fashion as well as Marsden going down and calling to see if anyone is there which offers a fair dark suepenseful moment within all of this. There's a nice close up shot on a dark door and then cheesy effects on an object moving in which suggests a demonic presence behind this door.
Some nice camera shots with the character Pirino getting ready to do a cult ceremony with the others and a cheesy camera shot on a cow skull object on a stick at night. Plus we have Colline holding a doll that she has to give up due to her daughters death and an only memory for her which leaves a psychological feel to everything on something that we treasure by having to get rid of.
This same scene looked fairly powerful by the chanting that's about to start with a good circling camera shots surrounding the group of people as well as what unravels later on but yet this was supposed to make you scared and doesn't do the trick at all like later on by hearing a whispering sound heard by Marsden or Colline while finding her doll looking bloodied or yet in a distance by spotting a demonic figure as well as Marsden trying to prevent that door in the cellar by trying to burst open with the demonic force behind it. All of this was supposed to keep you on the edge of your seat but the makers tried way too hard and spoils all of this completely.
Then when the group of friends tries to escape the mansion we spot an eclipse with a thunderstorm suddenly happening as this doesn't look effective and a bit corny by what goes on in the picture. However, there's some good special effects within all of this. Yet, not terrorising at all.
We do spot a neat moment with Colline waking up from her sleep and spotting no pupils in her eyes which looked perfectly supernatural as well as her doll turning to to look at her which was supposed to look creepy but instead it looked rather funny to watch. Also, there's a moment with Marsden approaching towards her when we spot hair in front of her face and then revealing a shocking surprise when he approaches her which looked well done and effective for a horror story.
A nice outdoor shot on Serafina with lightning pounding down around her while lying on a ground as well as being rescued. Then we spot a shocking possession on her which seemed to borrow heavily from the Evil Dead franchise. Plus a good shot on Marsden pinned down as well as holding a meat cleaver next to his arm which keeps you in suspense wondering if he will chop it off which isn't for everyone's taste while spotting this. Also, we spot a torturing moment with the possessed Serafina torturning Marsden asit shows many clips on cartoons and his past life flashing before him in which this totally psychs you out as well as having a different type of picture to the story making it look totally grindhouse like.
Plus we spot nice effective moments on the demon presenting himself and doing evil deeds as well as other intense moments with the struggling survivors by trying to survive the madness which also offered perfect effective shots on the landlady telling Marsden on what is happening which showed perfect special effects as well as making the scene look perfectly strong. All of this saved the film from being below average.
Next we have a brain teaser which seemed like it was all a game and then it catches you by surprise that this really happened by revealing a prologue which is a bit confusing.
Bottom line is that the film isn't creepy at all and just making you think WTF with all that's going on in the story unravelling with everything. Although the film isn't long it seems long to watch and alot of the scene's were quite stale.
The acting is
solidly paced in which we have a good performance by Shirly Brenner (Colline) in which she does well by having a silent and disturbed attitude about what had happened beforehand as well as showing a good and emotinal behavior too. Plus she shows off nice aggressions whenever she had to do this along with acting believeably intense and outrageous too performing like she's out of her mind. She brought this to a high pace for sure. Also does well with her aggressive expressions which shines off too. Was a ball of energy within whatever she did.
Edward Furlong (Masden) was also marvellous in his role as he seemed to act convincing as the strong minded husband. Shows off a convincing and charming appeal to what he does as well as acting nicely uplifting too. He also does a good focus with searching for something in a scene coming across nicely while acting cautious too. Shows off a nice versatality too while acting crazy or aggressive offering a perfect intensity within this. Plus shows it off well by acting scared in other spots with the terror striking him.
Laurence Mason (Pirino) had the right looks to portray someone who seems to contact the dead in which he offers a perfect seriousness within everything. He seems to show off a good and loud booming voice while doing a ceremony adding some okay aggressions within this but at times he gets a wee bit carried away. Offers some great anger and frustration in other areas while getting into a dysfunctional argument. So he offers some nice characteristics but in some spots needed a bit of improvements.
Shawna Waldron (Serafina) had the right beautiful looks and seemed to do nicely in her role as she comes across as someone whom is mysterious and did the trick well within her frusterated reactions as well as acting out of control whenever she needed to be this way. Showed nice timing within all of this as well as showing great upsetting emotions making you feel sorry for her.
Diane Salinger (Landlady) was the best performer in the cast even if it was a supporting role but yet shows a good strnage type of speaking as if she were a witch just getting to the point with stuff as well as having a great icy speaking in her voice too. Plus does well with her wicked and serious attitude later on in the story by coming off very powerfully. She had the perfect evil and mysterious looks and appeal for this too which was a plus to her and was a great choice for the part.
The odd bloodshed.
Fingers are imapling behind a person's neck.
A hand is chopped off by a meatcleaver.
A head is decapitated.
The music was not at all my cup of tea as it didn't seem to fit into the story for the most part even if it was powerfully done. However, there was a nice smooth operatic vocalising for the opening credits and in other parts of the film too. Yet we hear saddened echoey violin playing for the upsetting moments which really got on my nerves as well as some piano playing which sounded too typical as we've heard it many times in other flicks. Yet there's some good chanting here and there as well as some high intense metal screeching sounds for the suspenseful scene's which really sounded effective but that was about it. This was all put together by Marcello De Francisci |
