Awaken the Devil

A Daniel Falicki/Sector 5 film starring Jason Roth & Matt Simpson Siegel.

Our headline is quite a compliment,Jason has all the unspoken finesse of a real actor like John had potential to be,When given a chance and Jason is given THAT chance here.

The DEVIL character was really scary and over in the 'Fright Department'.

The Succubi were amazing and changed the tone twice.

This film is done in that SIN CITY/Neptune Cinema verite that is prevalent in 'Artsy Fartsy' SYFY fare in the last couple of years,Blame AVATAR,Actually thanks James Cameron for opening the flood gate of awesome, no matter the budget.

Don't wanna be unfair to Matt's performance, He was sympathetic foil in a gentler 'Karl Urban' fashion.

The story was written by O.H. Krill and is a stark, macabre piece that would make H.P. proud. There is very little dialog leading the story from A to B, but the visual spectacle that unfolds creatively does all the story telling in a very awesome blend of live-ation, and graphic artistry. The acting is decent enough considering the weight of the film relies on mostly facial expressions, situational moments of drama, and idle, aimless chatter framed around a setting fit for Hell.

The special effects and graphic artistry are superb. I love this blended style of story telling in both horror and sci-fi. It is creative, entertaining, and holds endless possibilities for story telling. In films like "Awaken The Devil" the CGI is easier to enjoy if it is almost all of the film such as seen here. The cinematography and direction stay controlled and motionless, focused on framed-scenes that really pull you into the film. The soundtrack, effects and instrumental tones create a heartfelt, emotional atmosphere that is a blend of depressing and creepy.

Overall the graphic art backdrops and CGI blend that make "Awaken The Devil" look like a graphic novel come to life takes precedence over the actual story content. Most of what happens in the film could have been wrapped up in a twenty minute short film and been just as effective. Having a simple situation stretched out into a feature length scenario causes the energy and story effectiveness to weaken and become dull midway through. There isn't enough action or theatrics picking up some much needed energy. It becomes a bit boring after 50-or so- minutes. Still you can't ignore the beauty and talent of "Awaken The Devil", in both style and artistry.

One of the strangest movies I have ever seen. And I was around when the original The Blub movie came out in 1958, my first horror movie. This one feels more like a play, and focuses on two homeless brothers, one disabled and mute, the other who has been taking care of him since the death of their mother. I'm sure many people will not like it but I did, mostly because it was unique. Most of it is filmed in gray tones. Very appropriate for the theme.