Catacombs

Originally filmed in 1988 under the title Catacombs but not released until 1993 due to the production company's bankruptcy, Curse IV is a surprisingly entertaining film. Under the direction of frequent Charles Band collaborator David Schmoeller, the film creates a strong feeling of unease early on and keeps the suspense going fairly strong throughout. Feodor Chaliapin is especially memorable as a dying priest. He comes across with just the right amount of sincerity so that one could honestly see him as a man of the cloth. While far from the greatest film to come out of Empire Pictures, Curse IV is still a fun movie that is worth a look sometime.

When I had the chance to sit down and watch the 1988 horror movie "Catacombs" here in 2024, of course I did so. Sure, I had never even heard about the movie, prior to sitting down to watch it. But with it being a horror movie, that in itself was more than enough to make me give the movie a fair chance.

However, writers David Schmoeller and R. Barker Price put together a script and storyline that failed to entertain me. The movie started out nice enough, but then lost its momentum and sort of went from being a horror movie to being a boring pseudo-religious movie without direction and contents. Truth be told, I fell asleep along the slow paced narrative, yeah, the movie was that boring.

Of the entire cast, I was only familiar with Ian Abercrombie and Vernon Dobtcheff. The acting performances in the movie were good, and the actors and actresses did portray their characters nicely on the screen.

Visually, not an overly impressive movie. So "Catacombs" didn't even have that working in favor of it.

"Catacombs" was a swing and a miss of a movie. And this is definitely not a movie that I would recommend that you waste 88 minutes on watching. Some of us suffered through this ordeal, so you don't have to. You're quite welcome.

My rating of director David Schmoeller's 1988 movie "Catacombs" lands on a generous two out of ten stars.

Taken off the shelf and retitled "Curse IV: The Ultimate Sacrifice", this was actually made before the second and third entries in the unrelated series. This one deals with a possessed albino who was sealed in the walls of an old monastery 400 years ago. Fast-forward to the present and a young teacher's arrival to the monastery somehow frees the demon from it's prison.

I'm a fan of the other three film in the Curse "series", and while I enjoyed this one to an extent, it's easily the weakest of the four. The film boasts an exciting opening sequence, but things get bogged down when we move to the present. Of the cast, Laura Schaefer is certainly attractive, but the only good performance here is that of Jeremy West as the strict Brother Marinus. The atmosphere is solid, Pino Donaggio contributes a typically good score and there's a really effective bit with a possessed statue towards the end. This scene alone is worth seeing the film for.

On the other hand, the film would benefit from a different actor in the hero role. The guy they chose annoyed me, and so did the bedridden priest who goes on and on about utter nonsense. His character should have been omitted entirely. I also can't believe that an obvious continuity error was allowed to remain during the scene where Schaefer walks in on the monks having dinner.

A mixed bag.

First of all this isn't CURSE IV. It was filmed in 1988 under a different title, but wasn't released to video until 1993 under the title CURSE IV: THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. Anyway, this is a lame thriller with cheap special effects, no suspense, and a laughable monster. The only good things are that the plot is o.k. and the actors are decent, but the film is just plain boring. ** out of *****. I don't really consider this part of the CURSE series, since 1-3 are much better.

"Catacombs" stands out in the catalogue of Charles Bands' Empire Pictures; it's actually pretty good, with a refreshing lack of cheese and camp. Yes, it's possible that it may bore viewers hoping for more action and a high body count, but it has a serious, somber quality and atmosphere that makes it quite effective. Filmed at Empires' Italian studios, it's earnestly acted by a sound cast, deliberately paced, hauntingly scored (by the ever reliable Pino Donaggio), and uses the classic theme of good vs. evil to good effect. Granted, the finale is somewhat underwhelming, but until then the movie works well.

Directed by David Schmoeller, who co-wrote under a pseudonym, it stars "Class of 1984" villain Timothy Van Patten as Father John Durham, who lives in a monastery but isn't part of the brotherhood of monks residing there. The place is visited by a schoolteacher named Elizabeth Magrino (Laura Schaefer, "Ghost Town"), and this seems to serve as a catalyst for supernatural phenomena to occur. John, Elizabeth, and the others realize then that there is an evil presence on hand.

"Catacombs" is bolstered by its engaging performances; Van Patten is low key but likable, as is the lovely Schaefer. Ian Abercrombie ("Army of Darkness") and Vernon Dobtcheff ("Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade") each have a warm presence as the monks who give Elizabeth a nice welcome, while Jeremy West is very good as Brother Marinus, a humourless stiff who distrusts her presence. Feodor Chaliapin Jr. is touching as the terminally ill Brother Terrel. And viewers are certain to remember cast member Brett Porter as the creepy possessed albino.

Production design (by Giovanni Natalucci) and cinematography (by Sergio Salvati) are first rate, and special effects are good but kept to a minimum.

Fans of 1980s horror who love discovering the more obscure offerings may find this to be very respectable and interesting.

Eight out of 10.