Catacombs

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.

Picking this title up for a couple of quid, I had hoped for a standard lame monster flick in which those dam monks get there just deserves. Surprisingly, the characters throughout are well rounded, often humorous and quite believable. The demon that stalks the catacombs has some cool moves that unfortunately are not really exploited in the films conclusion. If you like watching these kind of bargain basement titles then Catacombs will serve you well as it is a little more intelligent and atmospheric than usual. Although not particularly scary or gory this movie offers more than enough laughs and thrills to recommend a rental. 5 outa 10

Catacombs is a nice timepasser and pretty decent lesser known horror movie. This takes place in modern times(well, the late 80's)and is about a powerful demon locked away in the catacombs of an ancient monastery that is breaking out and reeking havoc, The acting is pretty good and the pacing and f/x are solid. Catacombs plot and style is nothing new and borrows heavily from The Exorcist, The Omen films and other, better films in the same genre. It does generate a spooky atmosphere and I would say, there is not much that will blow viewers away, but its done well enough that most people can sit through the film and more ardent fans of similar horror films should enjoy it.

In the 16th Century, a group of monks trap a demon in the catacombs under the Abbey of San Pietro en Valle in Italy. Centuries later, the demon is accidentally freed and possesses visiting teacher Elizabeth Magrino (Laura Schaefer).

David Schmoeller started his directorial career with the excellent offbeat horror Tourist Trap and followed that with the oddball Klaus Kinski chiller Crawlspace, but his later career saw him turn to schlocky B-movies for Charles Band's Full Moon studio. With its religious setting and a cool Omen-esque score by Pino Donaggio, it initially seems as though Catacombs might be a little classier, but in the end, it just another piece of straight-to-video nonsense, but one that isn't trashy enough to be fun: the film is very light on the gore and features no gratuitous nudity whatsoever, redheaded beauty Schaefer staying fully clothed throughout.

Half of the film consists of shots of people walking down a spiral staircase and through the tunnels of the catacombs; everyone does it at least once. Much of the remainder sees the same people pretending to be struck by the demon's supernatural force. It all gets very boring. There's not much in the way of special effects to speak of, the budget only allowing for a smoke machine, a wind machine, some white slap and a pair of black contact lenses. The much touted 'Jesus coming alive on the cross' scene is very disappointing: it's just a bloke wearing a nappy, a bad wig and fake beard, and the subsequent killing of a monk with one of the crucifixion nails is totally gore-free.

The ending, in which Father John Durham (Timothy Van Patten) banishes the demon with a heavenly beam of light reflected off a golden monstrance, makes no sense at all and closes the film in a very unsatisfactory manner.

"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.