Cup of My Blood

The story is not believable.

The acting is not believable.

The horror techniques have long since grown old and boring.

The result is that it's not scary. That is the primary problem. I never felt surprised or shocked. I didn't care about the characters. In fact, it was more like watching a poor zombie film where you simply can't wait for the next body to get ripped apart simply to keep you amused.

Lucky for everyone, this has been a good year for zombie and gore films, so you can check out Land of the Dead instead. Or even a better than average ghost film like Dark Water. Or a spookier, more brutal than average super-hero film like Batman Begins.

When Jack Fender (Daniel Patrick Sullivan) - former photographer turned pornographer - witnesses a car accident, the dying passenger charges him with a task: take care of the box she's carrying. Don't look at what's within and keep it safe. Jack takes the box and is soon haunted by strange dreams, weird visions and a feeling of acute paranoia. And rightly so, as the box contains the Holy Grail and there are forces who will go to great lengths to get their hands upon it...

Imagine if David Lynch was Japanese and he'd directed The Ninth Gate.

That's probably the best way to describe "Cup of My Blood," a creepy, atmospheric supernatural thriller that delivers some very well-timed shocks, has a great sense of dread, features some nice "in-camera" SFX (ala Jacob's Ladder) and some very well executed (no pun intended) gore scenes, which, although not hugely visceral, are enough to keep schlock fans happy without offending the more sensitive horror fan.

One other point to raise is the superb use of sound in this movie. Atmospheric rumbles, almost bordering on the subsonic haunt the movie's soundtrack, creating a very disturbing, eerie atmosphere of dread.

Sadly, performances are a mixed bag, with some stilted acting and - to be brutally honest - dialogue that's at best, okay and at worst, bad. Despite its faults, though, it manages to retain a great sense of dread and an interesting - if at times confusingly overplayed - plot.

Whilst the movie's basic plot is straightforward enough (providing you stick with it - just roll with the "flashbacks/intercuts," as they're explained later), but some extra backstory on a couple of characters and a clearer explanation on exactly WHY the Grail is so important (being Christ's cup aside) would have helped.

As it is, "Cup of My Blood" falls short of being a great movie. With a stronger cast, a little tightening around the edges and a little more exposition it could have been superb. As it stands, it's a solid, entertaining enough movie that I doubt will make anybody's Top Ten, but kudos to Lance Catania and crew for producing a chilling, different and interesting movie. I look forward to seeing his future work.

The lonely artist Jack Fender (Daniel Patrick Sullivan) still grieves the death of his beloved lover Tina (Allie Smith) three years ago. He lost his inspiration and his faith on God and presently he is taking pornographic pictures for the mobster Sparky (Roger Anderson) and his partner Limpy (Laurence Skorniak) for a pornographic site managed by Nibbles (Circus-Szalewski) and Scooter (Quiana Whittler) under the protest of his agent and friend Alex (Lance Mulvaney). When Jack witnesses a car accident in his neighborhood, the wounded passenger gives a box to Jack, asking him to protect and never open it, and he discovers that he is protecting the Holy Graal. From this moment on, weird things happen to Jack, having visions, nightmares and the permanent sensation that strangers are watching him. While swimming late night in a club, Jack meets the sexy Iona (Janina Gavankar) and his inspiration returns but he finds also the hidden reality.

"Cup of My Blood" is a weird and atmospheric horror movie, developed in low pace and building mystery and tension with great potential wasted with an illogical and frustrating ending, where no one and nothing are like seem to be. The Protector, who defines himself as a pornographer, murderer and saint, is completely incoherent for his holy mission. The truth about the characters does not make clear which side each one is (good or evil?), and the last scene seventy-seven years later is unnecessary and quite non-sense. Anyway this movie has an original story disclosed in an intriguing screenplay and deserves to be watched at least once. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Taça de Sangue" ("Glass of Blood")

There's uneven and then there's this movie. The premise that the last person you'd think should look after the Holy Grail is the one chosen to do it...well, I've see it before.

In the first half hour, the only person I wanted to see (Tina) was dead already. The hero was like a post car-wreck Bill Pullman. The porno king kept reminding us he was acting. Limpy has a good look but not compelling enough to wait hour and eighteen minute for. And the writing was atrocious with needless amounts of exposition AFTER you know what going on. Or some heavy hand line like "I got degrees in Philosophy, Religion and Art." Hm. And this picture as RELIGIOUS themes? You must be very important to the plot. I'm sure some trailer park trash found stuff like this "real inneresting" but it made me laugh. And not in a good/bad way.

Still, the final nail in the cross...er...coffin were the innumerable audio stings faking you out. It's a valid technique but it gets dull watching and actor on the screen constantly flinching. I can almost picture the audition - "Now, there's a lot of flinching in this movie. Let's see you flinch."

Go watch God Told Me To, instead. At least that's an ambitious mess.

I saw this on a dvd which I own. The title on my dvd is The Da Vinci Virus. I am willing to trade my dvd with any 80s horror film. Even the bad 80s horror film is better than this lousy film.

Aft the death of his wife, an artist loses his inspiration and his faith but he takes adult pictures for a mobster against his wishes. A wounded man from a car accident gives the artist a box asking him to protect and never open it. Wow man, jus wow. It has very annoying photography, the plot is awful, the film looked more like a bad softcore n ther is nothing scary or horror about it.