phlclt

The main drawback with 'Tears of Kali' is its obviously low budget. Despite its best efforts, the film occasionally ends up just looking cheap and comical. Having said that, however, the blood and gore FX are done *exceptionally* well. And, in the end, the cheap 'home video' feel of the film doesn't matter because it works well on other levels. A series of interconnected story lines is used very effectively to build up an intriguingly incomplete picture of the origins and activities of the occult group at the centre of the movie. The idea of this group, and the stories, rumours, and legends that surround them, is what really appealed to me about the film. It's an idea which struck me as similar to Clive Barker's 'Hellraiser' concept, insofar as the mythology surrounding it is powerful enough to be extended in any of a number of ways, possibly across different media (films, comics, novels, etc). Not that I'm advocating the production of 'Tears of Kali' sequels, accompanying graphic novels, and tie-in action figures! Let's face it, most of the Hellraiser sequels are worthless (unless viewed solely for cheese-value). Just because an idea has the scope and potency to be extended doesn't mean it should be extended (except in the viewer's imagination). The only point I want to make is that the central concept of 'Tears of Kali' lends the movie an extremely powerful edge, and this overcomes the otherwise cheap 'home video' atmosphere.