Dark Angel: The Ascent

Here's a concept for you, Hell is run by God. In this movie Hell is a place where sinners are punished by "demons" who worship, and work for, God. Our heroine, Veronica, is a demon born in Hell and raised by God fearing parents to punish sinners until they repent. As she comes of age she wonders why people are only punished after they die, she wants to know why the wicked are not punished before they can do more evil, thus lessening the sins upon their souls and reducing the pain and suffering of others. Veronica slips out of Hell and ascends to the mortal realm only to find it is literally brimming with sinners of the worst kind. Upon learning that sins are not only ignored but often encouraged in the mortal realm she sets out to set people back on the straight and narrow, with appropriately gory results.

This film makes me appreciate B films as an art form in themselves. Not trying to compete with personalities, fx and budget, but shining with soul and force of character.

Viewing a Full Moon production from owner Charles Band is often quite a risk because you never know what to expect on your screen. The great covers of their videotapes/laser discs give hardly any indication about the quality of their movies inside. Keeping that in mind, I was very curious to see what this movie was all about. After viewing it I was quite surprised at the quality of this low-budget flick. It had a good script which isn't often the case, including the last episodes of the Puppet Master series.

Being filmed in a former eastern communist country adds a lot of flavour to the whole production. It gives it a lot of credibility. Every film fan knows by now all the back-lots of the American production companies, so a change of scenery gives this movie a fresh breath of production air. The story is the classic Romeo and Julia with a horror twist. Will their love reach across the borders and horrors of Hell? What is the cost of loving a man from another dimension?

This is one that always allured me by cover art and title alone, knowing it was a low budget full moon release, my expecations as an actual good movie were slim but yet i was optimisitc in viewing non the less..... You have some really good idea's tossed amixed rushed scenes and hit or miss acting.... Angela has some solid morally thought provoking lines here and her persona and look is captivating and sensual if not also innocent in her own twisted way! this is one of those movie's were the bad guy could be the good guy , and you find yourself feeling more sympathetic towards her and her crude actions, more so than the victims.

This is not something i would go out of my way to own, but i wouldn't oppose another viewing in social setting, having a few beers cutting loose.

I discovered this film a few years ago, and having happily given in to the sleazy heavy metal/custom van mural cover art on the box, was floored to realise that there was a perfectly serviceable piece of B movie fun here. I showed it to a friend, and he remarked " I know what my next dungeons and dragons character is going to be..." So there you have it, as far as love stories between hunky doctors and lawful evil demonic assassins go, this is the best of the genre.