Michael Fredianelli's STRANGE RITUALS is a tightly paced, straightforward zombie movie. It goes back to the roots of zombie stories and brings revenge and Voodoo curses into play as the cause of the zombie rise. The movie's atmosphere is dark and dismal with lots of rain, nighttime sequences, and unlit interiors. Like most zombie movies, it's centered around a small group of characters who find themselves in the midst of a zombie attack and fight to survive. The protagonists are fun to watch with lead character Jeanne (played by Lara Jean Mummert) being as believable and easy to relate to as she is adorable. She's joined by her everyman boyfriend Dave (Paul Spadaro) and brother Curtis (Jeremy Koerner) who brings a little light heartedness into the mix as a smart allecky, snarky, almost Bruce Campbell type. Supporting characters are also memorable with Skipper Elekwachi as a Voodoo priest (complete with Baron Semedi like makeup and garb), Mike Dinsmore (once again playing a creepy redneck), Michael Nose (as a nerdy urban explorer), and Laura Warner and Bryan Wilks as rowdy partyer types.
STRANGE RITUALS doesn't bring anything particularly new to the genre, but if you're a fan of its type, it delivers the goods. While restrained in the gore department, the movie's special makeup effects (headed by Stephanie Hancock) are a highlight. There are more than a few grotesque faces that standout out among an impressive horde of zombie extras. The movie's synth soundtrack by Dakarius is well suited to the action and sounds like it came out of an 80s Italian zombie movie. No doubt an entertaining movie, STRANGE RITUALS is recommended for fans of old school zombie fright flicks.
