Armageddon Gospels

What does it mean to be a refugee in your own land?

Armageddon Gospels is a ritual in fable form, mythically invested in the reawakening of the old gods of Albion, and a meditation on what those gods might dream into being: An exploration of a ritual journey, a descent, and the possibility of a return.

But return to what?

How does a culture integrate what it learns in the crucible of crisis? What has to die? What might be born out of that death? What might we become and how might we live if we could only find the courage to ask the right questions at the right times?

Other reviewers have pointed out that this film is not what they expected, perhaps not what they wanted. That's fine by me. The unexpected is exactly what is needed in these times.

Its easy to understand why a lot of people wont like this film - its a long way from mainstream Hollywood product, or even independant underground cinema. Its more like a film from the sixties or seventies, the old idea of the Head Movie. It reminded me slightly of the Incredible String Band film Be Glad For The Song Has No Ending. Like that film, its theatrical and amateurish, but that just gives it a homemade charm. Its also deeply, deeply pretentious, but what art of value isn't ? Better that than trying to be all things to all people just to chase the dollars.

The earnestness of the film really impressed me, it felt like someone was desperately trying to communicate his or her thoughts and feelings rather than just regurgitating ideas and memes from other films. Its also quite beautiful, rich in greens and greys and browns and blues, a reflection of the summer when this was shot. The acting is fine, a bit theatrical, and the cast are young, which probably puts some viewers off, but made me think of mummers plays and radical theatre, which worked well with the aesthetic of the film.

This isnt really a folk horror film, or even a horror film at all. If you need to put it with company, its like the little cousin of Jodorowsky or Derek Jarman rather than the Wicker Man. Its film as folklore, an evocation of myth, rather than a horror film that uses those tropes as subject matter.

A knowledge of myth and folklore will help when watching this - without it, you're going to be lost. Thats your problem, however, not a problem with the film.

It could have used a bit more visual flamboyance - costumes and camera angles and such - but its obviously a very low budget production, so thats easy to forgive.

This film succeeds because of its ambition, because it dares to do something unique, because its full of imagination, because its full of personality and individualism, and because its an attempt to work a magick ritual as film. Oh, and just for the record - i have no connection with whoever made this film, im just someone who has an open mind and enough imagination to enjoy being challenged by culture rather than stupefied by it.

I hate leaving bad reviews on independent movies, but this film is just awful. Incredibly amateurish acting and as someone with a theatre background I see nothing theatrical about these actors they "act" like first year drama students. There really is no story or plot at all. Some vague references to things are never explained or revealed. A confusing mess of very simple lighting effects, characters with heavy masks on whose voices you can barely make out, as they are so muffled. It really is very pretentious and ultimately pointless.

An ambitious effort that falls spectacularly flat. It seems that the acting was deliberately theatrical, but most local amateur groups could do it a lot better than this. The script is intended - I suspect - to be endlessly discussed by devotees, but in the end is such a tangled mess that its worthy - if a trifle preachy - message is almost entirely obscured. One reviewer here awards 10 out of 10, but seriously, I can only assume it was written by somebody involved in the making of the film, or a very close friend/relation of somebody who was. I am also growing wary of reviews that resort to the use of 'Juxtapose' in order to sound more profound than they really are.

Two stars for the ambition, but I'm not sure multiple viewings would enhance the experience. Comparisons to Penda's Fen are amusingly misleading.

At a pinch, might be worth a single viewing, but only if you have a high tolerance for pretension.

I'm guessing the other reviewer was part of the team behind the film.

The trailer looked quite bad I love anything to do with rituals.

15 mins in and you soon realise these are students who somehow got funding to make it. Pretty bad acting and incredibly pretentious.

It's basically wants to be A Field in England meets Midsomer but is in fact more like Renta Ghost.