Blood Craft

When I got the movie and looked it up on IMDb I swear I saw the rating at 2.1. I took a chance, anyway, I've found movies that are little gems in the very low ratings bin. Even so, it is not often I find one of these gems, but definitely found one now.

The production values were quite good for a movie rated 2.1 or 3.7. The acting was reasonably good, surprising, considering the rating.

All in all quite a good movie for its rating, give it a try.

Part of me was interested in 'Blood Craft's' concept, which actually turned out to be the main reason for watching it in the first place. The concept may not have been an original one but with the right execution it did have the potential to be quite creepy, and the film did have potential to be at least a guilty pleasure. Liked how 'Blood Craft' was advertised in the poster/cover too, which looked very cool and there was something unsettling about it too.

Will say right now that there are far worse films out there than 'Blood Craft', or so in my view. There are also films that waste any promise they have to a significantly worse degree, at least 'Blood Craft' didn't exactly promise a massive amount. One does know what to expect watching, exactly so, and there was a genuine honest attempt to not take it too seriously as it wasn't that kind of film. The cheapness, excessive nonsense and lack of any real atmosphere or anything to get behind just ruined it for me, and with those distracting me it was very difficult to take it for what it was.

The best thing, or should that be least bad (take your pick), about 'Blood Craft' is Michael Welch, who actually tries and makes the most of one of the film's least badly written, but with nowhere near enough screen time to properly save things, characters.

Some of the photography is not too bad, at least having some eerie atmosphere.

Unfortunately the low budget for 'Blood Craft' really does show, as most of the film looks cheap. Especially those amateurish props. The audio is so monotonous, never fitting with what is going on, really could have done with being reigned in more, has no atmosphere and the placement and build ups are just so obvious. Poorly balanced too with the very clunky and cheese-ridden dialogue. The story is completely lacking in any kind of thrills, tension, scary horror and suspense, replaced instead by gratuitous shock value, non-stop intelligence insulting nonsense, dull pacing (apparent very early on with far too much unnecessary padding) and excessive predictability. The backing and forthing structure sounded really interesting but was executed in a haphazard fashion which really muddled the story.

Found myself not endearing to or being compelled by any of the characters. There is no real character development beyond the set-up, making them merely just there ciphers, and their ridiculous and near-incoherent behaviour and decision made them very irritating. The direction is bland and workmanlike at that, have seen far more incompetent directing but this was not particularly assured stuff here. Welch aside, the acting is poor. Madeleine Wade and Augie Duke don't look comfortable and lack personality in my view, and it is sad to see Dominique Swain (who made such a promising impression in 'Lolita') reduced to projects like this.

In summary, just didn't do it for me. 2/10

"Blood Craft" mixes elements of the occult with deeper aspects of human tragedy, and reconciliation. The story plays with this in a chilling character study of scar tissue and a desire for closure. It starts with a dark, gritty, fetish kick and impulsively you are forced to really face the protagonist in a very"unpolished" state. The intention of both the director and the story becomes clearer later in the film. "Where you are in life is relative to your past".

"Blood Craft" is far from the typical witchcraft movie. There are these familiar tropes of some really bad guys, black magic, and revenge, Bressack's story goes deeper. There is human suffering, victimization, and pain as a catalyst. And in classic fashion and true to his nature, James Cullen Bressack explores those elements in harsh flourescent light, as blunt and uncomfortable as the truth.

The acting is palatable for the most part, the lead seems to draw emotion from a sort of 'shell-shocked' pool of survivor's guilt and doesn't really change gears, but the second lead is a disturbing, uneasy mix of "victim / devil's advocate, very convincing. A plus for "Blood Craft" is the fact that given the weight of the material woven into this supernatural nightmare, all the cast do great at delivering.

The special effects mix both practical and CGI. And to its detriment, works nicely, minus a couple of moments. The horror aspects are visceral and full of delicious occult affectations that offer enough eye candy for the fan of witchy horror. The film is low budget in both style and implementation. The cinematography is great and the music score fits perfectly with the heavy nature and dark overture of the picture. Now it works on a low budget scale so don't go in expecting an updated retelling of "The Craft". Overall I say check it out, it's classic Bressack filmmaking.

Just a big fat no! I was so distracted by Madeleine Wade's plastic, over filled Botox face that I couldn't concentrate on the rest. If the rest had been good enough my obsession with her face would have only been fleeting. The above should be enough to show how rubbish this movie is!

After her father passes away, a woman returns to her childhood home and reconnects with her estranged sister which eventually causes them to use their techniques to raise his spirit and seek retribution by placing it into a body and torturing it, only to question their purpose when it goes too far.

This here was a decent enough effort. One of the bright spots here is a fine first hour that deals with the sisterly relationship at the forefront. Obviously built around the two of them reconnecting based on the circumstances and getting over the betrayal that kept them apart, the chance to see the two getting reacquainted or the flashbacks to their childhood showing their training in witchcraft while trying to survive their crazed father's religious antics. This is all well-handled and gives a sense of compassion to them as this goes about setting up the later half, fueling their need for witchcraft after getting all these elements covered. Their turn towards witchcraft, however troublesome their rationale might be, the scene offers a lot to like. Taking their hatred to a logical end as they head out to dig up the body and use it for their ritual sparks not only the body being removed and taken to the bedroom where the spell they enact has plenty to like. There's some fun to be had with the objects flying around and supernational action that signals something's going on, and the bright colors of the scene featuring their ritual setup and the spiritual energy flying around all create a strong, chilling presence. The main guise of the film, with the two dealing a series of fine witchcraft-based torture that is brutal, graphic and based nicely on a sympathetic bent for the girls, giving this one some really enjoyable aspects. That said, there are some big flaws within here. One of the main issues here is the sloppy and scattered second half that features several curious plot points. There's no real point here for the home invasion tactic that serves simply to provide a new body to toy with since there's a breal between the ritual and them taking him outas that lull in the action doesn't really do the film any favors as this could've been done in different manners with different beats. As well, there's also the confusion throughout here as to what happened to the spirit they summon who is either possessing the girls or the house the way they act at times, from curious lesbian leanings they never acknowledge to seeing his spirit appearing around the house that may be hallucinations that point to both causes throughout here. All told, this aspect also ties into the films other big issue in its sedate and generally bland pacing. The tempo here feels off with the curious addition of the home invasion after they've raised the spirit, and that's carried over from what happens in the first half where the film struggles to get going. Since the sisters have to reconnect with each other following their time apart, this is wholly reasoinable and expected but the film takes on a slightly too sedate pacing for the type of torture they inflict later which is really jarring coming from that setup. Even the finale comes up somewhat oddly in that the mental torture he inflicts on them stops the enjoyable physical torture. It's not enough to doom the film but is enough to lower it somewhat.

Rated R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.