Face aux démons

Available at Blockbuster as "The Truth About Demons" (guess Joe Consumer can't handle words like "Irrefutable"), this New Zealand-lensed horror pic is quite an unheralded gem. Sometimes succumbs to cliches (how many times can someone sneak up on the hero?!), but contains its fair share of shocking, disturbing images and gruesome moments in a tricky, intelligently plotted script leading up to a good final shock at the end. Writer/director Glenn Standring is a talent to watch...

There was something about the movie that made me think it was Australian. Actually, I had a feeling it was New Zealand - but I didn't want to think that something this unexciting could drag itself onto television, let alone a video that is a New Zealand production. Congratulations are in order for the film crew; just as I was warming up to interesting films like Stickmen, you drain all my hopes of New Zealand ranking highly in the movie industry with well-made cinematic experiences.

I watched this movie without any interest in it at all and was the only one in the room with my friends completely unphased from what I was seeing. Altogether I found it rather beaten to death with predictability (well, apart from the last five minutes) and bitch-slapped with a few well-exercised cliche's.

Personally, I found it boring but then again, it could be just me.

I was up late one night watching Sci-Fi and I stumbled upon this flick. I recommend it if you want to see some wild make up ideas and a bit of...fantasy, mostly involving anatomy. i.e. someone ripping your heart out and it miraculously being back in your chest. How's that possible? Go watch the movie and hopefully you won't be disappointed. I do however believe that it probably could of been put together better but that's not necessarily my judging. It's something that will make you think if you believe in such things of the sort, heaven and hell most of all. But then again, isn't anything possible? It's all a matter of faith and being naive enough to see a demon chasing you. I'd watch it again, out of pure boredom most likely.

Buy two get one free. That's the only reason I bought this movie. The Irrefutable Truth About Demons was the only movie left in the bin that looked remotely interesting. Irony would have it that it turned out way better than the other two movies that I actually paid for. I was expecting a sh*tfest and I was very unexpectedly pleased with this film. I've said it before, that's what can make a good movie great. Karl Urban has a hand in making this a foreign horror gem as well. I recently saw him in the theater...twice; I happened to dig Ghost Ship and you may recognize him from some little movie called The Two Towers or something like that. If this guy keeps grabbing these kinds of roles, he could be one to watch for. The story centers around a cult in Lord of Illusions fashion called The Black Lodge (a Lynch reference?). It's not as great as Lord of Illusions, but it does a good job of keeping you on your toes. You never know what's in store for our hero from one encounter to another. There are quite a few complaints about it being boring, but I don't agree with that at all. It held my attention from first scene to last. And, thankfully, it keeps the CG to a minimum (just a few scenes, and they are awful). The end of the film was reminiscent of The Attic Expeditions in that you're not quite sure you know what's going on. Maybe that's the way it was supposed to be, or maybe they just couldn't think of a better ending. Either way, it's not a problem. My only quibble then, is that in the States, this movie is simply known as The Truth About Demons. I guess America's not ready for big words like "irrefutable."

I surely can appreciate a bloodless/violent less horror film as The Ring, The Eye, Pulse (the Oriental originals) or The Six Sense, but to be frank, the best examples (and the most remembered classics) are the violent blood feast like Dead or Alive (Jackson), Phantasm (Cascarelli), Exorcist, Evil Dead (1 and 2), later made Oriental with Evil Dead Trap or the legendaries GIALLOS of the 70s and 80s.

Those classics, accumulate blood and body parts, dark aisles, knives and other penetrating objects, violence and sex. The most common elements, was the dark and quite relieving humor involved (often product of their own excess).

The Irrefutable Truth about Demons match that class B style with a class D budget never used better.

The story is more complex and ambiguous than it seems. An anthropologist doctor, whose brother committed suicide after being involved with a Satanic cult, receive a threatening video and later is kidnapped by cult members and attacked by DEMONS. He managed to escape, but his closest friends are killed. A mysterious girl came to his aide, but he refuses to accept her explanations. There is a twist; the guy is also a depressive drug addict. His fuzzy touch with reality make him (and us) doubt about what happening is real or just one of his trips.

During the one night everything happens; the suspense is kept to the max, using decent special efects, excellent use of sounds and background voices, moving shadows and cockroaches (and other insects). Even when the blood is not so much, one scene involving those disgusting insects will probably upset you. Particularly, when you realize that NO SPECIAL EFFECTS WERE INVOLVED.

The end of the movie is not on par with the rest, but there is a final unexpected twist.

A highly recommendable movie that never made an American release but is far, far better than almost every horror flick last year.