The Sacrifice

I was fortunate to see an early version of "The Sacrifice" debut at a small sci-fi/horror convention, where it was very well received by the audience. A good portion of the cast was present for the screening, and the director Jamie Fessenden and lead actor Robert Kersey were on hand discussing the film-making process on various panels.

The film is a remarkable first from Fessenden, presenting a compelling story, a haunting score, and drawing good performances from his actors. Kersey was noteworthy as the new kid in town thrust into unraveling the secret of the town's strange history, and making sardonic and sulky appealing. Snyder also delivered a solid performance as the local friend who needs his help. There were minor technical lighting and sound issues evident in the screened print as the crew became familiar with their equipment, but I was happy to see most of these were addressed with reshooting or editing in the DVD I purchased.

When I first heard that my friend was going to make a low-budget independent film, I considered it to be a dubious undertaking. I had several opportunities to play a more active role in the making of the film but was way too busy trying to make ends meet.

Now that the film is finished and looking so good, I wish I had been there for more of the filming (perhaps even speaking some lines as one of the lesser characters).

The opening credit scenery and accompanying soundtrack simply blew me away when I first watched it. I suddenly thought I was watching some multimillion-dollar-budget production. Despite having read the script before seeing the film, I was on the edge of my seat as the mystery unfolded; the screenplay was much more interesting, entertaining and engaging when the actors, sets and soundtrack were added to it. The only faults I can find with this film are occasional technical glitches (these are simply unavoidable when the operating budget is so small).

Sets, scenery, cinematography, acting, soundtrack, direction, plot, effects, and overall feel turned out to be far better than I expected. I simply can not wait for the sequel!

In the interest of full disclosure, I appeared in this film (for a total of 5 seconds as "Police Chief Lewis" and "Cult Member"). I also worked as the "Grass Fluffer" in one scene and helped with two of the special effects (both of which made me scream when I first saw them in the final production). Additionally, my property was used for some of the scenes (there is still a hole in the ground in my front yard and fake blood on my pitchfork).

"The Sacrifice" is the first feature film by Jamie Fessenden, who wrote the screenplay, the score, and directed the film. It is a remarkably fine film: the acting by the leads is subtle and natural, befitting the New England setting. The director's eye catches many details that contribute to an understanding of the unfolding narrative of the film. The horror plot is more than clever and takes surprising twists and turns, much to the viewer's delight. The musical score caught me off guard, since it is so successful and fitting that it took me a while to realize that Jamie Fessenden had written it himself.

Disclosure: I play a cameo role in the film, appearing (sort of) for about five seconds. Except for the filming of those five seconds against a black background, I had nothing to do with the production of the film and saw none of its making. And I received no fee for my five terrifying seconds on screen - nor did I ask for any. Looking ghastly is its own reward.

On the other hand, I do teach interdisciplinary seminars at a nearby university and I can claim some experience in the history of film-making and familiarity with the horror genre. If his first film is this good, Jamie's future films ought to be first-rate and widely shown.