Death is stalking a small town plagued with a rash of apparent suicides. But one grieving mother (Carolyn Hauck) believes that there are darker forces at work and plunges herself into a supernatural nightmare to uncover her dead son's association with an evil cult. Her behavior grows increasingly paranoid and bizarre as she races against time to battle the terrifying demon unleashed to destroy her entire family in this atmospheric descent into horror.
According to he Internet Movie Database, "All the SFX were achieved in-camera (no CGI), melding techniques from early film magicians, like behind the lens filters, two-way mirrors and speed ramps." Also, "Real animal bones were used for set dressing." This was my primary reason to love the film. While the directing and acting are both great, I'm big on traditional / conventional effects, and what they were able to achieve here makes new methods look like garbage.
Digital Retribution (whoever they are) are quoted on the cover as saying, "Truly bizarre and disturbing imagery... like Argento's best work." For me, any comparison to Argento carries with it a heavy burden of proof, as he is the ultimate master of cinematic style. Luckily for Digital Retribution, that wasn't at all what they were saying. The actual quotation from their review reads: "Like Argento's best work, not everything is solved by the end of the movie, and a lot of what you see simply goes completely unanswered..." Nice try, "Finale", but you took this completely out of context. The review also says the "bizarre and disturbing imagery" is "peppered", implying that it is by no means constant.
The writer-director, John Michael Elfers, has gone on record as being an Argento fan, and has said that he prefers "Deep Red" over "Suspiria", so the film's comparison's to the Italian giallo director are not really surprising. ArrowInTheHead.com is more on target when they say, "Shot lovingly in the Italian Giallo vein..." I can see this, as the film has a definite style, almost stronger than the substance.
The wardrobe person should be commended on the outfits of Kathryn "Kate" Hauck (Suthi Picotte), whoever this person was. She looked magnificent on camera and I think it made her character a lot more easy to identify with. I, for one, fell for her and sympathized right away.
There's great use of direction, with camera positions bringing typical background objects (clocks, jars) to the foreground, and a conscious effort to highlight the symbolic, with a repetitive use of the clocks and mirrors -- very effective! James Speight and Shawn K. Clement's atmospheric music coupled with NEVER 3NOUGH's Mansonesque metal drove the film like a conductor in a barreling freight train. At first the film was a bit slow to get into, but it picks up quickly and does not let you settle in.
The mythology is solid and crisp, and while there is no need for a sequel, one would not be unwelcome. The same ground could be explored by the same characters or all news ones with equal power. I believe Elfers is involved in other projects currently, but I do hope he has left the door open in his mind to walk back into this world.
