This one seems at first to be a B grade horror: An old prison, a hole with dead children, demons released, a teen killed and a missing young girl. . .yadda yadda yadda. The usual late night Cable channel Teen Horror offering.
But when the movie starts, and the dialogue that ensues when the Investigators arrive is focused and directed. This is an Investigation, not a Splatter Romp. It just so happens that supernatural clues surface that muddy the FBI attempts to pin down the murderer or murderers and their motives. Throw in religion and the factoid that a Demon is actually an 'Angel who Fell from Grace' and the nicely down scene with the Medium and the sober discussion with the Priest and you have a 'Thinker's Horror'
And by the way-- some other reviewers have complained about the lighting-- but considering the budget they were working with, dark lighting made the Demon/monster get-ups very creepy and striking. Horror and Monsters are Best when the Mind has to Imagine most of it.
And the Ending is a little 'Hokey', but hey! I enjoyed the cerebral dissection of the tangled crimes and the 'Faith' resolution.
When you reach the end of this movie, it's the cerebral angle that attracted the plethora of well-known actors that you see, including Michael Dorn.
My favorite scene: and they threw this in, I'm sure, for the pleasure of old fashioned Horror Fans: The Police Officer contentedly going to sleep on a cot in the middle of the sacrifice chamber-- chewing on a Twizzler! You just KNEW that wasn't gonna end well!
Why 7-- the flashback memory scenes of the Investigator Preston were confusing through most of the movies. The explanation for these fiery flashes doesn't come until late.
Still-- a good Saturday night Lite popcorn Horror Flick. And this movie is Girlfriend Neutral.
But when the movie starts, and the dialogue that ensues when the Investigators arrive is focused and directed. This is an Investigation, not a Splatter Romp. It just so happens that supernatural clues surface that muddy the FBI attempts to pin down the murderer or murderers and their motives. Throw in religion and the factoid that a Demon is actually an 'Angel who Fell from Grace' and the nicely down scene with the Medium and the sober discussion with the Priest and you have a 'Thinker's Horror'
And by the way-- some other reviewers have complained about the lighting-- but considering the budget they were working with, dark lighting made the Demon/monster get-ups very creepy and striking. Horror and Monsters are Best when the Mind has to Imagine most of it.
And the Ending is a little 'Hokey', but hey! I enjoyed the cerebral dissection of the tangled crimes and the 'Faith' resolution.
When you reach the end of this movie, it's the cerebral angle that attracted the plethora of well-known actors that you see, including Michael Dorn.
My favorite scene: and they threw this in, I'm sure, for the pleasure of old fashioned Horror Fans: The Police Officer contentedly going to sleep on a cot in the middle of the sacrifice chamber-- chewing on a Twizzler! You just KNEW that wasn't gonna end well!
Why 7-- the flashback memory scenes of the Investigator Preston were confusing through most of the movies. The explanation for these fiery flashes doesn't come until late.
Still-- a good Saturday night Lite popcorn Horror Flick. And this movie is Girlfriend Neutral.