Book of Blood (2008)

Director:

John Harrison

Writers (WGA):

John Harrison (screenplay) &
Darin Silverman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

8 May 2009 (Turkey)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A paranormal expert discovers a house that is at the intersection of so-called "highways" transporting souls in the afterlife. |

Plot Keywords:

Intersection | Jukebox | Female Rear Nudity | Rain | Clairvoyant

Cast

Jonas Armstrong	...	Simon McNeal
Sophie Ward	...	Mary Florescu
Clive Russell	...	Wyburd
Paul Blair	...	Reg Fuller
Romana Abercromby	...	Janie
Simon Bamford	...	Derek
James Watson	...	Jimmy
Doug Bradley	...	Tollington
Gowan Calder	...	Janie's Mother
Graham Colquhoun	...	Simon's Father
Marcus McLeod	...	Janie's Father
James McAnerney	...	Doctor Nigel Blake
Joy McBrinn	...	Waitress
Charlie McFadden	...	Joanne
Jack North	...	Simon (age 11)

Also Known As:

Clive Barker's Book of Blood (Philippines: English title) (UK) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for bloody violence, sexuality/nudity and language.

Runtime:

Germany:96 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45437) | Netherlands:16 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | UK:18 | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Company:

Matador Pictures

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mary Florescu: The dead have highways, running through the wasteland behind our lives, bearing an endless traffic of departed souls. They can be heard in the broken places of our world, through cracks made out of cruelty, violence, and depravity. They have sign posts, these highways, and crossroads and intersections. And it is at these intersections where the dead mingle, and sometimes spill over into our world.

Soundtrack:

Unchain My Heart

The dead have stories to tell...

I'm a fairly big fan of Clive Barker's work. I've loved the books and stories (Books of Blood Vol. 1-3, Mister B. Gone, The Hellbound Heart) of his that I've read and several of his films (Hellraiser, Midnight Meat Train) are some of the best the horror genre has to offer. Midnight Meat Train was probably the best horror film to come out of last year, so my expectations were high when I heard about this film and saw the trailer. This was one of my most anticipated horror films of the year even though it seemed to get the short end of the stick with its release much like what happened with Midnight Meat Train. I can tell you that Book of Blood is a good watch, but it may not be what you're expecting.

Book of Blood has its bloody moments, but it's not an all out gorefest. It's actually more of a supernatural thriller. The director, John Harrison, described the film as being more along the lines of films like The Others and The Orphanage. It relies more on mood and atmosphere rather than blood and guts splattering all over your face, which isn't a bad thing at all if done correctly. Book of Blood almost pulls that aspect of the film flawlessly. I say, "almost," because certain lines of dialogue ("I promise we will listen and I will tell your stories to the world.") and a few of the things that happened in the final act of the film (steel briefcase...it'll make sense when you see it) seem a bit cheesy, but may sit better with me on repeat viewings.

The film actually reminded me of Hellraiser quite a bit throughout the film. Other than Doug Bradley's brief cameo (if you blink, you'll probably miss him), the opening scene of when Reg and Mary go into the room where everything happened just reminds me of Frank staying in the attic in Hellraiser. Hellraiser is one of my favorite horror films, so the brief nod to the film (whether intentional or not) was very welcome to me.

My main concern with Book of Blood was how they were going to turn a short story that was originally just an introduction to the actual Books of Blood by Clive Barker into a full length film. The concern wound up being for nothing as Book of Blood met nearly all of my expectations and was extremely faithful to the original material while bringing in elements from another one of his stories called, "On Jerusalem Street." The story fleshes out nicely and the acting is good, for the most part. I think the perfectionist in me kept me from rating this any higher, but I'd definitely recommend it as it's a worthy addition to any avid horror movie enthusiast's collection.