JUDAS GHOST Simon R Green writes his first film script and director Simon Pearce makes a rare move into feature-length films to direct a low budget horror that's confident and comfortable in its genre.
The plot is derived from Simon R Green's Ghostfinder novels about the paranormal investigations of the Carnacki Institute; a small team is sent by the Institute to a non-descript church hall that has seen some ghastly goings-on and they record events to use as a training film for the Institute's new recruits.
Judas Ghost benefits from a sharp, witty script, strong acting and direction that maintains a cinematic quality despite the single location and few actors – it never looks like a stage play. The film has won several awards for direction and acting at festivals and even the special effects look pretty good for the low budget.
The central drama is of a nameless horror shrouded in a creeping darkness that advances on the team, picking them off until vanquished by a heroic sacrifice. One criticism is that this is not the most sophisticated set-up, the film comes across as a light run-through of a horror tale and there is the feeling that it could have gone to a deeper level. Having the characters hold hands and chant the magic words to repel the darkness just seemed trite.
Overall, any criticisms should only be mentioned in passing. So many horror films are instantly forgettable or so sub-genre that you know what's going to happen almost as soon as the film starts. Judas Ghost has enough attractions to avoid that, not least the ghoulish Judas Ghost itself, well played by Graham Fox. It also has the name of Carnacki, and anything that keeps Carnacki the Ghost Finder and his creator, the great ghost writer William Hope Hodgson, before the public must be a good thing.
The plot is derived from Simon R Green's Ghostfinder novels about the paranormal investigations of the Carnacki Institute; a small team is sent by the Institute to a non-descript church hall that has seen some ghastly goings-on and they record events to use as a training film for the Institute's new recruits.
Judas Ghost benefits from a sharp, witty script, strong acting and direction that maintains a cinematic quality despite the single location and few actors – it never looks like a stage play. The film has won several awards for direction and acting at festivals and even the special effects look pretty good for the low budget.
The central drama is of a nameless horror shrouded in a creeping darkness that advances on the team, picking them off until vanquished by a heroic sacrifice. One criticism is that this is not the most sophisticated set-up, the film comes across as a light run-through of a horror tale and there is the feeling that it could have gone to a deeper level. Having the characters hold hands and chant the magic words to repel the darkness just seemed trite.
Overall, any criticisms should only be mentioned in passing. So many horror films are instantly forgettable or so sub-genre that you know what's going to happen almost as soon as the film starts. Judas Ghost has enough attractions to avoid that, not least the ghoulish Judas Ghost itself, well played by Graham Fox. It also has the name of Carnacki, and anything that keeps Carnacki the Ghost Finder and his creator, the great ghost writer William Hope Hodgson, before the public must be a good thing.