This is a movie I never saw before until just recently. I had borrowed a 2-disc set of low-budget 80's horror movies and this was on it. So I watched it and I was genuinely impressed to a degree. The acting is kind of well-rounded. You got your actors who are okay and your actors who are good and know how to act.
The movie is genuinely scary, although halfway through and closer to the end it does add a couple scenes that are a little bit more hammy. The plot involves a monastery in Italy. The film opens during the middle ages actually. We see some monks trying to perform an exorcism on this very decrepit looking man. One of the monks ends up getting possessed, but the keep the evil at bay by sealing the room with some kind of holy seal/symbol. It then goes into modern day. Where a young girl who is studying to be a teacher for a religious school goes to the monastery to learn some more things about the holy church. Some weird things go on and a lot of the monks, especially this crazy, but very religiously devout one, blame it on her, calling her evil and unclean. It turns out the possessed man in the basement was more than just a possessed person, but is actually The Beast Of The Apocalypse, THE ANTICHRIST HIMSELF!!
The musical score was excellent. It reminds you of the omen soundtrack, how it is mostly string portions paired with dark sounding Latin chanting. It is genuinely creepy and enhances the film. The cinematography is excellent, and a lot of scenes, especially the ones inside the catacombs are very well shot. You do get a real sense of dread and horror seeing the catacombs, and you can almost feel the Antichrist evil just looking at it.
For a Charles Band production this is very well done. Arguably one of his best. I was surprised how dark, gritty, realistic, and deep this was for his films. I love watching his movies because I like low-budget 80's horror/sci-fi/dark fantasy stuff. I know his stuff did tend to get cheesy and schlock, especially with Dollman and the Troll films, but this was a new level for him and it was impressive.
If you like films like Omen,Exorcist,The Sentinel, any of those possession/apocalypse type films, this one is definitely worth watching.
I give this 8 out of 10.
The movie is genuinely scary, although halfway through and closer to the end it does add a couple scenes that are a little bit more hammy. The plot involves a monastery in Italy. The film opens during the middle ages actually. We see some monks trying to perform an exorcism on this very decrepit looking man. One of the monks ends up getting possessed, but the keep the evil at bay by sealing the room with some kind of holy seal/symbol. It then goes into modern day. Where a young girl who is studying to be a teacher for a religious school goes to the monastery to learn some more things about the holy church. Some weird things go on and a lot of the monks, especially this crazy, but very religiously devout one, blame it on her, calling her evil and unclean. It turns out the possessed man in the basement was more than just a possessed person, but is actually The Beast Of The Apocalypse, THE ANTICHRIST HIMSELF!!
The musical score was excellent. It reminds you of the omen soundtrack, how it is mostly string portions paired with dark sounding Latin chanting. It is genuinely creepy and enhances the film. The cinematography is excellent, and a lot of scenes, especially the ones inside the catacombs are very well shot. You do get a real sense of dread and horror seeing the catacombs, and you can almost feel the Antichrist evil just looking at it.
For a Charles Band production this is very well done. Arguably one of his best. I was surprised how dark, gritty, realistic, and deep this was for his films. I love watching his movies because I like low-budget 80's horror/sci-fi/dark fantasy stuff. I know his stuff did tend to get cheesy and schlock, especially with Dollman and the Troll films, but this was a new level for him and it was impressive.
If you like films like Omen,Exorcist,The Sentinel, any of those possession/apocalypse type films, this one is definitely worth watching.
I give this 8 out of 10.