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Reviews
Cataclysm (1980)
Strangely compelling horror
This is NOT the best movie you'll see in your life, nevertheless, horror fans should find some interesting elements in there that are worth their time. The action may be somewhat slow-paced at times, but, from the opening scene ( the Nazi dream ), the dark and bizarre setting keeps the viewer immersed and makes up for the lack of gore that one would expect with such a title as Satan's Supper. From the mumbling old Jew to the annoyingly bigoted Claire, most of the characters possess an intriguing side that is well-developed enough to give the plot a certain complexity. Especially the fiendish Mr. Olivier. Robert Bristol's performance is probably one of the most charismatic and incarnate acting you'll ever come across in such a low-budget flick. The ending alone is worth waiting an hour and a half to get to. Even though it is not really unexpected, it's original and, most important of all, not happy. There is also a surprising social comment behind the story, mostly about religion and the 2nd World War ( justice, suffering, atrocities... ). Therefore, throughout the movie, a lot of seemingly pointless elements remain unexplained or hazy, forcing the viewer to question the meaning of many scenes. It could have been more subtle, but still, these elements altogether prevent Satan's Supper from falling under the "horrid directionless crap" category and make it a not-so-obvious horror movie that fans of the genre will appreciate.