Devils for starters), but Sea of Dust may be the most mind-bending one yet. Literally! When the village of Heidelberg falls prey to a strange plague that causes
LEGION OF TERROR
D.H. Greathouse
legionofterrorthemovie.com Shot over the course of several years, this
documentary provides a behind-the-scenes peek at the Legion of Terror theatre troupe, which is comprised of the Cleveland-based
actors and makeup artists behind an extravagant, long-running haunted attraction called Bloodview Haunted House. Meeting the Legion personalities that got their Halloween kicks from panicking patrons over the last 25 years, it’s no surprise that the troupe is primarily made up of eclectic, amateur performers who say scaring people relieves their tensions. There’s no denying that the collective puts on a fantastic spookshow, with the actors explaining how they developed a repertoire of bloodthirsty characters, but the context is missing; Director D.H. Greathouse, also a member of the troupe, doesn’t offer any history of haunted house attractions and skirts around the Legion’s own fractured story – for instance, it’s never fully explained why several senior members left the group and the founder eventually resigned. As a result, Legion of Terror is fun but sometimes frustrating. More for the Cleveland horror crowd than anyone looking for insight into the fright-making biz.
PAUL CORUPE CRUEL
Duane P. Craig
myspace.com/gnomeguy3 Contemporary silent horror films probably
shouldn’t be made. Occasionally they work, such as E. Elias Merhige’s brilliant Begotten – which created a strange hybrid between contemporary art and early 20th-century pulp – but most play out like failed film school
experiments. Set in present day, Cruel revolves around a ludicrous conspiracy and scandal, which leads to characters (the group of twentysomethings behind the film) chasing each other and starting gunfights. The main character is mute – justifying the silent film style in theory – but expository dialogue and scenes featuring gunfights, dime-store gore and laptops feel completely out of place. The DVD box promises Cruel will prove that “suspense is still key to a horror movie’s success,” which translates into every character moving as slowly as possible while constantly peeking around corners. Though the filmmakers were clearly passionate and ambitious about the project and deserve some respect, it’s a shame their movie is too dull and misconceived to be appreciated.
PHIL BROWN RM74 C I N E M A C A B R E
victims’ heads to explode, Stefan Christoph (Troy Holland), a young physi- cian-in-training is dispatched to discover the infection’s source. The problem is, these Scanners-like cranial eruptions aren’t being caused by any run-of- the mill Black Plague – they’re the doings of a caped supernatural entity named Prester John (Tom Savini). A once-imaginary spokesman for Christian virtues around the world, the mythical Preston was created by the Church to justify blood spilled during the Crusades. Sev- eral centuries later, Prester has been trans- formed from mere myth to actual being, and has returned to show non-believers the way to salvation. When Stefan discovers Prester is possessing people so he can turn them into soldiers for his “holy” armies, he enlists the help of his professor mentor, a local doctor and a peasant girl to foil the entity’s nefarious plans. Helmed by first-time director Scott Bunt,
Sea of Dust was completed in 2008 but has only been released now. Going with a retro look similar to classic ’60s Hammer and AIP films, the movie even features former Ham- mer goddess Ingrid Pitt in a small role. But that’s where the similarities end, as Bunt delves into such themes as existentialism, alternate realties and re- ligious ideologies – and includes over-the-top gore gags (a head-stabbing by crucifix), broad slapstick humour and trippy elements, such as a harpy that pisses on tortured victims. In fact, it’s the abundance of ideas that weighs down the film. Bunt crams so many concepts into Sea of Dust that it’s unclear whether it’s a meditation on the injustices of organized religion, a Peter Jack- son gore-comedy or a Euro art film. Acting-wise, Pitt is a joy to watch, while Savini hams it up more than usual. An interesting idea that suffers from a somewhat muddled execution, Sea of Dust is for lovers of truly eclectic fare. JAMES BURRELL
WILDE AT HEART
DORIAN GRAY Starring Ben Barnes, Colin Firth and Ben Chaplin
Directed by Oliver Parker Written by Toby Finlay and Oscar Wilde E1
First published in 1890, Oscar
Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray has been the subject of numerous stage, film and television adapta- tions. Both a morality tale with Faus- tian overtones and a commentary on the hypocrisies of those same Victo- rian-era morals, it tells the story of a young, handsome man who, upon viewing a just-completed painting of himself, remarks that he’d be willing to give up his soul if he could remain forever youthful while his portrait ages instead. Needless to say, his wish is granted and, upon entering into a life of debauchery and murder, his foul deeds appear as blemishes
upon the painting – until, ultimately, the portrait becomes absolutely hideous. In this latest take on the story, Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia:
Prince Caspian) stars as the titular character with Colin Firth (Pride and Prej- udice) as his mentor, the seemingly worldly Lord Henry Wotton. Barnes gives
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