Demonicus

I rented this one to see Vanesa Talor one more time. She can act, but doesn't get a chance in this clunker. The opening sequence is an elaborate crane shot of mountain landscapes. Must have come from a stock archive, because the movie is shot direct to videotape. The production values make _Blair Witch_ look professional. There's a really cheesy animated statue, but no other effects worth noting. This movie is bad, but not amusingly so. The players would do well not to mention it on their resumes.

This low-budget project just doesn't have the sense of fun that it should have. Any enthusiasm or wit behind the camera (or in front of it, for that matter) just doesn't show. It appears more and more hapzard as it goes on. Low budgets and quick wrap times considered, this one just offers wasted potential and no energy. Not one of Charlie Band and company's better efforts, particulary disappointing, since it's one of his few slasher-style efforts.

Seriously. I just wrapped up my first viewing of Demonicus and words have failed me.

I remember a time when I would see Charles Band's name on a film and my heart would race. He was never a Wes Craven or a John Carpenter. He was a bastion of hope for the little man. The guy whose movies arrived at the video store instead of the multiplex, but they still rocked harder than most of the trendy junk we otherwise had to endure.

And now... this.

A painfully-obvious Californian walking trail doubles for "the Alps" and an abandoned train tunnel is actually supposed to be "an ancient cave". I mean, they didn't even try to dress the thing up with moss or film it in a way that might suggest it was anything other than an old train tunnel! Ugh! Instead of a creepy demon gladiator, as the cover implies, we're treated to a dude wearing the latest in Wal-Mart Halloween apparel. There's a pretty cool looking corpse, who occasionally comes to life to belch and wiggle his fingers, but he doesn't even learn to stand until the final five minutes. Why couldn't he be the villain? Instead, we've got frat boy Joe with a plastic sword. Ouch.

Charles Band... you should be ashamed that your name is attached to such tripe. I love movies that are so bad, they're good. Hell, I occasionally enjoy a flick thats so bad, its just bad. This one, however, is just unwatchable. A perfect example of making a buck, rather than making a quality film.

In watching any movie, I demand something for my time. Plot is usually too much to ask, but an ending I can be satisfied with is almost mandatory. I can even over look the ending, if getting there was a lot of fun (you know what I mean!).

This movie had nothing. It was not even a weak gore fest. One of a group of students on a hike (the reason for which was never explained) is possessed by the soul of a demon gladiator (again, poorly if ever explained) and goes around killing his friends and cutting off their limbs (again, poorly explained) until we get to the end, which is not explained. <sigh>

As for acting and effects, this movie had the usual potential. A few extra snips of the scissors, a few more moments of shooting, and _some_ thought as to WHY all this was happening would have gone a long way to making it a legitimate entry into the late-night horror movie lineup.

As it was, all I can say is I wasted my time (buying <ouch>) and watching this movie. I can't even think of a reason to rent it.

This film is exactly what you get when you really over stretch your abilities, it's like someone who has just passed there driving test and then pitting them in a formula 1 Grand Prix (not I might add, the US Grand Prix as everyone might pull out due to dodgy tyres and you might just win), that is how far short this film falls. Now don't take this the wrong way, I love B-Movies, around half my collection is made of B-Movies but I don't think there are enough letters in the alphabet to describe how bad this film is.

First of the story (for a B-Movie) isn't that bad, it has potential there to make a B-Movie brand, were not talking Friday 13th potential, but potential none the less. But what really lets this film down is the acting, at not one second do I believe anything, it's like watching QVC except the presenters on QVC tend to have a heavier tan.

In summary I'd like to say I've seen worse films, but I can't.