Dr. Balden Cross: Beyond the Void

"Dr Balden Cross: Beyond The Void", employs the faux documentary format to tell the story of academic and occultist Dr Balden Cross's career and his excursions into the darker side of human knowledge.

Directed by Tom Lee Rutter, the film evokes those 1970s documentaries about the supernatural and unsolved mysteries, in which the hosts were often more creepy than the subject matter. Like Rutter's previous work, "Bella in the Witch Elm", there is a pervading sense of unease about, "Dr Balden Cross: Beyond The Void", which is difficult to quantify. The film's tone is partly conveyed by the director's highly effective use of visuals and sound but also by what is not spoken of and not shown but hinted at.

Further testament to Rutter's skills are the enjoyably knowing nods that the director makes towards the horror genre of the 1970s, particularly in the form of a fleeting Hammer Horror pastiche, "A Coffin For Lady Dracula", a clip of which the audience are treated to. "Dr Balden Cross: Beyond The Void", also features a number of cameos from Horror and underground filmmakers, such as Norman J Warren and Cassandra Sechler, with director Rutter himself briefly appearing as a hapless cameraman. Actor David Fenn's understated performance as Dr Balden Cross, strikes the right note as the esoteric academic and folklorist, perfectly fitting the world and narrative the director seeks to create.

"Dr Balden-Cross: Beyond The Void" is an accomplished work from director Tom Lee Rutter, that recalls those creepy, elliptical British horror films from the 1970s, such as "The Shout" and "The Asphyx", which eschew jump scares in favour of characterisation and atmosphere.

Really enjoyed this imaginative short at the recent Horror On Sea film festival. It let me nostalgic the Fortean programmes of my youth!

The suave David Fenn is highly believable as the fabled Dr Balden Cross bringing a level of gravitas and sophistication reminiscent of academics of the past. Watch out for the cameos by Norman J Warren and rising indie director Cassandra Sechler. I'm really excited to see what comes next from this talented director.

A well produced and shot long short film (run time 30 minutes...) that maintained my interest throughout, capturing a very 1970/80s style of TV documentary, recorded on VHS, and used as the basis of a live broadcast later in the Eighties.

There were good performances and nice attention to detail, and certainly worth a repeat watch.