Desecration

If film making is an art form, then "Desecration" would have to be director Dante Tomaselli's Van Gogh, or perhaps just his ear... The first thing I noticed while watching "Desecration" was how much thought must have went into each shot. From the lighting set-up to the camera angles, Tomaselli's vision comes across in a visually stunning fashion. As for the story, it seems to move slowly and cautiously, at times far too much, and this tends to take away from the picture's prowess. Confusing as it may be, "Desecration" is worth a viewing, if only to enjoy the director's take on "How a low budget film should look", as it is eons above it's contemporaries. Well acted by the unknown cast, I recommend this film to anyone looking for a little something different from the genre, but don't try to figure out the story too hard or you will end up with a headache...

I stumbled across Desecration quite by accident, finding the cover artwork captivating. The four paintings of a nun takes on a Lovecraftian feel and the viewer should get a good idea that the horror film contained inside will be more of a cerebral experience than a direct Hollywood one. I liked that clue, because I was in a mindset to see something very different. I wasn't disappointed!

There are so many words that went through my mind watching this tale of a boy struggling to figure out what is happening around him at a catholic school and the accidental death of a nun: Unsettling, surreal, hallucinatory, atmospheric, disturbing, eerie....words that wound up being on the DVDs back cover in quotes and film summary! (I never read the summaries or critical quotes before a viewing so I can come up with my own idea of the film first) One thing is for sure, the viewer will be left with a deep sense of unease. I found myself sitting back for a while, thinking some of the opening was a bit low budget (fog and mist tends to come from a specific point off camera), then part of the way through I was sitting up, then leaning forward by the end of the film, entranced.

There are no direct answers to the story, as Bobby and even his grandmother find that they cannot do much about the supernatural goings-on since they are not sure what is real or not. This is apparent as the grandmother asks a couple times "What do I do NOW?...." but the occurrences seem to throw her off every time. Bobby can't tell if he is dreaming half the time and winds up running away, only to be faced at every turn by a nun that has the most creepy expression. Be careful to take a good look at the nun who is accidentally killed in the film's opening...she seems to have an eerie resemblance to Bobby's dead mother. A scene where Bobby's father and grandmother pass the nun on a road really creeped me out!

Writer/director Dante Tomaselli seemed to have a lot going on creatively for the film's story and visuals. What the film may lack technically because of budget limitations it more than makes up for in ambition and style. Much of the film could easily be made into stills that would hold up on their own as bizarre paintings--the sequence in which earth and plants take over Bobby's room seem to be inspired by Dali (who's name appears in the thank-you's in the end credits). The use of clowns together with nuns as horrifying creatures is a wonderful blend.

The creative process for Desecration is one I'd love to learn more about, as Tomaselli thanks people such as Marc Almond, Ric Ocasek, Laurie Anderson, Martin Gore, and Dario Argento in the credits. One big mention in the opening credits is a "special thanks to Alfred Sole," director of Alice, Sweet Alice (aka Communion). After watching Desecration I was hungry to find out how these artists influenced Tomaselli.

This is definitely not an easy film to experience. The story keeps jumping from one weird scene to another and the ending just APPEARS right when you think something might happen to explain more. All I can gather is that when someone wants to get out of Hell that person will do practically anything! This is not standard horror fare for people looking for cheap and fast thrills, it's a psychological challenge and worth the 88-minute hold it will have on you!

Very strange imagery is used throughout this film, the scenes with ghostly nuns and clowns will disturb a lot of viewers. It reminded me of a low-budget version of Dario Argento's Suspiria, and the writer/producer/director thanks Argento in the end credits so it most likely was influenced by that 70's horror classic.

I wasn't very into the film in it's first twenty minutes or so, i found it really slow and it didn't seem that the story was truly going anywhere. The rest of the film takes off and becomes more bizarre with each passing minute. The unique camera angles and techniques are quite effective and add a little more than usual to this low-budget film. Just don't go into it expecting a large budget horror flick, otherwise you'll be disappointed.

The acting is a mixed bag, some of the actors did a really good job. However, some had flat performances but this didn't really take away from the overall experience.

I wouldn't say this movie really creeped me out personally (very few horror films do and i do love the genre). It does contain a very dark and brooding atmosphere throughout, plus the dark music score is quite well done. The film also leaves you thinking about what the story truly means, long after the movie has ended.

Definitely above average for a horror film and i would give it a rating of 8 out of 10.

DESECRATION, frankly, is a mess of a movie. Lots of imagery that was intended to be disturbing, but it falls far short of the mark. Badly acted with hamhanded lighting, clumsy cinematography and poor production design all add up to a very amateurish-looking film. For example, I saw surprised to see the Kodak film logo on the end credits, as I was convinced the movie was shot on video, then given the Film Look process.

Yes, the movie tries to weird you out by presenting "disturbing" images (none of which disturbed me), but since the story was lacking and what little bit there was, was confusing, there is no tension, no suspense, and without those, disturbing images won't cut it. You don't care about these people, and without empathy for your characters, all the disturbing imagery in the world isn't going to make a difference.

This, as with Dante Tomaselli's second film HORROR, would have made perfect 7-minute student films.

Tomaselli obviously has a flair for creating eye candy. Although a few of the effects in this film are hokey and ultra-low-budget (the model plane, the scissors), the majority of the visuals are fantastic – reminiscent of many Euro-shockers and the first "Evil Dead." However, what the film lacks is a coherent story. I'm not a moviegoer who needs everything spelled out – "Black Christmas," for example, was creepy because we barely see the killer, let alone find out his motivation. "Donnie Darko" remains an enigma even to the writer/director. "Burnt Offerings" leaves you to decide exactly what happened in the house. But at least the aforementioned have some sense of logic.

The principle story here is about a boy who's dragged to Hell by his dead mother as she attempts to escape. Or so they say. However, nothing that happens within the film justifies that plot line – and it all completely lacks logic. If Tomaselli had ended the film in the traditional Hollywood "it was all a dream" way, perhaps I could forgive the film for lacking sense. As is, it feels like an overlong student film.

The acting is horrendous all around, with the exception of the boy who plays Bobby. The old lady (who can't act, but I've seen in a slew of films) is annoying and, unfortunately, has the dominant part. The few male actors all sound like they're reading off cue cards, and then there's the nuns – but if you can't say something nice….

The DVD ends with an "excerpt from the original short film" on which this movie was based. I don't understand why it's not the complete film (the provided scene is exceptional) nor is there a commentary or any other extras. Enigmatic films such as this ALWAYS benefit from commentaries.

Those seeking something out of the norm might enjoy this, as well as stoner horror buffs. All others, avoid it.