stevehoyland

Why so many people have criticised this film so negatively Is a mystery to me. OK, so there's no Monsters or Demons, neither Is their any slashing & gore (well, not much!). This film belongs In the psychological & surreal section of the horror genre and so, understandably, may very well be disappointing to the general Horror fan. But we have to apply some deep thinking to fully get to grips with this film - It really Is a well-written script which needs to be deconstructed and considered carefully , In order to fully understand the intricacies of the story.

Considering a budget of just £250,000 (when Tens or Hundreds of Millions are the norm by todays standards), many of the disparaging comments are inconsiderate and unfair - you can only work with the tools you've got and I firmly believe, when all Is considered, that some people haven't given this film the recognition It deserves.

That said, these are only my personal opinions and I know that some people out there will want to slap this silly old sod - but I stand by what I say. Sorry, guys!

BASIC SYNOPSIS :- Mother, Stepfather and their two kids (Boy-and-girl teens) set off on a short trip, presumably In an attempt to settle the differences which have been leading 'Mum and Dad' towards the end of the relationship. Their car veers off the roadway when a bunch of Inbred Travellers ("Carnies") use their van to cause the family car to crash and then kidnap them. The unconscious family awaken to find themselves chained by their arms to the ceiling of an abandoned Diner within a dark, dystopic and dilapidated Fairground.

Both written and directed by the talented Nicholas David Lean, this film Is one which perhaps needs a further viewing to fully get to grips with what's at the centre of the story. But such Is the cryptic nature of films like this.

I won't give out any direct spoilers - as you'll no doubt be aware, they're not called "spoilers" for nothing, and often completely ruin your enjoyment of a film or video! Enjoy, friends!

This review Is mainly based around the ending and the alternate ending. - there are plenty enough here already, although In my opinion It's a hugely underrated Horror. For me, only the ending spoiled the film. Allowing Marcus to go free would have put the whole village at risk as Police and Media would no doubt have ended up swarming the place and after all, Marcus was partly responsible for all the trouble and deaths; and of course they were ready to kill him (after making him dig his own grave) even before the trouble really got Into full swing. All he did to help was hold Carmen's head steady. I thought It would have been better to have let Marcus live but confine him to the village - he could have taught the villagers English or talked to unwelcome English-speaking visitors to encourage them to leave peacefully. Today, (In 2021), I watched The Shrine again for the first time In years, and happened to check-out If there was a Wikipaedia entry, my goal being to try and discover exactly where It was filmed. Their Is Indeed a Wiki entry for this film and to my surprise It says that their Is an alternative ending; "..... A montage plays with a voiceover from Henryk. Carmen's body is placed with the previous victims, a funeral is held for the villagers who have died, and the belongings of Marcus, Carmen and Sara are dumped. Marcus is made to stay in the village, being given the deceased family's house as his new home. Henryk explains that it not only serves to keep Marcus from revealing the village's secret to the world but also as penance since it was his freeing of Carmen that resulted in the deaths of several of the villagers. Marcus doesn't object, remarking that he would find it difficult to explain why he came back without Carmen and Sara....". Why this ending wasn't used Is anyone's guess, but I hope film fans out there agree that this sounds like a far more Interesting and believable ending. I hope to find a version with this ending or at least the alternate ending on Its own, I really hope It's still In existence.

Although low-budget and "TV Movie-esque", the story Isn't too bad, despite the wooden acting. Our 'new Identity' guy climbs the ladder of corporate success a little too quickly for my liking and there's one too many hairstyles/facial hair that fail to grow or change over weeks and even months - our former Junkie even manages to finish his 3-year-stretch In Jail still sporting the exact same haircut complete with blonde streak - but we can forgive these small anomalies, all things considered. Besides, the pace of the movie has the viewer suitably engrossed so as not to notice mistakes as much as we might have done otherwise. Definitely worth a watch. (The basic description at the top Is nothing to do with this film. Why IMDB have still not rectified this over the years I can't imagine).