Lionsgate Home Entertainment, out now

 

After two priests are die in suspicious circumstances, Father Michael confronts the ungodly evil that is terrorising his parish, but does he have the strength to resist temptation?

My first encounter with this 1988 horror movie was via the pages of Fangoria, which revelled in spoiling the big reveal monster from its climax. It was a big deal because the ending had been reshot to include a new monster from Bob (Hellraiser) Keen’s visual effects team due to the inadequacy of the first attempt at the creature. And what’s great about Lionsgate’s release is the inclusion of that original alternate ending – they made the right choice in ditching it.

Ben (Star Trek Kelvinverse’s Sarek) Cross does a fine job in keeping his dignity among the chaos at his church. He still had some cachet from Chariots of Fire and is fine as Father Michael, acting alongside other notable actors like Ned Beatty, Hal Holbrook (seemingly reprising his clerical role from John Carpenter’s The Fog) and Trevor Howard (in his last screen role). The ‘priest in peril’ sub-genre had been fairly well ploughed by the late 80s (The Amityville Horror, The Sentinel, Prince of Darkness), The Exorcist having a lot to answer for in this regard. And if you question what Cross was doing appearing in such fare, he was room-mate of Cuban director Camilo Vila at the time.

Best I can say about this movie is that it really is a product of its time: the pacing is leisurely, saving everything for the final act. There’s titivation in the form of a naked, flame-haired seductress in see-through negligee, trying to tempt the priests, and there’s plenty of gallons of blood and dripping goo, hence the movie retaining its 18 Certificate. But even the ‘improved’ ending features a bow-legged, toothsome hellhound and demonic Oompa-loompas – it’s more risible than scary.

This release, under the banner of Vestron Video Classics, features more extras than you might imagine – isolated score and interview with composer Roger Bellon, interview with production designer and consumer-writer  Fernando Fonseca. There’s also features with Ben Cross (Sins of the Father) and nice 22-minute piece on the monsters (Demons In The Flesh) as well as the usual trailer, TV/radio spots, stills and storyboards.

Verdict: This wasn’t a great film at the time of its initial release, and now it just feels like any generic 80s video horror flick getting an HD makeover. The extras are enjoyable, but unless you have a nostalgic connection to the movie, it’s just by-the-numbers fodder. 6/10

Nick Joy