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Bram Stoker's Shadowbuilder is a completely awesome little horror flick that has gathered copious amounts of dust since it's mid 90's release. Forgotten and forsaken, it should have spawned an epic franchise in the vein of stuff like Wishmaster, but oh well, we've still got the original beloved entry. Now, just exactly how much of what we see in the film is based on actual Bram Stoker work is up for debate and a little beyond the scant research that I have done, but it's a tidy little concept that's executed with B-movie earnestness and a love for the spooky corner of cinema. The plot concerns a priest named Father Vassey, played by genre titan Michael Rooker. Vassey is probing the rural Midwestern belt of the US looking for an ancient demon that's something like a shapeshifter who deeds on both darkness and human souls, which resembles a cloud of dust reflected through hundreds of crystal prisms, from what i remember. He's not your garden variety preacher, sporting two laser sighted semi automatic handguns which come handy in tight shadowy corners, and the jaded will to kick some supernatural ass, not so much in the name of the Lord (he doesn't believe in god anymore) but more for a dark and personal crusade against the Shadowbuilder. The demon hovers around a young boy, hungering for a soul within that has the potential to both become a saint and also open a doorway to hell in one stroke. Vassey is a determined and resourceful badass, relying on nearby townsfolk for help and support, and Rooker sells the schlocky tone with remarkable gravity that is his trademark. He almost always plays extreme characters in tense narratives and keeps up the energy like clockwork. There's a hilarious turn from a dread lock adorned Tony Todd (Candyman) as Evert Covey, a backwoods eccentric with a penchant for Rastafarian speech and a part to play in the drama once we realize he isn't there solely for comic relief. This one is hard to find and almost no one has seen it, but I'm hoping my review will change that, because it's it's a little treasure and a fantasy horror classic for me.
score 8/10
NateWatchesCoolMovies 11 May 2016
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3467989/ |
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3-3-2021 04:57:10