A completely original and incredibly ambitious horror film that combines genres might be the most difficult filmmaking to pull off. It's sure to aggravate those looking for straight-forward horror, while needing to satisfy those looking for art. Writer, director and star Juliet Landau is triumphant at balancing all the genres and the ever-shifting tone. It's tight-rope act that few have tried and far fewer have succeeded.
Landau is best known for her acclaimed performance as Drusilla in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A performance that for over 20 years I have been screaming is one of the finest to ever grace television screens. Seeing her alongside Gary Oldman, who for over 20 years I have called the best actor of his generation, is a truly astonishing site to behold. I imagine there has never been a horror film with a cast nearly as talented or recognizable. It also includes cameos from Joss Whedon, Anne Rice, Lance Henricksen, Ron Perlman, Robert Patrick and several others. I half expected to see Bela Lugosi or Bram Stoker resurrected just to make an appearance in this film.
After you get passed the wow factor of the cast there is much more to marvel at. Landau is a fantastic director which shouldn't come as a surprise to those who have been following her. The writing stays with you. Fact, fiction, fantasy and horror are interwoven in what at times feels real, at times feels like like a dream, and at times feels like a nightmare. All while the music of Mozart dances from the screen. Real life husband and co-star Deverill Weekes proves to be a talented cinematographer and captures some wonderful imagery. It's the rare movie in which you can't wait to see where it all ends up and everything from entire scenes to brief flashes stay with you long after the credits role.
A genre-bending arthouse film like this may not be mainstream, but every fan of horror and every fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer should watch this immediately and tell all their friends to do the same. This has cult classic written all over it and will be talked about long after the major horror films you see playing on theater screens are forgotten.
Landau is best known for her acclaimed performance as Drusilla in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A performance that for over 20 years I have been screaming is one of the finest to ever grace television screens. Seeing her alongside Gary Oldman, who for over 20 years I have called the best actor of his generation, is a truly astonishing site to behold. I imagine there has never been a horror film with a cast nearly as talented or recognizable. It also includes cameos from Joss Whedon, Anne Rice, Lance Henricksen, Ron Perlman, Robert Patrick and several others. I half expected to see Bela Lugosi or Bram Stoker resurrected just to make an appearance in this film.
After you get passed the wow factor of the cast there is much more to marvel at. Landau is a fantastic director which shouldn't come as a surprise to those who have been following her. The writing stays with you. Fact, fiction, fantasy and horror are interwoven in what at times feels real, at times feels like like a dream, and at times feels like a nightmare. All while the music of Mozart dances from the screen. Real life husband and co-star Deverill Weekes proves to be a talented cinematographer and captures some wonderful imagery. It's the rare movie in which you can't wait to see where it all ends up and everything from entire scenes to brief flashes stay with you long after the credits role.
A genre-bending arthouse film like this may not be mainstream, but every fan of horror and every fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer should watch this immediately and tell all their friends to do the same. This has cult classic written all over it and will be talked about long after the major horror films you see playing on theater screens are forgotten.
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