THE
CHURCH (1988)Director: Michele Soavi
Anchor Bay Entertainment
THE
CHURCH (1988)The DVD release of Michele Soavi's THE CHURCH is definite cause for celebration. A much-maligned masterwork of a true stylist of the horror genre, everyone knows after CEMETERY MAN (DELLAMORTE, DELLAMORE) how talented Soavi is and perhaps has ultimately surpassed his mentor, the legendary Argento.
When THE CHURCH was first released, many referred to it as DEMONS III, a follow-up to Lamberto Bava's popular gorefest with jackhammer rock scores. To do this is a disservice to Soavi's film. First off, there is very little gore in THE CHURCH. And the soundtrack contains fine work by Goblin, Philip Glass as well as Keith Emerson. Mood and atmosphere are the key elements to appreciate what Soavi is doing with this material.
Loosely based on M. R. James's "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas," this film builds gradually and could have been on a par with the author's other cinema masterpiece, NIGHT OF THE DEMON. The flaw occurs in the last 40 minutes of the film where several stereotypes are trapped and ultimately possessed by the evil that inhabits the cathedral's very foundations.
It is in this segment that one can make comparisons with DEMONS I and II although in this writer's opinion, it is handled in a more unique and fresh manner as the victims do not turn into fanged goremonsters but are possessed by demonic forces that manifest themselves in various stages.
Renato Agostino's special effects are for the most part very convincing. Tomas Arana's metamorphosis into a very sexual winged demon is quite spectacular. Film buffs cannot help but notice the blatant homage to Polanski's ROSEMARY'S BABY in the sequence where Lotte (Asia Argento) is placed on an altar and demonic symbols are painted on her body in red. Even the chanting by the coven is identical to that used in the Polanski film.
This scribe has always felt that the opening of THE CHURCH is one of the most well executed introductions in satanic cinema with a definite nod to the Knights Templar of Amando Ossorio culminating in a virtuoso camera setup taking us in one sweeping gesture from the 11th Century to present day Italy.
The set decoration and camerawork are the real stars of THE CHURCH. The gothic cathedral with evocative gargoyles and cowled statues give the film the kind of atmosphere one rarely sees in horror films these days. The sequence where Evan (Tomas Arana) uses a parchment found in the cathedral to unlock the secret buried beneath the mammoth cross in the catacombs is gloriously macabre and very true to its demonic origins.
This reviewer will not spoil the enjoyment of discovering the many fine set pieces that lead one to the unraveling of the mystery of the gothic cathedral. So if you like your horror films atmospheric and with a slow, methodical buildup, then THE CHURCH is definitely worth your time.
THE CHURCH is nicely presented in its widescreen format (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 screens and contains a theatrical trailer and Michele Soavi bio. Another masterpiece courtesy of Anchor Bay! (Christopher Dietrich)