Movie review of The Church

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Horrorphile - May 2007

The Church

May 23rd 2007 02:56

“It was intended that the secret should remain buried in oblivion for thousands of years. If it has come before your eyes, oh unfortunate ones, the terrible is then vivid. Evil in this land has taken the form of monstrous creatures that we call demons.”

Father Gus (Hugh Quarshie) and The Bishop (Feodor Chaliapin)

[The Church (1988) boasts a fabulously evil supernatural premise, which unfortunately ends up as hard and impenetrable as the stone walls of the church itself. From a story by Dario Argento and Franco Ferrini, director and co-screenwriter Michele Soavi, comes his follow-up feature (after Stagefright, 1987). It’s a more elaborate film, but far less cohesive, and ultimately less satisfying in many ways.

Angel Demon embraces the naked female form

Nearly a thousand years after the massacre of suspected Devil worshippers by crusading knights a church which was built over the mass grave of the murdered Satanists has its evil presence awakened when the esoteric crypt is opened by the unsuspecting. Diabolical events start to occur in and around the church, and it is up to a troubled priest, Father Gus (Hugh Quarshie), to act as saviour before everyone becomes possessed by the unholy energy released.

Mira (Olivia Cupisti) has trouble swallowing

In typical Argento style all semblance of conventional plotting and narrative is thrown to the wayside in favour of sweaty sidelong glances, fertive stares, wide-eyed pantomime expressions of horror and repulsion, and much over-ripe acting. Director Soavi does have an eye for visual symbolism, and he pulls out a few nice touches (some of brilliant sensual Gothic fantasy painter Boris Vellejo’s style is represented), but there is much tedium throughout the movie.

One big mistake is the casting of Argento’s daughter Asia in a supposedly pivotal, yet mostly pointless and distracting role, as an adolescent link to the original 12th Century massacre. It’s tenuous at best, but more importantly Asia’s acting is simply not strong enough. It’s as if Argento promised her a major psychic role, after making Phenomena (1985) with 14-year-old Jennifer Connelly in the lead. It smacks of nepotism and it falls flat. Asia’s never been a great actor, although she’s very photogenic.

The Church is one of those hybrid language movies the Italians make where they make one version in English and one in Italian (La Chiesa). Usually several characters or more will be Italian actors who don’t speak particularly good English and thus are dubbed by some incongruously sounding American voice (the voice of Asia’s character Lotte being a prime example). My DVD doesn’t have the option of watching in Italian with English sub-titles, which I’d probably preferred, even though you can tell most of the dialogue is in fact in English. Still all sound in Italian movies is dubbed later, so the entire audio experience is strangely dislocated from the visual narrative anyway.

Special effects whiz Sergio Stiviletti is credited to “special scenic creations”, which involves a lot of Gothic dragon-like, demon-esque manifestations and apparitions. The music performed by Argento favourites Goblin and 70s prog-rock keyboardist Kieth Emerson sounded very familiar throughout the movie, until the end credits when several of the key compositions and themes were credited to Philip Glass. But of course, I mused, I should’ve guessed that staccato style.

The Church was a real disappointment; it could have packed so much more wicked nastiness and unholy chaos. The fury of the damned should have been unleashed ten fold, filling the cathedral with the screeching from the bowels of Hell and the bloodcurdling wails of those possessed. Instead there was too much suggestion … and although suggestion can be highly effective, when it comes to Lucifer it bores me to tears. I’d prefer to watch Lamberto Bava’s Demons (1985) instead …

But here's a trailer anyhow ...

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

7 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by KylieW

May 23rd 2007 05:13

Celebrity Obsession

Sounds like a good premise for a movie.....but you're right. When you're dealing in Satan and Hell, I don't want suggestion.

Based on that trailer I probably wouldn't have bothered seeing the movie.

Comment by Ruby

May 23rd 2007 06:47

The Rubik's Cube

Hmmmm.... Uh.... Mmmmm...

(yea, yet another movie I'm not too entirely convinced to even watch on a boring rainy day)

Great review though!

Comment by Damo

May 23rd 2007 06:58

For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics

Goblin are very cool
Keith Emerson is a gun
but if you really want proof that Satan is alive and working in the world then you need only hear Phillip Glass.

I think that if a star is over exposed it is bad for the genre.
I am talking about Satan.
So much Satan that he more exposed than Paris Hilton.

Good review.

Comment by Competitionqueen.com

May 23rd 2007 09:00

What's with my morbid infautation with this blog

Comment by Nickoftime's Sanity Corner

May 23rd 2007 12:27

Bryn.

great review as always, so that's why I think I'll give it a miss...

LOL

Great post though!

Take care,

Nick

Comment by JohnDoe

May 24th 2007 00:37

Film & TV on DVD

Havent seen this one, but would be curious just because of the Argento connection.

Comment by Bryn

May 24th 2007 05:29

Horrorphile

Cheers for the comments people!
competitionqueen .... I'm very happy you've made the Darkness your friend.

[ Previous - Tracing the tears of Argento's THE THIRD MOTHER ]

[ Next - Shivers ]

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