Dir: Michele Soavi
Cast: Tomas Arana, Feodor Chaliapin, Hugh Quarshie,
Barbara Cupisti, Antonella Vitale, Asia Argento,
Giovanni Lombardo Radice
Unrated, Approx: 102 minutes
Anchor Bay Entertainment Video and DVD
Catholic Mythos And Fantasy...
film (produced by Dario Argento) does involve a chapel besieged by malevolent demons but has nothing to do with
Lamberto Bava's gruesome duo of Demons films consisting of exploitative grue. Instead, this stylish horror film
perhaps bears more resemblance to John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness, as both core stories are rather similar
although both films are also considerably different. Featuring an impressive amount of haunting imagery, surprising
(and shocking) murder set pieces along with a dynamic score from collaboration between genre regulars Goblin and
Keith Emerson (who also scored Argento's Inferno), The Church is an experience guaranteed to thrill Euro horror
enthusiasts as well as genre fans looking for something they haven't necessarily seen before. Like a lot of European
horror, this is an acquired taste of sorts and also took me more than one viewing to fully appreciate the power of this
work.
satanic worship, a lavish chapel is erected over the mass grave to keep the word of Satan buried deep within the
earth. We flash forward to modern times where a massive restoration process is being conducted on the church,
and when a new librarian (hired to catalogue the church's hundreds of books) accidentally unleashes the sleeping
demons upon the church the various inhabitants (from priests, caretakers, visitors and more) all succumb to demonic
possession resulting in a plague of spooky happenings and gruesome deaths.
Argento collaborator whose been involved with almost every film of his from
Phenomena to Nonhosonno), the film stands out for numerous reasons.
As expected a script churned out by these guys isn't going to make the most
sense in the world (this IS an Italian horror film, these things never make
perfect sense!) and somehow it manages to work in favor of the film. Most
notably, the bizarre plot structure springs to mind. Its lack of a major
character and its seeming indifference towards the victims of the second half
may be a little off-putting (especially the first viewing) but it also makes for a
very unique feel. Despite being a little nonsensical at times (like exactly why
the eventual hero of the film goes unprocessed while all others around him
fall victim, and don't forget to watch for the absolute fastest police response
to a call for help in movie history!), this is overall a very strong production.
ever a mystery for the viewer, Soavi keeps the film seeming with unsettling moments and spooky images. Once the
demons are unleashed however, Soavi really lets loose with the carnage and scares as The Church springs to
memorable life. Once seen, the moment in which a woman copulates with a winged demon is tough to get out of your
mind. Other gruesome highlights include an elderly woman ringing the chapel bell with her husband's severed head,
along with a show stopping moment involving a subway that I won't give away in this review.
number for years, Soavi displays a
considerable skill and demonstrates that he's
learned much from Dario. What's especially
admirable about Soavi's work is that he's
never derivative of his mentor. Much like his
equally superb offerings Stagefright and
Cemetery Man, this is 100% a Soavi film.
Perhaps examples of Argento's influence over
the director can be seen in moments of this
film that perhaps echo Suspiria and Inferno,
but this is as far away from those films as it is
from Demons. The Church stands on its
own, and also holds its own with ease against
comparisons to any of the above films or
other genre works that I've neglected to
mention. There are some silly moments
(mainly stemmed from the bad dubbing jobs of
some of the minor characters) which may
possibly distract some viewers at times, but
there's plenty to savor here and to complain
about minor qualms is to knit pick.
its success is tough to do. Soavi makes great use of the church itself capturing its many chambers with eerie effect
and displays some of the best, most gruesome violence this side of an Argento film. Fans of European horror
shouldn't miss this stellar chiller.
The film goes under a plethora of other titles such as La Chiesa, Demon Cathedral, Cathedral of Demons,
Demons 3 and In the Land of Demons, it's been released by Anchor Bay in a pristine widescreen version and while
lacking in terms of extras, if well worth the price just for the wonderfully clean transfer (and superb sound quality)
itself.
* * * * out of 5
Reviewed by Matt Serafini 4/5/02
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