The Church
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Movie Reviews of The Church
Movie Review: Michele Soavi and Dario Argento take us to church.
Summary: 4 Stars
THE CHURCH begins in medieval times, with a group of knights arriving in a small village believed to be inhabited by "witches." These knights seem to be religious crusaders of some sort (Teutonic Knights I think they're called) and they investigate allegations that a young woman in this village has the "mark of the Devil" on her. Sure enough, a bloody cross like stigmata is indeed on the bottom of her foot, confirming everything the knights need to know. The leader of this crusade kills the girl by crushing her face in with his iron clad hand, and then proceeds to massacre the whole village with his band of knights. After this horrible act is done, they decide to bury all the bodies in one spot and build a church on their massive grave. Meanwhile, all of this is seen by a young girl in the woods (played by Asia Argento) who is eventually caught and killed by one of the knights. The audience never finds out if her body is buried with the rest of the suspected "witches."
Fast forward to modern times (well, 1989 anyways) and we now see that the church is in the middle of a huge city. The church itself seems to be the location of much activity, including renovation and tourism. In a twist of strange coincidences, a young girl who lives in the church with her Mother and Father looks strikingly similar to the girl killed at the beginning. Also played by Asia Argento. Meanwhile, a new librarian is hired at the church to organize all the books. Eventually he stumbles across an old piece of parchment (found in one of the walls of the church) that leads him into the basement, and the site of a strange cross on the ground. Thinking he's found a valuable relic or treasure, he starts digging at what looks like a sewer grate with a six eyed Devil carving on the top. Unknowingly he unleashes a terrible curse and becomes possessed by an evil demon.
All of this leads to a group of tourists and a class of school children becoming trapped inside the church (once the evil is unleashed, the church was built to lock everyone inside, preventing the demons from escaping) and how they survive the night. Meanwhile, the young girl (Asia Argento) seems to be the only one who knows a secret way outside of the church through the basement. It would also seem that she's the only one who can lead everyone to salvation, with a vague connection to the young girl at the start of the movie.
*Whew!* If the plot seems like it's all over the place, thats because it is. I'm sure I missed a detail or two in my summary, but I just wanted to give a basic outline for the plot without exposing too much of the actual story. If I have one major gripe about this film, it's that THE CHURCH seems to be all over the place with no real goal. You might even be able to call this a "messy" film if it weren't for the sense of maturity and intelligent craft behind the over all production. This is the type of Horror movie that uses style and well done acting over a coherent story line. It's hard to say where this film starts to unravel in terms of plot, but it's an easy thing to over look since everything else is so well done.
Outside of my small problems regarding the story, I really enjoyed this movie. Personally, THE CHURCH speaks to me in terms of what I like to see in a 1980's Horror film. I'm a child of the late 80's and I tend to gravitate towards the movies of that time period. It's kind of hard to describe why I like that era the best in terms of Horror, but anyone who's a fan of Robert Englund's interpretation of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA or John Carpenter's PRINCE OF DARKNESS knows what I'm talking about. Movies from the late 80's just had a certain dark and brooding vibe about them. I'm not really sure why, but maybe it had something to do with Horror directors trying to get back to their more serious roots. Horror movies like A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4 : THE DREAM MASTER and SLEEPAWAY CAMP 2 : UNHAPPY CAMPERS embodied a humorous vibe that became popular in the mid 1980's. Those are good Horror films mind you (I love Freddy after all) but by the late 80's, even Freddy was going back to a darker edge with A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 5 : THE DREAM CHILD.
It wasn't a total throw back to the glory days of Horror (the late 1970's and early 1980's) but it was a welcome return to more sinister Horror. Also, the over all camera aesthetic during that time period was changing from film to video, which changed film making into an easier method. Gone are the days of technicolor and messy reel to reel film. Sometimes filming a movie with "video" worked, other times not so much.
Regardless of the time period or camera methods, THE CHURCH is a good Horror movie if you ask me. I would even be willing to say that it makes for a nice companion piece to PRINCE OF DARKNESS, being the fact that they're so much alike. Both films have similar elements (both are set in a church) and they both have their own fair share of problems. If you're willing to look past the story issues and pacing problems, THE CHURCH is a nice little Gothic Horror movie. The cinematography is simply amazing and the over all film even has a "Fantasy" vibe to it. If you watch the movie, just observe the camera work alone. It sweeps and crawls with a dream like quality that evokes memories of Ridley Scott's LEGEND and Jim Henson's LABYRINTH. We can thank Dario Argento for the amazing production value.
Another thing I liked about this movie was the haunting soundtrack. It was done by Keith Emerson and ex members of the Italian band Goblin. The music has very dark and brooding vibe to it that sets the stage for the movie. I liked the score so much that I bought a few tracks of it online for my personal music collection.
Gore Hounds, never fear! THE CHURCH is full of gruesome deaths and shocking latex make up effects! Some of the prosthetics used in this movie are so horrifying, that you wonder why the director didn't use some of them sooner! Whatever the reason, they're worth the wait. Some people think the special effects are a little corny but I couldn't disagree more. The prosthetics and puppets are on the level of GHOSTBUSTERS but much more evil and adult oriented. Personally, I really enjoyed the "old school" special effects used here. I understand they're not for everybody (I know someone who dislikes the prosthetics used in THE NEVER ENDING STORY because they're "fake looking", which I think is a bad reason to dislike any film) but this movie has a lot more going for it besides the special effects. The Gothic atmosphere alone is good enough to keep any avid Horror movie fan's attention until the very end.
Over all, I really liked this film. THE CHURCH is everything I love about late 80's Horror, with some minor pacing issues. In retrospect, I can see how some people might dislike this movie. Yet, if you're a fan of films like PRINCE OF DARKNESS, then I think you'll have much to enjoy here.
Highly recommended!
I've said my bit.
Over and out.
Movie Review: Decent movie mostly saved by the visual side
Summary: 3 Stars
The Church is the 2nd feature film from director Michele Soavi who was dubbed as the savior to Italian horror. Soavi came around when Italian horror was on its last legs. With the exception of Dario Argento a lot of the other popular filmmakers were on the decline, were having trouble getting work or became knockoff directors. Michele Soavi was hailed as the savior and to be honest I never quite got why.
Originally The Church was meant to be the 3rd part of the Demons series, but it ended up going in a different direction and what we get is a very mixed bag. The Church wasn't a bad movie, but the problem is nothing really happens.
The screenplay was written by Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini & Michele Soavi. Dardano Sacchetti, Lamberto Bava and Fabrizio Bava also contributed to the screenplay, but were un-credited. So due to that I'll just mention the credited writers.
The screenplay actually wasn't too bad; there were some interesting concepts, while there might be a silly moment or two for the most part the script wasn't bad. The basic concept here is the same as Demons, but there was a little more depth to the screenplay. Demons and Demons 2 were fun splatter flicks, but The Church was more serious. The biggest problem here is the lack of action. The screenplay really wasn't too bad and made even better by what was coming out of Italy at this time.
But there are some problems; the two lead characters pretty much go MIA in the 2nd half, other characters might appear early on than don't come back until the end. The 2nd half introduces some new characters and they don't add anything to the plot. They are just there to die and we don't even see most of the deaths.
The Church does benefit from a solid cast, Giovanni Lombardo Radice has a small role and it's always great seeing him in a horror movie and a young Asia Argento also stars. The Church was Asia's 3rd movie.
Michele Soavi worked under Dario Argento as an assistant director and it is quite clear he learned a lot. Dario Argento is a very visual filmmaker and if I didn't know any better I would think he was the director. Soavi creates a movie that is visually stunning. The Church is one of the very best shot movies I have ever seen. Dare I say it's on par with an Argento movie?
The problem though is really nothing happens. The first few minutes are set in the medieval times and we get a little bit of action, but surprisingly little gore. After that we cut to the present and from that point on it's mostly talk and more talk. Michele Soavi is able to build some suspense and tension, but the problem is there is no pay off; though to Soavi's credit he's very much able to have a nice gothic looking horror movie.
Like I said The Church is slow, but what saves the movie from being an all out bore is the visuals. The first half in particular is just so amazingly shot. The Church easily rates as one of the best shot horror movies I have ever seen. In the case of Italian filmmakers not all, but most have this great visual side to their movies and Michele Soavi might be one of the best. The student can't top his teacher though, but you can clearly see the Argento influence. There is some great stedi-cam work as well.
Once we hit the 45-minute mark things begin to pick up with an excellent scene, which a character is chased around her house and I thought right there would be the turning point, but instead after that nothing really happens again. Once the hour mark comes in we have a group of characters trapped in the church and it seems like the action is about to start, but guess again.
This is the biggest downfall to The Church the lack of action like I said we get some good moments of suspense and tension, but there is very little pay off. Despite the lack of anything happening Michele Soavi is able to create some tension and suspense thanks to his visual touch and that is what kept me interested in the movie despite the lack of action. The final act to The Church is kind of messy and more often than not the movie just sort of repeats itself by this point and the ending is very anti-climatic. If you are expecting a big showdown between the characters and demons you can forget that.
I can't really explain why I enjoyed The Church; there is very little action, but the gore level is decent. While it might take sometime to get to the gore and when we finally get it, well it seems like a long time till we get it again, but it is done well. But not a whole lot happens. It's a lot of talk and build up with little pay off, but yet there is just something about The Church I liked. I guess it's the visual side that held my interest, but the 2nd half none of this works as well.
In closing, The Church is a movie with a lot of potential, but just doesn't seem to go anywhere. Even though I did enjoy the movie it's not a must see and it's really the visual side that keeps things interesting, but that can only save it for so long.
The Church sometimes goes under the title of Demons 3 along with two other movies, 1 being Lamberto Bava's The Orge and Umberto Lenzi's Black Demons. None though are sequels to Demons, but The Church is the closest one in that style.
Movie Review: The Church (1989).
Summary: 3 Stars
Director Michele Soavi gained worldwide recognition with his 1994 masterpiece "Dellamorte Dellamore" or Cemetery Man; however, he had been mastering his craft under the guidance of horror master Dario Argento for years before that hit. The Church was his second feature length effort as director and he displays his craft with a visually stunning Gothic movie about possessions, I didn't think that the film was bad at all but some scenes were quite boring and the pacing was abit slow but it does pick up the pace later on during the second half. The Church is a tale of an unholy supernatural evil contained under a Gothic Cathedral. Centuries ago, a group of Templar Knights brutally killed a town accused of being devil-worshipers; in order to keep the evil down they built a cathedral and sealed it on top of the dead bodies. Now, in the present a greedy librarian named Evan (Tomas Arana) breaks the seal and frees the forces of evil. The Church starts a self-protection devise that serves to trap the evil, but it also traps a lot of innocent people who become the target of the demons who begin to posses them. The premise was somewhat similar to Demons 1 and 2, that's because it was written by Dario Argento and it seemed to be an unofficial sequel to those films only it wasn't as exciting, gory or as good as the Demon films, aside from some nifty gore scenes it was a step down for the director, who had made an impressive debut with the slasher pic "Stage Fright." The first two thirds are basically an investigation of the church's history and aren't very interesting. Like so many flawed films, the story is lacking because there isn't a clear protagonist to identify with.
However, the last third which has a group of people trapped inside as the evil is unleashed, is definitely pretty cool, although not very original. There aren't demon possessions like the ones that occur in Demons parts 1 and 2. Much of the horror that takes place only happens in the victims' minds. But the effects and sets are pretty cool. Most memorable scene: Probably when someone impales himself on a jack hammer. Also, a very young Asia Argento has an important role. It's fun to see her as a girl, and also interesting to note that her dubbed voice seems to change with every movie. The movie is a visual Tour-De-Force where Soavi experiments with his outstanding camera-work creating haunting atmospheres of supernatural beauty. Complete with a terrific score with music not only by horror veterans Goblin but also by Prog rock virtuoso Keith Emerson and the remarkable composer Philip Glass. But like I said before this was a step down for the director and it only turned out into a decent but forgettable Italian horror film. Soavi would go onto greatness by making the awesome Cemetery Man, so if you haven't seen that film yet then I suggest you watch that first.
Movie Review: Soavi in 1989 > Argento in 1989.
Summary: 3 Stars
La Chiesa (Michele Soavi, 1989)
Michele Soavi's Dellamorte Dell'Amore remains one of the best horror-comedies of all time, so when I got a chance to see one of his earlier films, La Chiesa, I jumped at it. Now, Soavi got his start as an assistant director for Dario Argento, and Argento wrote the script, so it should come as little shock that La Chiesa comes off kind of like second-rate Argento. (Argento's daughter Asia even has a minor part in the film, as she did increasingly often in Argento films during the eighties.) Plotwise, anyway. While Soavi's direction does wear his Argento influence writ large on its sleeve, he learned all the right things from the master of Italian horror, and there's enough actual Soavi in there to ensure that you at least sense this isn't completely an Argento joint (as was, say, "Lamberto Bava"'s Demons).
We open with an extended scene that takes place during what seems to be the Inquisition or the Crusades, in which an entire village is slaughtered for witchcraft and a mad monk tells the murderers to build a church on the land; the consecrated ground will stop the dead from coming back. Fast-forward to the twentieth century. A new librarian starts working at the church while some restoration is going on. The combination of these two things kicks into motion a series of events that ensures, of course, that the dead will, in fact, come back for some sinister purpose. When the dead trip off one of the safety mechanisms, the church is sealed off from the outside, trapping a number of innocents with the vengeful spirits. If you've seen Demons, you know what's going to happen from that point. (The script was originally conceived as a third entry in the Demons series, but Soavi rewrote it to the point where La Chiesa has very little in common with the other films in the franchise. Two other attempts were made to produce a third Demons film, Black Demons and The Ogre; both, interestingly, met the same fate as La Chiesa. Someone must have realized that if Demons 2 was that bad, the series was unsaveable. And thank heaven for that.)
The acting is mediocre, the script not much better; neither is remotely up to the standard Soavi would set for himself with Dellamorte Dell'Amore five years later. What is here and intact, however, is Soavi's incredible visual sense, which is even more pronounced here than it is in his later work. I do note that this may well be because you don't have such niceties as plot, character development, etc., to distract you from Soavi's constant barrage of gorgeously-constructed shots. It's a gorgeous movie, and those who simply appreciate the fine visuals will find this a treat; most filmgoers, however, will likely not be satisfied with a pastiche held together so thinly. For them, I recommend Dellamorte Dell'Amore instead. ***
Movie Review: Decent Italian Horror Flick
Summary: 3 Stars
In present day Rome, an ambitious cathedral librarian unearths a demonic plague trapped in the ground by knights in medieval times. When the possession begins to spread, an ancient lockdown goes into effect trapping the caretakers, employees, a tour of school children, and others within the church walls. It's left to one noble priest, with the help of a rebellious young girl, to prevent the plague from escaping into the world outside.
Produced by Italian horror legend Dario Argento and directed by Michele Soavi of "Cemetery Man" fame (Dellamorte Dellamore), "The Church" (La chiesa) was originally planned to be the third installment of the Demons franchise. However, director Soavi wanted to make something better, and the result is a more mature film, though surely not as much fun as the original "Demons". The story is an interesting one, as is the film throughout, though I would have personally preferred more insight into the lead characters and a clearer explanation of some of the medieval events that set up the situation. Of course, this is an Italian horror film we're talking about here. Personally, I have always found them somewhat lacking, though they have their good points too (I rather enjoyed Demons when I finally saw it and look forward to getting it, and Cemetery Man is well-known to be a fantastic little film). With dubbing, it can be hard to judge performances, and some of the dubbing is goofy, as always, but the stars do well, especially Hugh Quarshie as Father Gus and Argento's daughter Asia, who is very cute here as little Lotte (took me a while to recognize her). If you are a fan of Italian horror, Dario and/or Asia Argento, and so on, this is a must own. It's pretty good for that sub-genre. However, if you know you don't like Italian horror, I wouldn't recommend it to you. If you're in the middle, rent it at least. The DVD has good widescreen picture and sound and includes the theatrical trailer and a thorough text bio of Michele Soavi.