The basic set-up here is simple enough: college students get caught in a house of horror in the woods, falling victim to a creature that is more than mere legend. Randolph Carter (Mark Kinsey Stephenson) seems to know the score, but the focus is more on Randolphs' friend Howard (Charles Klausmeyer) and the serious-minded Tanya (Alexandra Durrell).
The back story garners more interest than the balance of the yarn in this okay but unspectacular low-budget attempt at an H.P. Lovecraft story. It's not terrible or anything, but it certainly lacks any truly interesting features. Director Jean-Paul Ouellette, who also wrote the screenplay, fails to generate much tension or atmosphere. In the end, his film is pretty generic stuff, albeit featuring a fairly imaginatively conceived "unnamable" monster (played by Katrin Alexandre). Fortunately, Ouellette is wise not to give the monster too much screen time until near the end. He delivers the goods when it comes to gore: there is some effective nastiness on display here. R. Christopher Biggs, the man behind the makeup effects, can take a well-deserved bow. But the tale being told here is just too familiar to carry much weight for anybody other than die hard horror buffs.
The main debit here is a pretty charmless and not overly talented cast. Durrell is particularly bad. Klausmeyer, at least, is earnest and moderately likeable as the hero. The most amusing performer here is Stephenson, who does appear to be well cast. But the way he just sort of disappears from the film for a while only serves to keep things from being completely satisfying.
If you are an avid horror fanatic, and particularly enjoy seeing filmmakers attempt to film Lovecraft's stories, there is some entertainment to be had here. But, overall, it lacks a little pizzazz.
Six out of 10.
The back story garners more interest than the balance of the yarn in this okay but unspectacular low-budget attempt at an H.P. Lovecraft story. It's not terrible or anything, but it certainly lacks any truly interesting features. Director Jean-Paul Ouellette, who also wrote the screenplay, fails to generate much tension or atmosphere. In the end, his film is pretty generic stuff, albeit featuring a fairly imaginatively conceived "unnamable" monster (played by Katrin Alexandre). Fortunately, Ouellette is wise not to give the monster too much screen time until near the end. He delivers the goods when it comes to gore: there is some effective nastiness on display here. R. Christopher Biggs, the man behind the makeup effects, can take a well-deserved bow. But the tale being told here is just too familiar to carry much weight for anybody other than die hard horror buffs.
The main debit here is a pretty charmless and not overly talented cast. Durrell is particularly bad. Klausmeyer, at least, is earnest and moderately likeable as the hero. The most amusing performer here is Stephenson, who does appear to be well cast. But the way he just sort of disappears from the film for a while only serves to keep things from being completely satisfying.
If you are an avid horror fanatic, and particularly enjoy seeing filmmakers attempt to film Lovecraft's stories, there is some entertainment to be had here. But, overall, it lacks a little pizzazz.
Six out of 10.