I’ve always said there were not enough horror films with original ideas that used it’s subtest in a manner that went beyond the killing and screaming, but that actually had a meaning. Well in such the case of CROWLEY it’s a but technical in more ways than one. It really doesn’t attack many social issues really until the very end of the movie, but it’s more based on the books of a man named Aleister Crowley a sick and twisted individual man that was dubbed the most wicked man in the world, when he formed a cult called the O.T.O. While the movie is loosely based on the man, it’s one of those movies that is to smart for it’s own good. So much so that all the mumbo jumbo that the characters in this film start talking about really ate at my brain.
CROWLEY begins back in the early 1900’s where we see Aleister Crowley in his final days speaking of evils and such to two students. When he passes he curses one of them and vows to one day come back from the dead. Years later a group of computer science students along with their professor create a virtual reality program that brings the madman back to life where he possesses the body of the shy professor. Now that Aleister has been resurrected he plans on bringing his insane message to the world by killing off people who get in his way, and creates orgy inspired rituals and unleashing his black magick on the world.
I was not a big fan of this film, simply put. I found that the script was all over the place and the movie got really confusing right from the get go. I honestly had a hard time trying to figure out what the deal was with the story and continuing my babblings from the first paragraph the film had all this technical dialogue that made the film to smart for it’s own good. Seriously, you have to be a rocket scientist to understand some of the mumbo-jumbo that spews from the actors mouths in this film. While I understand the filmmakers were trying to add some scary and original elements of horror to the script. The problem is that the story was very hard to follow from beginning to end.
On a positive level the movie did have great acting and pretty decent production value. Simon Callow does give a great performance as Haddo and does deserve a lot of credit for what he bought to the role. The rest of the cast did a decent job as well and does deserve some praise for their work. While the set design was pretty simple I can’t knock it as it was effective and the mood and lighting really bought the dark side of the story out. There was not a lot of over the top gore and make-up effects in the film, which I respect. The film relied more on it’s creepiness and the evil of the character to really put the fear into the audience. I can’t say that I personally found it to be a scary film, but there are scenes that do make the viewer feel a bit uncomfortable.
The DVD includes audio commentary with writer Bruce Dickinson, whom you may know from the band Iron Madden, Producer Ben Timlett and Director Julian Doyle. There is a making of CROWLEY featurette that I found to be better than the movie, as it seemed that this film had a curse during production similar to that of THE EXORCIST and POLTERGEIST. The DVD also includes deleted scenes as well as the films trailer.
Overall, unless you know a lot about this nut case Aleister Crowley, or are into films that involve the occult; you may like this film. For the average and hardcore horror fans, this one might not be your cup of tea. I personally thought the filmmaking aspect of the film was done very well, but the story fell short on so many levels.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
