I have not seen so many CGI flying skeletons since someone in the late eighties tried to pawn them off as real ones in one of those paranormal shows. In all seriousness, this film, Damned By Dawn, has Evil Dead and Army of Darkness written all over it. But I can’t rip the filmmakers for their effort to try to take a similar concept and add a new twist to it. In many ways, this film is nowhere similar to that of Evil Dead, but the look and feel leads you to believe that The older film was the inspiration to this one.
Damned By Dawn is about Claire who, while visiting her dying grandmother, is warned by the old lady that any interference with the spirit coming to claim her will result in a full onslaught of the dead rising. Claire and some of her other family members do interfere with the process, and the dead come to life to hunt them down one by one. Frightened for their lives, Claire and her father try to flee the farm, but the onslaught of flying skeletons and the ghosts of the dead are on their trail and will not give up until they have claimed every victim of the small farming town.
I can’t say that Damned by Dawn is a great film, but I can’t write that it is a bad one, either. I have viewed more than fifty independent horror films this year and have to give the filmmakers credit for this one. While the story is something we all have seen before, with such a low budget, the film actually looks good. The story can use some work as it does drag, and the character development is weak, however it’s obvious that the filmmakers know how to use a camera, set up good shots and edit. They have borrowed a lot from Raimi’s Evil Dead style of filmmaking, yet, while the film is nothing great, it has its good moments and its money shots. There is one particular scene that takes place in a cave that reminds me of some of the Fulchi films from the early eighties. I also need to mention the effects in the film. The CGI is what it is, its not ultra cheap-looking, but the filmmaker relies on it so much that it overcrowds the film. On the flip side, whoever did the make-up and special effects did a fantastic job.
I thought it to be odd that Image Entertainment would release a new film on Blu-ray so quickly. Most direct-to-video companies keep their independent films to DVD for the time being. However, someone knew this film was a bit more special than all the others and rightfully put it out on Blu-ray. There is not much in terms of special features, but the disc does include cast and crew audio commentary and a “making-of” documentary. It also features the film’s trailer.
Overall, while Damned by Dawn does seem to have a lot of Sam Raimi’s influence written all over it, and yes, it does have its flaws, it is one of the better indie releases I have seen this year. It is by no means perfect and the film does drag a bit in certain areas, but overall, it’s worth checking out. If you’re a fan of Evil Dead and of Sam Raimi’s work in general you may want to give this one a go to see how much influence the man has had on some of the filmmakers of the future. The film also has some amazing make-up effects and gore that are sure to please the greatest of horror fans.
– 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
