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Ratings2.6K
HEFILM's rating
Reviews321
HEFILM's rating
I saw this on a recent, as of 2024, blu ray release and was shocked when I went to IMDB to discover that I guess I'd seen it. Now how could I forget the film, well after watching it I can see how. It's not memorable. I had given it a 6 but I've revised that more to a 4.
The problems are the script and directing, both by the same man who seems to have little talent at either. The performances are just ok, no one seems very committed to a role, other than Neri. There are a few really beautiful shots of her, how could there not be?, but she's had better parts and looked better in much better films.
There is very little style and the shots at times barely cut together. The music score is pretty good but it stops and starts at odd moments sometimes in mid scene, it all feels like no one with much experience was at the helm of the movie.
For something that's supposed to be shocking, the violence and nudity are few and far between, not a problem if the drama is compelling, but it's not.
There is one laughable scene with a red hooded guy popping, like in Bewitched, in and out in various places. The editing is sluggish so you can tell one actor is freezing in place while the other moves and they start shooting again. It's really half heartedly done.
There is a sword fight and well, uh, that's about it, I guess there sort of is another sword fight eventually.
It's all rather flatly done and pretty dull, for a film called The Devil's Lover the whole devil angle is also dull and almost silly the way it's done. A film that doesn't know how to be erotic horrific or compelling, decent production values raise it above worse films, but it looks like what it is, a producer directing and not knowing how.
In the Severin 2024 release there is an interview with actor Robert Woods who claims he was brought in to try to save the movie, to edit the film, be in it in a small role added later and to direct some of it. Even with all that he says it's not better than just ok and I'd agree.
The 2024 release looks and sounds very good, features a dull commentary track with lot of silence between not too interesting things to say.
The problems are the script and directing, both by the same man who seems to have little talent at either. The performances are just ok, no one seems very committed to a role, other than Neri. There are a few really beautiful shots of her, how could there not be?, but she's had better parts and looked better in much better films.
There is very little style and the shots at times barely cut together. The music score is pretty good but it stops and starts at odd moments sometimes in mid scene, it all feels like no one with much experience was at the helm of the movie.
For something that's supposed to be shocking, the violence and nudity are few and far between, not a problem if the drama is compelling, but it's not.
There is one laughable scene with a red hooded guy popping, like in Bewitched, in and out in various places. The editing is sluggish so you can tell one actor is freezing in place while the other moves and they start shooting again. It's really half heartedly done.
There is a sword fight and well, uh, that's about it, I guess there sort of is another sword fight eventually.
It's all rather flatly done and pretty dull, for a film called The Devil's Lover the whole devil angle is also dull and almost silly the way it's done. A film that doesn't know how to be erotic horrific or compelling, decent production values raise it above worse films, but it looks like what it is, a producer directing and not knowing how.
In the Severin 2024 release there is an interview with actor Robert Woods who claims he was brought in to try to save the movie, to edit the film, be in it in a small role added later and to direct some of it. Even with all that he says it's not better than just ok and I'd agree.
The 2024 release looks and sounds very good, features a dull commentary track with lot of silence between not too interesting things to say.
So a kind of regime change happened at Full Moon as far as those in charge of making their films in Cleveland and it shows in a positive way. First off C Courtney Joyner is back writing and that makes probably the most difference, his credits go back as far as Prison, but Full Moon fans would know him for his run of credits at Full Moon when it was making films for Paramount. The story feels like the right bits from Dr, Jekyll and Sister Hyde have been put into a Artificial world therapy session gone wrong scenerio.
Another name from the past is Tom Callaway shooting the film, which also makes a difference there is a progession from a normal intentionally flat look to one with hard shadows and overall the camera moves more than usual from company president Charles Band.
The sort of mad doctor and his assistant characters are both pretty badly acted and probably miscast, but the rest of the supporting cast and lead crazy are really quite good.
There is blood and gore and black and white sequences all something unsual from recent Full Moon releases and it has a few but good exterior locations, the one by the graveyard is the best one,
The helmet that takes people to Quadrant isn't a great prop, but the overall production values are up from recent Cleveland films as well.
The ending is pretty poorly filmed which is too bad, but the rest holds together and feels like a movie. Music score isn't bad though it repeats itself a bit too much and then turns into a John Carpenter knock off rather abruptly towards the end.
Some weird AI/CGI demons look fairly scary, the Black and White London based stuff is kind of a missed opportunity, the weird green forest when another characters nightmares/ Quadrant work better, and as I mentioned the final section, well, is probably the weakest but can't ruin it entirely.
So a promising one off production or a sign of better things ahead, only time will tell, but this time Full Moon has something worth watching, for once. With special credtit to the lead actress!
Another name from the past is Tom Callaway shooting the film, which also makes a difference there is a progession from a normal intentionally flat look to one with hard shadows and overall the camera moves more than usual from company president Charles Band.
The sort of mad doctor and his assistant characters are both pretty badly acted and probably miscast, but the rest of the supporting cast and lead crazy are really quite good.
There is blood and gore and black and white sequences all something unsual from recent Full Moon releases and it has a few but good exterior locations, the one by the graveyard is the best one,
The helmet that takes people to Quadrant isn't a great prop, but the overall production values are up from recent Cleveland films as well.
The ending is pretty poorly filmed which is too bad, but the rest holds together and feels like a movie. Music score isn't bad though it repeats itself a bit too much and then turns into a John Carpenter knock off rather abruptly towards the end.
Some weird AI/CGI demons look fairly scary, the Black and White London based stuff is kind of a missed opportunity, the weird green forest when another characters nightmares/ Quadrant work better, and as I mentioned the final section, well, is probably the weakest but can't ruin it entirely.
So a promising one off production or a sign of better things ahead, only time will tell, but this time Full Moon has something worth watching, for once. With special credtit to the lead actress!
