Plot: What’s it about?
A lot of stories about cursed lands have passed throughout the ages, with tales of sacred ground, demon possession, or worship of the devil often involved. But while most of these legends are false, some happen to be real and in the case of a church thought to be haunted, it is certainly the truth. In the time of the crusades, a group of peaceful witches were slaughtered by knights from the church, who saw the witches as evil and punishable for their sins. After the witches had been killed and buried in a mass grave, a church was constructed right on the site and over time, people began to think the past had started to reclaim the grounds. But the small events amounted to little reason to believe the place was haunted, so no one was too concerned. That all changes when a long sealed crypt is reopened however, as the demonic forces of the past then overtake the church and trap everyone there inside. And of course, the spirits wish to leave no survivors behind and that means those inside must battle to remain alive. But can any of them manage to survive this supernatural assault, or will the forces reclaim the church’s ground, demolish those inside, and then look to the outside world for additional vengeance?
This Dario Argento produced, Michele Soavi directed horror movie was supposed to be the third Demons picture, but found life as a stand alone release. It has common themes with the films from the Demons series of course, but also tosses in some nice twists and changes, which keeps it all fresh here. The Church has tons of eerie atmosphere, gothic visuals, and blood soaked scenes, plus a damn good premise, as far as horror movies are concerned. And of course, we can’t overlook the excellent score by Goblin and Keith Emerson, which adds a lot to the experience. I admit it takes a little while for the wheels to roll, but once we pass the half hour mark, The Church cuts loose and never looks back. In short, fans of the Demons films and horror buffs in general will love The Church, as it has all the needed elements. As usual, Anchor Bay supplies a terrific disc here, with an uncut, restored version of the film, new anamorphic transfer, and a great new Dolby Digital EX soundmix, all at a price point under twenty bucks. In other words, this is a highly recommended disc with a cheap price, so don’t hesitate to snatch up The Church.
Video: How does it look?
The Church is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The image here looks much better than expected, with a clean source print and no real age signs on the materials, very impressive indeed. As a more recent film, this is to be expected, but it is a horror movie and previous editions never looked this sharp & refined. The colors are natural in scope, but sometimes brighten and always look as intended, which is what counts. I was pleased to find such rich, sharp black levels too, which is important in a darker picture like The Church. I did see some small flaws at times, but given the nature of the material, this is one terrific treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
In an unexpected, but welcome move, Anchor Bay has included a Dolby Digital Surround EX track. This movie is not pure audio dynamite, but it has some great potential and with a mix like this one, the material really shines. The moments of suspense seem creepier, the chases seem more tense, and the score, oh man, the score. The music here is fantastic and this mix throws open the gates, so the score can take over at times and in this case, that is excellent news. No dialogue problems surface and the small audio touches remain intact, so I commend Anchor Bay for their extra effort here, it has paid off and then some. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option, in case that better suits your needs.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a talent file on Soavi, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
