|
|||||||||||||||
Because of this I can’t dig up any sympathy for the antagonist in Voodoo Moon. Despite having the very un-demonic name of Daniel, he more than makes up for it by causing the residents of a small, sleepy mid-western town to turn against each other. Spurned on by the “Dastardly Daniel” (I’m trying to help you out demon dude) the citizens rise up against their neighbors in a supernatural outburst of murder, mayhem and madness. There were few survivors, and those who did escape with their lives left the small town and eventually destroyed what was left of it to hide he painful memories. But one of those survivors, a young boy named Cole (Eric Mabius), vowed never to forget. With the sights and sounds of his parent’s demise fixed firmly in his memory, Cole chose to fight back...to end the horrors of at least this one demon and his influence in the world of man. Studying all manners of faith and religion, power and magic, Cole has become quite adept at combating the forces of evil. With a base of strength running the gambit from Christianity to Voodoo he is prepared to deal with almost anything that Daniel can through at him...and in fact has defeated Daniel several times over the years. But this time, Daniel is back for a final confrontation and Cole is going to need a little help to take this demon out forever.
Apparently, supernatural prowess runs in this family because sis has the ability to see the future...sort of. Seems she gets inspiration for some pretty creepy drawings and most of her subject matter turns up happening for real. Not your average psychic abilities to be sure, and one which is going to take some hard work to make useful, but at this point I think Cole will take whatever help he can get. The climactic battle against the demon is drawing nearer and this showdown promises to be the final stage in a lifelong battle of good versus evil. Now, the first thing that struck me as odd was that Voodoo Moon was a SciFi Channel film...and it didn’t stink. In fact, it is pretty darn good! Sure it has a little trouble packing so much story and so many characters into an hour and a half, and of course there is the matter of cheesy CGI effects, but hands down this film is far better than the usual SciFi bores. But alas, writer/director Kevin VanHook himself has revealed the reasoning behind this; Voodoo Moon was not created for or by SciFi, but instead simply acquired by them after its completion. So it appears the adage that SciFi Channel films are...well...not so great can remain true even though Voodoo Moon was better than expected! Much of the entertainment in this film comes straight from the cast; and surprisingly the lead actors are the least interesting personalities and, dare I say, come across as the least talented given their performances here. Eric Mabius was the title role in the third installment of The Crow film franchise, however here he comes across a little like a poor man’s Lorenzo Lamas...all cool hair and stark features and very little, well, acting talent. He is capable of more, I know, but here it doesn’t shine through. Apparently not capable of more is Charisma Carpenter of television’s “Angel”, as she plays the exact same role here as she does with Cordelia Chase. Despite what many an over aged fanboy will tell you about that particular role...it leaves a bit to be desired. Which brings us to the quality entertainment...
It has been over 30 years since he was on the fondly remembered television program “Good Times”, but John Amos is still going strong; almost TOO strong! This guy looks so much like he did back in the 70’s that at almost seventy years old he MUST be using supernatural means to sustain his life. If you don’t remember Mr. Amos from “Good Times”, perhaps you recall the big black guy from Beastmaster? Maybe the big black guy in Die Hard 2? Well, surely you recall the big black guy in Night Trap? Geesh... Anyways, he is a BIG black guy and simply awesome. I love his smart-ass character here and he is responsible for a great deal of why this film works. I would be completely irresponsible if I didn’t also mention Geoffrey Lewis, who you HAVE to remember as Roy Sullivan in Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects. This guy always brightens the programs he is in, because his laid back deliveries and simple “everyday guy” charm always plays in sharp contrast to the motivations and action surrounding him. Here is no different and even though he winds up in a pretty bad spot by the end of the film, I am glad he made an appearance. I have to admit it. Despite lighting shooting from peoples hands, pretty horrible CGI (what CGI isn’t though...) and enough cliché writing techniques to choke the largest of land mammals, Voodoo Moon is pretty darn good. Compared to its brothers and sisters over at SciFi Channel’s movie mutilation factory, it is sheer genius and the channel would be wise to think about acquiring more films that have been made BEFORE they got their hands on them. Kevin VanHook isn’t going to be my new favorite director, but I certainly have more respect for him as a decision maker by the way he put together this film. It certainly shows that some good judgment calls were made, because this film could have been and probably should have been a total bomb. But it wasn’t and it isn’t and for that I applaud. Definitely worth at least a rental if not a purchase on the merits of its supporting cast alone, Voodoo Moon is alright in my book. -aaron-
|
|||||||||||||||
Demons
really suck. Seriously. When was the last time you heard of a demon
spending some time at an orphanage reading to the children? How about
seeing a demon on the news for using his infernal powers of hell to save
a kitten from the highest branches of a tree? Heck, I can’t even recall
seeing a demon shooting fireballs out of his eyes to liven up a New
Years Eve fireworks spectacular. I am starting to think that all the
bad press these imps, jinns, succubi and yokai get just might be
deserved!
Good
thing that Cole has helped out a lot of people over the years who
now consider themselves to be not only his friends, but also
partners of sorts in his fight against this servant of Hell. A
badass biker, a burnt out cop, a lady with healing powers and a few
other unique characters all respond to Cole’s call for help...each
with their own stories of how he has helped them. But there is one
more person about to join this fight...another survivor of the
horrible town-wide massacre...Cole’s sister Heather (Charisma
Carpenter).
Jeffery
Combs has been a favorite of true horror fans since Re-Animator
and Frightmare made him a genre great in the early 1980s. My
personal favorite Combs role was in Stuart Gordon’s Dagon,
but I am really, really liking his appearance here. As a former
cop, and now walking ghoul, it is his complete lack of being able to
do anything meaningful for the film which makes him such a great
addition. Almost entirely comic relief, Combs’ character shuffles
about the screen arriving too late to help or simply not having the
ability to do anything once he gets there...genius and hilarious.
But Dr. Herbert West is not the only genre staple to be showing up
in this flick!