THE CHURCH [1989]

 MICHELE SOAVI ROCKS MY SOCKS!!! 

The director of probably my favourite horror film of the 1990's (or at least in my top three) CEMETERY MAN here directs an absolutely fantastic movie.  Originally meant to be DEMONS 3, Lamberto Bava bowed out and the project changed into what would become THE CHURCH with Dario Argento's protege Michele Soavi taking the directorial chair.  Argento also produced and co-wrote the film which opens in a medieval European village which the Church and their Teutonic Knights decimate in a terrible massacre because the town is suspected of being devil-worshippers.   Shots of the dead villagers being dumped into a massive pit are uncomfortably close to films of Nazi atrocities which is surely a deliberate touch. 

The church representative decides that a large church must be built on top of the mass grave so that it can contain the evil underneath.  Fast forward to the (1989) present day and the cathedral built over the massacre is having renovations done.  Researcher/restorer Evan arrives to find art restorationist Lisa already working on a fresco.  At one point, the seal covering the medieval crypt underneath the cathedral is broken and a evil force is released possessing first Evan and then a group of tourists who are all locked in the church by clockwork medieval safeguards which are designed to seal off the cathedral when the evil is released so that it doesn't spread to the outside world.  Here we see the remnants of the DEMONS 3 storyline with the cathedral substituting for the movie theatre in DEMONS and the TV-watching apartment building in DEMONS 2.  THE CHURCH also finds mass possessions and mayhem aplenty.  

If CEMETERY MAN is a definite masterpiece (it is), then THE CHURCH is a near masterpiece with Soavi showing what a super director he was and would continue to be.  It's absolutely loaded with atmosphere with some exteriors filmed in Budapest.  The sets are absolutely fantastic as are the special effects which are practical.  An odd thing is that the film really has two leading men.  Tomas Arana as Evan is clearly the leading man in the first half of the film while Hugh Quarshie as Father Gus takes the leading man honours in the film's second half.  Arana is excellent as Evan; especially when he's possessed by evil and menaces a 14 year old Asia Argento as the sacristan's daughter. 

Shakespearean actor Hugh Quarshie is also excellent as the down-to-earth Father Gus who tries to defeat the evil in the church.  Tomas Arana has a long career in films such as GLADIATOR, HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, THE BODYGUARD, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, Soavi's next film THE SECT and . . . hey! . . . .FRANKENFISH!  Hugh Quarshie appeared on stage in Shakespearean productions including his ground-breaking performance as the lead in OTHELLO; he also appeared in such films as NIGHT BREED, HIGHLANDER, STAR WARS EPISODE ONE:  THE PHANTOM SCREENPLAY and in the DOCTOR WHO storyline DALEKS IN MANHATTAN/EVOLUTION OF THE DALEKS. 

Actor/director Asia Argento is well known for DEMONS 2, TRAUMA, THE STENDHAL SYNDROME, Dario Argento's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, LAST DAYS, Romero's LAND OF THE DEAD, THE MOTHER OF TEARS and ARGENTO'S DRACULA.  Leading lady Barbara Cupisti appearing as Lisa also has an impressive genre Cv including THE NEW YORK RIPPER, STAGEFRIGHT: AQUARIUS, OPERA and CEMETERY MAN before going on to an award-winning career as a documentary filmmaker. 

The Bishop is played by venerable Russian actor Feodor Chaliapin Jr.; son of the world-famous opera singer Feodor Sr.  Chaliapin Jr. played a similar role as this in THE NAME OF THE ROSE as well as becoming best known perhaps for his role in MOONSTRUCK; other film appearances include Dario Argento's INFERNO, Val Lewton's production of THE SEVENTH VICTIM, the Abbott & Costello comedy LOST IN A HARM (!), Fellini's ROMA and FOR WHO THE BELL TOLLS.