A Slasher Theater Casting Call: Phantasm

As I’ve said before, I started this blog because I feel as if most of the horror sites out there today are not fully exploring the genre. Sure, every website has movie reviews and previews and whatnot, so, with my blog, I wanted to get a bit more creative.

I’ve started with my slightly unoriginal Top 10 lists and now, in this newest Slasher Theater exclusive, I’ll be recasting some of the best horror films out there with a more updated cast.

Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with any of the films I choose to recast, I just think that a lot of horror remakes flop due to bad casting and below-par acting (I’m looking at you, 2009 Friday the 13^th) so these are the remakes that I think horror fans would really like to see.

This week’s Casting Call will be for one of my personal favorites; Phantasm.

The original Phantasm, released in 1979, was directed by Don Coscarelli and starred Angus Scrimm as one of the creepiest bad guys in history, The Tall Man. The film has since become a cult classic among horror fans and is often regarded as the best independent 70’s horror film around.

Might as well start this off with Mike, the film’s main character. Mike is a very hard role to cast but in the end I chose Kodi Smit-McPhee. You may know him from The Road, or 2010’s vampire hit Let Me In. Mike was a very hard spot to fill because of the very limited amount of child actors that aren’t on god-awful Disney shows (I won’t insult Phantasm and cast one of them) but I decided on Kodi Smit-McPhee because I think he could very effectively portray Mike’s innocent curiosity in the original film.

 The next role is Jody, Mike’s older brother. For this spot, I chose Armie Hammer. Once you get past his very fake-sounding name, you’ll see that he is the perfect person to fill this spot. After his phenomenal performance in The Social Network, there’s no denying that Armie Hammer has some very impressive acting abilities that would surely help in portraying the caring yet doubtful older brother Jody.

For the role of Reggie the ice cream man, Jody and Mike’s companion on their trip through inter-dimensional hell, I chose Sean Whalen. Whalen has some experience in the horror genre including his co-starring in 2009’s Laid to Rest, and would definitely be the perfect actor to portray Reggie.

And finally, you can’t make a good horror movie without a great bad guy, and who better to fill Angus Scrimm’s giant shoes than genre veteran Christopher Lee. Lee is, without a doubt, the greatest horror actor of all time. He’s portrayed Dracula, The Mummy AND Frankenstein’s monster during his long career at Hammer films. And the only two actors that even come close to being as talented as Lee? His two best friends, of course, Vincent Price and Peter Cushing. At age 89, Lee is a hardened veteran of horror and would the absolute perfect actor to play the Tall Man. Just picture it: Christopher Lee, with his wonderful voice, bellowing out the line “The funeral is about to begin... SIIIRRR!”

Well, there you have it, the first ever Slasher Theater Casting Call. This was a very difficult thing to do but I did enjoy it and will continue to create future Casting Calls. If you didn’t like or didn’t agree with my choices, speak up! Leave a comment and I’ll surely take your choice of actors into consideration and perhaps re-edit my Casting Call.

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Spielberg and JJ Abrams on Super 8

In this exclusive interview with Empire Online, JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg talk about the origin of this summer's Super 8 and how the project came to be.

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New clip from Fright Night 3D

In this new clip, from the now R-rated Fright Night remake, Jerry (Colin Farrell) has a little man-to-man conversation with Charlie (Anton Yelchin) about his loved ones.

Tags: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

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A Slasher Theater Top 10: Best Masks in Horror

Well folks, it's that time of the week again, and this time the poll shows that this Top 10 will the best masks in horror.

10.

Leatherface of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a classic horror villain with a very well-known mask. The damn thing is made of human skin, could you get more bad ass than that?

9.

The mask in Terror Train is just plain creepy. Just look at it, not exactly the type of thing you'd want to encounter on a dark train car. 

8.

The military-style mask used in The Prowler creates a truly terrifying and completely faceless slasher villain. 

7.

For some reason, there is something very scary about Jason's mask in Friday the 13th Part II. What makes it even more creepy is how when this film came out, Jason was still a human being and not some iconic monster-man, and what's more terrifying than a crazed deranged and deformed lunatic with a sack over his head?

6.

Well, I'll tell you whats more terrifying than a crazed deranged and deformed lunatic with a sack over his head, an undead scarecrow crazed deranged and deformed lunatic with a sack over his head, as seen in Dark Night of the Scarecrow!

5.

The title of the movie may be Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon but the titular mask itself is surely an impressive slasher face that won't soon be forgotten.

4.

Scream's Ghostface mask is the most important element of the film, hiding the killers face and keeping the mystery alive. The mask itself wasn't designed by some award-winning artist or special effects guru, it was simply found in a bedroom while Wes Craven was scouting locations for the film and soon became the most memorable part of the movie.

3.

The spray-painted white William Shatner mask of John Carpenter's Halloween is the face that created the slasher genre and is one that has remained creepy throughout the ages.

2.

The hockey mask didn't make it's first appearance until Friday the 13th Part III, but has since become the most iconic mask in the history of cinema. Going back and watching the film now makes you realize how powerful and impactful that faithful scene on the dock is when Jason Voorhees emerges from the farm house in the mask. 

Jason and Michael have already made the list, so this week's number one may come as a surprise...

1. 

The mutha-fuckin pig mask. This mask has made appearances in Motel Hell (pictured above), the Saw franchise and will rise again in the upcoming slasher film Madison County. Something is just down right scary about a man wearing the face of a dead pig. In my opinion, Motel Hell has the most effective usage of the pig mask in making the bad guy look truly menacing and scary.

Honorable Mentions: Slipknot's horror inspired masks, The Strangers, Frank the Bunny from Donnie Darko, The masks worn by characters in Ben Affleck's film The Town

There you have it folks! The best masks in horror. Check out the poll in the sidebar for next weeks Top 10 choices. Make sure you vote!

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A Serbian Film: Hands Dabbled in Blood

Violence. Sex. Taboo. A Serbian Film is a strange and daring look into all of these subjects rolled up into one movie. 

Aged porn star Milos is retired and struggling to support his family when he receives a strange offer to do one last film. Reluctantly, he accepts, plunging into a deep, dark underworld of rape, murder and pure insanity. 

Before discussing anything else, I think it'd be a good idea to give you some background information on A Serbian Film. 

The film first surfaced in 2010 on the underground art film circuit in Serbia.

Soon enough, it gained enormous amounts of attention due to its extremely graphic scenes of rape, pedophilia, necrophilia and sexual violence. Serbian officials immediately began investigations to see if the film violated Serbian law. As we speak it is being investigated for "elements of crime against sexual morals and crime related to the protection of minors".

The film was also banned by a Spanish court because it "threatened sexual freedom" and thus could not be shown in the XXI Semana de Cine Fantástico y de Terror (21st Horror and Fantasy Film Festival) held in Spain.

In October of 2010, the film was shown at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain. As a result, the festival's director, Ángel Sala, was charged for exhibiting child pornography after receiving a complaint from a Catholic organization about scenes involving the rapes of a young child of approximately 11 years of age and a newborn. To this day, these investigations are ongoing.

All of the controversy surrounding the film has drawn the attention of most members of the horror and film community. The most hotly debated issue is the persecution of festival director Ángel Sala. 

Most notably, director/writer/actor Eli Roth is campaigning for Sala's freedom and the freedom to show A Serbian Film. Roth stated on his Twitter:

"A horrible situation is happening to the director of the Sitges Film Festival in Spain. He may be jailed up to 1 year for showing a film.The director, Angel Sala, is one not only an incredibly kind person with a loving family but he has given new filmmakers a chance for years. A prosecutor is going after him for showing A Serbian Film . Horror fans - please make noise about this. It's dangerous for all filmmakers."

"I have seen A Serbian Film, the whole situation is absurd and very disturbing. All the child scenes are off camera. It's the subject matter they are prosecuting him for. It sends a terrifying message to festivals."

A Serbian Film has become a thing of legend in the horror community. It's hype and mysteriousness have made people so intrigued with the film that on May 13th, through Invincible Pictures, a heavily edited version of the film ran an extremely limited circuit in the United States. 

Fortunately, I was able see the film in its unedited form with English subtitles  this past week.

The first 2 acts of the film are pure setup. They introduce you to Milos, his family, and his work. The suspense of the first hour of the film is painful and may have you wondering why the film was censored other than for some mild sex scenes that pop up throughout.

It is the last half hour of the movie that begins the ride through hell. There are scenes so utterly disturbing and violent that even I, a huge horror fan and gore hound, was slightly uncomfortable watching them (which is really saying something). 

As Eli Roth said, most of the violence towards children is implied, but the rest of it is right in front of your face. Unlike films such as Saw and Hostel, A Serbian Film makes sure to include a completely realistic decapitation scene, and I can assure you, it ain't quick, and it ain't pretty.

Despite the fact that the violence and sexual acts towards children are off-screen and implied, they are still horribly disturbing and strange. Most reviews have brought up the scene titled "Newborn Porn" and yes, it is exactly what you think. Exactly. 

These strong, in-your-face depictions of violence and sex are, however, some of the most transgressive things I've ever seen. A Serbian Film can surely be counted as a huge "Fuck you" to censorship and the mainstream and has gained international attention in being such. There's not a single filmmaker in the world willing to do what  director Srdjan Spasojevic has done by simply creating and releasing A Serbian Film. It is similar to fellow transgressive horror film Cannibal Holocaust in that regard.

 

Overall, A Serbian Film makes The Human Centipede look like Blues Clues, and because of that, it is a movie worth seeking out and viewing. The story, despite how strange and unorthodox it may be, was well written and contains a twist ending that will have your jaw dropping all the way down to your feet. 

(To sign a petition for the freedom of Ángel Sala, click here)

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Summer of Blood: Horror Films of Summer 2011

With Summer 2011 finally here, it's time to take a look at and preview this summers horror releases. 

Super 8 (June 10th)

JJ Abrams, the creative mind behind Lost, brings us this Steven Spielberg produced sci-fi film that still remains shrouded in mystery. The story is about a group of friends making super 8 films (that's a type of camera, for those younger readers) when they witness a train crash. Soon, strange and unusual things begin happening all around them. 

Many will say that JJ Abrams' habit of keeping secrets from his viewers is getting gimmicky and stupid, but just think about it, do you know anyone that didn't want to know what that damn Cloverfield monster was? JJ Abrams knows that people want the truth more than anything, and by hiding from them, he pretty much guarantees that people will see his movies. Well played, JJ.

 

The Ward (July 8th)

John Carpenter's return to horror promises to be a super creepy paranormal film starring the painfully hot Amber Heard. John Carpenter has contributed some incredible films to the genre (Halloween, The Thing, Prince of Darkness) so there's no reason not to have faith that his newest movie will be a hit.

Fright Night (August 19th) 

This vampire remake of the 1985 classic looks, well, it actually looks pretty good. Colin Farrell looks great as the bad-ass vampire next door neighbor who's trying to steal away unsuspecting Charlie Brewster's (Anton Yelchin) whole life. Plus, who better to play the spazmatic Evil Ed than Christopher Mintz-Plasse?

Apollo 18 (August 26th)

This "found footage" horror film (the same style as Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project) is about a secret mission to the moon and what terrible secrets it uncovered. 

Between this and Super 8, it looks like this will be the summer of Sci-Fi and aliens. I really like the concept of this film and think that if it's done right, it'll be a great horror movie for years to come.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (August 26th)

Guillermo del Toror produces this ultra-creepy film about a small family who's move to a New England mansion will have them welcoming some unwanted guests.

Despite the fact that del Toro did not direct the film, it definitely has the same overall tone and feeling as Pan's Labrynth in the sense that it's almost mystical and fairy-tale-like in its story.   I'm very excited for this film and will certainly be seeing it opening night despite my excitement for Apollo 18.

Final Destination 5 (August 28th)

Hey! Remember back in 2009 when the released The FINAL Destination? And remember how a bunch of people went to see it? Well they decided to pull a Friday the 13th: The FINAL Chapter and just make another one anyway.

Much like every other Final Destination film, FD5 tells the story of a group of attractive young people who accidentally escape death and are then killed off in horrible, horrible ways.

The Final Destination films are just big compilations of death scenes that can be very over-done and very bad. Personally, I would skip Final Destination 5.



And there you have it folks, let the summer of blood commence!

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John Carpenter returns to horror this summer with The Ward

Judging by the sidebar pole, I think it's safe to say that my readers love John Carpenter as much as I do. So when I heard about The Ward, I was pretty excited.

Although in more recent years Carpenter has been lacking, I think that his return to horror (this is his first true horror  film since 1995) will be quite successful.

The Ward tells the story of Kristen (played by the insanely hot Amber Heard) a patient in a mental institution who begins to have paranormal experiences with a strange girl who haunts the titular ward. 

The trailer looks pretty solid and makes me even more confident in Mr. Carpenter's newest horror film.

The Ward hits Video On Demand on June 8th, and will be released in theaters on July 8th.

If you're not convinced that this movie is worth seeing, just look at Amber Heard one more time.

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A Slasher Theater Editorial: What does it mean to be a horror fan?

Picture this: You’re at the movie theater, surrounded by a few friends, here to see the latest big-budget studio horror film with all those creepy commercials and posters all around the cinema, talking about whatever it is that’s on your mind to pass the time. And then, all of a sudden, the house lights dim, the screen adjusts and everybody quiets down. What are you feeling?

To many people, it’s just that slight hint of relief that the wait is over. It’s now time to get your money’s worth by simply watch the movie.

For some, however, it’s an entirely different feeling. It’s excitement. It’s a slight adrenaline rush. Sometimes it may even be a slight nervousness. Whatever it may be, that big dark room invokes something within people. People who’ve been waiting for this, who knew exactly what they were doing today a week in advance, people who would’ve come to see this movie alone if they couldn’t find any friends who wanted to see it. It is these people who pack midnight premieres and exclusive screenings. It is these people who knew the director, producer, stars and composer of the score before seeing the movie. It is these people who already know that there’s a sequel in the works. It is these people who have been home reading all the horror blogs (like Slasher Theater!) before leaving for the movie theater.

So who are these obsessive fans who show up at 11:30 at night for midnight screenings in their Evil Dead t-shirts with glassy eyes from staring at a computer or TV screen all day? These are horror fans.

But what, exactly, makes a horror fan any different than the average movie-goer? The obvious answer is the devotion to one genre; however, it’s so much more than that.

Horror is more than a movie-type, it is an entire culture.

With the exception of Sci-Fi, no other genre of film has such a profound impact on its fans. No other genre has sparked websites, books, conventions, music, comic books, and art devoted entirely to the films.

Many horror fans have been true since a very young age. Whether it be because of an accidental viewing of Halloween at age 5 or just a lot of junior high school angst, it’s not often that you find someone who’s been a fan for a year or so. Don’t misinterpret what I’m saying though, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with new fans, in fact, it is new fans that keep the genre alive. All I’m saying is that horror is filled with some long-time veterans.

One thing that differs between Horror fans and Sci-Fi fans is that we are much more accepting of each other. There are plenty of Trekkies that hate Star Wars fans and vice versa, but horror doesn’t have this internal animosity. Whether you’ve been watching horror movies for three weeks or thirty years, everyone gets along just fine.

Horror fans do still have it pretty rough though. There are tons and tons of great horror films, however, with every passing week, there are also tons and tons of bad remakes and movies. The classics will always be there, but it’s not easy to find good horror films with real substance these days. Although, sometimes it is these bad films that help us appreciate the great ones, but no one likes having to sift through to dirt in search of diamonds.

Another hardship of being a die-hard is people who don’t understand it. “Why do you like movies with so much blood? Are you an angry person? Are you violent?” Some people don’t and never will understand it because it can’t be explained. I don’t know why I hate happy endings or why I root for the killer. I don’t know why movies like Hostel and The Human Centipede don’t gross me out in the slightest. I suppose horror is not an acquired taste, you’re either a part of it, or you just don’t get it. And it’s as simple as that.

Another important thing to remember about horror fans is how damn fun we are! We like to actually enjoy our movies, not just watch them. We like to poke fun at zombies with movies like The Return of the Living Dead and laugh about alien clowns with cotton candy guns. I mean come on, we have our own section of the comedy genre reserved for films like Ghostbusters and Shaun of the Dead. We don’t take ourselves seriously because life is fun, and we know it. Everyone else can live their lives like a mindless zombie, but we’ll save that part for after we die.

People can say and think that horror films have a negative impact on society all they want, but this is due purely to ignorance. Think about it, what social, racial, or economic group is associated with horror? Can’t think of one? My point exactly. Horror fans are the most unrestricting group of people you could ever meet. People claim horror films degrade women, but let’s look at the facts here: Who was the protagonist in Halloween? Scream? A Nightmare on Elm Street? All women, all bad ass. If anything, horror is empowering for women, they’re the ones conquering these hulking masked madmen while their boyfriends piss themselves in the corner.

However, despite our unique taste, we’re never pretentious or snotty about our choices in films. I would never look down on someone because they’ve never seen Evil Dead and when I ask someone whether or not they’ve seen a film, I’m not doing it to seem more cultured than who ever I’m talking to. I want to share my interest, not force it. And if I suggest a film to you and you end up not liking it, I won’t question you or tell you you’re wrong, horror’s not for everyone, that’s what makes it special.

To sum up, being a horror fan means being yourself. And if you’re not a horror fan deep down on the inside, you’ll never understand it. We’re a diverse group of people who are in no way insular or unwelcoming, we just want to love what we love and if you do too, then that’s pretty cool. 

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A Sequel for Insidious?

Jason Blum says "I wouldn't say we're not considering it," 

Insidious has grossed almost $70 million worldwide, and with so much success, it's obvious that there would be sequel rumors before Insidious' theater run is even finished. 

Blum said "There's no plan, no release date, nothing like that. I think James feels the same as Oren [Peli]. Oren was very skeptical about doing a sequel to Paranormal Activity until Michael [Perry] pitched an idea and it made sense. If Leigh comes up with a story that's inventive and you feel like there's a story to tell - as opposed to 'let's make another movie and make money' - and he comes up with something James feels is worth making we would do it. And if Leigh doesn't, we won't."

I'll be the first to say it: Insidious doesn't need a sequel. Just don't make a sequel, it's as simple as that. I would much rather see the Wan/Leigh team  working on a new original film to try and top Insidious rather than a sequel that won't even come close to the first film.

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Fan of Action Movies?

 
Here at Slasher Theater, we try our best to cover the most important and interesting news in horror. Whether it be movies, music, television, or whatever, it's all here. 

But, if you're looking for a blog that covers all of your favorite action films and stars, you might want to head over to The Big Screen Beatdown. 

As the blog's creator states "I pretty much made this blog due to the apparent lack of action movie blogs I could find on the internet. I'm not gonna lie...the action movie has increasingly become a lost art form after the 80's, but the genre still has some gems."  

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Full Length "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" Trailer

The Guillermo del Toro produced remake of the 1973 television movie of the same name promises to be this summer's fright-fest. Here's the full length UK trailer via Empire

 

By the looks of it, this film is going to be a super creepy movie that's sure to keep viewers up at night for weeks after seeing it. 

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark hits theaters this August.

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Shark Night 3D poster and HD trailer

Playing off of the recent rise in creature-feature cheese-fests (Piranha 3D, Sharktopus, etc),  Shark Night 3D tells the story of a group of young people vacationing at a lake that is, for some reason, infested with, you guessed it, man-eating sharks.

Although I'm sure that Shark Night 3D will not actually be a good movie, films like this are bringing the fun back into horror. With mostly serious films being released throughout the 2000s, it's pretty cool that recently a bunch of fun movies have been coming out with laughably ridiculous stories and lots of blood and gore.

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Chucky is About to Get Digital

That's right folks, a Child's Play video game is finally in the works!

TikGames has a deal with Universal Partnerships & Licensing to design and develop the first game based on the franchise that has made Chucky a superstar. 

Supposedly the gamer will play as Chucky and will have the opportunity to hack and slash through unsuspecting victims. Thats pretty much all that anyone knows about the game so far, but we'll hopefully be seeing some more news on this soon. 

If the game is done right, this could be an insanely fun experience for horror fans and a great way to traumatize and mentally disturb 12 year olds. 

So for now, we'll just have to wait and see. Horror movies have had some pretty bad luck with video game adaptions (e.g. Friday the 13th) but, with the recent rise in successful horror-themed games (e.g. F.E.A.R., Dead Space) we can't lose faith just yet.

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A Slasher Theater Weekly Top 10: Horror Bad Guys

Well, it seems we couldn't break the tie of this weeks poll so I've decided to just choose one of the top voted choices and do Horror Bad Guys for this weeks Top 10

10.

 

Laid to Rest's ChromeSkull is a badass, high-tech slasher villain with some equally bad ass murder techniques 

9.

Harry Warden is a miner gone mad....and that's all I have to say about that

8.

 Keep in mind, this only applies to Child's Play Chucky and none of the sequels 

7.

Although technically Ghostface is more than one person, the idea of the killer in Wes Craven's Scream definitely deserves to make this list....and no, Ghostface Killah is not going to make the Top 10

6.

Candyman...Candyman...Candyman...Candyman....Candyman

5.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the best slasher films of all time, so it's obvious that I'd include Leatherface 

4.

I could've easily just said Pinhead, however, I feel it's necessary to include all 4 of the Cenobites because Pinhead didn't become the main bad guy until the god awful sequels. 

3.

I don't even need to say anything here. Jason Voorhees.

2.

Halloween is, in my opinion, the first slasher horror film ever made (I don't count Psycho as the first true slasher), making Michael Myers the granddaddy of the genre and an influence on every slasher film ever made.

Well, if Jason and Mikey are already on the list then that can only mean that number one is...

1.

Freddy Krueger is the number one horror bad guy for many, many reasons. The first of which being that he's got brains. Jason and Michael Myers have the brute strength to get the job done, however, Freddy's got the smarts and wit to finish off his victims. A Nightmare on Elm street's killer is the man of your dreams...you've just gotta hope you never, ever meet him (your father will never approve) .



So, that's it for this week's Top 10. Check out the poll on the sidebar to vote for the next one !

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A tie!

It seems we have a tie for this weeks Top 10 so I'm going to open up the poll for one more day and see if I can get a tie breaker! Make sure you vote!

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Priest 3D: Let there be vampires!

A 3D movie that doesn't suck in 3D? Is it possible? I think so, and it's name is Priest. 

In a futuristic world where the earth is left destroyed and barren after a war between man and vampire, an ancient group of warriors known as the priests end the conflict with their superior war tactics. However, years after the end of the fighting, the priests are useless and are forced to blend back into a society that no longer needs them. Soon, a rouge group of vampires led by a former-priest-turned-vamp attacks a small farming family in the empty wasteland. The titular priest, along with the help of a wasteland sheriff named Hicks, sets out to avenge the death of the family (which we find out is in fact Priest's brother) and save their kidnapped young daughter. The ruling clergy deems this quest unholy and excommunicate Priest, sending out his former comrades to hunt him down. 

The most impressive thing about Priest was definitely the visuals of the film. It managed to capture the tone of the bleak future while keeping it visually pleasing and interesting. Dark cityscapes, open wastelands, deep vampire lairs, Priest had em all. And along with those impressive landscapes, the CGI and special effects also ended up being above par. The re-imagining of what vampires should look like was awesome, there were no sparkles or H&M wardrobes in this one, and the Familiars (humanoid vampires that aren't fully transformed yet) were reminiscent of Count Orlok from Nosferatu. 

Another interesting aspect of Priest was the story. Based on the 1998 Korean comic by Hyung Min-woo, the plot kept me interested throughout the entire way through and even left me wanting a sequel in the near future. That's how you can really tell if you liked a movie or not, if you want to see a sequel, you liked the film. 

Also, I liked the social commentary regarding the church and religion hidden within the story. Throughout the film, the church is portrayed as brain-washing, insensitive, and holding true to the belief that going against any little thing that the church says is directly going against God himself.  A few examples of this are the church propaganda videos that play throughout every inch of the large city and the confession booth where the "sinner" talks into a microphone and receives pre-recorded messages from a screen in front of them.

 However, there were things I didn't like about Priest as well. First off was the characters. The acting was fine, however the fact that almost none of the main characters had names was something that caused me to feel as if the characters lacked depth. I found myself referring to Maggie Q's character as "girl priest" and Karl Urban as "cowboy guy". 

Another thing I noticed was that there were things that the movie expected you to already know from the comic, one of these things being the origin of the Familiars and what they were. Luckily for me, a friend of mine who saw the film with me had read the comics and informed me of a few things so that I understood. 

So, overall, Priest was a stylized, futuristic, steampunk, sci-fi action thriller that kept me interested throughout the entire film. It wasn't a masterpiece but it wasn't terrible either. It was the type of movie that you'll see on the New Release shelf at Best Buy in 6 months and think to yourself "Oh, Priest was pretty good I guess." and not the type of film that you'll be running out to purchase.

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