And God is empty...just like me... - Zero - Smashing Pumpkins
Guten Tag Fiends!
Today we will examine an interesting little dark bauble called Anti-Christ. If you are expecting to see Damien Thorn and jumping devils you will be disappointed. This film is a decent into despair, darkness, and eventually madness with an enormous amount of sex thrown in. This film is borderline pornographic, but in a different sort of way. The copulation brings no joy to the practitioner, done almost like unwitting ritual and repetitive. Simple void like emptiness adding to the films tone of all consuming sorrow.
Willem Defoe stars in this disturbing film as a therapist who along with his wife is dealing with the death of their son. You see the poor lad falls from the window while the couple is having sex. Upon closer review it looks almost as though the boy is lifted from his crib by an unseen entity, and led to the window. He seemingly is pushed out causing the child to fall to his undeserved doom. The art like factor here is it is not blatantly obvious, very subtle.
Defoe's character probably foolishly attempts to act as his wife's therapist in seeming jealousy over a younger therapist who he seems to dislike. His obvious distance is inversely mirror like of his wife's total despair and self blame. She is having dormant visions of a country side cottage in the woods (evil dead?) Upon arrival the film begins to turn into an art house film of pain, madness, and Foxes that eat themselves and say in demonic voices "Chaos Reigns". The last 20 minutes or so is worth the wait.
This movie for lack of a better term is batshit crazy, and rightfully so. It examines just how dark the journey of despair can be to one suffering, and nails this concept to the proverbial Golgotha cross.
Let's talk Blu ray.
Video: 4 out of 5
This is a very dark film, faded, muted but in a clean manner. The film maker was not going to make a vibrant film for obvious reasons. There is a scene however in an open field when the sun comes out of the clouds is absolutely stunning. Perhaps that is because this is one of the few pieces of light. Dark, dismal, and hard hitting this video presentation matches the film perfectly.
Audio: 5 out of 5
There is nothing negative to say here at all. You hear exactly what is intended to be heard. The sounds are hushed, muted, then BANG an effect hits like a ladle banging a cauldron. Sometimes I found myself grabbing at the remote wondering how the effects got so powerful after a half hour of whispers!
Overall: 4 out of 5
This film is not for the masses. That is the understatement of the week. You simply have to look under the bed to find the monsters here, where in most cases they find you. Psychological tension, unfathomable depression, oh and the supernatural make this a film you may have to watch twice to appreciate. I know I did. Recommended.
And God is empty...just like me... - Zero - Smashing Pumpkins
