Official
Link
Scraps:
Wow. Seriously. Wow. Jason Cavalier and Melantha
Blackthorne have put together one severely twisted and
entertaining romp. The action was well above the normal low
budget fluff, and the fight scenes were on par with the big boys
of Hollywood.
The duality found throughout the film also made its way into my
viewing experience...causing that slightly uncomfortable feeling
of "should I be enjoying this, or sickened by the fact that I
might be enjoying this." Do I dig hot nuns in leather?
Hmm...let me do some more research and get back to you.
Unconscious school girls freshly prepped for a sacrifice?
Quite possibly. Half cyborg vixens from the outer
edges of hell who enjoy a healthy combination of rough sex and
dining on entrails? Alright, maybe a little.
But before I dive into the symbolism and all that fun stuff,
Rufus, you were kind of quiet throughout the film...what's your
take?
Rufus:
Let me first start by saying that this film's action scenes were
far better than I could have ever imagined. I'm not saying they
were good for this budget, I'm saying they were good for even the
million dollar budgets. From the sword fighting to the high
kicking karate, this was top notch. I was very impressed. Having
said that, I too felt slightly dirty for watching some of this.
I've seen many films. Cannibal Holocaust, I Spit on Your
Grave, Last House on the Left, and any Fulci film that
crosses my path. They never really had much effect on me. This one
however left me wanting to take a shower, and watch the 700 Club
all night. Of course after a night of redemption, I wanted to jump
right in and watch this movie again.
Scraps:
Too true. After seeing Melantha's version of hell,
this is one Bum that's cleaning up his act!
Besides the outstanding fight scenes, there were a few other
aspects of the film that really impressed me...the scenery and the
music. The locales really added to the scenes (not your
usual "abandoned warehouse #1 and abandoned warehouse #2 you
see in a lot of low-budget films), and while I'm not a big fan of
heavy guitar rock in movies, there was a good balance of rock and
thematic music. The crazed drum and wailing guitars were
used sparing enough so as not to distract the viewer from the
action.
Another thing that brings down most independent films is how
seriously they take themselves. Sinners & Saints however
mix in some tongue in cheek (and tongue on floor, and tongue in
pants) comedy throughout the film as a gentle reminder that we're
being entertained, not given a lecture on good and evil or
"how to get a movie into Cannes".
Sure, there's blasphemy and political incorrectness. But
there's also Hell's Milkman! C'mon, that's some fun stuff!
Rufus:
You're 100% correct Scraps. While some things were a little
cringe-worthy, they were inventive. What Jason Cavalier and
Melantha Blackthorne have done here is make a movie so crazy, and
entertaining that you have no choice but to love it. This is the
kind of stuff that propels a movie to cult status. What this movie
does so well, is toss you into the madness, where you completely
forget that you are watching a no/low budget film. I also have to
make a point of mentioning the FX of this movie. They are great.
The FX in this movie surpasses about 90% of the direct to DVD
movies that you will find at any video rental store. The computer
animation is professional, along with some amazing makeup work.
Again, the FX added to my disbelief that I was watching a no
budget movie.
Is the movie all roses though? No. There were items that needed
work. One was the story. Melantha has admitted that the
movie at some parts was just being made up along the way, and this
does show at times. Some characters just never show up in the
movie again, without any explanation. Other times the line between
an evil character and a good character blurs on the fly, also with
little or no explanation. The part of the story that really does
not work is the ending. While this may be an attempt to have a
"twist" ending, I was just left wondering what I missed.
Scraps:
Oh, you wacky movie buffs and your "plots".
You amuse me so. This is an action movie. What
makes a good action movie in this reviewer's humble opinion?
Glad you asked:
-
Violence
-
Fire
-
Senseless
nudity
-
Cheesy
lines about kicking ass
-
If
the hero can't beat his way to victory, making some sacrifice
to win
Was I lost at some points in the story? Yup. But hey,
there was more butt kicking on its way, so I didn't really care!
Rufus:
I am old fashion like that. I do like a good story. Did that ruin
this movie for me? No. Absolutely not. This is a perfect movie to
sit around with friends and drink to. The story, and ending, are
the only downsides that I can find to this movie. For every review
there has to be a negative. No movie is perfect. This small
negative says a lot about this movie; Very little to complain
about. The filmmakers did an excellent job of achieving what they
wanted, and that was an outlandish, entertaining movie. This movie
is not for everyone however. This will offend some people, maybe
even sicken. For those out there that enjoy action, gore, and
well...just a hell of a good time, then this movie is a must have.
Luckily for me I fall in the latter category. Say your prayers,
grab some friends, and crack open the Little Kings, cause this
movie is a must see.
Rufus
and Scraps in a box:
4 cans for Bums like us (out of 5)
2 cans for the Conservative Christian Coalition (out of 5)
Directed
by Melantha
Blackthorne
Action
Direction by
Jason Cavalier
Starring
Jason Cavalier, Melantha Blackthorne, Jan Pivon, Dean Leslie,
Liz Faure, Michael Brunet and Tony Watt
Orginal Music by Michael
and Natalia Chirva
Music
by
Tvangeste, Ashes To Ashes, The Evil Boys, Bordello, Festerguts,
Atargatis, Season Of Mourning
Running length
87
minutes
Year
made
2003
Film website www.robomonkey.net/sinnersandsaints/into.htm