The Church (1988)
By:
Dr. Obrero.
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| Anchor Bay (USA). Region 1, NTSC. 1.85:1 (16:9 ennhanced). English DD EX, English Dolby DD 2.0. 102 minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Michele Soavi
Starring: Hugh Quarshie, Tomas Arana, Feodor Chaliapin Jr, Barbara Cupisti, Antonella Vitale, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Asia Argento, Roberto Caruso, Roberto Corbiletto, Alina De Simone, Olivia Cupisti, Gianfranco de Grass
Screenplay: Nick Alexander (dialogue: English version), Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini, Michele Soavi.
Tagline: In this unholy sanctuary you haven't got a prayer
Country: Italy
AKA: La Chiesa, Cathedral of Demons, Demon Cathedral, In the Land of the Demons |
La Chiesa/The Church actually
began life as Demoni 3, but ultimately
appeared as a film in its own right rather, as
talented helmer Michele Soavi began life as a
Dario Argento protégé and has since gone
on to emerge from the auspice of the gialli-master
and forge an oeuvre of his own. To use baseball
parlance, Soavi is 5 from 5 if we discount made-for-TV
rubbish, having gone out to bat five times and
hit a homer every time with Il Mondo dell'orrore
di Dario Argento, Deliria (Stagefright), La Chiesa, La Setta and Dellamorte
Dellamore.
Soavi's third picture opens as a band of the
Teutonic knights, the cruel sect of legend also
known as Knights Templar (see de Ossorio's Le
Noche del Terror Ciego et al) massacre a village
full of suspected devil worshippers. Subsequently,
an imposing gothic church is built above the pit
into which the remains are slung and life goes
on. Cue the present day and a series of events
sees a disparate group of people trapped within
this Cathedral of evil when the sealed crypt of
the architect is breached, and a centuries-old
mechanism designed to prevent the escape of the
demonic pestilence seals up the church and unleashes
a secret closely guarded by the religious order
since the middle ages. Can the innocent survive
this unholy communion or will they become the
damned? Will the demonic evil residing therein
be set free to wreak havoc upon the world?
Employing a similar scenario to that employed
by prior Argento protégé Lamberto Bava's on his
pic Demoni (Demons), that of a race
against time within a sealed environment and encroaching
demonic evil, Soavi crafts a visually stunning,
atmospheric picture onto a fairly run-of-the-mill
linear plot, utilizing sumptuous gothic imagery
amidst the titular environment. All of this is
brought to life handsomely by the director's roving
camera. Soavi throws in some startling demonic
metaphors, some less impressive rubber-monster
demons and plays with his favoured water and key
motifs in engaging fashion. La Chiesa climaxes
with a wonderfully stark coda that ties everything
up superbly, a bleak gesture of the fact that
evil will always prevail, whatever sacrifices
are made for the sake of good. La Chiesa,
co-written and produced by maestro Dario Argento
is a merely competently acted, capably written
picture made superb by wonderfully atmospheric
direction from Michele Soavi, the remarkable,
moody score by Goblin and Keith Emerson, intriguing
subtle historical referencing and fabulous set-design
make this one of the best Italian horror films
outside the classic era. |
| Video |
| Anchor Bay's DVD presents The Church in
an anamorphic widescreen transfer, correctly framed
at 1.85:1. The image looks very impressive indeed,
Anchor Bay has restored the film from its original
elements, and a pristine source print shows no real
signs of age. This movie could've been made yesterday,
I have never seen the film looking this sharp. Colours
are rich, natural looking and are well-balanced,
blacks and whites especially sharp. Shadow delineation,
important in a visually darker picture like The
Church, gradation and flesh tones are flawless.
I didn't see any flaws, artefacting or edge-enhancement
in a virtual reference quality print. Beautiful,
breathtaking. |
| Audio |
| Anchor Bay's disc includes a Dolby Digital Surround
EX track and a Dolby 2.0 Surround option. The Dolby
Digital Surround EX really shines, a vibrant aural
experience, especially impressive in accentuating
the excellent music score from Goblin, Keith Emerson
and Simon Boswell. Dialogue is crisp and clear,
surround speakers used nicely if sparingly (outside
music placement), ambient sounds effectively placed,
the 'echoy' quality of the setting beautifully composed,
and a nice soundstage constructed across the front
three speakers. No problems are evident, and though
the film doesn't exactly rock aurally, Anchor Bay
has done a fine job with it. |
| Extra Features |
| Anchor Bay's disc is a severe disappointment in
the supplements department. All we get here are
a Soavi talent file, the same one from the Stagefright,
disc as well as the film's theatrical trailer. The
trailer is an effective, wordless preview and the
Soavi biography covers his work with Argento, Terry
Gilliam (Baron Munchausen) and his directorial
efforts to date. A bit thin. |
| The Verdict |
| The Church is a worthy addition to any
collection, especially Soavi admirers such as my
self. Beautifully presented by Anchor Bay, though
rather anorexic as regards extras. Superbit by Anchor Bay anyone? |
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