Holy Terror

Intensity

Stupidity:Nudity Ratio

9:4

Budget

Low

 

I normally try to be nice to novice filmmakers because of the difficulty just getting a film completed. Overcoming these hurdles should be deserving of some credit even if the finished product sucks. In this case, however, the filmmaker should be past his rank novice years and ready to offer the film's audience something entertaining. Holy Terror fails to do this.

As our story opens we see a priest probably trying to prevent a nun from being possessed. Then the credits roll and we see a Real Estate Agent in his office, then at a property talking to the possessed nun then at his office and then back at the property again talking to the nun, pausing only to kick a priest out of another property. The agent asks the nun about the "old man" and why she couldn't wait. Apparently the nun decides that the house should not go to the family that is moving in (perhaps because a priest was trying to bless the house) and instead it goes to a nice, cute, young, couple. Clearly this was the right choice because as soon as they sign the deal on the house, we see them having sex in it. After the guys wakes the wife up with his bad dream, she has a bad dream as well. That night the "guys" come over for a house warming party. There is drinking, dancing and consulting a Ouija board. Soon all the guest are killed except one, who the Agent saves from the nun. As he drives her toward Mexico, he says to her "the story began about five years ago" and then the movie ends.

To say this leaves some unanswered questions is a bit of an understatement. Did a demon take over the Nun's body? If a priest couldn't keep a nun from being possessed, why would the nun be concerned about a simple house blessing? How did the Real Estate Agent get involved? Was there some reason that the victims had to be in that house? Why not just random people off the street or some random house?

I've mentioned before that the way to get around budget deficiencies is to throw time at a project. Write and re-write the script until you get not only the logic bombs out of it but you have something that you can shoot on your budget. Rehearse the actors, a lot. After the shooting, edit the movie ruthlessly.

This shot is used multiple times in the film. It is an Establishing Shot. As all of the action takes place in the same location, what's the point. But a bigger concern is you can't see anything. Go and re shoot it or don't use it.
Just because you can shoot in low light with a video camera does not mean that you should. The image comes up very grainy and contrasty. Light the room properly and then in post production darken the image if that is what you want.
While it is pretty common to use odd angles to depict tension or impending danger, it is more common to see shots like this when there is not enough room for the camera and the actors. The doorway in the back is off kilter and the lighting is harsh.
Sigh. Blood squirting so uniformly from her mouth, why it almost looks like it is coming from a tube. But what is worse is that scene makes no sense. She was drinking heavily earlier and later would be back to normal, not incoherent and not possessed. So why is she vomiting blood now?
Besides the fact that white people dancing is rarely entertaining, there is the claustrophobic feel of this shot. Because there is not room enough to a nice full shot, he has everyone crowd into the middle of the room. But the real problem here is that the scene went on for about four minutes. We also cut to the Ouija board three times.

So, is there anything good in the movie? Beverly Lynne gives her usual solid performance and provides all the nudity, although she does use the sheet skirt technique. I think this was because Beverly did not trust the director to not photograph certain bits. None of the actors are given anything demanding to do, so they don't shine or stink. I mean, if their direction consists of "pretend you're drunk", is is that hard to give a credible performance?

Do you suppose static cling would cause the sheet to behave like this?

Beverly's dream.

At one point, Beverly's boyfriends says "the guys are stopping over". Then he opens the door to two attractive women with bottles of champagne. Yes, I know that the word "guys" has come to mean friends, but still how does he get away with this?

Man: Honey, I'm going out with the guys tonight.
Woman: Oh, you mean the guys that are actually leggy babes with big breasts?
|Man: Yes.
Woman: Okay, have fun.

Questions the spirit answered:

Is using a Ouija board a tired plot device?

Are you really going to spell out the answers to the questions letter by letter?

 

 

 

 

When your special effects look like this, maybe you should just skip them all together.

 

Yes, I am giving this movie my lowest rating. The director spent most of his money on Beverly Lynne and Lyndsey Labrum knowing that their fans would likely rent the movie. This is not a bad idea, but you really do need to do something besides have Beverly take her shirt off. While this is pretty entertaining, it is not enough to carry a movie even one as short as this. Holy Terror is just plain unfinished. The basic story line is not particularly new and interesting, but the writer did not put in anything to provide some rules or background. Why is this the last time for the agent? Does the nun have any weaknesses? Why don't any of the victims fight back?

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