'Creaturealm: Demons Wake' is the umbrella title for what in fact is a combination of two short (and very differing) genre films. The first of these is what looks like a very original and refreshing pilot for what would be a sure-fire TV show success.
Under the subtitle of 'Possession...is nine tenths of the law', this well polished production is a heady mix of courtroom drama and crazy occult shenanigans. The main plot encompasses a scared and confused woman who is up on trial for not only murdering her husband but also mutilating his corpse and eating his flesh. The problem being that the poor woman doesn't remember a thing about the events and her lawyer Pat MacManus is determined to do his best to find out the truth in defence of his client. Onto the scene come hippie throwback occult investigator John D (played to perfection by the films creator David Rains) who in time convinces MacManus that there is more to this case than simple murder - that in fact the evidence points to demonic possession. But how can they prove something so unplausibly fantastic to the courtroom? Is indeed the woman a victim of something untowardly evil or is she in fact guilty of this hideous crime?
'Possession...' is a real surprise low budget movie find, highly original and far more entertaining than most of the factory farmed output genre TV that we are subjected to these days. An engrossing bizarre mix of Ally McBeal and bloody satanic possession, director Tim Thomson and writer Rains have come up with a successful combination that should sate not only genre movie fans but have casual viewers sitting up in their seats as the courtroom scenarios get wilder as the film goes on. You see as the case goes on and the defence team of MacManus and John D go to length to prove their clients innocence they go to headier extremes to do just that. Voodoo Queens, demons and even a re-animated corpse are all wheeled out as witnesses to a growingly astonished jury in this thoroughly enjoyable genre courtroom romp. Ideally, honchos from TV channels like 'Sci-Fi' should be passing some cash these guys way to get some of these in production!
Next up following 'Possession' is the far more light hearted 'Dryer Straits', a very short film about an old lady, her unpleasant companions and a clothes dryer! Basically, the poor old dear discovers a rash on her skin and ponders that it must be down to the detergent she's using. Both her thieving neighbour and her money-grabbing daughter show selfish disinterest as her rash problems continue (well their more interested in what the old dear has got in her purse for stealing). I'm loathe to say exactly what happens in the films climax but needless to say fans of vintage horrors of the Tales of the Crypt variety should be chuckling merrily by the time the conclusion unfolds! Michael Legge's 'Dryer Straits' is pretty much filler material but an all round solid production and a very enjoyable one at that.
'Creaturealm: Demons Wake' offers up some of the great talent that is out there in genre filmmaking and will be of interest to folk like myself that are keen to experience what the bigshots in Hollywood haven't discovered yet. Check it out!
For more details on 'Creaturealm: Demons Wake', check out the movies cool website by clicking here.
Back