DEVIL'S TOWER

DEVIL'S TOWER

Sarah (Roxanne Pallett) is an evidently troubled young lady - we learn from overhearing her mother on the telephone to a friend that she's been homeless for some time, suspected of prostitution - who is housed into a high rise apartment block in London.

Upon arrival there, she encounters the smarmy young landlord, who moans of a current problem in the place with squatters (or, as he puts it, "squa'ers").

Making her way via the usually graffiti-strewn lifts to her new home in apartment 203 - "the murder flat" as workshy neighbour Michael (Larry Waller) ominously declares - she also gets acquainted with oddball caretaker Carnacki (Eddie Webber). He likes to watch the tower block's tenants comings-and-goings on the rather rudimentary CCTV system set up in his little office. Even fellow neighbour, attractive blonde Kate (Jessica-Jane Stafford) seems a little too much like a highly strung version of Tess Daly to tolerate being around for too long.

And yet, due to whatever hard times have fallen upon Sarah, this is now her world. Thank God then when she's befriended by wisecracking squatter Sid (Jason Mewes). He's hardly normal, but at least he seems like fun.

But ... power cuts, people disappearing, the aforementioned CCTV footage suggesting supernatural terrors to come ...Albion Court, Sarah's new home, is not nicknamed "Devil's Tower" without good reason.

At times cheap beyond belief, DEVIL'S TOWER feels surprisingly amateurish considering it managed to lure ex-'Emmerdale' starlet Pallett and Kevin Smith regular Mewes into its cast. They hardly rise to the occasion, while those around them positively reek of ineptitude.

What begins as an urban horror soon morphs into a tale of a tower block possessed by a malevolent spirit. But no sooner has this been established than director Owen Tooth and writer Adam J Marsh transform the ensuing events into a zombie flick. A shambling one with crappy special effects at that.

In its favour ... no, actually, there's nothing in DEVIL'S TOWER's favour. It's not that its shit, it's just that it's not good. It's pointless elaborating really: the camerawork is ugly, performances are weak, colour correction during brief outdoor scenes is distractingly obvious, dialogue doesn't ring true, the plodding piano-led score annoys, the horror elements are clumsily executed, the occasional efforts at comedy are excruciating, Mewes looks positively embarrassed by his inclusion...

Webber's by far the best thing in the film. And he's not winning any awards soon, mark my words.

The 16x9 2.35:1 transfer looks pretty good on Monster Pictures' UK DVD, affording the film a polished sheen true to its HD videography. Colours are striking, blacks are stable. Depth of field is lacking, but that's what you get when you're filming on digital in a poky tenement block. From a visual stance, the film looks clean and sharp, but with a gloss more akin to a modern TV show than a typical horror movie.

English audio comes in options of 2.0 (not bad) and a rousing, bassy 5.1 mix.

A static main menu page kicks off events. From there, an animated scene selection menu allows access to the film via 8 chapters.

In terms of bonus features, the most substantial is surely an audio commentary track from Tooth and Marsh. Their chat is informal and natural, beginning with a potted history of their short works together They promise no back-slapping but we do get that fairly early-on (producer Dominic Burns, take a bow), but then things settle down and we start getting decent information relating more to what's occurring onscreen. Stick with it - even if you may have to bend your ear round their accents.

2 minutes of bloopers consist largely of actors giggling while fluffing their lines.

A 2-minute Behind-the-Scenes gallery offers 25 stills taken during the film's shoot.

Sex, gore and expletives are rife during the film's 106-second trailer.

The disc is defaulted to open with trailers for DARK TOURIST, GUN WOMAN and THROWBACK (with Vernon Wells!). In addition to these, the Extras menu will also gain you access to trailers for CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY VANILLA, THE SEARCH FOR WENG WENG, APOCALYPTIC, BECKONING THE BUTCHER and RAVEN'S CABIN.

DEVIL'S TOWER is distinctive in that I can't readily compare to anything obvious. But its mix of supernatural possession, zombie mayhem and gritty urban drama are woefully offset by its technical and aesthetic shortcomings.

Also available on blu-ray.

By Stuart Willis


 
Released by Monster Pictures
Region 2 - PAL
Rated 18
Extras :
see main review
Back