indianasmith
Archeologist, Theologian, Elder Scrolls Addict, and a
B-Movie Kraken
Karma: 2594
Posts: 15209
A good bad movie is like popcorn for the soul!
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« on: July 10, 2010, 11:10:10 PM » |
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This is a pretty fun bad movie. Yes, it was made for TV. Yes, in fact, I think it even aired on the SyFy Channel. But that did not keep me from enjoying it at all!
The basic premise is this:
A carnival is coming to the small town of Reliance, where Sheriff Atlas (well played by Lou Diamond Philips) presides over the typical, sleepy life of the quiet town. Cap, the Circus owner, has just purchased a hideous creature that he bills as "God's Greatest Abomination," the Jersey Devil. However, since the circus has fallen on hard times, he murders the dealer that the beast was purchased from and orders one of his circus geeks to go dump the body somewhere. He then contacts a wealthy collector to arrange for the sale of the beast, so he can keep the circus up and going. Meanwhile, the local preacher is railing against the carnival and its performers, blasting them as sinners, degenerates, and freaks.
(Pause for rant) You know, I am the son of a pastor and have served as a pastor myself. I have been around pastors and hung out with them my whole life. I have seen them in the pulpit and away from the pulpit. Some of them are highly intelligent, educated men, others are simple but dedicated men. Most are kind and loving, some are angry, and a few are narrow minded and intolerant. But I have NEVER met a pastor who acts like the character in this film. Nearly every pastor I have met would be more inclined to take his kids to a visiting carnival rather than denounce it so violently from the pulpit! I sometimes wonder if ANYONE in Hollywood has ever set foot inside a church. Virtually everything they portray about church in general (at least, Protestant churches) and religion as a whole is so contrary to reality as to be comical. This preacher was a violent psycho, and not at all likable. (End of rant)
Well, the circus opens and the Jersey devil is being displayed to a shocked crowd - shocked, that is, except for the preacher's obnoxious son, who pelts it with popcorn, causing it to break free from its bonds and its cage and go on a murderous rampage. Carnage ensues, and Sheriff Atlas and Cap are in a frantic race to either kill or recapture the murderous beast.
OPK, what worked in this film - The circus freaks are genuinely creepy looking, especially the Man with Two Faces. The gore is pretty convincing - in fact, in one later scene in the movie, where a circus freak has her throat torn open by the beast, I had to rewind and see it again, trying to figure out how they made it look so real. On the downside - the characters are fairly shallow, and the ending a bit cliched, but this is still a very fun bad movie that anyone can enjoy.
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