By Melissa Antoinette Garza
Desecration is an American horror movie, that much like The Blair Witch Project, was released in 1999 and had a very low budget. The similarities, however end there. Whereas, The Blair Witch Project is hailed as a classic yet criticized for its method of telling and not showing, Desecration is barely known and concentrates far more on visuals than on the plot. That said, Desecration is not only a scarier production, but a better one. Even though it is not as developed, its story is a far more interesting one.
Bobby (Danny Lopes) is a troubled teenager attending Catholic School. As a child, his mother dies and he never comes to peace with her demise. While outside flying a remote control airplane, he accidentally hits a nun severing her neck. She dies as the priest confronts Bobby who is in shock.
Soon, strange supernatural events begin happening. A pit to hell opens as diabolical clowns and maniacal nuns begin chasing Bobby down. He’s tormented by visions of his mother as he is in a huge crib and a Jack-in-the-Box sways from side to side behind him.
His grandmother (Irma St. Paul), Matilda, experiences the same horrors and seeks the help of a psychic who feels how close the evil is.
The conclusion is abrupt but does make sense if the viewer pays close attention to the movie from start to finish. This isn’t one to daydream to. The events aren’t spelled out, but instead hints, hallucinations, and dark imagery are used to tell the tale.
After viewing, I learned that initially this movie was a short filmed in 1994 by director and writer Dante Tomaselli. I’m very interested in seeing the original production and am absolutely looking forward to Tomaselli’s reboot of Alice Sweet Alice. With his 70s style and ability to be absolutely frightening, I wouldn’t be surprised if his version is superior to the 1976 creepy classic.
Though Desecration is a difficult find and somewhat expensive on Amazon, it’s a must-own for any fan of the genre. Tomaselli is like Dario Argento meets David Lynch, and what emerges from his mind is brilliance.
Maybe back in 1999, American horror fans wanted less scares and more shocking twists like with The Sixth Sense. I’m happy that era is over and hoping that we see a lot more come from Tomaselli because it is obvious he not only understands what is scary, but he knows how to capture it on film.
Scared Stiff Rating: 9/10 Yes! It’s really that good!
