By Melissa Antoinette Garza
I love Masters of Horror. It’s a modern and superior version of Tales From the Crypt and I really wish I had found it sooner. I wished it was still on as it took Hollywood’s greatest names of horror and brought us interesting and fun short films about it.
Now in all honesty, I have never seen Hellboy (2004). I’ve seen Pearlman in plenty of other productions and believe him to be a great actor, but I’ve never seen his “breakout” production. I saw him as the Beast as when I was young I loved the show Beauty and the Beast (1987), but despite hearing great things Hellboy never interested me.
Still, I can openly admit that Pearlman is a great actor. I’d even go as far to say that he’s underrated despite his fame. He was great in Bad Ass (2012) and one of the few things I enjoyed in Pacific Rim (2013).
In this movie, he plays the very insane and very religious Duane (Ron Pealrman). He is a pro-life activist who was banned from the local abortion clinic. He sees his 15 year old daughter Angelique (Caitlin Wachs) go inside and demands to be let inside. His three sons are with him, but the security guard refuses entrance.
After Duane believes he receives a message from God, he doesn’t take no for an answer and he and his sons, enter the facility with guns in hand.
Angelique insists that she was only impregnated a week ago, though the doctor Alex (Mark Feuerstein) and his assistant/lover Kim (Emmanuelle Vaugier) thinks that’s an impossibility. She claims she was raped by a demon and that God wants her to kill the baby.
Of course, Duane and his sons want to “save” her and demands her release. Meanwhile, Alex begins to believe her as Angelique soon looks 9 months pregnant, and her fetus grabs the ultrasound probe from within her stomach.
This is a really great tale. One wouldn’t expect anything less from Carpenter. When the father of the baby shows up, and he does, the design is incredible. Though, not necessarily scary, this is action packed and incredibly well written.
I was one of the few people who are pro-choice and didn’t hate the pro-life political horror film The Life Zone. Though predictable, it delivered an interesting story and well-developed characters. It clearly had a message and was trying to reach the pro-choice side and change their mind; but still if one is strong in their own belief system and has concrete reasoning for it, a film or another opinion won’t change that. I respect people with opposing views and therefore hadn’t any issue with it and actually found enjoyment in it.
I wonder if those who are pro-life will have the same feelings towards this tale. Pro-Life is one on the opposite side of The Life Zone. Some reviewers have said that it doesn’t give a clear view, but I disagree. It’s message though providing a drastic example is that most women don’t choose abortion because it’s an easy way out and it’s rarely a decision made without thought. Typically, women take this choice very seriously and utilize it because it’s necessary. They don’t treat it as a substitute for birth control or the day after-pill. They don’t need to be reminded that adoption is an option. They know this. Whether rape is involved or just a mistaken love affair, sometimes abortion is the only solution. It is without question, that if Angelique felt the need she would have reached for the coat hanger. In the end, she finds another way to destroy the thing that grew inside of her. The villain is clearly Duane who will risk his own children to make sure the baby is born. He doesn’t give a single thought to what his daughter is enduring or her belief system. Instead, he relies only on his own. He believes that God has spoken to him and never even considers that it could have been something or someone else to send him a message.
In a way, Duane is not an evil person. He’s misguided and cruel. He murders and causes unimaginable pain to prove his point, never realizing that his actions are completely contradictory towards his beliefs. If you believe that only God can take a life, it’s hypocritical to take someone else’s despite what they may have done.
I loved this one. I think it’s underrated and misunderstood. I would certainly recommend it to everyone despite what side of the fence they may be on. This doesn’t undercut or diminish either side and it certainly doesn’t demonize all pro-lifers, but it does show that radicals who are willing to be violent to get their message across are wrong. If there is a loving God, it is clear that he, she or it would not condone the actions of Duane or for a real-life example Scott Philip Roeder. Roeder murdered abortion clinic physician George Tiller. Some insane radicals believe that Roeder is some sort of hero, but to the majority, whether pro-life or pro-choice, he’s nothing but a murdering piece of garbage. It is those who believe Roeder is right in his actions that are spoken about in this tale.
It’s an intelligent episode with a great casting and a positive message.
Scared Stiff Rating: 7.5/10
