( 2005 / USA / Italy )
( 2005 / USA / Italy )
Review By-Paul Cooke Source: Cinema Image Productions / Region 1 NTSC DVD / English Language / Segment Wraparound Behind The Scenes / Star & Directors Audio Commentary / Trailers / Wide Screen Presentation Approx 1:66:1 / BMF Studios / Produced by Joseph Zaso
‘‘Now begins the sacrifice by the enormous cock of the demon’’
A creative anthology of horror , from a trio of young directors splashing their talent across the canvas of video film , served up from Cinema Image Productions in association with Gothic Produzioni and BMF Studios. Low on budget but creatively striving for rightful recognition and patronage from fellow fans of the horror genre. A trio of terror wrapped around a story involving a self obsessed female reporter , who along with her male companion , rallies to an invitation from a psychic to the Red Midnight theatre. The doors close at midnight and the chills begin at the last midnight chime !.
The calling card and location pay a passing tribute to Lamberto Bava’s superb ‘Demons’ and by closure the demonic overture plays out its eerie twist. Time then for reporter Karen Marks to sit back in her chair , and spit words of disbelief across her salty popcorn toward the on stage psychic. Unflinchingly the spiritual vassal draws his small audience into the realm of the other worldly as he relays three tales of terror !.
Anathema
( Act 1 )
Director / Writer: Ray Schwetz
Starring : Roger Woo & Roxanne Michaels
Following the death of his wife and child , in a car accident , survivor John Kitano is still haunted by the memory two years on. A female friend encourages him to get out and start meeting people again and suggests an on line dating agency called Your Perfect Soul Match. He checks out the site and decides to sign up and is soon dating a myriad of female talent from the plain Jane type to the decidedly weird and wacky. The experience seems to have awakened a connection with the spirit world as he starts having visions of his wife in a ghostly form that would call for a replacement set of underwear for most encountering. Ghoulishly gaunt of face with tangled long black matted hair , and a vision not unlike an aged Barbara Steele from a Roger Corman Sixties horror set , this creepy looking vision from the other side is very possessive of her husband and no wannabe lip smacker is going to get past first base whilst she is around. John takes a fancy to a pretty librarian with a penchant for witchcraft and demonology as well as a craving for first night sex , even after appearing to gorge a mass of ghostly soup hair that even a witches cat would cough up. A night of passion with his librarian is far from quiet but it leaves the poor book worm getting caught up in Anathema’s vengeful hook.
It’s not long before John’s other internet dates get paid a visit from his ghoulish bride from the other side , as she systematically gives them the once over with some moments of bloody retribution.
A well made opener that has a couple of genuine jump moments from well cut edits. The message from the other side here is unquestionably that its okay to own a computer , just don’t let it possess you !.
The Creation Of Dr. Grecoz
( Act 2 )
Director / Writer: Brian Michael Finn
Starring: Hugh Daly , Lindley Lee & Shawn-Caulin Young
A confusing audience jump on point for this short filling frippery. A background story that through a newspaper headlines the horror house of Dr. Greco , a revolutionary pioneer of eye transplantation , fails to take enough time to involve. A young man is horribly facially disfigured from an uncontrollable fire , caused by his arguing parents when he was a boy. This tragic young mans life has been torn apart not only by his disfigurement but more so by the years of terrible disagreements and borderline hatred between his two parents. Each parent blaming the other for their lost years of living in the selfish world of their partner.
The scene is present and the disfigured young man is in the basement of his home holding his mother who’s eyes have been gouged out , and the bloodied hands of his father are evident as he too is in the basement with them. Even at this tragic time the young man pleads with his parents to forgive each other but the scar that both his mother and father bear is far more noticeable than that which graces their sons face.
Pilgrimage
( Act 3 )
Director / Writer: Giovanni Pianigiani
Starring: Joseph Zaso & Giada Vadala
It’s clobberin’ time , as The Thing Ben Grimm would say , for Act Three of ‘Red Midnight’ proves to be a Fantastic Four star performer under the Direction of Giovanni Pianigiani and without question due to the equal measure of zany and calculating cool from star player Joe Zaso.
F.B.I man Joseph Zaso gets a rushed call to his apartment in New York from Rome pleading for help on behalf of his friend and fellow F.B.I agent. The big man jets over to Italy dressed casual in denims and black leather jacket , sporting a new look of clean shaven head. Looking like Yul Brynner from ‘The Magnificent Seven’ , as cool as The King. And I know the ladies will appreciate the inherent charm as much as the growing male fan base revel in Mr. Zaso’s take no prisoners approach to those that stand in his way. Well here he is , a young looking John Saxon throwback to a Seventies and early Eighties personification of modern metamorphosis renaissance.
A supernatural force vies for supremacy in the papal province of Rome itself. A frightened blind nun scurries through the night streets being pursued by this evil presence and near naked bodies are turning up with the mark of an inverted cross etched into their chest. Jo Zaso arrives in search of his friend and is soon enveloped into this satanic world of fast emergent demonic destitution. His investigations throw him head first into this underworld of evil and even a stay at a hotel turns into a cousin of Eli Roth’s recent incursion into terror with ‘Hostel’ , as patrons are drugged and mysteriously taken away from their rooms in the early hours. Something’s radically wrong in Rome and the stylishly edited film technique of Giovanni Pianigiani is right on hand to show it off with some great potential. Punchy visuals of a bygone style , not seen since the heyday of Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci , flood the senses of old school Italian horror aficionados and are delivered with welcome aplomb. A satanic book could easily be emblazoned with the title Eibon but here is just as deliciously displayed in all its own unique glorification. Words bleed from the pages as etched in soul taking servility with bloody quill. The spoken word calling upon Satan as his evil evocation is satiated by the spilling of virgins blood. A near naked nun , clothes ripped from her body , breasts exposed and stretched out upon a cross serve up many a memory from classic Euro horror movies gone by. The use of sound samples and newly mastered music composition plays out in compliment of the on screen carnage in perfect symbiosis.
As Joe Zaso’s cop character delves deeper and deeper into the investigation he trawls down into the depths of Rome’s underground system and uncovers the satanic cult leader readying to commit the ultimate sin of taking the nuns life. Backed up by a mighty demonic presence , a behemoth of American wrestling superstar proportions , and sporting demonic horns that could take your eye out with a misplaced sneeze. The tunnels are racked up with rotting corpses in various stages of decomposition and made up with a precision that the likes of special effects make up artist great Giannetto De Rossi would be proud of.
Joe Zaso is there right in the thick of it with the major league Satanist , a faceless big red mean demon machine and for good measure a small contingent of the recently raised living dead , just in time for a classic Zombie showdown crowd pleasing closure. An army of evil raised up against God. Is Joe Zaso with them or against them !?. A foot soldier for Satan or a fallen from grace angel on a singular mission to raise all Hell !?.
A stand out segment that makes purchasing ‘Red Midnight’ a very attractive proposition and a storyline that deserves more attention for all concerned. Developing ‘Pilgrimage’ to a stand alone movie or even a pilot for a series would be very interesting. Director Giovanni Pianigianni has a real appreciation for the Italian horror scene from the last two or three decades ago and star Joseph Zaso is surely the reincarnation of Euro Cool. A kick ass , take no names anti hero who deserves a bigger platform to showcase what he can do. Great stuff.
Cinema Image Productions have delivered a highly creditable DVD release considering the low budget source available. A shot on video presentation that nonetheless delivers a very watch-able print with acceptable sound source and a very agreeable attribution of extras. All three Directors along with lead star Joe Zaso add their voices and contributions to an audio soundtrack as a selectable addition to viewing the entire movie. Each of the wraparound movie segments has its own behind the scenes video along with a selection of on set pictures. Throw in a smattering of trailers for other movies from the same folk concerned with the main attraction and the value for money is most definitely evident.
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