The Church is an American horror film written and directed by Dom Frank. It stars Bill Moseley, Ashley C. Williams, Lisa Wilcox, Keith Stallwortch, and Clint Howard.[1][2]
The Church | |
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Directed by | Dom Frank |
Written by | Dom Frank |
Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Tom Fanelle |
Edited by | Ed Marx |
Music by | Miles Bergsma |
Production company | Hard Floor Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Synopsis
editThe church board and the development team come face to face with a supernatural presence when they agree to sell the church.[3]
Cast
edit- Bill Moseley as Pastor James
- Ashley C. Williams as Elizabeth Haines
- Lisa Wilcox as Joan Laurels
- Keith Stallworth as Simon Adu
- Clint Howard as Alexander James / The Spirit
- Vito LoGrasso as Adrian Seltzer
- Victoria Gates as Jennifer Lawson
- Deitra Leak as Melanie Banks
- Holly Zuelle as Veronica Leeks
Reception
editSherilyn Connelly[4] of SF Weekly wrote that film is "far from great, but it’s never boring, and that’s good enough for the faithful." In a mixed review for Los Angeles Times, Noel Murray[5] wrote "There’s an appealing, old-school crumminess to the supernatural thriller “The Church,” the kind of micro-budgeted bad movie that may exist only because the filmmaker had access to a location and wrote a story to accommodate it." Murray then criticized the acting, writing "Frank doesn’t really have the budget — or the cast — to make the horror elements in “The Church” effective. Most of the actors are inexperienced and stiff; whenever they’re supposed to be tormented by the paranormal, the special effects meant to illustrate the hauntings are either nonexistent or cheesy."
In a negative review for Variety, Dennis Harvey criticized the writing, direction, and special effects, stating that "Those limitations could conceivably lend a certain charm if the movie had energy, audacity, and a few good ideas — things present in such even-lower-budgeted Christian screen parables of damnation as Ron Ormond’s 1974 “The Burning Hell.” But Frank’s script is half-baked and his direction lethargic. Much of the highly clunky dialogue is beyond certain cast members’ abilities to smooth over."[6]
Release
editThe film received a limited theatrical release in 30 theaters on October 5, 2018.[7]
References
edit- ^ Metoyer, Seth. "All hell breaks loose in first teaser trailer for 'The Church'". MoreHorror.com. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ "Indie Spotlight". DailyDead. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ Barton, Steve (February 17, 2015). "Worship Horror at The Church with Bill Moseley". Dread Central. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
- ^ Connelly, Sherilyn. "The Church". SF Weekly.
- ^ Murray, Noel. "Review: Though crummy, retro low-budget horror film 'The Church' wears its location well". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ Harvey, Dennis. "Film Review: 'The Church'". Variety. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ "The Church". The Church. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
External links
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