Unholy had one of the most insane marketing campaigns I’ve seen. It started out simple, being a fan of Buffy, I saw that Nicholas Brendon [Xander] had been cast in a new indie horror film. While keeping track of updates, Sky Whisper Productions’ website was suddenly shut down with a big U.S. Government Seal on a blank page. Apparently, the content of the movie did not jive with what the government wanted folks to know. It was after visiting the website that I started to get instant messages from someone named Gertrude. She informed me that “they” now have my IP address and that I should be careful, and now that I’m caught up in it, she felt comfortable telling me her story. Her friend Martha had suddenly gone missing, after selling her story to Hollywood. She claimed it wasn’t the government, fearing some sort of exposure, but an underground organization of Nazi’s who have kept alive long after World War II. They were willing to do anything to stop Unholy from being released. But, it was, eventually. Afterwards, it became known that it was just a very elaborate form of marketing where the project involves viewers in an online, almost role playing game.
I bet you’re wondering about the plot of Unholy. Well, here it is. “Martha, a widow living in rural Pennsylvania, comes home to find her daughter about to blow her own head off with a shotgun in the basement of their house. Martha doesn’t succeed in stopping her child’s horrific demise, but the girl’s death gradually leads the grieving mother to investigate a conspiracy that involves a legendary local witch, Nazi dabbling with the occult, and secret government experiments, with the story even referencing the fabled Philadelphia Experiment” [IMDB] Also, “The film is inspired by an actual military document. Following World War II, a classified U.S. military document was uncovered that recounted a Nazi experiment of an occult nature smuggled into an underground facility in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The film’s website purports to “have provided the only known copy of a portion of that document … we strongly advise that you do not download it.” [WIKI]
Along side Nicholas Brendon, Unholy stars Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog), Siri Baruc (Mega Snake), and Joseph McKenna (Shutter Island). Unholy was released straight-to-DVD in 2007 with Daryl Goldberg as director and Sam Freeman as the man behind the script.
Ok, where to begin… This is very much an indie film. By this I mean, the picture quality isn’t as amazing as films you see in theatres. It’s got that dull quality to it. The sound quality is great, though. The acting is adequate, but none of the seasoned cast really gave that much of a stand out performance. I was kind of disappointed. One positive thing about Unholy is that it does keep the creepiness factor high. The plot can be kind of confusing at times because of…well, you have to watch. It’s a film that makes you pay attention and think. If you’re looking for blood and guts, this isn’t the movie for you. If you’re looking for a genuinely creepy, thought provoking, supernatural-thriller, than Unholy is the film for you. Give it a watch…but, don’t plan your day around it.
While I’ll never know for sure if the website was really taken down by the government, it still makes me wonder. What’s even creeper that this is “based on true events,” is the fact that this is…kind of true. Click here to see what I’m talking about. Make sure to click here to view the trailer.
