Director – Jamie Dixon (Crash Bandicoot, Bats: Human Harvest)
Starring – Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy), Leslie Hope (Slasher, The Strain), and Shawn Thompson (Hairspray, Night Heat)
Release Date – 1998
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 4/5
Tagline – “Be afraid of the dark”
I’ve seen my fair share of 90s horror flicks. I was born in the mid 80s and raised in the 90s so a lot of my weekend video rentals would consist of old 80s flicks and 90s new releases. In the late 90s I remember seeing an ad at the local video store for Bram Stoker’s Shadowbuilder. I waited until the release date and when I didn’t see the video appear on the shelves I asked the owner when his copies would be coming in. He told me he wasn’t going to order it because he didn’t see himself making his money back on it.
I pretty much forgot about that flick until recently when MVD announced they were releasing as part of their MVD Rewind Collection. I had to see this one so I reached out to them and they were kind enough to send a review copy my way. Thanks MVD.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows Father Vassey (Rooker) who is working a case for the Vatican when he comes across a clue that leads him to an evil archbishop. The evil archbishop summoned a demon that lurks in the shadows to kidnap and sacrifice a kid that has the potential to be a saint. The priest partners with the young boys aunt, her boyfriend who is the town sheriff, and the local loon (Tony Todd) to stop the shadows from killing the kid.**Spoiler Alert**
I fucking loved the artwork used for this one. A lot of horror from the 90s catches a bad rap due to their need to use CGI to cut costs. I’ve seen so many amazing horror movies from this time use horrible CGI instead of using some of the budget for practical effects. These films could be unforgettable but instead they turned into stains on horror history. Shadowbuilder suffers the same fate but is still watchable.
The acting in this one is pretty fucking solid. Rooker, who had already made a name for himself by this point, delivers a damn entertaining performance. I loved his character and the complexity of his personality. The remainder of the cast is great as well. Every character, though not as entertaining, was still fun and enjoyable to watch on screen. They all worked very well together and did an amazing job making the story what it is.
The story for this one has some ups and downs. I liked the religious aspect along with the demon being one with the shadows but I didn’t care for the the dialogue heavy scenes that seemingly has nothing to do with the story itself. These scenes really made the film feel longer than it was.
Finally, the film has some solid practical effects that can be seen in the corpses but the visual effects were downright laughable. The CGI demon was the most ridiculous thing I have seen in a horror flick. I couldn’t believe that they actually agreed to release the film with that in it. Overall, Bram Stoker’s Shadowbuilder is far from perfect but works for a late night watch with a few beers and some friends. The CGI is laughable but if you look passed that you can find a decent horror flick.
Special Features:
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the main feature
Original 2.0 Stereo Audio (Uncompressed PCM)
Audio Commentary from Director Jamie Dixon
NEW! ”Making of Shadowbuilder” featurette (HD, 33:22) (featuring director Jamie Dixon, writer Michael Stokes and stars Andrew Jackson (The Shadowbuilder) and Tony Todd (Covey)
NEW! ”Shadowbuilder: Visual Effects” featurette (HD, 13:26)
NEW! ”Shadowbuilder: Kevin Zegers” featurette (HD, 5:00)
Reversible Artwork
Spanish Subtitles
Original Theatrical Trailer (SD)
Collectible Poster
