A good performance by Chris Sarandon -one of the most underrated actors from that time. It isn't accurate with H.P. Lovecraft's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward", but its works. The cast help it work because this is a b-movie. If you like detective stories you will like this.
Though it is easy to criticize a low-budget film, you can choose to take a step back from the drawbacks. The story does takes place in an interesting town (Providence). The picture also contains great narration and is put together well. The acting is also good enough to draw you into the plot -although it gets corny at times.
What makes the film work is that the main characters are -mostly- well-cast and also become actual storytellers themselves. By the storytelling you can imagine what the smell of the experiments must have been like, the catacomb scenes are pretty cool. The exchanges between Sarandon and Terry are intense. You can tell that the actors in this movie really tried to make the best with the material they had to work with.
The movie is like experiencing a good horror comic book. It seems to have its own unique momentum, and charm. Blending the historical colonial era with the little town.
Mr. Sarandon is probably the main star, along with Robert Romanus who plays Lonnie Peck. The gore might be a little too much and cheezy, but I think was effective enough. The special effects aren't great, but aren't amateur. To me even the soundtrack worked because it gave this movie its own signature.
Though it is easy to criticize a low-budget film, you can choose to take a step back from the drawbacks. The story does takes place in an interesting town (Providence). The picture also contains great narration and is put together well. The acting is also good enough to draw you into the plot -although it gets corny at times.
What makes the film work is that the main characters are -mostly- well-cast and also become actual storytellers themselves. By the storytelling you can imagine what the smell of the experiments must have been like, the catacomb scenes are pretty cool. The exchanges between Sarandon and Terry are intense. You can tell that the actors in this movie really tried to make the best with the material they had to work with.
The movie is like experiencing a good horror comic book. It seems to have its own unique momentum, and charm. Blending the historical colonial era with the little town.
Mr. Sarandon is probably the main star, along with Robert Romanus who plays Lonnie Peck. The gore might be a little too much and cheezy, but I think was effective enough. The special effects aren't great, but aren't amateur. To me even the soundtrack worked because it gave this movie its own signature.