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Overall Rating : 6.5/10
Directed By : D.W. Kann
Melantha Blackthorne (Sinners and Saints)
Demona Bast
Noel Francomano
Jim Vaughn
Supplied By : Red Scream Films
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : Mar. 24, 2006
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| PLOT The Buffalo Central Terminal has stood alone, abandoned and decayed since 1977. It has been host to a terrible train accident that took the lives of 200 passengers, it has seen rapes, tortures and murders, it has witnessed black rituals and drug abuse, it has heard the cries of the hopeless and the screams of the insane, It is regarded as one of the most haunted places in the United States. Some have called it the most dangerous place in the world. |
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| THE REVIEW In PRISON OF THE PSYCHOTIC DAMNED, famed author and professor Rayna Bloom, three enthusiast and her cameraman descend on the Buffalo Central Train Terminal, the site of Bloom's next experiment. The terminal has quite the history for itself, when closed after a train crash that left only one survivor occurred, it was then used as a temporary housing place for the insane, whilst the proper facility was built. During the time when used as an asylum for the insane, it had been rumored that the inmates as well as the homeless were tortured raped and even used as guinea pigs in surgical experiments. Since then in the present, it is now rumored that the many tortured souls that were once housed in the decrepit terminal, still roam inside and are hungry for the revenge on whom shall awake them. When the Professor and her crew enter to begin their studies of any and all things paranormal, it at first appears that the long withstanding rumors they had always heard are nothing more than a hoax. But it is revealed that what they don't know is as the sun goes down and the lights dim and silence emerges the dead will come out to play! First of all, let me just say that this movie is awesome! At a time where we are routinely being force fed these lame ass zombie movies.....it is great to see something new, a good old fashion ghost story! PRISON OF THE PSYCHOTIC DAMNED or PRISON OF THE PSYCHOTIC DEAD as it is called in its opening credits(they haven't decided on the name I guess) is reminiscent of all of the old "let's stay they night in a haunted place movies you probably have seen, but the film offers something different, a comprehensive back story. It seems that David R. Williams the writer did his research, the actual terminal was at on time a very busy attraction before closing in 1979, Williams basically took on the enormous place in is mind and crafted up a story transforming the place into his own carnival of fear, and it's great. The casting here is great, as well as the acting, all of the actors here seem to have great chemistry. We first have Susie as the well accomplished Professor Bloom, i'll admit that her character is not always believable, at times the other women seem to be more knowledgeable than she about the situation yet she is the pro. Despite this, Susie still manages to make the character likable somewhat. Next is the eager but easily scared Nessie played by Noel Francomano. Noel's character was fun to watch and always entertaining to me, she would always freak out, wearing pink ribbon type things in her hair she sort of looks cartoon-ish...and that's not saying a bad thing, it's a uniqueness that the character has. Then there is Aurora played by Demona Bast, Aurora seems like the average spectator at first but once inside the haunted terminal she begins to believe that she may possesses psychic powers - Demona does a great job as the one that goes mad and does it slowly. I won't say that he did a bad job but Jim Vaughn's character of Jason Cohen the camera guy, never really adds to the story except for being a potential victim. And last but not least, with me being unbiased...the best performance(and the person this film seems to be marketed around) is Melantha Blackthorne. Is it me or does Melantha always seem to have a presence on film that just does not go away? Here in this film, in the very beginning she plays the part well, and also looks incredible...I actually thought she looked like a living voodoo doll! Amazing performance, she loves The Hook and we love her right back. POTPD plays out very slow in pace at the beginning allowing you to familiarize with the cast, much like the film CHAINSAW SALLY does.....when you don't have a huge budget, at least give us wealthy back stories, after all, they are free and exist in the writer's mind. The film, in the end as far as the cast goes has everything that a horror film should, a well rounded cast, a cast that the viewing audience begins to relate to as they watch. My only complaints lie in the directing and editing. towards the beginning of the film the camera seems a bit shaky, but the good thing is that this improves significantly as time passes. I assume that the screening DVD I had seem is a "work in progress", I say this because the boom mics as often visible, (often times looking like a fuzzy spider on the top of the screen) and at times the sound diminishes and also there are times it completely drops out. Overall, PRISON OF THE PSYCHOTIC DAMNED is a film that never fails to entertain for a second, and really enjoyed it! |
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| GORE
METER 6/10 The FX makeup ia amazing for an indie film, I really dug the surgeon scene in which one's intestines were being ripped out, there are also some gouged out eyes to look for....really sick! |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 4.5/10 Fairly haunting score, only problem being is that it was kind of drowned out by sound effects and dialogue, it may be do to it being unfinished? |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM I really enjoyed this film, and I will say that it was nice seeing Melantha in this one....especially after the disaster that occurred the last time I reviewed one of her flicks.... If you like the old haunted house films of the 80's or even film's like 2004's MADHOUSE I think you would love this, I do recommend it. |
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