It's not IF they die, it's HOW they die (apparently!) (Cradle Of Fear (DVD))

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	Cradle Of Fear (DVD)
Date:	30/04/09 (79 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Strangely kept me intrigued to the bitter, bitter end

Disadvantages: Just a bad effort all round really

Okay, so I know I like watching a lot of films, but every now and then, I really question why I'm watching something. The occasional film is so bad that it's actually good, and this Alex Chandon film has subtle moments where it could edge towards this kind of genre. It is essentially a bad taste, low budget horror film with rubbish special effects and some of the dodgiest acting I've seen for a while.

It's also rather plotless, relying on being a sequel to an equally strange film, and being split into four parts, each relating to one main plot, that of the incarceration of David McEwan's character Kemper. The con gets a message out to his son giving him details of those responsible for his capture, and that son, known only as The Man, a silent and eerie character, sets about exacting revenge for dad's incarceration.

And the strange thing is the way he goes about it. The horror is fantastical, relying on elements of the horror underworld, gory and creature related with demons and all sorts of sinister goings on through the four mini plots. Dani Filth plays The Man, and there is an appearance from Emily Booth in the first one, but beyond that the cast are pretty much unknown, and should perhaps stay that way. The acting is diabolical, as is the filming, seemingly more like a C movie than a B movie, so bad is the camera work and the editing.

The biggest problem I have with this film is trying to work out how on earth I managed to stay interested and riveted to the screen throughout the film's entirety! There really is nothing good about it. The plot only just about turns up on the day, some of the pavements act better than the people, and the special effects look like they were done by someone with a complete lack of artistic talent and timing.

I found myself curious how they were going to end the film, whether The Man was going to get his come uppance, whether Kemper would get his revenge, and whether things were going to rise in quality. Now, I don't for a moment suppose you're going to be interested in watching this, and I can't blame you, but on the off chance that this is why you're reading this review, then I won't spoil it for you. Safe to say, my hopes on improvements were not fulfilled!

If you want to bother, Cradle of Fear is available to buy on DVD. The film has an almost cult status due to its inclusion of members of metal band Cradle of Filth as some of the cast, and as a result is surprisingly easy to find. It's around the £4 mark for a new copy, or £2 for a used one. Definitely one for the die hard fans of the band, and not one I would choose to watch again. You won't be surprised to find that I spotted this on the Zone Horror channel on Sky last night, and therefore didn't get a chance to find out if there were any extras involved with the DVD. Needless to say, I'm not that fussed!

Summary: Really bad film that kept me interested from start to finish - no idea why!