Thursday, October 22, 2020

Alleujah! The Devil's Carnival

Cleopatra Films, 2015
Starring Paul Sorvino, Adam Pascal, Terrance Zdunich, and Emilie Autumn
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
Music by Saar Hendleman; Lyrics by Terrance Zdunich

The Devil's Carnival went over so well on the touring circuit, the creators decided they were able to go ahead and make a feature-length, slightly more elaborate sequel. Here, they trade the "50's/literal amusement park from Hell" aesthetic for a "Golden Age of Hollywood" theme as we find out more about the (not-so) heavenly counterpart of the Devil's Carnival and how the Painted Doll came to Hell. This time, let's start with a train full of condemned souls on their way to Heaven, including Ms. Merrywood (Briana Evigan)...

The Story: Merrywood finds a horseshoe pendant while on the train. She's questioned by The Agent (Pascal) and the Translators on arrival. Turns out the pendant once belonged to the Painted Doll (Autumn), formerly known as June. As Lucifer (Zdunich) relates in another Aesop's Fable, she was once an "applicant" who was best friends with the shy and mousy Cora (Lyndon Smith). She asked a few too many questions about banned books and had too much ambition of Heaven for God's liking, so he ordered the Agent to seduce her and expose her for what she is.

The Agent takes June to a nightclub and tries to have something like an affair with her, all while the "Watchword" (Barry Bostwick), a gossip columnist, watches over her and goads Cora. June tries to take one of the banned books, only to be caught...and the Agent refuses to save her. She's beaten and cast into Hell, where Lucifer repaints her and intends to use her for his war against Heaven. Heaven may be more prepared than he thinks, but to give the Devil his due, he has his own tricks...

The Song and Dance: And once again, song and dance are the operative words. The glittering Art Deco setting allows for some fairly exuberant numbers and absolutely gorgeous sets and costumes for the budget. Autumn is the stand-out here in her expanded role as the beauty cast out of Heaven for not being a perfect follower; Pascal also does well as the young "lap dog" who never wanted to do anything besides impress his "God" boss. 

Favorite Number: We're introduced to June, Cora, the "Applicants" (angels), and Bousman's vision of a 30's Heaven in the robust Charleston "All Aboard (Everybody's Doin' the Ark)"...but even that doesn't end quite perfectly when one God's "Ladies of Virture" is carted off. David Hasselhoff gets to camp it up as the Designer with an eye for flair and un-heavenly sweatshops in "Only by Design." "Down at the Midnight Rectory" is the big night club dance routine, as angelic jiggerbuggers get down and dirty to the Agent's swinging number. God comes in with a lady on his arm and the big ballad spoof, "Cloud Serenade." "The Watchword's Hour" has fun with vintage radio shows and gossip sheets as he breathlessly relates all the details of June and the Agent's affair. "After the Fall" is June's feelings when she comes to the Devil's Carnival and is remade into the Painted Doll.

What I Don't Like: I'm not into religion myself, and even I found the depiction here of Heaven as being near-Nazi Land as being...unsettling, to say the least. While it remains fairly restrained gore-wise compared to some modern slasher films, there's still violence, some heavy swears, a fair amount of blood, and those unsettling images of what makes "Heaven" and what makes "Hell" I mentioned. Like the first film, this absolutely not for children. 

The Big Finale: I'm not a horror fan...but to my surprise, I really enjoyed both these movies. If you are a horror fan, a fan of grotesque fantasy, or like your musicals and/or horror on the colorful, brassy side, both of these independent movies are well worth tracking down. 

Home Media: DVD or streaming are the way to go here; the Blu-Ray is expensive. It's currently free on YouTube and with a subscription to Amazon Prime.

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