Starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Briana Evigan, Jessica Lowndes, Terrance Zdunich
Directed by Darren Lynn Bouseman
Music by Saar Hendelman; Lyrics by Terrance Zdunich
We begin this year's Halloween reviews with a series of low-budget fright-fests made for the independent film circuit in the mid-2010's. Bouseman specializes in horror, having started out directing movies in the gory Saw franchise in the 2000's. Thankfully, this one tones down the gore somewhat in favor of glittery numbers in a (literally) hellish fable. How does the story of three souls seeking redemption amid Hell's amusement park fare? Let's start with the tragic ends of those three lost souls and find out...
The Story: The Devil (Zdunich) eagerly awaits the arrival of three new lost souls to his endless carnival. The first is John (Flanery), a man who committed suicide after he couldn't handle the death of his young son Daniel. Ms. Merrywood (Evigan) is a thief who died in a shootout, while naïve teenager Tamara (Lowndes) was murdered by her angry boyfriend. On their arrival, the women throw themselves right back into the same traps. Ms. Merrywood follows a pamphlet to a large diamond, only to lose a game of chance to herself. Tamara lets a handsome 50's greaser who calls himself "The Scorpian" out of a cage, but he makes her a part of his knife act before betraying her. John could face the same fate, if he can't learn to let go of his son and his grief.
The Song and Dance: And given this is an opera, with few spoken words, "song and dance" is the operative phrase. I'm very impressed. This is well-done for a hour-long, low-budget film, particularly the delightfully grotesque makeup and costumes. Flanery and Zdunich get top honors as the grieving father who only wants his child back and the most affable devil you'll ever meet. I also like Evigan as the greedy and self-centered Ms. Merrywood, and Emilie Autumn as the Painted Doll with the cracked face.
Favorite Number: We open with a montage of how our three lost souls ended up in hell while God (Paul Sorvino) throws away "broken" dolls he's working on in "Heaven's All Around." "The Devil's Carnival" introduces the Carnies and the Carnival itself, giving our three protagonists (and the audience) a taste of what's to come. The Twin becomes Ms. Merrywood's mirror image for her game, allowing Evigan to lay into "Beautiful Stranger." The hobo clown (Ivan Moody) demands "A Penny for a Tale" as he reveals how the fable "The Dog and the Mirror" relates to Ms. Merrywood's story. Zdunich offers "Grace for Sale" to John in his segment. "In All My Dreams I Drown" is a sequence with Tamara falling for the Devil in the credits as she trust yet another "bad" man she probably shouldn't.
Trivia: The "Drown" segment was originally intended for the film proper, but it was decided it didn't flow right and was moved to the credits.
What I Don't Like: This is a darn strange film. There's echoes of Chicago in the "glamorous entertainment used as metaphor for Hell" theme, and if you're not into the "music commenting on the action" format, you may not get into this. While not nearly as bloody as the Saw films, there is some blood and gore (including a stabbing and someone biting off an ear). Despite the carnival theme, this is absolutely, positively not for children. It's also not for those who like their horror or musicals quieter or more subtle. This is loud, flashy, and glittery.
The Big Finale: If you like your horror on the glittery, colorful, slightly bloody side, this is one carnival worth getting in line for.
Home Media: You're better off streaming this one or looking for the DVD/Blu Ray combo pack that comes with a ton of extras.
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