An interesting Canadian horror film that has its shortcomings but manages to surpass them in the overall presentation of the film. It’s got a similar plot, one that we have all seen before: In the small town of Grand River, a small boy is turns out to be the chosen one, and a demon (the Shadow Builder) is swiftly dispatched to eradicate the boy to pave the way for an invasion from hell. To be honest, I never read this Bram Stoker short story, but you can bet the creators took some liberties (and I hope the Bram Stoker estate gets its royalty check).

The casting is what really hurts the film. There is some inspired casting such as Michael (HENRY) Rooker as the crazed Father Vassey, the Catholic church’s own bad-ass, ghost busting, Clint Eastwood. This character actually rises above the film, and you kind of hope he’ll get his own series. Tony (CANDYMAN) Todd gets the ‘town crazy’ role, as he discovers that light is the only weapon against the demon, but no one will believe him. The ‘chosen one’ kid (Kevin Zegers) makes the most of his material, but the rest of the cast including the leads are generic and highly forgettable.

The film opens with Father Vassey interrupting a devil worshiping cult ritual. He pulls out his guns and blows them away, but not before the smoke demon is summoned (It’s a riot seeing a catholic priest act like Rambo!). The demon escapes into the sewer system and finds its way to Grand River. By piecing together some clues, Father Vassey determines that the demon is after Chris, an orphan who is blessed from God, who also resides in the small town of Grand River. Meanwhile the demon is terrorizing the town and getting stronger with each human kill, and when he gets to full strength he intends to sacrifice Chris during a lunar eclipse. Father Vassey allies himself with Chris’s aunt and the town sheriff. Together they must contend not only with the demon, but the residents the demon has touched, who have come under it’s control.

Although there is gore and special effects in the movie, the filmmakers deliberately attempt to minimize the blood and guts and focus on suspense, intrigue, and leaving things to the imagination. This old school approach works. There is also a fair amount of CGI imagery in the movie. By no means is it utilized like a summer blockbuster, but rather its on the level of an episode of HERCULES, only used more effectively as in shadow and smoke movement.

The Shadow Builder demon is equally impressive. The demon transforms into smoke courtesy of some competent CGI effects. Thankfully, though the demon speaks (voiced by Steven Blum), It avoids the wisecracking Freddy Krugerisms that plague most modern horror films today. The demon is actuality quite restrained, and doesn’t stop any attempts to overcome it. The demon is secure that no one can harm him. This cold confidence is what actually makes him scarier.

I don’t usually comment on packaging except to say what type of case it is sold in, but the artwork here is spectacular. It’s a 3-D hologram thing, which reveals different poses of the title creature depending on the angle you look at it.

SIGHT

I’m not particularly fond of full frame transfers, but this direct to video feature was filmed that way so nothing is missing from the image. Additionally, the image is very sharp and well defined, one of the best full frame transfers I’ve seen yet on DVD. Color reproduction is vivid and without bleeding, or chroma noise. The blacks and shadow details are some of the best I’ve seen on a non-studio DVD. Flesh tones looked natural in all lighting. The CGI effects come through clear and are well-integrated into the film, and do not distract from the presentation in the slightest (as some CGI appear to be ‘cartoony’).

SOUND

This is one of the better Dolby Surround soundtracks I’ve heard. While the film would have benefited from a 5.1 remaster, I was surprised how much clarity, directionality, and bass the surround field put out. Composer Eckart Seebar did a masterful job of combining traditional symphonic scoring with church hall chanting the end result is tense, ominous score with religious overtones enhancing the foreboding factor of the film. The demon’s voice sounds genuinely creepy coming at you from all speakers.

FEATURES

Talent Bios are for actors Tony Todd, Michael Rooker, Leslie Hope, Kevin Zegers, and Shaun Alex Thompson and Director Jamie Dixon, who also provides an insightful (though sometimes boring) look into the making of the film on the commentary track. It is revealed that he has worked on Digital FX for such films as TRUE LIES and TITANIC. The full frame theatrical trailer is in stereo surround and is 1 minute 32 seconds long. The trailer makes the film look better than it actually is, but that’s nothing new.

CONCLUSION

BRAM STOKER’s SHADOWBUILDER won’t make anyone forget about BRAM STOKER’s DRACULA, but for a modern low-budget horror film, there is a lot to be said. The film has elements of older, gothic horror films using suspense and imagination instead of in-your-face nastiness. The use of digital FX work enhances but does not carry the film, and does not override the story. There are obvious low budget film restrictions such as keeping the story in a small town and some generic casting. The DVD mastering is good and presents the film in a superior way than VHS ever could.

BRAM STOKER'S SHADOWBUILDER is available from DVDEmpire.com

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