SHADOWHEART

DOOR INTO SILENCE: Director Lucio Fulci actually accomplishes something quite remarkable with his final film: although it was produced 1991 you’d swear the thing was shot at least 15 years earlier! With the same pop zooms, soft focus and recycled editing of his glory days, Door into Silence is a nostalgic trip down memory lane from the man who lived in the shadow of more prestigious Italian horror directors. Unfortunately, there’s not much else to recommend about this Twilight Zone knock-off that stretches its central idea long past the breaking point. John Savage (looking considerably puffier than his Deer Hunter days) plays a traveling businessman caught in some sort of supernatural conundrum; the sun never sets, he’s harassed by a mysterious hearse, and his path seems predetermined by a higher power. The film’s “secret” is so predictable your average housepet would be insulted. Despite being completely devoid of the director’s patented gore effects made famous in films like The Beyond and City of the Living Dead, Door into Silence still has value to Fulci fans as the director’s swan song. It’ll look good up on the shelf, but it probably won’t come down too often. No extras but Severin Films’ transfer is very respectable. SHADOWHEART: It’s no small irony that the Western genre has gone the way of the buffalo, from herds that numbered in the thousands to small pockets dotted across the country; there’s no sign of either’s imminent return to glory. Certainly Shadowheart doesn’t deliver the cowboy messiah we’ve been waiting for. With all the grit of an episode of Dr. Quinn and the edge of a Lifetime movie, this well-intentioned but toothless production has far too much spit and polish to pass for reality in the Unforgiven / Deadwood universe. After witnessing the murder of his father, James Connors (Justin Ament) returns to the town of Legend seeking vengeance and a second chance at romance with his childhood sweetheart. The movie pushes a unique spiritual agenda – Connor’s violence is corralled for the majority of the film – that recalls some of the moral territory covered better in films like Anthony Mann’s The Tin Star. But it only comes to life when the bad guy (Angus Macfadyen) is on screen, strutting across the screen like a mutton-chop Mafioso. Meanwhile, the only thing interesting about our hero is his signature facial hair. Modern Westerns demand a certain amount of authenticity to win over an audience. Unfortunately, Shadowheart feels about as “real” as the plywood Rock Ridge from Blazing Saddles. Where’s Mongo when you need him? Extras include a commentary, Making Of and trailer. MERLIN AND THE BOOK OF BEASTS: Despite the DVD cover, which promises early-80s medieval adventures both good (Clash of the Titans) and enjoyably bad (Hawk the Slayer), this SyFy Channel premiere is weak even by basic cable standards. The central appeal lies in the casting of James Callis, brilliant in every single one of his 73 episodes as Dr. Gaius Baltar on Battlestar Galactica. He’s almost unrecognizable here, buried beneath an unkempt mop of hair and beard, growling his dialogue with the same embarrassing forcefulness as Christian Bale in The Dark Knight. Joining a rag-tag group (is there any other kind?) of left-over warriors led by King Arthur’s daughter, Merlin must reclaim his stolen Book of Beasts from another son of the Pendragon blood. There are a few effects-challenged battles along the way – Gorgons (twice), a guy in a leftover Orc costume, and two barely seen giant bird-things – but you can tell director Warren P. Sonoda is trying to get every penny out of Callis’ Battlestar credentials. Too bad the actor is poorly cast and adrift in a production with worse art direction than a Monty Python film. Extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette. DOOR INTO SILENCE: Director Lucio Fulci actually accomplishes something quite remarkable with his final film: although it was produced 1991 you’d swear the thing was shot at least 15 years earlier! With the same pop zooms, soft focus and recycled editing of his glory days, Door into Silence is a nostalgic trip down memory lane from the man who lived in the shadow of more prestigious Italian horror directors. Unfortunately, there’s not much else to recommend about this Twilight Zone knock-off that stretches its central idea long past the breaking point. John Savage (looking considerably puffier than his Deer Hunter days) plays a traveling businessman caught in some sort of supernatural conundrum; the sun never sets, he’s harassed by a mysterious hearse, and his path seems predetermined by a higher power. The film’s “secret” is so predictable your average housepet would be insulted. Despite being completely devoid of the director’s patented gore effects made famous in films like The Beyond and City of the Living Dead, Door into Silence still has value to Fulci fans as the director’s swan song. It’ll look good up on the shelf, but it probably won’t come down too often. No extras but Severin Films’ transfer is very respectable.