Director Jeff Thomas, has always been a good friend to us here at The Horror Review; in fact he credits us with helping to kick start his career as we were one of the first sites to review his first award winning horror film 13 Seconds. 13 Seconds was picked up by Silver Nitrate and released though Lion Gates Home Entertainment. Now not more than three years later Tomas has released his next film, which is probably a dozen times better than 13 Seconds titled Fallen Angels.
Fallen Angels is about an old prison that is about to be demolished, however a discovery is made beneath the western part of the prison in a sub basement that has not been used for over a hundred years. Inside the room are the bodies of what appear to be seven children that were murdered. when a CSI team comes to investigate the scene, they realize that each of the bodies are holding a secret. That secret is that they hold the demons responsible for the seven deadly sins. Now the demons are unleashed and plan to subdue and destroy anyone who has committed the sins in which they themselves have created. Using these sins they prey on the weak minded in an attempt to free themselves from their own private hell and unleash it on earth.
Fallen Angels combines the liking of Clive Barkers Hellraiser with a twist of Lovecraft. Thomas who also wrote this film has a great understanding of his script, and as a writer developed the script to give it it’s own original sense of fear and horror. While Fallen Angels is a very simple story, the plot may become confusing at some points, but once it’s clear that we know that the demons represent all the deadly sins, the biblical and demonic history is made clear. To which I hope the viewer has some understating of the biblical history in this story. Thomas touches on the subjects of good vs. evil in this story and how the smallest of hopes, is enough to get anyone though the day.
As a director Thomas known’s what he is doing, it’s obvious that he has the talent to take his own story and put pictures to it. He has a unique vision just like Clive Barker did when he turned his novel The Hellbound Heart into the film Hellraiser. Thomas can, and probably will be compared a lot to Barker, by many who view this film. So I’ll let it be known here first. But don’t let Thomas fool you, as much as I praise him as the writer and director of this film I also give him a lot of credit as a producer as well. The cast he managed to put together for this production is full of some of the greatest horror talent around. Which only says one thing about Tomas; he knows what’s good for business and known’s what the fans want in a movie.
The cast consists of many well known horror actors such as Bill Moseley ( Devil’s Rejects, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th VII-X), Michael Dorn (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Reggie Bannister (Phantasm), Michael Berryman (Hills Have Eyes, Devil’s Rejects), Adrianne Curry (America’s Next Top Model) Martin Kove (The Karate Kid, Rambo), Christopher Knight (The Brady Bunch), Joel Polis (The Thing), and Golden Globe winner and Academy Award Nominee Kevin McCarthy. So as you can see we have a nice, big talented cast in this film. The film also stars some very talented unknown actors that have also been in big films in small roles. So as you can see and expect, Thomas has managed to get himself a very talented cast in this film. And let me just say that the acting in Fallen Angels is more than satisfactory. No complaints here.
One thing that I think fans will get a major kick out of is the fight scene between Bill Moseley and Kane Hodder. Choptop vs. Jason or Otis vs. Jason; Take you pick. The film also has some of the best special effects I’ve ever seen in an independent production, despite the way one of the ( and I believe it’s Envy) demons looks. The rest of the make-up effects look great however. I just think the eyes of that one demon made him look more like a monster from a 1950’s B-movie. The lighting and dark mood that was set for this film was outstanding and really helped a lot in setting the tone and mood that this film has to offer. The set for this film also has a dark past, and is actually a very famous place for ghost hunting and filmmaking. The Ohio State Reformatory is where Fallen Angels was shot, and if it sounds familiar to you it’s because you either saw an episode of Ghost Hunters on the Sci-fi Channel, or you know it as the place where the Oscar nominated film based on a Stephen King Novel, The Shawshank Redemption was filmed.
Overall, Fallen Angels is a film with a great overall story and a mind ripping plot, with a simple, yet effective ending. While watching this film I got that same feeling of uneasiness I got when I first saw Clive Barker’s Hellraiser. That fear of the unknown is what scares you, and that what Jeff Thomas does with his telling of his script here. Fallen Angels is a dark and creepy independent horror film that brings fear to the next level. It’s not so much the blood, guts and gore that’s makes this film scary, it’s that feeling of being seduced by the unseen forces of your sins, that psychologically makes you fear to commit a sin again. Jeff Thomas is a unique filmmaker who bring a new light and originality to the horror genre. Fallen Angels may not be a film for everyone, but if your a fan of the likes of Clive Barker or H.P. Lovecraft. I’m sure that Fallen Angels will be a film that you’ll enjoy.
– Horror Bob
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- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
