While I am definitely not a party animal, I know better than to invite the ghosts of Depression era psychos over for some late night fun.
Unfortunately, As Night Falls’ zesty Elizabeth and her sassy younger sister, Lily, have no choice in the matter. A trio of spectral maniacs invades their house as their friends gather for an unexpected get-together. Blood, mayhem and comedy ensue.
Writer/Director Joe Davison works with inspired joy, here, combining elements of quirky indie drama, straight ahead slasher and slapstick horror. The tone of each of these elements doesn’t always gel, of course, and the middle section suffers from some spatial oddity and uneven performances. But, almost all imperfections can be forgiven as Davison gifts the world with some kick-ass female characters. Heroine Elizabeth, brilliantly enacted by indie terror powerhouse Deneen Melody, is an amusing, take-no-guff protagonist while Debbie Rochon fully throws off all her horror related celebrity, completely dissolving into the wild, spirit ridden madness of Nelly Trine. The sight of Rochon/Trine dementedly cackling while attacking a quartet of scrambling victims, haphazardly fleeing in a van, is chilling fun and one of the film’s major triumphs.
The divine Melody and the highly amusing Cenac.
Davison, also, finds magic in the interactions between his main cast. The moments involving Melody’s Elizabeth, a very fine Dwight Cenac (as her rocker boyfriend Otto), the bright eyed Lily Cardone as Holly and Davison, as the girls’ older brother, are pure cinematic gold.
More than anything, As Night Falls establishes Davison’s true love for the genre, leaving you eager to see what else he has to offer. He could definitely find himself growing into a major voice in horror with each ensuing project.
As Night Falls was released through Vicious Circle Films and Breaking Glass Pictures – http://www.breakingglasspictures.com – on November 12th, 2013. Further information on the project can be gathered at https://www.facebook.com/pages/As-Night-Falls.
Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan
Big Gay Horror Fan 