Search - The Church [Widescreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Profanity, Gore Movie Release: 1989 DVD Release: 02/19/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Restored/Remastered,Special Collection Audio Tracks: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 42 mins Studio: Anchor Bay Members Wishing: 4 Genres: Horror, Supernatural Horror, Gothic Film See Also: The Church

Originally intended as the third chapter in producer Dario Argento's Demons trilogy, La Chiesa stands alone as an effective horror film centering on a haunted cathedral with a violent past. The church's history begins in Medieval Italy, when the Knights Templar massacred an entire village of suspected Satanists and built the structure upon the site of the slain peasants' mass grave. Designed by an architect/alchemist (who was buried alive within his creation), the church is filled with elaborate machinery designed to seal off all entrances if ever the spirits of the entombed villagers were to rise again... which, of course, takes place in the present when the crypt's seal is removed. As demonic forces have their way with the church's occupants, it becomes the task of the parish priest (Hugh Quarshie) and a young girl (Asia Argento, daughter of Dario) to discover the builder's last line of defense before the evil is unleashed upon the outside world. Directed by Michele Soavi (who later gained critical acclaim with the inventive Dellamorte Dellamore), this is an imaginative Gothic horror film with startling imagery straight out of a Hieronymous Bosch painting and its own well-conceived mythology. Shots of the church's elaborate Medieval machines grinding to life are particularly memorable. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Asia Argento - Lotte

Originally intended as the third part of the Demons series, director Michele Soavi (who made his debut with the clever giallo Stagefright and later went on to make the wildly inventive Cemetery Man) and Dario Argento digressed from the conventions of the earlier films, choosing to make a stand-alone horror movie instead. Although the story is in many ways similar in structure to the Demons series (i.e., a small band of people are attacked by said creatures), The Church is far more detailed and finely crafted than the earlier films. If anything, Soavi's deft use of the camera, sound, and his orchestration of the many stylishly violent set pieces cemented the promise of his debut feature: This was a talent to be reckoned with. Anchor Bay Entertainment's release of the film onto DVD should be applauded by horror fans and is a welcome addition to any excellent Dario Argento collection. Presented in its proper letterboxed aspect ratio (1:85:1 enhanced), the picture is fabulous-looking. Colors are vibrant and the transfer is consistently sharp. The 2-channel Dolby Digital Surround English-language soundtrack is also very good. In terms of extras, the disc could have used more than what's here (only a theatrical trailer and a bio for Soavi are included), but this new uncut presentation of the film more than warrants a look. Without a doubt, a must for all fans of European horror films. ~ Derek Hill, All Movie Guide