Wrath of the Crows (2013)

Just what I expected

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This intriguing supernatural horror hits the ground running from the opening moments and doesn't let up until the final credits have finished rolling. In a lengthy pre-credit sequence, we are made familiar with the inmates of an unspecified Gothic prison where a character called Skinny is being tortured by two perennial guards. The rules seem to be set for what is to come: people who have been brutally sinful in life are taken away and maimed and killed brutally. After we are introduced to the motley crew of prisoners – a new inmate arrives.'Princess' is an intriguing, enigmatic character, played with brilliant intensity and sensuality by Tiffany Shepis. At times it seems she could be more than human, a saviour, or a witch. At one moment, she appears to have been killed, but after a period of self-healing, transcends death. Is she just another prisoner, or is she somehow in league with the Eastern European sadists who act as prison officers? Certainly they seem in awe of her, even afraid. Or is her position above them? Each inmate's former crimes are investigated in flashback, until ultimately, we (kind of) learn who (or what) Princess is, and what is her relationship to the blind Charlie (Gerry Shanahan). When they come, the explanations are ambiguous all round, to say the least.I thoroughly enjoyed this. It has a compelling story to tell, and wastes no time in telling it. The direction is wonderfully creepy (cameras linger lovingly over rusted, dirty surroundings or fast-track across forbidding skies underlining the sense of bleakness). There are plenty of gory moments for those who enjoy such things, although a lot of the violence is there seemingly for the sake of it – the comically vile character of Spoon (Emanuele Cerman), for example, has little to do with the overall structure, but is no less enjoyable because of that. The ending, which threads its way through even the end titles, suggests that the narrative is ongoing and will continue as long as evil exists in humanity, which indicates the stark prison cells will never be empty. Such whirlwind pacing right up until the end does leave the viewer wondering exactly what they have just witnessed, but (for me at least) in an appreciative way, and a way that invites moments from the film to linger in the mind long afterwards.

Hmmm... I'm not sure how I felt about this movie. Original, that's for sure. But, I couldn't help but feel as if the whole movie was dishevelled. I know it was supposed to be a character development but, you had the sense that there were too much of it. It took too long to get to why these people were there. And by the time I got there, I just didn't care much for it. The movie was starting to get on my nerve. And the ending, left a bad taste in my mouth. It felt unfinished. And it's unfortunate. I get where they wanted to go with their idea but, it just fell flat. I wanted to be amazed, and it ended up being "meh". Also, what the heck happened to the first guy?!

One of the best independent movie I ever saw. I was at the premiere and must say that I was impressed. So well wrapped, such a mysterious atmosphere. Well directed, with an astonishing use of lights and photography. And the actors were all so good. The passion of Brian Fortune, the madness of John Game, the cruelty of Michael Segal, the humanity of Matteo Tosi, the ferocity of Giuseppe Gobbato, the lust of Domiziano Arcangeli, the drama of Tara Cardinal, the unpredictability of Emanuele Cerman, the innocence of Suzi Lorraine, the fury of Debbie Rochon, the deadly sensuality of Tiffany Shepis, the mysteriousness of Gerry Shanahan. Ivan Zuccon did a very good job. Hope this movie will have the success it deserves and hope To see this Italian director behind camera soon.

Had the privilege to be invited to the Red Carpet's screening of a new Horror, the psychological thriller "Wrath of the Crows". Wasn't expecting anything like it, and, like others, i must state here, had seen a trailer i thought somewhat deceiving, without justice made to a film nevertheless pretty much anything, but, never an exploitative genre film, rather a dark drama, a psychological and visionary consideration, shot with splendid cinematography, always haunting and gripping, without ever resembling anything you'd see at the Grindhouse, or in another Horror films,think of Eli Roth, Rob Zombie, Uwe Boll or even down to the Asylum, or to Lloyd Kaufman, for example, who may be a very clever and humorous man, but, definitely, not a great seeker, nor a very open minded filmmaker, rather, just the mirror of an industry that's always been put at the fine borderline that lays in between Art and pornography, between products, either conceived by great directors, re-interpreting the Genre(think of Polanski in "Repulsion", "Rosemary's",etc., Kubrick with "The Shining", Friedkin, Bergman, Roeg, Bunuel, Ozu, Clayton, Frankenheimer, or more recently,others like Medem, Ozon, Adrian Lyne, Almodovar, Soderbergh and Von Trier, of course, with the strong "Antichrist"or Haneke in "Funny Games")or by "people", without many expectations or virtues, aside making the usual quick low budget's, cash in, shake, and, re-start all over again, with mostly forgettable results, ultimately, provoking what's happened to a whole Genre, which has been suffering, always like suspended in a misconception, that's grossed out many and engaged others! There's no right or wrong, some could say they like only greater Cinema, others instead could enjoy bad taste and provocations that many like myself feel more of the 1960's/1970's, but today seem trite and plain shabby. To each their own, i guess! But, it is so rare to see an original film, and,let's face it, it is extremely rare to see an Horror film, that breaks all rules with greater skills, such as some personal story telling, a precise and vibrant, driven visual style, and, a profound search and devotion fencing, without fears, most superstitions, presenting an audience, with a show daring to introduce us to the verge of a mysterious, unraveling darkness, coming directly from the mind! Talented, true virtuoso, Italian filmmaker (he writes, produces, photographs, cuts his movies!)Ivan Zuccon is indeed a surprise himself for me, and, for many of those who saw his enigmatic, but, splendid, somber yet powerful, "Wrath of the Crows",the other night in Hollywood, leaving pretty much everyone, at the end of the projection, like under a spell! I am not saying that this work is flawless, but, with ambiguity and with scenes, at times, virtually unexplained and seemingly coming out of a nightmare, drives us all inside a rabid madness and really does conquer fear from the interiors, using with nonchalance, a thought provoking, emotional tone of discovery, featuring pessimistic hallucinations, over a succession of alternating and troubling, incessant flashes, where the fine line between evil and good may be drawn, making us question whether its immoral conclusion was maybe already impairing our final judgment! Through an always fascinating array of arresting and vivid images, at times dreamy, at times much more painfully real, like the horror devouring all principal characters, the movie is extending, stretching not credibility, but, simply living with us, a surreal, yet never impossible path: a walk through existence, love, death, addiction, sickness, religions and faith, injustice, even a complete, utterly penetrating, reconstruction of the after life, with a clarity not made accessible to everyone, but able to interest even the agnostic's. Zuccon, always extremely well served by stories that feel real, thanks to the good use of some great actors, does not leave us ever breathing for a single moment! The acting certainly was another winning point: was mostly impressed by all British players, all truly exceptionally believable, and, in particular, Brian Fortune and,newcomer John Game, who both are able to almost create singular elements of introspection out of the reveal of their characters! And, then, Domiziano Arcangeli, who is another example himself of life and paradox, finds here another occasion, not limiting his extremely unique face and his burning glare to a provocative image, but, that adds up to a playful and painful game, portraying a dilemma that spawns over existence, solitude, addictions, murders, revealing how a sense of self awareness can break into despair even the most sarcastic, harsh and distant aloofness, while, his hidden frailty is rather at the very helm of his irremediably wounded, tragic persona. More surprises were delivered by all lead characters, a full cast of scream queens, all so perfectly "non screaming" (aside, from Tiffany Shepis, revealing and sexy costume, that ends up becoming too much of a concession to the non sublime, and, to interfere with her powerful performance, some of her best work to date!) but sensitively working on building up their corrupted characters with earnest dramatic qualities, recreating emblematic dark ladies,also conveying a disturbing impression over the meanings of abuse, nailing, completely, the different ways it gets in the middle of happiness and redemption. A chilling, bewildering movie introducing, so convincingly, some impressive thoughts over destiny and after life, rarely discussed elsewhere,and, an impressive wave of humanity tragically anchored to repress, hopelessly, their heavy contradictions, facing life and death, within the repercussions of a present that's here re-enacted as envisioned by the mind of a true artist, and, this was truly the best surprise of the evening, for me!