The Bottom Line
Pros
- Almost everyone dies
Cons
- Acting
- Directing
- Writing
- Lighting
- Sound
Description
- Starring Shannyn Sossamon, Pink, Emil Hostina, Sandi Dragoi, Mihai Stanescu, Cabral Ibacka, Radu Andrei Micu, Cain Manoli
- Directed by Tomm Coker and David Elliot
- Rated R
- DVD Release Date: February 19, 2008
Guide Review - 'Catacombs' DVD Review
The Movie
The Catacombs in Paris, 200 miles of underground tunnels stacked with 7 million skeletons, is a great site for a horror movie...just not this horror movie. Catacombs received a theatrical release in countries like Italy and Japan -- revenge for WWII? -- but heads straight to video in the US, and for good reason.
It should come as no surprise, of course, that any film headlined by Shannyn Sossamon and Pink fails to fulfill the potential for Descent-like claustrophobic thrills. Sossamon, who already has a horror strike against her for One Missed Call, stars as Victoria, a docile, panicky waif of an American who comes to Paris to visit her sister, Carolyn (Pink), who's studying at the Sorbonne. Carloyn drags Victoria to a rave in the Catacombs to get her to loosen up, only to discover that a madman stalks the tunnels, killing everyone who crosses his path. Well, unfortunately, not everyone.
Catacombs is full of unlikable characters doing stupid things for pointless reasons ad nauseam. Victoria is so inept that she gets trapped in the tunnels not once but TWICE -- not that she's in any real danger, because the killer is on screen for 10 minutes tops, meaning we're treated to an hour of Victoria stumbling through the dimly lit Catacombs. Yawn. Sossamon's Ambien-induced acting doesn't help matters, although she's still light years ahead of Pink, who acts like, well, a singer.
The directors, meanwhile, come from the school of "shake the camera violently when action occurs so no one will realize that what's happening is not the least bit scary." The rave scenes allow them to add a bunch of quick cuts and seizure-inducing strobe lights as well. As if this film wasn't painful enough, it might actually end up killing you.
The DVD
The special features include directors' commentary, a behind-the-scenes feature and storyboards.
Movie: F
DVD: C
