Customer Reviews

Finale

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I really liked this movie -- per the director, John Michael Elfer, "Finale" is something of an homage to movies like Dario Argento's 1977 "Suspiria," but there's a lot more going on here than just that. There are (and I think this is quite deliberate) elements here of a great many fine movies, not just the horror / giallo hybrids that Argento became famous for, but also Mario Bavo's gothic masterpieces, Clive Barker's better movies, and even Robert Wise's superb and still-scary 1963 film, "The Haunting."

I liked "Finale" so much that I did a little research, and found this very revealing comment by the director, John Elfer:

"My oldest brother hanged himself when I was 12, and my mother retreated into grief-stricken denial and paranoia, blaming his death on the planned sacrifice of a demonic cult. I wrote FINALE to face my demons, telling the story from her perspective.

My team landed grants from Kodak and Panavision, then set out for the post-industrial wasteland on the outskirts of my hometown, shooting in backwoods, abandoned houses, down dirt roads, crypt-like passages and cemeteries - desolate, haunting, forgotten places.

We ran through flames, blasted a prosthetic head with shotguns, got held up at gunpoint by police who mistook us for burglars, the FBI found our prop pipe-bombs and shut down the highway to blow them up.

We lived on location and worked without heat or running water in the dead of winter. I stunt-doubled for actors, even dressed in drag with my legs shaved.

I gave up all stability, even lived out of my car to see FINALE to completion. I took a leap of faith to chase my dreams - a trial by fire - and we passed."

Elfer's movie more than just 'passes.' It also LOOKS GREAT, actually more striking, visually, than most big budget horror films. Lots of indie films are shot in budget-friendly Super 16 format, but Elfer seems to have a special understanding of how to get a really stunning result using this film. And that includes great in-camera and mechanical visual effects, done so well they should please even the most jaded CGI fan.

My only complaint about the movie is that when the plot speeds up in the second half, the story becomes a bit muddled; personally, I think a little more exposition, and a little less of those great visual effects I mentioned, would have resulted in a more satisfying second-half and ending.

Finally, I have to mention the two main actors: Carolyn von Hauck and Suthi Picotte. Both are lovely women and each brings life to their character in a way their male counterparts just, well, don't. I hope they both have a great career in the future; they deserve it.

During the first few minutes of the film I thought to myself "this is going to be crap" -- it looked like it was going to be incompetent cheese like Argento's rather unfortunate "Mother of Tears" -- but I was pleasantly surprised. As the plot began to clarify itself, it wound up becoming an effective piece that was very moody and suspenseful. This is definitely a film for those who prefer a horror movie with a growing sense of dread over special effects and bodycounts. Enhancing the film's effectiveness, although it was obviously low budget, some (not all) of the performers, particularly the lead, were actually quite good. I was particularly impressed by the direction. It was filled with lots of creative shots and movement which helped maintain a tense mood throughout. Whenever the director got creative it worked, instead of coming off as self-conscious garbage like Crank. It reminded me of directors from the 70s who cared what the film looked like, like Jean Rollin before he began making crappy direct to video digital films, or for a more recent example, The Collector (which is a beautifully shot film whatever its faults). The locations and sets also really enhanced the mood. The one critique I have of the film (and it is a major one) is that I found the demon, as well as all of the people writhing around it, ridiculous (which is why the opening left me pessimistic). The less clearly you saw the demon (and his followers at the height of their orgies around the demon, or the raven girl), the better they worked. They should have been kept to glimpses. But maybe the director felt a bit of a need to cater to the limited tastes of those horror fans who require spectacle.

First off, please disavow the ghastly cover artwork that implies things that this movie simply doesn't revel in. I fell in love with the photography, with so much beige tones, big grain, and that "big head" screen filling where the entre frame is taken up by tight close ups of someone talking, that I felt like it could have been a Paragon release from 1982. Kudos are in order for making a film with so many old cars, phones with cords, and early 80s decor that when the scene with the son and the cll phone came up at the end I felt it was a deus ex machina until I realized, hey, it just adds to the phantasmagorical aspects of it all. The plot concerns one mother who finds a demonic plot in her son's suicide, which at the onset of the film may be a descent into her insanity, and winds up with her fighting tooth and nail against a devil cult led by someone who may be another mother- or Maeter of B. (something I kept from writing out fully to avoid ruining the plot, just keep an eye out for the feather boa to see who I mean), as it were, as this films quickly veers into what could be construed as another option of the Third Mother of "Suspiria De Profundis". I am going to take heat for this one, but I felt like this film would have made for a more satisfying conclusion to the Mothers' trilogy than the film Argento eventually made as it has more of a rabbit hole approach to it, and has a dream-like aspect to it- so much so that it reminded me in parts of "Inland Empire." And hey, when was the last time you saw a DTV horror flick that didn't have gratuitous rock music during the end credits. Overall, I think I will be watching this one again- it would make a great 80s throwback double bill with "House of the Devil." (And don't take offence at the Argento comment because I am- and will always be- a great fan of his work!)

The plot didn't really flow organically, but I've never seen one of the all-in-one tools used as a focal point of one of the main fight scenes...

I think this is a little gem of a film.

If you like real film (not digital), in camera special effects (not CGI) and gripping story, perhaps you will enjoy this film.

It won numerous awards around the world last year and that does say something for John Michael Elfers first feature length film endeavor.

I, too, am looking forward to his long and successful career in film.

Sincerely,

Carolyn von Hauck

This movie is difficult to follow since it went from one scene to the next seemingly without completing the first scene. No explanation. It was as if I was viewing the chapters out of order. It made no sense. The acting was ok. It doesn't stand up to any Italian horror films. I went off of the recommendation on the box and the ratings I saw here. I was disappointed.

Finale ROCKS!! I LOVE it!! It's an instant cult classic...

It feels like it was shot back in the days when horror films were well-crafted, thrilling, suspenseful and dark. The visuals are gorgeous! If you care at all about visual esthetic, then you'll love Finale. I was shocked and delighted by the gritty feel of industrial decay beneath a seemingly sleepy mid-western town... not unlike the contrast in Blue Velvet... Finale creates a world that definitely stays with you. I couldn't stop talking about it long after I'd seen it... The story is gripping (and based on actual events that happened to the director!!).... The acting is absolutely great, which was another wonderful surprise, and it made everything seem like it was really happening... My friends were so scared by it, that they wouldn't go to the bathroom by themselves after watching it :-) ... I'm definitely keeping this one in my collection. ... Oh, and although I usually hate behind the scenes, I LOVED Finale's. You have to check out the totally punk rock way that this movie was made... I don't want to give anything away, so that's all I'll say. Happy watching!! :-)

I saw this movie at Screamfest in Los Angleles. Finale is a rare horror movie: it has an interesting story to tell and characters with depth. The movie is also visually beautiful. I am adding it to my very select collection.

I nearly stopped watching this movie in the first few minutes because they were slow. I decided to give it more time but found myself pondering getting up and turning it off throughout the film and only didn't because I had nothing else to watch. Unlike another reviewer I won't be talking about this for days, I'll be trying to forget it as soon as possible. Yes it had good visuals and reasonable production values. It didn't help.