Luis Muniz (VOS410)

Audiences pack up theaters to find disappointment from a documentary that doesn't deliver to their expectations.

Everyone is looking for that next exorcist film that'll live up to William Friedkin's 1973 classic, but how far does a filmmaker have to go in order to convey something close to what "The Exorcist" lives up to today. William Brent Bell comes the closest, but no cigar on his attempt as the fans boo to the fools who compelled audiences to watch a documentary grow weary, exciting then closed abruptly.

Director William Brent Bell (Stay Alive) challenges the exorcist with his own written tale starring Fernanda Andrade, Simon Quarterman and Evan Helmuth whom all of the above fail at the attempt to bring their characters to life.

Synopsis: Isabella Rossi's (Andrade) mother had murdered three people during her exorcism in the late 80's and travels to Italy in hopes to reveal threw a series of illegal exorcisms of a way to help understand what had happened 20 years ago.

Now if you've seen documentary's on A&E, E True Hollywood stories or TCM, you'd pretty much have an idea what to expect. You can surely receive a lot of info based on the practice of exorcism, but it can get pretty boring if you're not interested. Documentaries aren't made to entertain people, but merely interest them if they are fascinated in learning more about exorcism.

The performances were flat and did not help the movie grow to what it could have been, and their exorcist scenes didn't support their lack of characteristics. However, there were many scenes that kept people from leaving the theater that made for shocking value points. This leads up to a grand finale (if any) that gets the crowd interested again and entertained, but then stops very suddenly.

That was the pop of the night. People were thoroughly upset, angry and left the theater completely disappointed. I've been going to the movies for a long time and never seen such a mad audience get so rowdy after it was over.

The majority of the film is made into a documentary vs. real camera footage and added present incidences that occur during unauthorized exorcisms.

Nothing like the Karate Kid if that's what you expect.


I been closely following the new career move of Rina Takeda and it looks like she'll be concluding in film roles as she's already perhaps set for yet another part in an additional big action film titled "Future Fighters" being directed by Nelson Shin whom less would be remembered for his animated film "The Transformers: The Movie". Did her High Kick flick catapult her to this new direction in her life or is she truly driven to make movies and leave her Karate Dojo in the dust? Well, it's a great choice nonetheless; we all get to see more of her unique sensei skills at its best.

Director Yoshikatsu Kimura makes his second film after having written the script for "High Kick Girl" that gave him the go to make this one starring Rina Takeda whom gives us what she's good at the most.

Synopsis: A mysterious individual shows up to take down Tatsuya Kurenai (Tatsuya Naka) and take away one of his daughters Kurenai Natsuki (Tobimatsu Hina). Ayaka Kurenai (Takeda Rina) grows up to become a Karate master like her father before her and is forced to protect her father's black belt where Momoru intends to take to claim rights to a new Karate Legend.

This was probably to be better than expected pertaining to the High Kick praise Takeda was influencing all over the world. Unfortunately it falls short of a classic...real short. But is it worth the watch anyway? Sure why not. The fight sequences are pretty good much like Takeda's first movie. Only some thing's seem like it shouldn't have been done. It's not every day you see a girl fight off two men in a movie theater after having stolen a purse from a defenseless women. Probably would have been best if it was taken place outside.

You will have some familiar faces from the last Karate film that show some cool moves especially from a newcomer Hina Tobimatsu who played the captured daughter Natsuki.

Be prepared for some more on Rina as she has already made a new film titled "Ninja girl" that looks like she'll be packing in more punches then kicks.