Monday 20 August 2012

Resurrection-From the depths of Cult corner!


Cult corner: Resurrection (1999)
Cult Corner is a new feature where Jonny and I offer our thoughts on movies that for whatever reason have got lost along the way. Maybe a film was marketed incorrectly or its release was over shadowed by a similar title coming out, maybe at the time people just didn’t get it. Here in Cult Corner we celebrate those movies and give them their fifteen minutes. 
This week’s title getting pulled from the archives is Russell Mulcahy’s 1999 flop ‘Resurrection’ starring the original Highlander Christopher Lambert.
Resurrection is a thriller similar in feel to David Fincher’s brilliant Se7en. It was released at the turn of the millennium to cash in on the paranoia that was rife at the time. People were worried that the world’s computers would blow up causing mass devastation and Religious nuts were convinced it was the end of humanity. Perfect time to bring out a film about a psycho re-creating the body of Christ in time for Easter right? Well yes, if only Universal weren’t releasing Schwarzenegger’s End of days, another horror thriller with ties to the religious occult around the same time. Oh, and let’s not forget Denzil Washington’s serial killer thriller Bone collector who’s main protagonist also appeared in Resurrection!


Christopher Lambert plays Cajun homicide detective John Prudhomme. A man at war with himself over the death of his young son. Transferred to Chicago he is assigned to the brutal murder of a man whose arm was severed with the message ‘’He is coming’’ written in blood. After a few more bodies of men also with limbs removed are discovered it is clear that a serial killer is literally building a body of Christ to resurrect. So far so samey right? Well Resurrection’s clichés are one of its main problems. On paper it just doesn’t sound much. That being said there is much to like. Resurrection is very well made for starters. The story, albeit contrived is enjoyable enough. It was co-written by Lambert and let’s not forget he and Mulcahy both brought us the epic Highlander! It’s also pretty well shot and gives the film the feel of of a much higher budget. I like Schwarzenegger as much as the next man but I’m willing to bet that his fee for End of Days alone was more than Resurrections entire cost. From a casting point of view Resurrection doesn’t disappoint either. I’m not Lambert’s biggest fan by any means, I find him odd to look at and his voice grates on me and that laugh… Arrrgh! He is perfectly acceptable in this though as is his partner Leyland Orser and CSI NY regular Robert Joy. Most pleasing is that the film is suitably gory and earns its adult rating. Far too often these days a film will be cut to earn a lower rating in the hope of a wider audience, thankfully this isn’t the case here and the dismembered corpses are well presented for all to see! Sadly the ending isn’t brilliant and is a little bit to ‘gung ho’ than was needed. I’ll leave it up to the viewer to decide whether or not the twist was obvious or not.   
So there you have it. Resurrection is one of the best ‘okay’ serial killer movies of the 90’s. Below it’s tried and tested formula is a perfectly enjoyable adult thriller. Sure it treads very closely to Se7en’s far superior silk coat tails but not to the point that it deserves the obscurity that has dogged it over the years. At 108 minutes Resurrection is time well spent by anyone’s standards.
Resurrection is available from all good bargains bins now!    
Gav Jennings.           




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