Blood Shine

THIS FILM DOES SUCCEED AT EVOKING THE SENSE OF SPIRITUAL FASCISM THAT CAN ARISE FROM DEIFYING CULT LEADERS LIKE MARSHALL APPLEWHITE OF THE "HEAVEN'S GATE" CULT - AND LARRY FESSENDEN , WHO PLAYS MAXXINE- CERTAINLY EMBODIES THE SOFT-SPOKEN CHARISMA THAT CAUSED SO MANY VULNERABLE PEOPLE TO PUT THEIR FATES IN APPLEWHITE'S HANDS). AND EMILY BENNETT, WHO PLAYS CLARA (& WHO ALSO CO-DIRECTED THE FILM WITH JUSTIN BROOKS) SHOWS US THROUGH THE COMFORTING TONE OF HER VOICE IN THE SCENES SHE DOES WITH BRIGHTON (DAVID CALL) HOW PEOPLE CAN BE BROUGHT INTO THE CLUTCHES OF SEEMINGLY EMPATHETIC CULT LEADERS. AND MR. CALL SUCCEEDS AT SHOWING US THE NEEDINESS & EAGERNESS FOR BELONGING THAT MAKES PEOPLE PUT SO MUCH FAITH INTO CULT LEADERS. MY ONE MAJOR DRAWBACK WITH THE FILM WAS THE ENDING. IN THE PAST, HORROR FILMS SUCH AS "MISERY," "FATAL ATTRACTION," & "THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE" HAVE HAD NOTORIOUSLY MISOGYNIST ENDINGS. THE ENDING OF "BLOOD SHINE" ISN'T IN THAT AWFUL TRADITION, BU T I STILL THOUGHT THAT IT WAS FAR BLOODIER TNA IT NEEDED TO BE.