Released: October 1999
Rated R
Director: Eric Freiser
Run Time: 94 Minutes
Distributor: Trimark Pictures
Genre: Horror
Cast:
Bruce Payne: The Warlock
Ashley Laurence: Kris
Paul Francis: Michael
Jan Shweiterman: Jerry
Angel Boris Reed: Lisa
Rick Hearst: Scott
Boti Bliss: Robin
In 1990, there was a nifty little flick called Warlock that was released to theaters. It featured Julian Sands in his most recognizable role as an evil warlock dead-set on destroying the world. It wasn’t the most creative plot device, but the way it was executed was very interesting and very well done. It also featured an awesome performance by Richard E. Grant as a 17th century thrown into the modern world. As you could imagine, things get a little crazy. But it worked. The film flopped at the box office, but it gained enough of a cult following to warrant a sequel: Warlock: The Armageddon, which would feature Julian Sands as the Warlock again. While I wouldn’t say that The Armageddon was as refined as the original film, it definitely had a meaner streak and a far more violent vibe. So, imagine my surprise when I walked into my local Blockbuster(when they were still in business) and I saw Warlock III: The End of Innocence in the horror section. There was no YouTube or any form of social media when this movie came out in 1999, so nobody knew about it. There were no trailers released to the film at least on the theatrical level, mostly because it went straight to video. Yup, it’s one of those.
The film opens at some point in the 17th century as some apparently random woman is dragging her young daughter along to find….stuff. Out of nowhere comes a mysterious man in black who is not Julian Sands that kidnaps the girl and rides off. Cut forward a few centuries and we see a young woman, Kris, as she heads to her apartment after going to classes for the day. After spending the night with her boyfriend, Mike, she gets a phone call in the morning. Apparently, she’s inherited a house that’s been in her family for generations. She’s given the opportunity to go the house and clear out anything family-related before it gets torn down. Taking her friends with her, she also hires a historian to talk to her about the house. At the same time, a mysterious man-in-black-who-is-not-Julian-Sands shows up. What follows is quite possibly one of the most ho-hum horror movies I’ve ever seen. The Warlock movies have always been low-budget movies. It’s been evident since the original film. But they couldn’t even muster up enough money to come up with something more compelling than this. There’s a reason why Julian Sands didn’t come back for this film. The script wasn’t up to his particular standard. It’s very clear from the opening scene that this Warlock simply wasn’t going to come anywhere near the first two.
Since Julian Sands refused to take part in Warlock III, they brought in Bruce Payne. That’s not actually a bad choice for the role….if it was the same character that Julian Sands played, which it’s not. This is a very different Warlock that actually has a name: Philip Covington. Mr. Payne’s performance is actually not that bad. He doesn’t go completely over-the-top until the end of the film. His character is far more manipulative and conniving than the previous films. He’s clearly a supernatural bad-ass, but we’re never given the full extent of his power, unlike the last two movies, where the Warlock just let loose. Ashley Laurence, who played Kirstie in Hellraiser, plays Kris. She does the best she can with what she’s given, but it’s not really a whole lot. Everyone else does an okay job, but there’s nothing Oscar-worthy here, even though you really shouldn’t be expecting that in a Warlock movie. Most of the victims in the movie are your typical slasher-movie fodder. It also plays out very much like a slasher film. The previous movies were essentially supernatural road movies, because the Warlock had to travel to get the things he needed for world domination/destruction. Here, everybody’s trapped in a house just waiting to be picked off one by one.
Surprisingly, the effects in Warlock III are pretty decent. The gore effects and make-up work are done practically, and it’s fairly impressive with what they’ve accomplished. When Covington rips the throat out of the historian, it’s grisly and detailed. It’s pretty cool. Mike’s decaying is pretty gruesome as well. We see him go through various stages of decay. The CGI that was used in the film was thankfully kept to a fair minimum, but it was used. The problem here is that the violence of this film isn’t up to the level of the previous two, and a lot of people are going to be disappointed. I get that it’s a low-budget direct-to-video film, but I think they could have done a lot more here.
While I can’t flat out say that I hate this movie, because I don’t, it fails to provide the thrills and chills of the previous films. Everyone involved here does the best they can with what they have, but the script needed quite a few more re-writes. The things that save this film from complete obscurity are Bruce Payne, Ashley Laurence, and the effects…well, most of them anyway. However, Julian Sands was right in not coming back for this film. It’s easily the worst entry in the series. Is it the worst direct-to-video movie I’ve ever seen? Not even close. It has enough saving graces to warrant at least a viewing on a rainy night. I can definitely think of worse ways to spend 90 minutes. But I can also think of better ways to spend 90 minutes.
Final Recommendation: If you learn that you have inherited a run-down ancient house, stay away, there may be a Warlock lurking about. 6.5/10