The Awakening and the Nightmare of Being a Horror Film Fan: A Movie Review

*full disclosure: a screener of this film was provided by Gravitas Ventures.

Director: Vince Rotonda.

Writer: Brian Schaefer.

Tagline: "It's already too late!"

You know that whenever a horror movie goes into the ol' Blu-ray player that people are going to die, characters will scream for their lives and the taste of bile will rise into the back of your throat. Hopefully along the way there will be some t & a and a gratuitous gore shot here and there. First time director Vince Rotonda sets the mood from which Tezcatlipoca can rise and steal your relaxing evening, with The Awakening. Now available on various cable platforms e.g. Rogers, Comcast and video-on-demand, as of May, Rotonda manages to create all the effects of a quality horror film, while ensuring your supper will not digest anytime soon. The Awakening involves an ancient Aztec God, unleashed on a group of ravers, who pass this trickster's essence from one ignorant party goer to another. Enter in the necessary tragic ending and you have yourself an enjoyable time, repressing the memories of The Awakening and all the horror films before.

Roy, played by Kevin Lowe, meets a beautiful seductress, who beckons him to attend a coming rave in the local Los Angeles hills. What fool could resist? This charismatic lead gathers his friends for a little drinking, drugging and debauchery, the likes of which would make Dionysus blush. But Roy and friends make the party a day too late. Once finally there, they find that all of the ravers have been dissected in some type of ritual sacrifice. Your good times are no more and now, your stomach is cramping from the brutal bloodlust before you. However, there is a beacon of hope in this catastrophe, as Amanda (Emerson Riley), an archaeologist, knows Tezcatlipoca's powers and possibly how to undo them.

Meanwhile, Roy is urging his charges up and over the next ridge, like a military seargent. His pace weakens some and soon his group must break up. The cliche of splitting up in a horror film remains true, as one survivor from the rave is actually the Aztec God, in disguise. Now, the body count rises, with Roy doing his best to keep everyone calm. Sometimes charisma is not enough and before you can grab the antacids, the antagonist has laid waste to much of the cast. Where can you go from here? Without the protagonist and central lead, there is nowhere to go but down, down, down into despair.

For once, this 28DLA writer will attempt to avoid spoilers. Instead, some focus will be applied to Rotonda's mythology, which is at the core of The Awakening. Much like a gooey nugget, in the middle of this film lies a chewy center. Yet, center stage is ruled by the villain for much of the film. There really is no way to unseat an entity who can pass his life force from one character to another. Funny looking medallions might protect you for a little bit, but in the end, like many horror films, tragedy rules. Hopefully, viewers will not rent this film looking for a happy ending, because Tezcatlipoca is all about disappointment, or dismembering your friends. Revenge is ever on his mind, after being imprisoned for a few hundred generations and a studio lot, which makes up a portion of the filming, is not a place you want to be hiding.

Finally available after being completed in late 2010, The Awakening can remind us of what makes a good horror film: a good villain, t & a, and a few tragic twists and turns. Rotonda's film has all of these and most fans will enjoy the pain that comes with being a devout horror film fan. Check this indie flick out and prepare for an overly exciting night!

Acting/believability: 7.5 (the actors are unknown to this reviewer, but everyone was on par, Nancy McBradley stood out for the duality of her part).
Directing techniques/visual: 7 (nothing too fancy here, some Dutch angles, changes in colouring and a few shots through the eyes of the malefactor).

Overall: 7.25 out of 10 (this was an enjoyable little feature, with enough of an edge to keep this reviewer alert).

Visit The Awakening fan site for release info':

The Awakening on Facebook

Check your local cable providers for this film, which has released in May. Or, visit the Gravitas Ventures website for platform availability:

Video-on-demand Providers at Gravitas Ventures

Then, climb the steps of the sacrificial altar to face another Aztec demon:



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Posted in: 2011,horror movie review,independent,indie,movie poster,movie review,mythology,mythos