Explosive
Summary
These days, viewers will throw their nose up at a movie such as this, but I find it very well crafted and delivered, despite Barkett being the weak link in it. His two films (The Aftermath was his previous one) were extremely ambitious with solid special effects (by future Avatar Oscar winner Robert Stromberg) and good scores (this one is scored by John Morgan), and honestly they’re just really entertaining movies, both of them.
Plot: An ex-cop fights of demon worshipers to save a woman he loves.
Review: Beat cop Richard Flynn (Steve Barkett) is having an affair with a married woman named Angela (Tera Hendrickson), and he gets a distressed call from her in the middle of the night. He goes to the rescue, but he’s too late: Angela has been snatched by demon worshipers who’ve secreted her away to another realm that looks like hell! The cultists (most of whom are actual demons!) have also taken Angela’s baby boy, and in front of his eyes, they sacrifice her to their god! Flynn manages to save the baby and return through the portal, and he spends the next 20 years trying to mend his guilty conscience for not being able to save Angela. Now a private detective who takes fencing lessons, Flynn has become a surrogate dad to Terry (Christopher Barkett), who has grown up only hearing stories about his mother Angela. When the demon worshipers return to collect Terry, Flynn is ready with sword skills (he noticeably uses the sword from Conan the Barbarian) and a Tommy gun to fend off the cultists, culminating in an action-packed finale in hell!
From the late great Steven Barkett (whom I knew personally and got to know pretty well), Empire of the Dark has aged pretty well with practical and stop-motion effects, impressive matte paintings, lots of action, and a tighter-than-usual pace for an ultra indie film. These days, viewers will throw their nose up at a movie such as this, but I find it very well crafted and delivered, despite Barkett being the weak link in it. He casts himself in a highly masculine and heroic (and romantic) lead, which was always the point of derision over his work, and while I certainly see his appeal, I fear that most others will scoff at that. He didn’t look like a charismatic lead, being somewhat out of shape and paunchy, but to me that’s part of his appeal. He’s the everyman, and I always liked that about him. His two films (The Aftermath was his previous one) were extremely ambitious with solid special effects (by future Avatar Oscar winner Robert Stromberg) and good scores (this one is scored by John Morgan), and honestly they’re just really entertaining movies, both of them. I’m really glad to have known Barkett and it does me honor to have been one of his cheerleaders in life. Here’s a fun place to start with his two-film oeuvre.
VCI has just put out a loaded Blu-ray edition of Empire of the Dark, and it’s presented in a fantastic high definition transfer with audio commentaries, interviews, short films, a bonus DVD, and lots more. This is a solid release all the way. Great job, VCI! Steve would be proud!