A new and concrete response to the public's lack of attention to indie horror cinema comes this time from Alex Visani and his Empire Video, who with The Pyramid offers an anthology film divided into 4 episodes by a variety of directors. An interesting work that proudly and with a sense of duty contrasts with the current film situation in the Bel Paese.
A metal pyramid forged in times immemorial by evil itself comes to the present day to leave, in the shadow of its passing, death and destruction for humankind. Those who come into possession of the coveted object will know pain and deprivation, offering Evil a gateway to the end of mankind. Shaitan's key will pass from one to the other until all mankind is enslaved under demonic forces.
The Pyramid might show itself, to the less attentive, as an unoriginal tribute to the horror cinema of other countries, and recounting the ravings of Clive Barker, Sam Raimi or Danny Boyle. In reality, this horror anthology is in fact a true tribute to the Italian underground, to the desire to make cinema but above all to make it at all costs and by any means.
A good script (by Alex Visani, Raffaele Ottolenghi and the various directors) in hand, The Pyramid pays homage to Italian independent cinema by referring to Notte Profonda by Fabio Salerno, a director who died prematurely in 1993 after achieving important milestones in the milieu.
From Deep Night, Visani and Associates derive not only the idea of the pyramid, but more importantly Salerno's love for Clive Barker and David Cronenberg, which is amplified here accomplice to a larger budget at hand and the presence of a viable crew.
After a prologue entitled. Twinge, che funge da episodio cornice, a fare gli onori di casa è Alex Visani stesso con l’episodio "Ritual", che richiama Deep Night and takes the viewer toward a thickening of the plot, which is then useful for the continuation of the other episodes that are consequential to this one. Ritual opens the film with a good dose of splatter effects and atmospheres that harken back to Barker's Hellraiser.
Il secondo "Dream Door" diretto da Luca Alessandro si eleva a tributo totale al film di Salerno. L’intero episodio infatti ricorda Notte Profonda, mostrando un disegnatore che, venuto in possesso della piramide, ne diventa succube. Come nel film del 1989, assisteremo ad una scena di levitazione in cui il protagonista viene inesorabilmente attratto dal soffitto della sua camera da letto.
Giunge il turno di "Pestilence", il capitolo diretto da Simone Chiesa e Roberto Albanesi con un’intro a primo acchito oscena, ma che dispiegandosi diventa poi divertente. I due registi omaggiano prima La Casa di Sam Raimi e poi il filone sui morti viventi, raccattando tra varie pellicole sul filone, da Demoni di Lamberto Bava e fino a 28 giorni Dopo di Boyle. Epica l’inquadratura finale che fa da giusta premessa all’episodio finale che con l’inequivocabile titolo di Apocalypse mette in scena la fine del genere umano piegato dalla blasfemia della chiave di Shaitan.
"Apocalypse" di Antonio Zannone chiude con dignità il film rifacendosi a derivazioni più moderne nelle quali non mancano effetti cruenti e azione, che sfociano nella sopraffazione (precaria) del male che poi entrerà nuovamente in scena con la chiusura del racconto pilota.
The Pyramid is all in all a good work, carefully packaged, demonstrating the skills of the filmmakers and the entire crew. A shimmering gem for the making of which not even the music was left to chance. The beautiful Key of Sheitan by the Italian group A silk Method for example was made especially for the film and boasts a video clip directed by Alex Visani.
The Pyramid however, it sins with little originality, exaggerated citationism and ostentatious display of skills, characteristics that while generating praise, prove sterile for the final result to flow negatively into the partial dissatisfaction of the viewer.
Passing audiences might find it wholesome entertainment, then heightened by the conspicuous presence of heinous scenes and tense moments. Not knowing the background, however, they could not evaluate the work in its full meaning.
On the other hand, the more experienced viewer is confronted with a product neutered by too many references but at the same time bolstered by the nobility of its intentions.
This, however, perhaps applies somewhat to all genre films.
It is a film that definitely deserves attention and more than one viewing, and one that arrogates to us the right to look forward to the next moves of Visani, Alessandro, Chiesa, Albanesi and Zannone. Go Guys!
