Starring: Ben Cross, Ned Beatty, William Russ, Jill Carroll, Trevor Howard, and Hal Holbrook.Directed by Camilo Vila.Written by Philip Yordan and Fernando Fonseca.Rated R (for strong horror violence/gore, some sexuality and language).Running time approximately 1 hour 45 minutes. The disappointment I experienced while
watching The Unholy was almost unbearable. The talents of Hal Holbrook and Ben Cross are wasted; Holbrook saddled with a thankless role, and Cross overacting so ridiculously, we wonder if this film was the cause of his mysterious disappearance from the world of motion pictures. While the story is interesting enough, it is made dreadful by the bad acting and directing, and especially by the absolutely pathetic creature effects in the final ten minutes. The sheer brilliance of The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby, and even the great frights of The Omen put this travesty to shame. *1/2 (out of ****) D+
July 27, 2004
