As of late, I notice a lot of people are jumping on the bash Dante Tomaselli bandwagon. As someone who despised his preceding feature "Horror", I think some are being too harsh on him. His latest feature, "Satans Playground", is a very large step up in terms of storytelling. For me, Horror felt too fragmented, too random and frankly, sloppy in his visualization. I realize it was supposed to be a nightmare put on film, but it felt more like unfinished work. Here, Dante manages to create a very unique world that's interesting to visit. The story makes enough sense to follow, much of it staged with effective camera angles, the score is eerie and unique. It very much reminds me of say, Evil Dead. If you're a fan of films of that nature, there's no reason you shouldn't appreciate this film.
On the downside, I was disappointed in the acting. I think it would've helped if the characters were better drawn and the dialog was less "B" movie material. The actors rarely sounded like living, breathing people. OK, yes, the villains weren't meant to be something you see every day, but I'm referring to the leads. Danny Lopez, however, really went the distance in portraying a mentally challenged character. If it wasn't for his nearly incessant drooling I think more people would appreciate just how much Lopez threw himself into role.
Also, the story is never fully developed enough to be satisfying, there's too many loose threads, but all in all, if you're into quirky horror, its worth a rental.
On the downside, I was disappointed in the acting. I think it would've helped if the characters were better drawn and the dialog was less "B" movie material. The actors rarely sounded like living, breathing people. OK, yes, the villains weren't meant to be something you see every day, but I'm referring to the leads. Danny Lopez, however, really went the distance in portraying a mentally challenged character. If it wasn't for his nearly incessant drooling I think more people would appreciate just how much Lopez threw himself into role.
Also, the story is never fully developed enough to be satisfying, there's too many loose threads, but all in all, if you're into quirky horror, its worth a rental.