From a Place of Darkness (2008)

A documentary filmmaker finds himself drawn into the seedy world of a snuff filmmaker with a mysterious dark side.

Director:

Douglas A. Raine

Writers:

Scott Kenyon Barker (screenplay), Douglas A. Raine (screenplay)

Stars:

Travis Schuldt, John Savage, Bronson Pinchot

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Travis Schuldt	...	Miles Kody
John Savage	...	Vic
Bronson Pinchot	...	Carl
Valery M. Ortiz	...	Rosa
Conor Duffy	...	Sean
Natalie Zea	...	Brenda
Carmen Palumbo	...	Jacqui
Carmen Mormino	...	Officer Diebel
Jeffrey T. Unterkofler	...	Officer Paulson
Cristen Irene	...	Runaway
Nikki Flux	...	Chisled Hooker
Elina Madison	...	Tall hooker
Eric Michael Kochmer	...	Migrant Worker
Christopher Allen	...	Waiter
Jennifer Pfalzgraff	...	Screaming Hooker

Storyline

Miles Kody, is a documentary filmmaker. Living off a long ago success he's now searching for his "second" break. He finds that in the seedy world of snuff films. He interviews Vic, a seasoned pro with a menacing, mysterious dark side. Miles becomes obsessed with the subject matter and his subject. Miles' primary investor, Carl, is also very interested, more in the hypnotic allure of the movies and potential for profit. As Miles tapes his interviews with Vic he becomes aware of the appearance of "ghosts" captured on his video monitor. He realizes that the faint energy fields of these ghosts, past victims of the snuff films, are picked up more readily on video. As a ghost becomes more powerful they become more visible to the naked eye. He soon realizes that Vic is in league with the Devil and delivers the souls of his victims to attain more power.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Stone Squared [US]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 March 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jigsaw: Devil's Game

Filming Locations:

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

110 In The Shade Productions, PDP Productions, Vic's Flicks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Terror Film Festival Promotional Video 2012 (2012)

User Reviews

Could Be the Independent Horror Film of the Year

An aspiring film-maker finds a notorious snuff film director and begins interviewing him. His interest quickly turns to fascination and obsession, getting closer and closer to direct involvement in the productions, including cleaning up the bloody remains. But murder isn't the only thing to be worried about... the ghosts of the dead are turning up on film and will not suffer quietly.

I entered this film with mixed expectations. The few reviews that had surfaced seemed to be polar opposites: one batch praised the film as one of the best unsung films, while the other accused the praisers of being a part of the crew and puffing up the film with false reviews and ratings. Needless to say, this left the impression in my mind that this might not be the best film I'd seen in a while. My fears were squashed, thankfully, within five minutes of putting in the disc. It's no surprise this movie was nominated for Best Feature, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor (John Savage)at the Terror Film Fest.

Set to a heavy soundtrack, this film is packed with plenty of quality murder, and a chilling performance from veteran actor John Savage, playing the snuff director, Vic. As soon as he speaks, we're sucked in, perhaps horrified but also morbidly curious... murder for profit... on film? Tell us more, Vic.

While not flawless by any means, this film shows a strong sense of vision and direction from director Doug Raine, and I expect we'll be seeing more of him and 110 in the Shade Productions. With an interesting third act with Bronson Pinchot (Cousin Balki from "Perfect Strangers", or "The Langoliers")... you must see this film.