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Reviews
Cup of My Blood (2005)
Chilling and Intelligent
This is an amazing film, but is not for everybody. Its not for people looking for sophomoric humor and a plot spoon fed to imbeciles. You need to think. I won't waste your time with the plot synopsis because its already been covered.
Its obvious Catania and the film making team love what they do. Their passion is evident in every frame. Every shot is composed with emotion and subtext in mind. It is beautiful to look at. The lighting dares to be dark and heavy, so unlike most horror films that are bright and over-lit.
Cup of My Blood never goes for the cheap scare, the cat jumping at you kind of crap. Catania creates a mood dark and melancholy. Its a slow burn that leads to scares growing out of the story and Jack Fender's situation, rather than contrivances thrown arbitrarily at the audience. When the scares come, its quite jolting. Catania also isn't squeamish in his depiction of violence. There are buckets of blood, but its devastating and ugly, not celebratory. Catania has developed the characters to such a degree that when the violence occurs, we truly care about them and it is quite affecting and horrific.
The acting is also top notch. The performances by all are subtle and and multi-layered. Again, a departure from most recent horror films where the characters are loud, abrasive smart asses who have no depth and nothing to say other than cracking jokes and insulting each others mommies. Stand outs are Daniel Patrick Sullivan as Jack Fender and Janina Gavankar as Iona. Sullivan's performance as Jack is tortured, wrenching and brilliant. Gavankar's smoldering depiction of Iona is daring, sensuous and very evil. I hope to see much more from both of them.
This is something different, something smart for fans of the genre who appreciate not being talked down to or being treated like morons by the filmmakers. It deals with a subject most are afraid to address, faith. And it does it very well.
I'm eagerly anticipated what Catania delivers next.