{"id":8710,"date":"2019-06-25T12:50:23","date_gmt":"2019-06-25T19:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/?p=8710"},"modified":"2019-06-25T12:50:23","modified_gmt":"2019-06-25T19:50:23","slug":"cinepocalypse-film-festival-belzebuth-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/cinepocalypse-film-festival-belzebuth-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Cinepocalypse Film Festival: \u2018Belzebuth\u2019 Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>One of the most intriguing aspects of religion-based horror is how perspectives and norms differ between cultures. Mexico\u2019s <em>Belzebuth<\/em>, for example, blends border crossings and themes of \u201cfamilia\u201d into what might elsewhere be a more straightforward demonic affliction. Emilio Portes\u2019 \u201csecond coming\u201d horror story breaks a favored genre rule early, often, and with morbid enthusiasm: don\u2019t axe children. Satan\u2019s a cruel punisher; don\u2019t expect him to take pity on newborns, toddlers, or grade schoolers. That\u2019s what grants <em>Belzebuth<\/em> the evilest of exorcism vibes, which ups grave endangerment within a wild and savage (un)holy war against Hell\u2019s most ruthless assassins.<\/p>\n<p>Mexico experiences by a string of domestic terrorism attacks targeting innocent children. Detective Emmanuel Ritter (Joaqu\u00edn Cosio) follows the case, attempting to piece together clues that are not visible. Enter U.S. Spectral Investigator Ivan Franco (Tate Ellington), who Ritter assumes was brought in as a joke. Apprehension plagues their relationship until Franco proves something undefinable is behind recent events. Could the mysterious vagrant who witnessed crime scenes be playing a part (an extradited man of the cloth played by Tobin Bell)? All Ritter knows is the killing must stop, even if it takes hallowed combat to bring an end to the bloodshed.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OEbOHj-k0s8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Raven Banner is selling <em>Belzebuth<\/em>, but as of its Cinepocalypse screening, there is no stateside release date. Until that wrong is righted, here are three reasons to embrace the apocalypse Ritter must fight.<\/p>\n<h2>1. An Unlikely Trio Of Demon Hunters<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-8712\" src=\"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/005-VASILIO-CANNETTI-e1540910276125-1024x384.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/005-VASILIO-CANNETTI-e1540910276125-1024x384.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/005-VASILIO-CANNETTI-e1540910276125-300x113.jpg 300w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/005-VASILIO-CANNETTI-e1540910276125-768x288.jpg 768w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/005-VASILIO-CANNETTI-e1540910276125-500x188.jpg 500w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/005-VASILIO-CANNETTI-e1540910276125-1080x405.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/005-VASILIO-CANNETTI-e1540910276125.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Belzebuth<\/em> exudes the personality of an \u00c1lex de la Iglesia film (note: this is good). Three unalike characters are forced together by a common enemy, all featuring distinct personalities. There\u2019s Emmanuel Ritter, the grieving law enforcer who must face a string of horrific child massacres after losing his own family. Ivan Franco, the American paranormal investigator who\u2019s called to assist Ritter like a \u201creal Ghostbuster,\u201d Ritter jests. Then there\u2019s Vasilio Canetti, an excommunicated priest who pursued sacrilegious practices frowned upon by the church. Tension, as you might assume, runs thick.<\/p>\n<p>Wrapping the de la Iglesia comparison back around, each character is distinctly presented and uniquely attributed. You\u2019ll barely recognize Tobin Bell, who\u2019s cloaked, covered in tattoos that bare bedeviled markings across his head and exposed body (think biker thug outlaw priest). He\u2019s a straight apostle badass, quite the opposite from Franco\u2019s white button-up shirt and black tie (like &#8220;Specs&#8221; from <em>Insidious<\/em>). Ritter is the loose cannon, the non-believer, and the questioner of both accomplices\u2019 otherworldly means. Together their ghost fighting squadron clashes, gels, and plays their character arcs with lively differences: the tormented lows, bonding highs &#8211; all of it.<\/p>\n<h2>2) A Hybrid Of Horror Subgenres<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-8716\" src=\"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10316544.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10316544.jpg 900w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10316544-300x126.jpg 300w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10316544-768x323.jpg 768w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10316544-500x210.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Belzebuth<\/em> often shapeshifts to defy stagnant classification. At first, cult violence sees human minions execute mass murder, either slashing up nurseries or blowing up movie theaters with homemade explosives. These are horrors of modern times; what you\u2019d witness breaking live on CNN. Then, after those immediate pains, Franco\u2019s introduction illuminates handprints climbing up classroom walls with UV blasts. From here Portes pivots into supernatural, cult-driven mayhem, and \u201cghost hunter\u201d aspects of Satan\u2019s latest attempt at besting God\u2019s divine intervention. Tragedy unfolds the heartbreak of parents burying their children, then Franco\u2019s esoteric research creates a case for genre entertainment.<\/p>\n<p>But wait, there\u2019s more.<\/p>\n<p>I bring up \u00c1lex de la Iglesia once again because films of his like <em>Witching &amp; Bitching<\/em> or <em>The Day Of The Beast<\/em> do not shy from creatures, or morbidly imaginative representations of evil. As Ritter and Franco investigate Canetti\u2019s heretic hideout, an interaction with a Christian crucifixion statue brings their foe to life in an unexpected form. From here, Canetti appears and we\u2019re thrust into a cat-and-mouse game that leads to Ritter guiding the film\u2019s precious cargo through a hidden, underground cartel tunnel. Beasts are revealed by red flare glows, exorcism aggression costs multiple lives, and we come full circle from humanity\u2019s senseless violence to the devil\u2019s grand entrance. As far as horror cinema goes, <em>Belzebuth<\/em> is a bloody grab bag of mayhem, thorny jolts, and bleeding hands.<\/p>\n<h2>3. An Exorcism Film That Takes Risks<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8714\" src=\"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/kyGIDBqMYTVFMNQdKStD8ePnAVu.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/kyGIDBqMYTVFMNQdKStD8ePnAVu.jpg 780w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/kyGIDBqMYTVFMNQdKStD8ePnAVu-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/kyGIDBqMYTVFMNQdKStD8ePnAVu-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/kyGIDBqMYTVFMNQdKStD8ePnAVu-500x281.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When presenting a film about slaughtering children en masse to prevent the second messiah from ascending, there\u2019s risk involved. Not everyone can endure adolescent deaths on screen; movies normally err on the side of caution. Don\u2019t get me wrong: <em>Belzebuth<\/em> pulls no martyrdom punches and is graphically despicable in terms of acted-out underworld suicide missions. That said, it\u2019s never about pushing an audience that far into devastation for no reason. Mourning adults serve a greater storytelling purpose, creating this pulpy and tragic fight against satanism by running alongside said devils. Keep your enemies close and all that.<\/p>\n<p>Emilio Portes hath wrought Satan\u2019s wrath into an exorcism tale that lunges for your throat; a total kill-shot film that wastes no opportunity to test viewers. <em>Belzebuth<\/em> throws everything including the kitchen sink at us, except the kitchen sink is possessed and when it smashes, all unholy hell breaks loose. Not every ambitious reach is equally meritorious, but Portes does wonders by incorporating cultural identity into an otherwise overused horror format (exorcisms\/possessions). Possibly overlong, sustainably entertaining, and one of the better exploitations of Heaven, Hell, and the chaos of being caught in the middle. <em>Belzebuth<\/em>, do your worst.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the most intriguing aspects of religion-based horror is how perspectives and norms differ between cultures. Mexico\u2019s Belzebuth, for example, blends border crossings and themes of \u201cfamilia\u201d into what might elsewhere be a more straightforward demonic affliction. Emilio Portes\u2019 \u201csecond coming\u201d horror story breaks a favored genre rule early, often, and with morbid enthusiasm: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":8715,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[58,52],"tags":[40,37],"class_list":["post-8710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-horror","category-review","tag-featuredpage","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8710"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8800,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8710\/revisions\/8800"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}