An Exercise In Nonsense

A lot of fun.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

A rediculously slow and boring script, poor visual effects and editing, undeveloped characters with no meaning, long and meaningless scenes building the madness in ones mind, so long that I almost fell asleep in one of them and last but least... TERRIBLE acting! OVERALL : LAUGHABLE! The previous reviews got me thinking, 'It can't be that good' AND I WAS RIGHT! Almost two hours of my life totally wasted... Wish I had visited pornhub instead.

When i first saw the trailer for "Lord of Tears" i was totally in love with how the movie was shot and directed, i spend a long time, trying to find it on DVD, then i found it at last... on Hex Media's homepage, and when i say it, it was obvious for me, that it had been all the time worth it, i got it in a nice cover, both Blu-ray and DVD, and in special edition for 27$, it was all the money worth it, it is a Gothic style horror movie, it has a atmospheric horror and leaves you trembling in fear, one of the best horror movies of all time. The movie is directed by Lawrie Brewster, which i now think is one of the great directors of the horror genre, i hope you all will enjoy this movie, it's really worth to give it a shot.

I'm all about Horror (and I mean Horror, with capital "H"), Thrillers, Film-Noir, Suspense and some (very few) Indie films (or "Artsy") When I took a look at the trailer it seemed to have a healthy mix of those things I always enjoyed watching (as an example, my favorite movies in the above mentioned genres are "The Exorcist" I and III, Jacob's Ladder, Alien and Angel Heart, just to mention a few).Alas, (almost) none of these elements are to be found in "Lord of Tears", though the effort seems genuine.What really transpires through out the entire movie is confusion and insecurity; at best. And I assure you, you will feel it as well.There is a lot of needless repetition in imagery (that - it self - is under-achieved, though one can imagine what the intention was for it), a lot of rushed shots and out of sync/time with the general emotion it was trying to convey (either too soon for said shots or too late... or too much of it, to be honest). I had this constant feeling the director/writer (maybe both) had several ideas and were trying them all out and were unable to choose the most effective ones and ended up using them all. Well, that was not a good idea.A movie is also about pace/timing. And pace/timing is nowhere to be seen nor felt. Also, there are ideas there that are used ad nauseam: too many "flash shots", too much of the female character later "pole dancing" (seriously, that particular part of the movie made me facepalm, smirk and yawn all at once). Too much pseudo-romance. Too much of many things I can't tell or I'll end up ruining the perfect opportunity for you to also facepalm, smirk and yawn as I did (if you indeed want to watch this movie).The intention is good, that is all about the good things I have to say about it, and I honestly wish the best of luck to the people involved in making this movie, and may they take the experience and learn with it.

Deeply philosophical, startlingly fresh, Lawrie Brewster's film blends modern film making techniques with old school sensibilities to create one of contemporary horror's first true classics. Reaching back to horror cinema's roots, and further back to ancient folklore and myth, Lord of Tears crafts a bleak picture of trauma and grief against the otherworldly backdrop of modern Scotland.Schoolteacher James Findlay (Euan Douglas), inherits a monolithic Scottish manse after the death of his mother along with a personal letter advising him to never visit said location. Against the posthumous warning, James travels to the remote mansion-cum-resort amid fragmented memories of horrible things and the spectral visitation of the Owlman in his nightmares. There he meets the quixotic Evie, an American boarding at the hotel, and the two quickly become friends. Despite his rather milquetoast demeanor, James and Evie develop a close relationship as he struggles to piece together the mysteries of the house with his own fragmented childhood memories and the omnipresent threat of the Owlman.Quite unlike many modern horror mavens Brewster doesn't seem enamored with the current trend of fast-cuts, extreme gore, and exploitative nudity - indeed one gets the sense he doesn't see the film as a 'horror' film at all - eschewing all window dressing in order to present a Gothic tale of personal terror framed in supernatural trappings. Much like the films of Ti West (Particularly The Innkeepers), this is a slow burning film with a core of pure magnesium that lulls you into its darkness before blinding you with horrific realization. I honestly can't recommend this movie enough and I look forward to any future projects Mr. Brewster and his creative partner Sarah Daly undertake.The first feature film from director Lawrie Brewster and written by Sarah Daly (who also appears as Metaphorest on the film's soundtrack) is a fantastic piece of Gothic horror - equal parts H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe. The promotional materials mention the film was 'inspired by the modern myth of Slender Man' but I personally don't see it…if anything Moloch's outfit perhaps but that's stretching a bit too far.The story mixes Gaelic folklore, biblical apocrypha, urban legends, and a healthy dose of childhood trauma to wondrous effect. The appearance of Moloch and the scattered nightmares James has of his friend Allen throughout the film serve as foreshadowing of the cold-blooded finale and cement the story as one of the originals in horror cinema. Equal parts John Carpenter & Kiyoshi Kurosawa, the film maintains a respectful distance from the proceedings yet brings the viewer into the psychology of its characters. This film, like Kiyoshi Kurosawa's oeuvre, thrives in decadent mood and atmosphere.The most striking point for me was the dearth of Owlman/Moloch in the film. With the advance publicity I expected the film to be rife with him but he is used sparingly. Not that the film needs much of him…he is the catalyst but he deserves to be in the background as the master puppeteer.Gavin Robertson's cinematography perfectly captures the almost alien look of Scotland in this film. From massive empty vistas of foggy mountains to the cramped claustrophobic angles and cool tones of James' apartment in the city, Robertson maintains a big-budget look that defies the film's modest cost. There are some minor artifacting moments on my copy but it seems like problems with the blu-ray mastering than flaws with the original footage. There's a bit of pixelation on certain scenes but nothing in the film itself betrays any inexperience on the part of the cinematographer. The Owlman sequences and dreams are particularly impressive with the kind of super saturation typically seen in photography and not cinema. The ending sequence with ghost Evie is particularly evocative of J-Horror but tempered by camera distance. The fact that Robertson was also art director on the project ensures that the film's visual flair remains consistent.Lawrie Brewster's work has paid off if the short films included on my blu-ray are any indication. It is clear from the shorts that he has a tremendous skill for visual storytelling as well as an eye for how style can dictate narrative. While I won't claim that I enjoyed all the shorts included, I understood that he was finding his unique voice and vision. The direction in Lord of Tears is focused and strong - hardly what I would expect from a first-time feature film debut. There's a palpable sense of confidence throughout but it's very clear that Brewster knows how to translate his visual style into arresting cinema.In all, I was swept away by this dark little tale and the pure love it must have taken to bring it to life. Unlike most low budget horror films Lord of Tears has talons and knows just how to grip your tender flanks.