Catacombs (DVD, 2008, Unrated Director's Cut)

I will be perfectly honest! The only reason I wanted to see this film was my fascination with the Paris catacombs & I was curious to see how they made a horror movie involving them? In this regard I was quite pleased, though it was a little unrealistic.

For those of you not in the know, Paris has hundreds of miles of catacombs running under it. It is a labyrinth of tunnels that has claimed dozens of lives from would be curiosity adventurers who think they can explore it's maze! There have been countless books & documentaries about them. It's most well known feature is that it is a mass graveyard! When the cemeteries of Paris were filled to overflowing, they got the idea to dig up the remains & dump them in the catacombs. Artisans worked the bones into breathtaking & macabre walls, arches & sculptures. Tours are conducted in this section of the catacombs, but there are still miles of unexplored areas further on. They are believed to be haunted by the spirits of the dead as well as the unfortunate explorers. Officials have since sealed most of the entrances into the catacombs, but many still foolishly break in & are never heard from again!

Our story is about an odd girl, Victoria (Shannyn Sossamon), who has led a self imposed sheltered life. She takes antidepressants & is not an adventuresome person. One day, she receives a postcard from her adventuresome sister Carolyn (played by music star Pink, listed as Alecia Moore) that simply says, "Come to Paris." Victoria obeys & is soon in the city of light. Victoria is introduced to Carolyn's friends, who enjoy nothing more than scaring people. She will also soon be introduced to a subculture of catacomb worshipers, led by the magnetic Jean Michele, who enjoy partying in the catacombs.

Jet lagged, sleep deprived & on edge, Victoria is forced to go to one of these parties by Carolyn. Victoria is told about a legend that a cultist made monster lives in the catacombs preying on wanderers. She is not having a good time & demands to go home. Carolyn relents & starts to lead her sister out, but the 2 are attacked & Carolyn is killed! Victoria manages to get back to the party, but a Police raid sends all the party goers scurrying deeper into the catacombs. Victoria is knocked out.

When she awakens, she finds herself alone & trapped. She must now wander the catacombs to find a way out & avoid the creature that killed her sister.

Besides Sossamon & Pink, the cast is filled with unknown European actors who do a nice job despite heavy accents or not speaking English at all. The effects & atmosphere are wonderful as they did a fantastic job of recreating the catacombs! Many of the scenes, we are told in special features, were shot with just the light of flashlights.

The film does feature a surprise ending, but over all, it is kind of unsatisfying. Sossamon's character is a little too self absorbed & strange to really be an endearing femme fatale. At least not the type we are used to seeing in such films. The notion of the creature is also not a terribly good one & we are confused by the contrasts between the ending & what they showed us to open the film. You're left scratching your head than being scared.