| Catacombs | 
 enlarge | Directors: David Elliot, Tomm Coker
Actors: Shannyn Sossamon, Pink, Emil Hostina, Sandi Dragoi, Mihai Stanescu
Studio: Lions Gate
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy Used: $2.69
You Save: $17.29 (87%)
New (41) Used (34) from $2.69
Avg. Customer Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 18488
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 100
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.8 x 0.6
MPN: LGED22462D
UPC: 031398224624
EAN: 0031398224624
ASIN: B00105304M
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Release Date: February 19, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 09/09/2008 Run time: 92 minutes Rating: Ur
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| Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...
 Tunnels of terror October 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Victoria(Shannyn Sossamon),who is taking anti-anxiety medication,goes to Paris to visit her party girl/bitchy sister Carolyn(Pink).Carolyn comes across as kind of hateful towards her sister.She pretty much shames Victoria into attending a rave party down in the catacomb tunnels below the Paris streets.The legend of a devil worshipping,deformed,murderous freak living in the catacombs and killing anyone who ventures into them is told while many drinks are consumed.Party is raided by cops.Victoria is knocked out in the panic and wakes up alone in the catacombs. Finds sister.Watches sister get attacked and runs screaming(she does have an anxiety disorder you know)through the dark tunnels trying to find a way out.All the while someone or something is stalking her.The bulk of the movie takes place with her trying to combat her rising panic and escape the pursuing maniac.Without giving too much away,I'll just say there is a twist ending that kind of took me by surprise.I promise you...her sister and her friends are taken by surprise.Couple of things...1)You should never terrorize a young woman(especialy not one on crazy meds)... 2)If you MUST terrorize a young woman, be careful, she may have an anxiety disorder.Also,she may have a pickaxe.
Shannyn Sossamon plays her part well.I could feel her sense of panic as she ran blindly through the catacombs.She should be a bigger name than she is.This a good suspense movie,with lots of dark,scary atmosphere.
 Catacombs - Watchable But Not Very Good October 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Catacombs is a movie that can be enjoyed as mindless entertainment but will not satisfy hardcore horror fans. In some senses, the movie has an entertaining quality to it. But the typical mistakes of B-horror will drive you crazy if you can't help but pick your horror movies apart. We all want to be frightened by horror, but we need that scare to be believable in order to buy into it. This movie is only believable in the sense that the characters, like people we all know, are very, very dumb.
This movie is very similar to The Blair Witch Project. There are no special effects to speak of. There's a lot of screaming, running, darkness and flashing lights to distract you. Yet not a lot happens. It's not really scary per se. The film does build up some angst with those techniques, but only if you are easily startled or have weak nerves. If you liked The Blair Witch Project, you may really enjoy this. If you thought that was silly, just move on.
If you've read the synopsis you know that the film takes place in the underground catacombs of Paris. They really do exist, although not in the way they are depicted in the movie. The set is well put together considering the budget. And they are in Paris after all! Yet despite the beautiful location, the film is visually mediocre with no special cinematography to speak of. A shot of the Eiffel Tower fully lit is the best you'll get.
The script makes a little bit of sense when you get to the end. Yet the way the plot is resolved leaves the character's actions making no sense. Still, I would say most people will find the *twist* at the end to be predictable, though there are many possible endings based upon the way the first half is set up.
The consistency of the locale is never really maintained. Even though they are in Paris, we see writing on the wall in English. Not to mention people give speeches in English, the French talk to each other in English, and then the main character ... meets a guy who speaks only French. What? If they were going to translate everything into English, that would have been one thing. But the inconsistency, while not a deal breaker, is a sign of a mediocre script.
I like Shannyn Sossamon as Victoria. I think she has some talent, though I don't think she is at her best here. It's hard to think of that as a positive but it might be all things considered.
Plenty of the acting is mediocre to bad, but most of the movie is so focused on the Victoria character that it isn't as big of a liability. Even at 50%, she carries this movie. When you have terrible lines to deliver, it doesn't make acting any easier. The supporting cast is generally just OK. I don't think that Pink is as bad as people say, but she's not exactly great either. The lines are especially weak in the final sequence where everything gets explained.
When you do reach the conclusion, there are many questions left unanswered. Granted the cast is disposed of quite easily. But it's never clear how our heroine, who is lost for most of the movie, finally gets out of the catacombs.
Conclusion
If you are looking for mindless horror for a Friday night, this might do the trick. This is no masterpiece, but it's better than many B-horror movies. However, it's still a B-horror movie. There is very little in terms of unintended humor. The saving grace is that is over quick.
If you are picky about the details in your horror movies, don't expect too much from this one. This is more of a thriller than a pure horror movie, but at times it tries to be both. Rent this before buying the DVD.
This might be a three star movie for those who seek mindless diversion. For me it just misses the cut. And while it wasn't the worst I've seen, I would not seek it out for another viewing.
Enjoy.
Pink Stinks, but... September 20, 2008
I thought this was fun. For a moment I thought it might be over the top gross horror, but then it's just kind of funny. All the running around underground left me holding my breath waiting for goatboy to return. Alecia Moore is a horrible actress and should stick to whatever else it is she does.
 Atmosphere is everything June 14, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Being that it's Friday the 13th I figure I have to watch a scary movie before the nights up. I decided to go with Catacombs and was quite happy with the outcome. I wouldn't say this film was too scary but the atmosphere was excellent. It was probably the best use of atmosphere I've seen scince The Decsent, leaving you feeling very chilled and claustrophobic at times.
The story starts with Victoria (played by the stunningly cute Shannyn Sossamon) as she arrives in Paris after being invited by her troublesome sister Carolyn (played by singer Pink). Carolyn is on a mission to break Victoria out of her shell and starts by dragging her to a party. However this party is a bit different from the norm being that it takes place in the catacombs under the bright lights of the Paris streets where 7 million bodies lie. As the rave starts going Carolyn and company choose to take a dip in some dingy body of water in the catacombs. As they press for Victoria to come in she gets pissed and decides to walk back to the rave on her own. This really isn't the best idea. It's pretty much like walking through a maze with little hope of finding an exit. The story begins to heat up here and has you leaning on the edge of your seat for the rest of the way.
This one is well worth checking out. It won't freak you out but will give you some very uneasy feelings. Great atmosphere will provide a very entertaining viewing.
Okay, but not scary at all May 30, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
When I first read the description for this movie, I thought, "Oh cool, this looks like it will be scary!". Unfortunately, this was not a very scary or very good horror movie.
Victoria is a young American woman who is a somewhat high-strung and nervous person on several prescription medications. She has come to Paris, France to visit her sister studying abroad at the university. She meets her sister's friends and attends a rave party that takes place beneath the city, in a maze of underground catacombs, where she is later told a story about an insane madman that supposedly lives in the catacombs and kills party goers that get lost in the tunnels.
What I liked about the movie was the tense and dark atmosphere of the catacombs beneath Paris and I found myself thinking a few times, "Wow, that is freaky I wouldn't want to be stuck alone down there!". The various tunnels were eerie, dark, and ominous looking and heightened the fear, but the character, Victoria, got on my nerves a lot. I almost wished she'd get the axe just to stop her screaming and sobbing as she ran through the tunnels. Her caterwauling really detracted from a scary and suspenseful atmosphere and made me want to laugh a few times.
But, despite the cool scenery, not much happens. She does get attacked by "something" human with heavy breathing, and like I said before, she screams quite a bit but not much else happens except for her aimless running throughout the catacombs. Except for the brief scenes where she encounters the madman from the story and the ending, it was dull and tame as a horror movie.
Oh, about the ending, there is a twist at the end that I did *not* see coming and some people may hate it. I know I was a bit perturbed and annoyed at the twist. If you want a better horror movie about people running through dark underground places, try The Descent instead. This one was not that good at all.
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