Catacombs | 
| Directors: David Elliot, Tomm Coker
Actors: Pink, Shannyn Sossamon, Alecia "pink" Moore, Alecia Moore
Studio: Lions Gate
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $1.98
You Save: $13.00 (87%)
New (46) Used (30) Collectible (1) from $1.98
Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 37454
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 90 Minutes
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
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 09/09/2008 Run time: 92 minutes Rating: Ur
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
 More boring than anything else June 16, 2009
N. Durham (Philadelphia, PA)
Don't let the "From the Producers of Saw" tagline fool you (and if that's what entices you in the first place, it may be too late for you already), for Catacombs is a more boring than anything else horror dirge that wastes any potential it may have had. Shannyn Sossamon plays a withdrawn young woman named Victoria who takes a trip to France at the behest of her party-loving sister (singer Alecia "Pink" Moore). As they, along with some friends, descend into the French catacombs, bad things end up happening, culminating with Victoria seeking a way to escape the maze-like underground catacombs. While it does have a good dose of atmosphere and makes good on some historical facts, Catacombs as a whole just ends up being too boring for its own good. By the time we get passed the halfway point of the film, we don't care if Victoria or anyone else escapes or not. What does save the film from the scrap heap however is a dynamite twist ending, which may leave you feeling a little cheated, but in actuality helps make Catacombs better than it should be. All in all, Catacombs is worth a look, but if you're expecting another The Descent here, look elsewhere.
 oh, my god, the horror...of having to watch this junk February 7, 2009
Robert P. Beveridge (Cleveland, OH)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Catacombs (Tomm Coker and David Elliott, 2007)
Catacombs, as far as I could ever tell, was made expressly to give mediocre pop singer Pink some sort of entree into the film world. And if you look at it as nothing more than this, it succeeds, on the level that, well, Pink is on film, though she's an even worse actress than she is a singer. In every other way, however, the film is as absolute a failure as is possible, and its only real saving grace is that it's not the worst movie I've seen today (that honor would go to Dark Fields, which, despite us only being four days into the year, I am 90% certain will be one of the five worst movies I see in 2009).
The pop tart and Shannyn Sossamon (Wristcutters: A Love Story) star as sisters. Pink is Carolyn, the wild one, currently enrolled in graduate school at the Sorbonne. Sossamon is Victoria, the staid undergraduate student with mental problems. Carolyn invites Victoria to France for a vacation, and as the movie opens, Victoria is arriving in Paris. Carolyn has plans to take Victoria to a rave in the catacombs; things get weird when Victoria, already away from her usual meds and having taken a dose of absinthe (and really, why is it that absinthe supposedly has these incredible qualities?), gets separated from Carolyn and her friends, and becomes convinced that a serial killer who lives in the catacombs, whom the group had been telling her about, is chasing her.
The main problem with the movie is its pace; one wonders (or should) how the movie is going to continue on when everything you read about on the back of the box has already happened within the first twenty minutes, and you've still got seventy to go. Excellent question, and the answer is, "the movie will bore you to tears as, essentially, nothing happens for sixty of those seventy minutes." Then come the final ten, and while I admit to cheering a bit when Victoria reaches the obvious conclusion during the climactic scene, but honestly, did no one see that coming?
As well, Coker and Elliott are another directorial team who have mistaken the idea that "overly dark" and "atmospheric" are identical, and thus about half the movie is very difficult to see. Brilliant. The acting is, at its best, competent (Sossamon is normally half-decent, but her role here mostly involves standing and screaming, running and screaming, and falling down and screaming). The big plot twist is painfully obvious from, oh, a minute and a half into the movie (or, if you're really not paying attention, you may not figure it out till half an hour or so), and while I admit that it's a good plot twist (in the sense that I was mutely cheering for Sossamon's character for actually making a halfway intelligent choice during the climax), the predictability of it did rather dull the fun. And, of course, as to be expected from any movie containing a mediocre pop singer, the soundtrack is horrific.
Put me in mind of Sheitan, for some reason, except that Sheitan was good, and did eventually come up with a plot. (half)
How the heck do you get this movie to play? December 31, 2008
M. Stone
Is there an easter egg? I felt like I was trapped in the Catacombs. I have bought this movie 3 times from 3 different stores. All I can get it to do is play the Lionsgate logo and trailers. I have tried 2 different DVD players, and 3 copies of the movie. I can't believe I am the only one having this problem!
Whenever I try to get the menu, it goes back to the disclaimer about the commentaries.
Tunnels of terror October 9, 2008
Movie Dude (United States)
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
Mark (East Coast)
2 out of 2 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.
|
|
|
