Third viewing, sort of; in my first one, on March 6, 1994, I missed a fair amount of the beginning; I saw the full movie on February 16, 1995.
In an Eastern European village, several deaths occur in which the victims are turned to stone. The local medical examiner conceals the real nature of the deaths. There is a rumor about an ancient mythological creature being responsible for them. When a foreign painter is held responsible for one murder, his father vows to discover the truth.
It is one of the silliest premises I have ever seen in a horror movie. Along its development, a series of red herrings are thrown in, not always in the most coherent manner (the viewer will hardly remember them after the truth is revealed). The conclusion is at once grandiose and highly frustrating. Its tragic proportions may connect with the Greek roots of the plot, but have no counterpart in its actual events and characters (where is the hubris?). The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror is admiring of the film, but can't remember the plot correctly. It also reports it to be a favorite of Fisher's, which comes to prove that a director who cannot criticize the screenplays he films is best suited for the job.
Rating: 31 (down from 49)
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