The Horror Show
The Litch
by James Balsamo
I've been a fan of James Balsamo's work for a few years now. I've been fortunate enough to see his films, meet him in person, and even conduct interviews with the man. You'd be hard pressed to find a harder working person in the field as James is constantly working on and putting out his ridiculously zany and unique movies. I've written about several of them including Cool as Hell and Killer Waves. I was excited when I saw that he had a new movie to check out and happily did so. This film is The Litch and let me tell you about it.
The Litch follows the adventures of Vinnie (James Balsamo), a low-level criminal who has a thing for stealing. Unfortunately for Vinnie, as well as those around him, a certain crystal he has stolen is more than just a pretty rock. It's actually quite desired by a zombie wizard known as “The Litch” (Dave Stein) who needs the crystal in order to rule the four worlds. The history and lore of The Litch are explained and it's all a whole lot of fun to watch. Vinnie starts to realize things are off when he is attacked by The Litch and it begins taking over the people in his life. As long as Vinnie has the crystal, The Litch can't kill him. But what it can do is invade his life and torment him. To those who don't possess the crystal and are caught in zombie wizard's path? Bloodshed time.
As with all of Balsamo's films, the most endearing quality of the film is the energy of it all. The whole thing is a flowing project of excitement and spirit. One scene simply features an array of TV channels that are being flipped through casually and it's so entertaining. No conversation is muted, no kill is underplayed. Balsamo and his cast and crew dig their nails and don't hold back. No moment is dull or wasted and every scene moves briskly, which works well for the project.
As with Balsamo's previous films, the cast also features some stellar cameos. I've seen everyone from Lloyd Kaufman to Phil Anselmo make appearances in James' filmography. The Litch is no exception in this regard. Fans are treated to such greats such as Tom Sizemore and Elizabeth Daily. Even The Amazing Johnathan joins the fun! There's someone for everyone to recognize and it's always a treat to see who pops up next.
The gore scenes are messily great and the director shows what he can do with the kills. In classic Balsamo form, no kill is boring or repetitive. Brains get pulled out, people dissolve into goop; the carnage ensues with every bit of energy and laughs as any other part of the film. The splatter effects are classically done and remind me of some of the wonderful films from the eighties and nineties that made me the fan I am today.
In the end, The Litch is a film that reminds me of exactly what I love about James Balsamo's films. It's a wild ride with a kickass soundtrack that knows exactly what it is: never afraid to have a wonderful time being itself. Entertaining from start to finish, I definitely recommend checking it out.
P.J. Griffin, HMS
The Horror Show Menu.