Director: Lawrie Brewster.
Starring: David Schofield, Lexy Hulme, Euan Douglas and Jamie Gordon.
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 90 minutes.
Synopsis: LORD OF TEARS tells the chilling psychological tale of James Findlay (Douglas), a school teacher plagued by recurring nightmares of a mysterious and unsettling entity following the death of his estranged mother. Suspecting that his visions are linked to a dark incident in his past, James returns to his childhood home, a notorious mansion in the Scottish Highlands.
Right from the off, you know that LORD OF TEARS offers something unique. While we’ve seen countless psychological and supernatural horror films over the years, few are able to capture the spirit of such dread. Perhaps what works here is that Brewster’s film works as both a psychological thriller; an individual dealing with such a suppressed and shocking period of his past (which has finally caught up with him), as well as a straight up supernatural spookfest. The film encourages you to follow your own path and question how you interpret proceedings: Is this all in James Findlay’s troubled mind or is ‘that‘ feathery figure hanging around pulling the strings like a malevolent, otherworldly puppeteer?
LORD OF TEARS is shot beautifully with a eerie menace evident throughout, which is quite staggering considering the low budget. When you add in the stunning landscape of the Scottish Highland, it creates a quality rarely seen in the genre. The natural open environment gradually puts a claustrophobic choke hold on our lead character’s tortured journey…and ourselves. The stillness to the photography adds a layer of intimacy as James finds solace in the beautiful Evie, who’s dream-like quality only heightens our suspicion of her mysterious appearance and just how her character ultimately fits into this twisted tale. This works perfectly alongside the sharp and stark jump cuts and frenetic dream (or nightmarish) sequences and sound-effects.
Sarah Daly’s screenplay has a mesmerising quality, with the lines uttered by the David Schofield-voiced spectre Owl Man in-particular (or Moloch to give him pagan origin moniker), filled with doomed and demented elegance. Daly herself – aka known as the acclaimed Irish singer/songwriter/poet Metaphorest – is also responsible for the soundtrack which truly is hauntingly appropriate.
While the location and landscapes are suitably grandiose and spooky, perhaps the juxtaposition of a number of interior shots/design are not up to same standard. It doesn’t let the film down but you get the sense the budget may have held them back in that respect. Also, the use of slow-motion in a couple of scenes is something that I felt wasn’t needed. However, the opening title sequence sets the tone superbly with some striking visuals aided by a booming score, not forgetting the later make-up effects on one specific character giving a sinister and memorable touch. The performances are solid and passionate enough but the stunning Gothic-centric Hulme is the stand-out and much like Douglas’ James, you’ll instantly fall in love with her character.
You can see Brewster’s inspiration comes from a love of the atmospheric Hammer classics and the works or H.P. Lovecraft, with the story coming foreboding full circle in much the same way as Nic Roeg’s 1970s masterpiece, DON’T LOOK NOW. Having sampled the special collectors edition of the film, there is so much more to fascinate with the exhaustive special features and truly special 440 page online book that expands on the Celtic legend and the making of LORD OF TEARS. Dark Dunes and Hex Media have put together an outstanding package and it’s a must-have treasure for genre fans and comes creepily wrapped in black paper and a solitary feather attached!
LORD OF TEARS will premiere at the Bram Stoker Film Festival on 25th October but you can order it exclusively using the following link – www.lordoftears.com. Collectors Editions DVD’s are £18 and Blu-Rays are £22.
Each stunning pack includes:
* Beautiful 8 Panel Package
* Digital Edition option featuring emulated DVD Menu
* 40 Mins of Extras including interviews & Deleted Scenes
* Director’s Commentary
* 65 Minutes of Music
* English Subtitles
* Printed 22 page Booklet
* 440 Page Digital Book on how the film was made with over 200 photographs and illustrations.
* Digital Download of Official Soundtrack
* Permanent Access to HD Digital Stream
* Digital Art Set (Digital Poster & Desktop Set)
* Comes SIGNED by Director Lawrie Brewster
* Limited Edition Serial Numbers
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