Sommerleigh Pollonais, Horror Head Writer
Day 11/31: The Keep (1983)
Who made it?
Director: Michael Mann (Collateral, Heat, Manhunter)
Yes, that Michael Mann, a writer/director who is more widely known for his captivating crime thrillers that combine his distinctive art style with electric synth scores. Seeing his name pop up for a horror combined with actors like Scott Glenn (The Silence of the Lambs) and Sir Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings) I just had to see this movie!
The titular Keep is a mysterious old fortress in Romania that Nazis get a hold of during the war. Sent to guard it, two soldiers let their greed get the better of them and one mistakenly releases an unknown force imprisoned within the keep triggering a battle between good and evil.
A star-studded cast that also includes Gabriel Byrne, Robert Prosky, Jurgen Prochnow and Alberta Watson, this is one of those movies I feel could’ve been an icon of the genre if not for a host of issues behind the scenes. Legendary visual effects artist Wally Veevers who worked on films like Superman, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Diamonds are Forever, passed away during post production. Being the only one who knew what the special effects were supposed to look like meant the movie had to be completed by Michael Mann, a man of many talents but special effects not so much. The studio also forced Mann to edit down the movie by a whole one hundred minutes. This left plot holes big enough for Molasar, the film’s villain, to walk through.
The studio interference and the loss of the original completed cut means we will probably never know what could’ve been, but this visually stunning movie is still worth seeing especially for fans of supernatural adventure. Gorgeous visuals and a who’s who of talented actors with a tantalizing score from German music group Tangerine Dream makes this an exercise of what could’ve been and a hidden gem of the horror genre.
Favourite Scene
Nazis having their heads explode will never not be entertaining.
Fun Trivia
Michael Mann retreated to television after the commercial and artistic disappointment of this film, where he then created the hugely successful cop drama show Miami Vice (1984). Mann has also disowned this movie.
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Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More