Book of Blood (2009)


Books of Blood is a series of volumes of short stories written by Clive Barker, and they have been responsible for providing the stories that have inspired the movies he has directed as well as others' adaptations of his work.  Although he has written full novels it is within his short stories that everything from Hellraiser to Candyman got their start.  An anthology movie called Books of Blood, also based on Barker's stories, was released in 2020.  Book of Blood is unrelated, instead focusing on the collection's wraparound story.

Simon McNeal (Jonas Armstrong) is a young man whose skin is covered in lacerations, most still fresh and many forming words.  He is captured by Wyburd (Clive Russell), a bounty hunter who has been hired to collect his skin for an unknown client.  Wyburd becomes curious about Simon's skin and asks him to tell the story, promising a quick death if he does.

Simon's story is about a professor named Mary Florescu (Sophie Ward) who is an expert in the paranormal.  She and her assistant Reg (Paul Blair) are investigating a house that was once inhabited by a spiritualist (Doug Bradley) who died violently during one of his sessions.  It has since been the scene of at least one other violent murder that appeared to be related to the paranormal.  Simon claims to have been a clairvoyant as a child, so Reg and Mary hope to use him to stir up the spirits.  Unfortunately, their meddling with the other side has consequences.

Book of Blood had some screen showings at festivals but, in most of the world, was released direct to DVD.  It has an atmosphere, not as cheap as many Netflix films, but still a certain claustrophobic directing style that is typical with films not made for wide release.  This extends to the effects which, despite a great opening, look like the cheapest CGI available.  It ends up rendering what should be amazing visual scenes toward the end into a nice try.

It's not bad as haunted house stories go.  Once it gets going there are not many surprises.  Despite the great opening this is also rather restrained for a movie based on Barker's books.  Director John Harrison does show an occasional flare with his directing, but too often this relies on static shots.  Because of this Book of Blood feels more like something made for Masters of Horror and the stretched out a bit rather than the bigger budget treatment most of Barker's movies receive. 

Book of Blood (2009)
Time: 100 minutes
Starring: Jonas Armstrong, Sophie Ward, Reg Fuller, Clive Russell
Director: John Harrison
 

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