Art of the Dead is about how an art deal leads to the destruction of a family. Well, that’s kind of a stripped down way of addressing what happened. Let’s put it this way. Don’t expect Ibsen. Although, I’d pay good money to see Richard Grieco and Tara Reid star in A Doll’s House. That’s how you get distracted while talking about a horror movie you enjoyed.
The special effects used for the art attacks is far better than I expected. What Rolfe Kanefsky manages to accomplish here is the kind of thing that makes me love horror. Horror is the lifeblood of cinema, as it works exclusively in involvement and emotion. Other genres dabble in that setup, but horror’s currency is its ability to make you believe in the guttural response to the actions onscreen.
William Castle, Alfred Hitchcock and George A. Romero all understood this. You can slip in any message on a secondary slip, but the primary push has to be the feel. At no point in this movie did I not believe that killer paintings were going to murder everyone onscreen. Also, did anyone pick up on a Waxwork style vibe?
Tits get ripped, people snuffed out and general grossness abounds. But, I watched it again within a day of my first watch. While it might not be my favorite movie of the year, the rewatch factor is insanely high. Honestly, isn’t all that matters? Horror is meant to be enjoyed and shared again and again. Plus, it’s nice seeing Grieco as a lead again.
Art of the Dead is now available!
