Book of Blood (18)

Dir. John Harrison, UK, 2009, 97 mins

Cast: Jonas Armstrong, Sophie Ward, Clive Russell

Review by Daniel Laverick

Adapted from a Clive Barker short story, Book of Blood centres on a house that has historically been the location of gruesome murders and odd paranormal activity. A dedicated psychic researcher, accompanied by her assistant, takes residence in the house and hires the help of the mysterious Simon McNeal, a young man who appears to have psychic ability.

Odd occurrences ensue, including ghostly whisperings down gloomy hallways, voices speaking in tongues, a bit of ‘poltergeisty' furniture re-arranging, and words carved over the walls and the body of the young psychic.

Clive Barker's adapted stories have been a bit hit and miss over the years. For every Hellraiser and Candyman , we get Transmutations and Lord of Illusions . As a semi Barker fan, I was quite interested to see if his brand of mid-80s horror stood the test of time with the modern spectator- one used to experiencing bad remakes of classic horror films and torture porn which most of us have now become de-sensitised to.

While Book of Blood isn't going to be remembered as one of the all time great horror films, it does make a refreshing change from the usual cobbled together fare served up at the local multiplex. The pace of the narrative is somewhat mistimed at certain points with scenes that seem to drag unnecessarily, but the ideas within the film are engaging, thought provoking and ultimately watchable.

The saving grace of the film is undoubtedly the source – Clive Barker's short story. The idea that the house is an intersection that transports souls to the afterlife isn't particularly original, but the desires and motivations of the central protagonists are. The relationship between the researcher, Mary, and the psychic, Simon, (Jonas ‘Robin Hood' Armstrong) is a compelling aspect to the film that builds in importance as the story progresses. Mary's obsession with finding proof that backs up her life's work is matched by Simon's obsessive interaction with the dead.

Perhaps Book of Blood has been given more credit than it deserves, due in part to its presence in a horror genre that is currently devoid of any originality or creativity. If that is the case then so be it; but the film offers enough twists, shocks and scares to keep you interested throughout, and plenty of gore for the horror fan who likes his films bloody. A masterpiece it ain't, worth a view it is.