Soulkeeper (2001)

Surprisingly entertaining

This is the type of movie that sounds like it will be incredibly stupid...and it is. In a good way. A cross between "Dude, Where's My Car?" and "The Exorcist," this movie borders on parody. The main characters (especially the perennially confused Corey) provide a running commentary on the bizarre action of the movie that any skeptic would enjoy.
Obviously, this is a movie best enjoyed at 3 am with one's best friends - not a cinematic masterpiece. It has no redeeming qualities as a work of art, and the catchphrase ("Do you believe in the power of the human soul") is repeated more times than I could keep count of. Still, it's an entertaining piece of fluff with a surprisingly sweet ending worth seeing once. January 3, 2005

SOUL KEEPER

WHAT A WASTE OF TAPE AND TIME THEY PUT INTO THIS MOVIE, ANYONE WHO SAYS THIS MOVIE IS GREAT NEEDS HELP June 29, 2004

The way b-movie horror ought to be

For me, Soulkeeper was the rarest of rarities: A horror movie I had never heard of that turned out to be great. Not just good, but great. Usually, picking up a horror film unbeknownst to oneself solely on the basis of a cool cover box is a fatal error but I am glad to report that in Soulkeeper I have stumbled upon a gem of a horror film.

Corey and Terrence are a couple of dweebs who earn their living as contractors stealing precious artefacts. The beginning sequence shows the two failing miserably at a job and looking more and more like they're down in the dumps. Until a mysterious new client (played by genre veteran Brad Dourif) comes up with an enticing offer: To retrieve the "rock of lazarus", which provides a portal between our world and the afterworld, enabling lost souls to return to earth. Corey and Terrence are offered an initial sum of $8000 up front, $100 000 once the job is complete and the rock returned to their client.

This film really had the look and feel of those 80's comedy horror films that I grew up with as a child such as "House", "Fright Night", "The Gate", etc. There is little gore in this film, it is more of an adventurous type of horror film. In fact, this film surely would have been rated PG-13 were it not for all the T&A shots and sexual references. But the absence of major blood and gore did little to disturb this viewer, as I was thouroughly enthralled in the fantasy world and sense of adventure created by this film. As our two protagonists search for the rock, they stumble through an amazingly diverse and fun set of locales, such as isolated desert towns, redneck bars, a cemetery, a church, a brothel and underground sewage tunnels.

Thumbs up go to the performance of the two leads, played by actors Rodney Rowland and Kevin Patrick Ward. Those two guys were hilarious and oozed charisma throughout. A conversation between the two has no shortage of dirty jokes and clever cultural pop references. They also had a goofy charm that reminded me of Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in the Bill&Ted movies. Although a straight-to-vid flick this is a horror film that can be enjoyed by anyone, not just fans of B-Movies. Great stuff for any horror fan but especially for those in the mood for a dose of 80's comedy-horror nostalgia. April 4, 2004

YOU GOTTA LAUGH

SOULKEEPER is one of those rare finds: a movie you've never heard of, that comes off quite entertaining and surprisingly good.
Rodney Rowland and Kevin Patrick Walls are wonderful in the leads, sharing a kind of Martin/Lewis or Nolte/Murphy relationship. They're both great at throw off lines and can mold the tough action hero with the pretty inept stud. Add the delightful presence of stalwarts such as Karen Black, Robert Davi and Brad Dourif for some campy punch.
The effects are quite good for a movie on a lower budget, and the demon creatures are pretty intense and awesome.
When we meet Frederick Finch finally, it's a rare hoot and shows the writer's inventive imagination!!!
Maintaining a comic underpinning throughout, it does turn a little somber and sentimental at the end, but it's been so good, who cares?
A DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE! January 31, 2004

THIS IS HILARIOUS!

If you like comedy's then you have to see this! It rips off so many movies such as The Exorcist, Evil Dead, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. This is so funny. If you see this, I promise you'll enjoy the off the wall humor. Some reviewers claimed that this was a horror film that wasn't scary, but this is more of a comedy than anything, so if you're ineed of a good laugh, I recommend seeing this movie as soon as possible. February 21, 2003

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