...oh, that ol' rascally demi-god, Pan...yes, folks, we're talkin' the impish, clove-footed one with the pipe flute, of legendary Greek folklore...often consorting with them pesky, mischievously demonic entities and dark ones, residing in his abysmal lair, Pandemonium (...in learning something new, every day...and now, privy of that word's origin). Tortuously preying upon the eternally damned ones...gleefully partaking of a most sadistic level of entertainment...cruelly exploiting the weaknesses, insecurities, vulnerabilities, jealousies and deceptions of mortal men...if need be, even turning them against one another, for the mere purpose of insidiously voyeuristic pleasures. Wouldn't it be interesting, and wrought with a twisted sense of intrigue, if modern man...who has long since abandoned the classical gods of lore...stumbled upon a venue, whereby the horrors of Pan and his diabolical minions could carry on, in their eternal gameplay of elating torture, pain-infliction...and death. Step right up, folks...gather around the circle...find your token in the game...a game where one is drawn to peer ever so deeply into a watery abyss, in an effort to see one's fate...one's desires...one's true self. Except, such unveiled truths...they aren't always what one expects, and sometimes…well, they ain't too pretty, either...as the following story's hapless and unwary 'players' find out, in the cleverly contrived, chilling and oh-so horrific thriller from 2009, "The Black Waters of Echo's Pond"...
...an intrepid team of archaeologists, in the midst of engaging a Turkish-based expedition, in the late 1920's, unearths a cache of age-old trinkets, formed and molded in tribute to the Greek god, Pan. Removing said treasures, shipping them off to a remote locale, and once there, juxstapositioning the items in accordance with an accompanying ancient text, the archaeologists become inexplicably possessed by awakened demonic forces, and with an almost elating brutality, they bloodily dispatch each other, one by one...but not before the last one possessed and killed, walls up and hides the cursed artifacts, so that no one else would be plagued by the horrors they contain...
...some 90 years later, a group of vacationing young adults, bound for a relaxing weekend of isolation...sans cellphones, television, computers, and the hustle-bustle of modern society...venture to an eerie, mist-chocked offshore island, just off of Maine, and settle into a most rustic comfort, in a local caretaker's bungalow. A friendly...and with some, more than a bit flirtatious banter amongst the group, along with a happenstance blown circuit breaker, gives way to exploring the house, during which time, one of the group's more adventurous and inquisitive members finds an old trunk, behind a worn and broken-down wall in the house. Bringing the worm-ridden, wooden chest out for all to see, amidst the ominous glow of candlelight, the group is awe-stricken at the find, as they open it up, to reveal what appears to be some kind of intricately carved, auto-mechanical, ancient board game. Once attuned to the appearingly simple rudiments of the game, the members of the group assume the various provided tokens, and proceed to play...
...when the increasingly compelling and irresistible game adamantly demands that each player reveal a secret truth about themselves, or a deeply buried desire...dark, inner-laid fantasies...the group's members inexplicably begin to turn on one another...initially, with an understandable and subtle measure of aversion and disgust, as the result of the shockingly unveiled betrayal and jealousies amongst their group…and as the game proceeds, the growing aversion amongst each other, gives way to an abashed and frenzied, jealously-infused, on-the-cusp-of-psychopathic hate...which in turn, assumes the form of a most monstrous and blood-thirsty horror, long dormant...now, quite awake...rampant...hungry...and unswervingly driven & determined to possess and destroy it's newfound hosts...
...now, at first glance, in reading this premise, one might be inclined to throw up one's hands in resignation, and do the 'tsk, tsk' eye-roll thing, in immediately & dismissively shot-gunning the suggestion, "...oh!! So it's 'The Evil Dead' meets 'Jumanji', huh??" And to a degree, that would be a fair, albeit premature assumption (...in foreign circles, this flick is even titled "Evil Undead"); as similarly gory, and gamefully enigmatic as "...Echo's Pond" might seem, as compared to the suggested, contrived and cleverly integrated inspirations mentioned, a closer look might well result in the film's contrivity, taking a back seat to something much more engaging, exuding where this trite little horror excursion seems to work it's magic, the best...and that's it's keen and well-written emphasis on edgy, tightly strung mood, tension and eerily woven atmosphere. The choice of not revealing 'the game', during the expedition intro, leaving the viewer to imaginatively wonder, "...what the heck are they doing, to cause the unspeakable horrors, which they are quite literally and blindly inflicting upon themselves...hey, stop doing that...stop it...Stop It...STOP IT!!! The thickly blanketed air of eeriness...encircling the island, and quite literally strangling the singular abode setting...suggesting that even if someone does manage to escape the terrors that lie waiting, within the house, whose to say that it's any safer on the outside...in the seemingly otherworldly mist, all around. The unpredictability of who is going to snap next...where and when are they going to strike...and what form will they take. The intrigue, assumption and supernaturally-driven auto-mechanism of the macabre and sinister game, itself...predetermining the fate and behavior of the hapless players. And what about that cantankerous and grizzled caretaker...or even a most demonic-looking Pan, himself...both of whom creepily wander in and out of these horrific proceedings, without directly affecting the events...and yet, seem to oversee...perhaps, to a degree, even guide the symphony of blood-curdling horrors, taking place??...
...and the surprises and intrigue hardly end there; genre fav actress Danielle Harris (...of the 'Halloween' movie series, old and new, as well as the acclaimed 'Hatchet' movies) stars as Kathy, the more angst of this haplessly fateful group...intrigued, and yet wary, shielded and terrified of what's happening to her friends...with seemingly nothing to hide...no dark secrets to unveil...or does she?? As opposed to Rick (...James Duvall, best known for his performances in the colorfully eclectic and visceral films of director Gregg Araki), the rich kid in the fold, with appearingly something to hide from everyone in his present circle of friends...and as such, a foremost target of unbridled rage and horror, when the game takes it's possessive toll on the players. Taking a break from being starring regulars in the entourage production clique of director Robert Rodriguez (..."Grindhouse", the 'Machete' film series), the double-dose twin duo of Electra and Elise Avellan...here, naturally playing twin sisters, Renee and Erica...give precocious, free spirited and sexy performances...though, once possessed by the insidious wiles of the gameplay, this descript allure becomes twisted, perverse...even psychotic and deadly, as they are indelibly and forcibly turned against their friends...and each other. And checking in on these arcane and diabolical events, a grizzled and cantankerous looking Robert Patrick (...of "Terminator 2: Judgement Day) makes an appearance, as the island bungalow’s caretaker...who just may know more about the horrors taking place, than he's willing to reveal...
...movie history has often dictated that it's never a good sign when a film's release is delayed...and delayed...and delayed again; however, in the unique case of "The Black Waters of Echo's Pond"...a 2009 production, finally seeing it's day, in 2013...it's a matter of 'the best things are worth waiting for'. A tense and unnerving, albeit compelling excursion into horror, wracked with a respectable level of gore, accented by more than a respectable amount of skin, and coupled with a twisted, supernaturally driven reflection of the deep, dark & hidden recesses within us all, to some degree...and let's not neglect to mention, a further accenting of the film’s relishably uncomfortable air of tension and suspense, by yet another surprise to horror genre fans, with composer Harry Manfredini (...1980's "Friday the 13th") handling the chill-inducing soundtrack chores..."...Echo's Pond" is assuredy a deliciously macabre and terrifying place to visit, but would one truly want to live there??
...would you dare?? Heck, it's all in the game; come on...roll the dice...make your move...you know you want to...
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