Desecration (1999)

User Rating:

2.5/10   

Director:

Dante Tomaselli

Writer:

Dante Tomaselli (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Horror

Tagline:

You Will Burn in Hell...

Plot:

Sixteen year-old Bobby is emotionally damaged by his mother's early death. He accidentally causes a nun's death, unleashing a chain of supernatural events that lead him into the pits of Hell.

Plot Keywords:

Catholic Priest | Surrealism | Evil Clown | Memory | Church

Cast

Irma St. Paule	...	Grandma Matilda
Christie Sanford	...	Sister Madeline / Mary Rullo
Danny Lopes	...	Bobby Rullo
Salvatore Paul Piro	...	Mr. Rullo
Vincent Lamberti	...	Brother Nicolas
Maureen Tomaselli	...	Sister Rosemary
Gene Burke	...	Father O'Leary
Ruth Ray	...	Reverend Mother
Helen Palladino	...	Mrs. Cannizzaro
Garret Montanez	...	4 year-old Bobby
Nora Maher	...	Sister Rita
Mark Mamone	...	Sean
Mary Fassino	...	Young Nun
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Elena Christiana	...	Paramedic
Rocco Spinelli	...	Bishop

Directed by
Dante Tomaselli

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dante Tomaselli		writer

Produced by
Tony Rullis	....	producer
Jack Swain	....	producer
Dante Tomaselli	....	producer

Original Music by
Dante Tomaselli
Michael Tomaselli

Cinematography by
Brendan Flynt

Film Editing by
Marcus Bonilla

Production Design by
Michele La Rocca

Art Direction by
Michelle Lang

Makeup Department
Lorrie Ann Dobbins	....	hair stylist
Lorrie Ann Dobbins	....	makeup artist
Hilary Friedberg	....	additional makeup artist
Bogna Nasilowska	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Maria Tassiello	....	production manager

Art Department
David Fooden	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Dave Huber	....	sound mixer
Jake Karlsmark	....	sound mixer
Nadja Noon	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Nicol Ardissone	....	special effects modelmaker
Oliver Brigg	....	special effects modelmaker
Oliver Brigg	....	special effects supervisor
Tom Dedde	....	special effects modelmaker
Glenn Hetrick	....	special effects modelmaker (as Glen Hetrick)
Edward Salzano	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Evan Meszaros	....	grip

Music Department
John Califra	....	composer: additional music

Other crew
Dayna E. Clark	....	production coordinator

Distributors

• Image Entertainment
• L.D. Media

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Bedminster, New Jersey, USA

Quotes:

Brother Nicolas: Here, take this.
Bobby Rullo: Where'd you get them?
Brother Nicolas: They're mine...It's Valium.
Bobby Rullo: Can priests take Valium?
Brother Nicolas: Priests can do many things.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Horror of Dante Tomaselli (2008) (V)

A horror master in the making?

Dante Tomaselli's first movie, Desecration, is far from perfect: the acting and dialogue is terrible, the story is vague, there are some silly ideas, and there's a cheap look to some of it.

However, in terms of atmosphere and imagery and outright fear, it's a winner. It took me a little while to get into it, but once I was it had an almost unbearable creep-out factor. If Tomaselli had abandoned the story altogether and made a totally abstract piece of surrealism, it might have been a total success. As it is, it's still one of the scariest horror movies of the last few years.

I can't wait to see Tomaselli's second movie, Horror. He has the potential to become the most exciting young horror filmmaker around. If he can adapt his style to fit a more mainstream storytelling sense he may become huge. If he descends further into surrealism he'll almost certainly end up a cult favourite. Either way, he seems to be someone with a unique and compelling vision, which horror has been missing for too long. Bravo!