The Unholy (1988) - Standard demonic exploits

There's a popular YouTube reviewer I always watch and he has a saying that you won't remember a movie in 'T-minus 2 days.' I really wanted to love 'The Unholy;' I have a thing for eighties horror and always go for practical effects and story over anything made today with slick CGI.  Here we have a demon (called 'the unholy' believe it or not) who likes to pray on the innocent and pure once a year in an offering to the big red horned one down below.

Of course priests and virgins are pretty damn 'pure' so the unholy counts itself lucky to find a '2-4-1' offer here where both souls may well be turned and sent into the fires of hell.  A young priest is charged with the task of facing down this demon and, er, slaying it I guess.  Just 'defeating' it seems to be enough for the creepy church elders who send him on his quest.

There's not much to say about most of the film, because not an awful lot happens.  That's a sort of 'half criticism,' because, despite it not exactly being a rollercoaster of excitement, I did stick with it until the end.  The end.  That's when it really picks up.  There is a fantastic monster in the final act which will impress anyone (as it's practical effects over computer), but it isn't exactly excitement all the way getting there.  The characters all seem rather one dimensional.  Then from practically blending in with the background set, they crank the acting up to 'eleven' and start screaming the set down.  There was one nice touch a felt with someone who, in other movies, would probably been portrayed as just an outright baddie, but he actually felt a little more three dimensional than the 'heroes.'

However, I didn't regret sitting through the film and I definitely didn't hate it.  I just was hoping there would be something a little more memorable to turn just another demonic eighties horror film into a classic that I'd want to watch again.  I doubt I'll ever watch it again, sadly.

6/10 Should probably keep you awake if Freddy Krueger was haunting your nights