In the late 1990s. once talented author David DeCoto irreversibly changed, switching to the shooting of all sorts of malfunctional horror films, and then completely leaving for blue cinema, as if remembering the very beginning of his career. It is all the more gratifying to see such a film in the filmography of late DeCoto, which lacks stars from the sky but is arguably his best work of the 2000s. If in “Wolves from Wall Street”, despite all the dislike for any brokers, brokers and dealers, DeCoto could not resist not to insert blue scenes into the film, and even shot in the rapid key, then “In the Circle of Darkness” is almost devoid of one of the main attributes of DeCoto’s current style, and this is all the more surprising if you know what is told in the film about a childish pop group, and therefore the director had many opportunities to show how they frol in the pool, wash in the shower, we still do it in the shower... Also, there is no inclined camera, and there is a tripod, and the operator from the society of sobriety, and flashes and nefarious fog borrowed a friend of DeCoto in order to scare the neighbor.
I think many viewers will be uncomfortable with the frank pop that pours into our ears. But don't think it's the soundtrack of the Caribbean Witches. I'll tell you more, I'm sure DeCoto doesn't like pop either, since he made a pop band living dead. But don’t wait for scenes of cannibalism or cheerful cries of “Fresh brains!” I didn't specifically call them zombies, because they were raised from the dead by their manager, a black magician, so that they could continue singing to the delight of the dumb-headed girls, their loyal fans. But the soloist, the only one with talent, could not be resurrected, as a result of which the group from time to time arranges auditions to search for new voices. One of these was Shawn, who was persuaded to come by his girlfriend, who believes that participation in the group will help his future musical career. Shawn hates pop and defiantly wears a T-shirt with the Metallica logo, but it is the new manager Alex (it is played by Adrian Barbeau, a rare guest on our screens).
DeCoto here ridicules the very concept of pop, rightly believing that pop bands are similar to each other, as if they are cloned. He also notes that the youth and attractiveness of the members of the pop group is one of the whales on which their popularity stands, and to stay afloat longer, popsoviki would do well to discover the secret of eternal youth. Shawn understands that the main thing in good music is creativity itself, and therefore it does not matter how old a musician is, whether he is beautiful or ugly.
Moreover, DeCoto invited quite beautiful women to his film, whose figures are pleasant to look at (of course, there is no nudity, but he also refused to look at the naked torsos of guys). There’s even a good joke in his garden, when the main character, before throwing voodoo dolls into the fire, says: “I hate baby pop bands.” And don't get upset prematurely about the death of Shawn's beloved. DeCoto kind of remembered his 1980s thrash movies, giving a nice guy Shawn, who loves the right music, a girl who will be forever young, even when he himself is the gray grandfather of rock. Therefore, do not be surprised by the comments on RuTracker - this film may well be someone's favorite, as it is shot easily, flavored with good intrigue (alas, I revealed it during the review), devoid of the attributes of the Dekotov style of the 2000s. It is a pity that in the same year, as if distraught from a long abstinence, DeCoto shot “Leeches”, where the camera seems to lick gays, like that funny demon-wolf from the old thrash of Fred Olen Ray, licked off the girl all the clothes.
6 out of 10