Haunted Castle
Encyclopedia
Haunted Castle is a 2001 Belgian/American animated horror film
in IMAX
theaters. The film is rated PG and is computer-animated with 3D
effects.
Written by Kurt Frey and directed by co-writer Ben Stassen
, the film plays out very much like many modern video games, and can be divided into two types of segments: those in which the audience is seeing through the eyes of the main character, and those in which a scene plays out where the main character is actually in the shot.
rock band Arid
) has been notified by a law firm that his mother (voiced by Kyoko Baertsoen, leader of another Belgian band, Lunascape), an aging rock star whom Johnny hasn't seen or heard from since he was 3 years old, has died in a helicopter accident. Johnny has been willed her castle and all of her property and money, but he must visit the actual castle to claim these things. The 3D effects start almost immediately as the audience sees Johnny's car driving up a winding path to the castle. The branch of an old, withered tree seems to reach off the screen at the audience, and crows fly towards them. As Johnny enters the castle, he walks through a hall with several suits of armor. They come alive and begin attacking him (thrusting their axes and swords at the audience). Suddenly a demonic being appears and destroys them all, then beckons Johnny further into the castle. Johnny stumbles on a room of instruments levitating and playing themselves, and then walks into a great hall. There is an orb embedded into the ground that begins projecting the image of Johnny's mother. This segues into a rather lengthy musical number in which this holographic image (Baertsoen) sings an operatic number while the cameras circle around her. (The song is named 'Lane Navachi' from Lunascape's album 'Reflecting Seylence'.)
Suddenly, a demon face appears in the fire. It is the devil
(voiced by Harry Shearer
, and referred to as "Mr. D") who explains to Johnny that his mother sold her soul for her fame. Part of the agreement was that the devil could "not touch" Johnny. Now that she has died, Mr. D offers Johnny a similar agreement. He declines, but is enticed to explore the castle further. He enters a cathedral-like room which begins to descend. Soon Johnny is in Hell proper. At this point the film begins to take a very dark and gothic turn as Johnny's tour guide, Mephisto
(Mr. D's chief lieutenant, also voiced by Shearer), guides him through the sections of Hell
where musicians who have sold their souls are violently tortured. Mephisto reveals that there was a time when luring people to Hell with fame in music was unsuccessful - until the invention of Rock and Roll
. Johnny is taken on a roller coaster ride through Hell that includes stops in a performance hall where the souls of the damned are trapped inside robot monkeys. They are forced to perform for an audience of demons while a wrecking ball swipes them off the stage and destroys them one by one.
Eventually Johnny ends up in a decrepit opera
hall where the worst of the tortures are taking place. Here he witnesses opera singers being decapitated or lowered into vats of acid and barracuda. Mephisto reveals to Johnny that Mr. D once had a romance with an opera singer who broke his heart and now D has a particular fondness for torturing opera singers. Johnny eventually ends up back in front of Mr. D who once again entices him to sign. Mephisto gives Johnny a guitar and he considers the offer, then throws the guitar into the flames and begins to sing opera at the top of his lungs, and it takes on an ethereal quality. Mr. D disappears, Mephisto attempts to flee, and the entire castle collapses.
The film jumps ahead six months later, and we see that Johnny is now a famous rock and roll star (having never signed the contract with Mr. D). The last five minutes of the film feature a performance by Arid
, as the credits float by them in little bubbles burst by demons.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
in IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
theaters. The film is rated PG and is computer-animated with 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
effects.
Written by Kurt Frey and directed by co-writer Ben Stassen
Ben Stassen
Ben Stassen is a Belgian film producer and director. He founded nWave Pictures in 1994, producing highly successful CGI ride films including the groundbreaking Devils Mine...
, the film plays out very much like many modern video games, and can be divided into two types of segments: those in which the audience is seeing through the eyes of the main character, and those in which a scene plays out where the main character is actually in the shot.
Plot
A young musician and singer named Johnny (played by Jasper Steverlinck, singer of BelgianBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
rock band Arid
Arid (band)
Arid is a Belgian rock band, formed in the mid-1990s, made up of four members: Jasper Steverlinck , David Du Pré , Filip Ros and Steven Van Havere .-History:...
) has been notified by a law firm that his mother (voiced by Kyoko Baertsoen, leader of another Belgian band, Lunascape), an aging rock star whom Johnny hasn't seen or heard from since he was 3 years old, has died in a helicopter accident. Johnny has been willed her castle and all of her property and money, but he must visit the actual castle to claim these things. The 3D effects start almost immediately as the audience sees Johnny's car driving up a winding path to the castle. The branch of an old, withered tree seems to reach off the screen at the audience, and crows fly towards them. As Johnny enters the castle, he walks through a hall with several suits of armor. They come alive and begin attacking him (thrusting their axes and swords at the audience). Suddenly a demonic being appears and destroys them all, then beckons Johnny further into the castle. Johnny stumbles on a room of instruments levitating and playing themselves, and then walks into a great hall. There is an orb embedded into the ground that begins projecting the image of Johnny's mother. This segues into a rather lengthy musical number in which this holographic image (Baertsoen) sings an operatic number while the cameras circle around her. (The song is named 'Lane Navachi' from Lunascape's album 'Reflecting Seylence'.)
Suddenly, a demon face appears in the fire. It is the devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
(voiced by Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
, and referred to as "Mr. D") who explains to Johnny that his mother sold her soul for her fame. Part of the agreement was that the devil could "not touch" Johnny. Now that she has died, Mr. D offers Johnny a similar agreement. He declines, but is enticed to explore the castle further. He enters a cathedral-like room which begins to descend. Soon Johnny is in Hell proper. At this point the film begins to take a very dark and gothic turn as Johnny's tour guide, Mephisto
Mephisto
Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition.Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to:* Mephisto , a high-speed human-powered vehicle...
(Mr. D's chief lieutenant, also voiced by Shearer), guides him through the sections of Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
where musicians who have sold their souls are violently tortured. Mephisto reveals that there was a time when luring people to Hell with fame in music was unsuccessful - until the invention of Rock and Roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
. Johnny is taken on a roller coaster ride through Hell that includes stops in a performance hall where the souls of the damned are trapped inside robot monkeys. They are forced to perform for an audience of demons while a wrecking ball swipes them off the stage and destroys them one by one.
Eventually Johnny ends up in a decrepit opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
hall where the worst of the tortures are taking place. Here he witnesses opera singers being decapitated or lowered into vats of acid and barracuda. Mephisto reveals to Johnny that Mr. D once had a romance with an opera singer who broke his heart and now D has a particular fondness for torturing opera singers. Johnny eventually ends up back in front of Mr. D who once again entices him to sign. Mephisto gives Johnny a guitar and he considers the offer, then throws the guitar into the flames and begins to sing opera at the top of his lungs, and it takes on an ethereal quality. Mr. D disappears, Mephisto attempts to flee, and the entire castle collapses.
The film jumps ahead six months later, and we see that Johnny is now a famous rock and roll star (having never signed the contract with Mr. D). The last five minutes of the film feature a performance by Arid
Arid (band)
Arid is a Belgian rock band, formed in the mid-1990s, made up of four members: Jasper Steverlinck , David Du Pré , Filip Ros and Steven Van Havere .-History:...
, as the credits float by them in little bubbles burst by demons.