The atmosphere and music are great, the actors fine--especially the brilliant Ken Renard (too bad he's marked for death in both of his "Thriller" performances)--and the horror is more than sufficiently horrific. Because of this, I'm reluctant to carp, but something is missing from the storyline: Something that could have made it even more compelling. The way I figure it, had Uncle Amos been less of an unpleasant jerk, we'd have more reason to want his soul (or, at least, his body) safe from demon possession, but in his brief scene with Ellis and Sheila, he makes it clear that 1) He's only leaving his estate to them because he has no other relatives, and that 2) He doesn't especially like Ellis. You don't shout into the face of someone you respect. Or... The script could have made it clear that, despite the precautions taken with Amos' tomb, the failure of the minister to give his blessings ("protection") during the funeral makes Amos' corpse vulnerable to possession despite the door markings, etc. This is never explicitly stated; I'm just assuming it's the case. Thus, a clearer reason for the race-to-the-finish ending--an ending which stretches believability (even for a horror outing), since it has the four easily discovering the location of Bentley's body, despite Amos' failed efforts in that area. True, the ghost leads them to the spot, but still... And why does Rev. Burkhardt object so vehemently to so much as Ellis reading from the "protection" book (which the reverend clearly regards as profane), only to go along with its instructions at the close, no questions asked. The burning of Bentley's corpse has always been a bit of a letdown: A classis "That's it?" ending. Oh, and since the reverend's blessing is so vital to Amos' after-life protection, why does he commit suicide, knowing (we can assume) that Burkhardt will probably deny him same? Yet, somehow, it all works.
Review of The Return of Andrew Bentley
