The Convent (2000) User Reviews

Night of the Dem...errr...nuns

[The_Void · 6/10 · 24 March 2009]

The horror genre is undoubtedly more diverse than any of cinema's other genres, and while that does mean that there's a lot of different and original horrors; it also means that any good idea liable to be done more than once. This has become a big problem for the modern genre with the recent wave of remakes. The Convent isn't a remake by name; but it could easily be a remake of the eighties classic Night of the Demons as the basic plots are more or less identical - but at least enough of it has been changed to ensure that it gets away with being a different film. This is how remakes should be done! Anyway, anyone that has seen the aforementioned eighties horror will recognise this story instantly. The film begins with a cool sequence that sees a young girl brutally execute a bunch of nuns with a shotgun. Fast forward fifteen years and a bunch of school kids are planning to break into the convent where it all happened to see if it really is haunted by the dead nuns...

It has to be said that this film isn't a piece of high quality film-making. The acting is largely ridiculous and the special effects are so bad that they make the majority of the cast look on par with some of the greatest performances of all time. However, the film was clearly never meant to be seen as great horror; and thankfully it does work as a fun, trashy horror comedy. There's always plenty going on and the film never really has time to get boring, which is certainly to its credit. The majority of the characters are rather dull, and this is not helped by the fact that the most interesting one is killed off towards the beginning; but the loss of her presence is somewhat made up for the appearance of a couple of bumbling 'Satanists' that provides the laughs. The film also features a few cameo appearances; we've got rapper Coolio and Bill Moseley as a couple of coppers; and even better Adrienne Barbeau as motorcycle riding demon killer. Overall, I really wouldn't recommend anyone goes out of their way to see this film; but it's fun enough for what it is and people that enjoy this sort of film surely wont be too disappointed.

Unholy, sacrilegious fun!

[Coventry · 5/10 · 14 August 2005]

"The Convent" is a very UNoriginal but fun splatter-horror flick with the usual formula of dumb teenagers awakening an ancient type of evil they can't possibly deal with. The very cool and mood-setting opening sequence shows a young girl gunning down a bunch of nuns and a priest before setting fire to the convent/boarding school they're living in. The urban legend says that this girl – Christine – went insane after a forced abortion and that the convent is haunted by the restless souls of the nuns ever since. Now, 40 years later, a group of crazy college students breaks into the abandoned convent to play fraternity jokes, but soon they get possessed by demons in nuns' clothes and they're recruited to assist in performing virgin-sacrifices to Satan almighty. There's few tension or atmosphere but the script luckily enough inserts a lot of OTT-humor and ingenious ideas (a bunch of unbelievably clumsy devil-worshipers!) that makes this routine horror flick worth watching. The make-up effects are quite grotesque and nasty, with blood spurting out of every body hole and heads that are chopped off by the dozen. The dark and ramshackle convent makes an excellent horror location and the nun-costumes are really terrific. The true heroine of this film is Adrienne Barbeau ("The Fog", "Escape from N.Y") as the skilled demon-killer who comes to save the day. There equally are splendid cameo appearances for rapper Coolio and Bill Mosely ("House of 1.000 Corpses"). "The Convent" isn't exactly fundamental viewing, but it's good and unscrupulous horror-entertainment that fans will surely appreciate.

Cheap and cheerful

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 6 September 2019]

THE CONVENT is a cheap B-movie splatter flick from 2000 which deliberately acts as a throwback to the likes of NIGHT OF THE DEMONS. A convent is the setting for some sinisterly ghoulish goings-on, and the usual bunch of unlikeable teenagers arrive to find themselves at the mercy of some otherworldly beings. Cast-wise, the only interest comes from Adrienne Barbeau, showing up late on in the proceedings to deliver some much needed mettle; the rest are entirely forgettable. The story is limited and only enlivened by some cheap and cheerful prosthetic effects which are a cheese-lover's dream.

Bloody Good Fun

[bnl771 · 4 March 2004]

With the lack of quality horror films becoming more and more apparent, fans of the genre (and those looking to get into it) are left with nothing to lose by checking out the obscure titles found on the shelves of the non-chain video stores. Every once in a while, there is a surprise contained within. Such a surprise is the 2000 movie `The Convent'.

Directed by Mike Mendez (whose previous effort, `Killers', is very hard to find), `The Convent' is an exercise in excess and situational comedy. Far too often horror movies enter the realm of comedy unintentionally. As a small film, with a pea-sized budget, `The Convent' wraps itself, and enjoys, a cloak of playfulness.

The movie opens in the 1950's as a young woman decides to set nuns and priests aflame. just before laying a shotgun through them. It's an intro that needs to be seen to be believed. Unfortunately, as far as visual flare is concerned, this scene is never topped. We fast-forward to the present and meet a group of college kids heading to the long abandoned convent to spray paint fraternity letters. The mix of characters is so over the top you can't help but love them. Not a single role is taken 100% seriously and it's obvious that this movie is going to be fun.

Our college friends make it to the convent. Unfortunately, they are busted by two dope-smoking cops. I want nothing more than to go into detail about this scene, but it would ruin a surprise cameo that is beyond hilarious. As the group's bad luck continues, they realize they have left their entire bag of weed at the convent and must return. From here, gore galore and hilarity ensues.

The plot is simple enough and the movie is very funny (not to mention gory as all get out). We get a simply wonderful cameo from Adrienne Barbeau (whose performance in John Carpenter's `The Fog' is treasured by countless horror fans) and, generally, decent production values given the budget. My only complaint is that the movie is too short.

Insultingly Stupid

[Bishonen · 1/10 · 24 January 2003]

Lame, lame, lame!!! A 90-minute cringe-fest that's 89 minutes too long. A setting ripe with atmosphere and possibility (an abandoned convent) is squandered by a stinker of a script filled with clunky, witless dialogue that's straining oh-so-hard to be hip. Mostly it's just embarrassing, and the attempts at gonzo horror fall flat (a sample of this movie's dialogue: after demonstrating her artillery, fast dolly shot to a closeup of Barbeau's vigilante character…she: `any questions?' hyuck hyuck hyuck). Bad acting, idiotic, homophobic jokes and judging from the creature effects, it looks like the director's watched `The Evil Dead' way too many times.

I owe my friends big time for renting this turkey and subjecting them to ninety wasted minutes they'll never get back. What a turd.

Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad!

[AbsoRuud · 1/10 · 1 March 2002]

This movie is BAD! It's basically an overdone copy of Michael Jackson's Thriller video, only worse! The special effects consist of lots of glow in the dark paint, freaky slapstick fastmoving camera shots and lots of growling. I think the dog was the best actor in the whole movie.

Jeez, another stupid teen horror flick

[macabro357 · 2/10 · 10 October 2003]

In fact, these young people were so distasteful that I couldn't wait for all of 'em to get slaughtered, and that includes Clarissa (Joanna Canton) since I considered her the most annoying of the bunch.

But I knew it was gonna be a mess from the opening minutes when a teen Christine opened fired on the priest and the nuns with the Leslie Gore music playing in the background. It had nowhere to go but down.

Even the prosthetics looked fake and the "blood" looked suspiciously like Hawaiian Punch, although later on it took on red day-glo look to match the silly halloween makeup they were all wearing. I'm sure all the GOTH morons out there will appreciate this bullsh-t since it'll appeal to that bunch. It sure didn't appeal to me. Blah...

And not even my favorite horror babe Adrienne Barbeau can save this stupid teen horror flick from itself. She still looks hot, though. I'm glad she takes care of herself since we don't get to see too much of her nowadays.

However, it is a step up from Dante Tomaselli's meandering HORROR (2002) in that it has a somewhat coherent plot, so I'll give it that much. That and the little Boston terrier named Boozer also brings it up a notch. I like what Boozer does to Clarissa in the end. It was the only good scene in an otherwise silly film.

Lion's Gate Films sure must have been desperate when they picked this one up.

2 out of 10

A fun throwback

[rutt13-1 · 7/10 · 15 December 2001]

Ahhh, this movie is in every way completely ridiculuous. The Actors seemed to have a good time, and so did I. It's very reminiscent of the better low-budget 80's stuff, with cheesy acting, cheesy dialog, and cheesy humor. But I love that kind of stuff. And clocking in at about 1 hour and 12 mins., it's very fast-paced. I noticed that the male characters were incredibly stupid, while most of the females were pretty smart. I thought this was hilarious and made the film kind of a parody of the aforementioned 80's flicks. If you like stuff like "Night of the Demons" or maybe "Return of the Living Dead," "The Convent" is in the same spirit. You get to see lots of goofy stuff, but the monsters are pretty cool, and sort of serious, and it's got a pretty good bloodflow. And Adrienne Barbeau is a blast as the vet demon killer. My only complaint is that the ending seems a bit rushed, and poorly edited. But Mr. Mendez is one to watch.

This movie was pretty bad

[lildixie · 2/10 · 1 March 2002]

I thought that this movie was pretty lame. If you're looking for cheesey, you may like this. I, myself, don't mind a fair amount of cheese, but this was ridiculous. The progression of the movie bored me and the storyline was very weak.

The only thing entertaining about this movie was the day-glo zombies, but even that isn't reason enough to see this flick.

Goddamn Demons, Always Something With The Virgins!

[CMRKeyboadist · 7/10 · 25 January 2006]

I just saw this film for the first time and I must admit it was rather enjoyable. This movie obviously gives tribute to many films such as "Demons", "Night of the Demons", "Evil Dead", etc. The movie is very fast paced, filled with random gore scenes and a few familiar faces for those of you who know your horror movies.

The movie starts off with a young woman walking into a church/convent and slaughtering all the nuns that she sees. 40 years later, a group of what would appear to be stereotypical dumb college frat kids who are out one night looking for a good time. Of course they go to the old convent where the massacre took place 40 years in the past. After most of them are chased away by the police (Coolio and Bill Mossely) the one that stayed behind is sacrificed by a bunch of loser wanna be goth kids. This is where the movie finally picks up as the rest of it is a blood bath mixed with humor and gore.

I must say the beginning of the movie was really bad with the stereotypical college kids but if you can hold out for about 15 minutes it really is all worth the while. Now, the version of the movie I just got claims to be the full uncut version which would make sense because most of the reviews I have read say they wish the movie was more gory. This movie was plenty gory, at least enough to keep my slaughter appetite in check. Also look for Adrienne Barbou kicking serious butt in the last 15 minutes of the movie. 7/10 stars.

Wow...

[bragg-12 · 2/10 · 15 February 2005]

My friend's mom used to work at a video store and got to preview movies before they came out, so when she brought home The Convent, a horror movie, i couldn't wait to watch it. Given that it's supposed to be scary but is actually downright hilarious, I can say that in some weird way, I like this movie.

yes, the acting is bad, and yes, it's the cheapest movie i've ever seen, but it's so damn funny! "WHAT, ARE YOU SMOKING CA-RACK?!" i didn't know this movie even was ever released... i figured it was too bad...

Yeah, so... overall the movie is pretty bad (you gotta admit that much at least) but I promise you, you will get a good laugh out of it.

*this movie kinda sucks but it's good for a laugh... especially that guy that holds the 'dagger of despair'.. THE DAGGER OF DESPAAAAAAIR!

Bargain bin masterpiece

[Sandcooler · 8/10 · 9 March 2011]

Hell yeah! That's pretty much the feeling the average person will have throughout this compact and action-filled piece of garbage. It's an incredibly crazy, riveting and somewhat moronic 75 minutes, it's the kind of project that defines what B-list horror should be all about. The hilarious (in a sadistic way) opening immediately drags you in, and the movie just utterly refuses to let you go after that. Demonic zombie nuns, fluorescent(!) blood, hot chicks, washed-up gangsta rapper Coolio playing a cop, I thank God for showing me all this pure uncut greatness. If all this stuff can't get your attention, I really don't know what will. The Adrienne Barbeau appearance is just icing on the cake, brilliant role. Of course this movie isn't particularly well-made or well-written, but I stopped caring roughly ten seconds in. Loads of fun.

Hilarious!!!

[gluba2000 · 7/10 · 13 January 2005]

Me, my sister, and our aunt rented this and 3 other movies...I wanted a horror movie and my aunt wanted something that was current (because she's seen probably all of the 70's horror flicks) so we rented The Convent.

I had a feeling that it'd be cheap and crappy and I was right.

The whole movie had us laughing so hard! I don't remember the last time I laughed that hard and for that long! Also, I noticed two references to other horrors movies in there--Halloween, when the nun walks up to the little girl in the graveyard she has on the Michael Myers mask. And when the nun walks up to the girl in the desk in that flashback scene she spews green stuff on her (The Exorcist.) This movie will have you in tears laughing! (Well it did for at least me, my sister, and my aunt!) I also think it was the director's intention to make it campy fun I dunno if he intended it to be an actual horror film.

Or maybe he did and knew that it'd turn out to be a crappy D horror flick so he went crazy with the budget and script! I found this extremely entertaining and gave it a 7!

A Warning

[ghostdog2 · 1/10 · 2 January 2001]

I saw the trailer to this film and it looked great, so I went out and bought it. What a mistake, the acting is a shambles, the special effects (if you could call them that), look like something that wouldn't be out of place at a school play. Some of the characters are so stupid in this film you will cringe the minute they are on the screen, which unfortunately is all to often. As for a story, forget it. This is a warning, don't waste any money at all on this film it has to be one of the worst things I have ever seen. If, for some reason, you like this film watch Troll 2, you will probably enjoy that as well.

This movie will nail you- just give it FIVE minutes.

[zmaturin · 23 March 2001]

As a fan of fun horror movies like "The Evil Dead", "From Beyond", and "Demons" (or even "Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers"), I find today's multiplexes a barren wasteland when it comes to frenzied, hilarious, gore-and-violence filled fright flicks. I'm forced to choke down pale simulacrums like "Valentine", "Dracula 2000", and "Urban Legends: Final Cut" in theaters, while voraciously re-watching the Herschell Gordon Lewis/Coffin Joe catalog at home. I'm a sad horror junkie aching for a fix.

That's why viewing "The Convent" in a theater packed with like-minded gore-o-philes was a near orgasmic experience. Finally, a modern horror flick that aims for all the right targets, hitting most of them and shoveling a bucket-load of entertainment down my parched, killer-nun hungry gullet.

"The Convent" tells the tale of some dopey fraternity types breaking into an abandoned nunnery only to encounter carnage-hungry ghouls, fey devil worshippers, and oodles of cool imagery, skin peeling, and decapitations. When's the last time they made a movie about that kind of stuff that wasn't crap? What's even more impressive is that this movie is funny- hilariously so, and on purpose. In fact, not only is "The Coven" better than most recent horror movies, it's funnier than most so-called comedies. I dare anyone with a sick sense of humor not to fall in love with the destined-to-be-legendary flashback scene of evil nuns running amuck through a 1950s Catholic School.

The dialog is great, too (In retrospect, I can think of only one stupid line that made me cringe, concerning saving one's virginity for pasty poser Marylyn Manson) and delivered by a capable, amiable cast who turn stereotypical roles into likable characterizations. I expected to hate the stoner womanizer and the Goth chick lead, but the actors playing them were so good that I ended up loving them. There's even two characters who seem to be straight out of those "Saturday Night Live" Goth Talk sketches, but they are funny and I was actually looking forward to seeing more of them! Throw in Coolio and Bill Mosely (Chop-Top in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2") as dope-snatching college cops and Adrienne Barbeau as a legendary DemoNun slayer and you've got an affair to remember!

Yet another thing that endeared me to this flick was the fact that it was obviously made by knowledgeable horror fans, but unlike similar (but far inferior) projects like "The Dead Hate the Living" or "The Dead Next Door" they don't chuck obvious, "aren't-we-cool-wink-wink" genre references at you. "The Convent" has got subtle references to "The Beyond", "Zombie", and others I'm sure I missed, plus, a "Sixteen Candles" gag! What more could you ask for?

Well, I would've asked for more gore. Except for the numerous, outstanding beheadings (and subsequent squirting neck stumps), most of the demon-attacks are shot in a shaky-cam, distorted style that makes it hard to see the details. If I was prone to cliches, I might use the words "hyper-kinetic" or "frenetic" to describe the film's style, but I'm not, so I won't. Still, this movie has much more splat-sticky maulings than any other flick on the market today, and the demon make-up is unique and creative. This movie even makes day-glow colors look cool (something Joel Schumaker couldn't do despite his huge "Batman & Robin" budget). Another minor complaint is that the movie is almost too fast paced and seems hurried and choppy in places. The kick-ass opening scene (in which a gal blows away some pious puss-faces to the chords of Lesley's Gore's immortal "You Don't Own Me") is edited like a movie trailer, and the film's climax seems rushed. Instead of a slam-bang explosive finale we're treated to some indecipherable computer effects that seem to be inserted as a placeholder until real effects became available. But those are minor caveats. Sure, this is no "Dead Alive" or "Re-Animator", but it is superior to most other recent horror offerings in every department- script, cast, make-up effects, you name it.

The fact that this momentous motion picture cannot find a national theatrical distributor proves how out of touch some movie studios are with horror fans. I'm sure no dime would be spared to promote another brain-dead "I Know What You Did Last Summer" sequel. So catch this movie wherever and whenever you can, preferably in a theater full of people. You'll be oh so glad you did.

Awful movie, steer clear.

[triton19 · 1/10 · 27 April 2002]

This movie is AWFUL! I don't even know where to begin, I'm speechless I can't even describe how awful this is. The blood is flourescent first of all, and the acting is AWFUL! The only good part was the biker chick that saves the day. This movie was rediculous, I don't see how it could even get a vote of 1 its so bad. It looks like it was made by highschool students.

Baaaaaaaaad

[igoinsane · 1/10 · 28 December 2001]

Worst movie I have seen since Gingerale Afternoon. I suppose that this is a horror/comedy. I pretty much predicted every scene in this movie. The special-effects were not so special. I believe that I could come up with as good of effects from what I have lying around the house. I wish I could have something good to say about this movie, but I am afraid that I don't. Even Coolio should be ashamed of appearing in such a turkey. I do, after a little thought, have one thing good to say about this movie - it ended.

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

[fxf14 · 1/10 · 18 November 2001]

This film is absolutely horrific. One of the worst movies I've ever seen. The story does nearly not exist, the characters are full of stereotypes and the Special-FX only make you laugh. The only remarkable thing about this movie is the guest appearance of the Rapper Coolio as some kind of police officer.

If this film was supposed to be a comedy I didn't quite get the point. If you want to watch this movie: please get yourself drunk first and then prepare for some good laughs...especially when the first Special-FX appear on the screen.

But if you like trash movies made on the cheap: this film is a must-see for you.

A very goofy, fun film with lots of gore. Reminiscent of Night of the Demons or The Evil Dead.

[carlykristen · 7/10 · 22 November 2006]

A group of college students (cheerleader, goth, stoner, jock, virgin) decide to visit the old convent that was shut down due to a nasty incident that occurred. The goth chick, Mo, is captured by wannabe devil worshipers and they unwittingly unleash demons. As demons take over the bodies of nice girl Clorissa's boyfriend and friends, only Adult Christine (played awesomely well by Adrienne Barbeau) can stop them.

The opening scene sums up what is to follow. A beautiful babe in a school girl outfit and leather jacket with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth slaughters nuns and priests with a baseball bat, shotgun, and matches while "You Don't Own Me" plays. If you like this sequence, you will like the rest. Nuttiness ensues involving drugs, virgin sacrifices, forced abortions, gay Satanists, ditzy cheerleaders, and a pugnacious pug. Oh, and Coolio and Bill Moseley make appearances as no-good coppers.

It should be noted that this is one of the earlier works from The Gravedancers director, Mike Mendez and won the Audience Award at Fantafestival.

I have to say that my favorite scene (other than the opening) was set to the song "Dreamweaver" where stoner Biff gets high off shrooms and weed, hears Jesus talking to him, and tries unsuccessfully to mate with a demon.

There were incredibly likable characters you watched run around. Goth chick Mo (also in The Gravedancers) is adorable, Stoner dude Biff was hilarious, and Young/ Adult Christine oozed coolness. Unfortunately, none of these great characters get more than a half hour screen time. Instead, we are stuck with the good girl Clorissa.

As for the religious undertones, or in this case, way overtones, it is not preachy or sacrilegious. Mendez comes across as showing what is scary about the idea of having to conform within the confines of a convent.

I saw that the SFX received bad comments in other reviews, but I felt was okay overall. The make-up was a tad silly in some parts like glow in the dark veins and neon blood. However, the prosthetics used to raise the demons foreheads looked realistic and the "blood shower" scene was cool. The "Antichrist birth" scene was especially good considering this was low budget and it was only on screen for about one minute.

Favorite Quote: Satanist asks, "Are you the spawn of the Devil?" Nerd replies, "No, I'm a Lambda."… Or when Clorissa says, "My brother's going to be the next Antichrist? Mom's gonna be pi*ssed." DVD Extras: Audio Options (inc. Spanish Subtitles), Commentary, Behind the Scenes, 1 Deleted short Scene, and "Gore on Demand" which showed the death scenes up close and in slow motion.

Bottom Line: A very goofy, fun film with lots of gore. Reminiscent of Night of the Demons or The Evil Dead.

Rating: 7/10

Molly Celaschi www.HorrorYearbook.com MySpace.com/HorrorYearbook

Bloody Hell!

[Superunknovvn · 1/10 · 18 November 2001]

What the hell of a D-Movie was that? Bad acting, bad special effects and the worst dialogues/storyline i ever came across. The only cool thing here was Coolio, who had a nice cameo as a freaked out cop. However, the rest of the film is awful and boring. It's not even so bad, you can laugh about it. Just plain crap. And whoever compares this to the Evil Dead Series might as well compare Tomb Raider to Indiana Jones (well, ok, at least there was Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider)! 1 out of 10

Really funny

[gianmarcoronconi · 7/10 · 13 November 2023]

This is not a real review, it should be understood more as a collection of impressions on the film.

A film that aims to be a very obvious mockery of many horror films and which manages to entertain in a really nice way, above all thanks to the clearly stupid and forced choices of all the characters. An honorable mention must be made to the handcrafted special effects which are perfect for a film like this and convey all the jerkiness that the film would like to convey, giving the viewer a bit of those B-movie sensations that this film is strongly imbued with. So overall the film is very entertaining even if it's worth very little as a horror film.

oh dear......

[Aurey · 2/10 · 9 September 2000]

......this film is pretty awful, the only thing stopping me from giving it a rating of 1 was the fact that I unfortunately have seen worse.

The jungle music, juttering demons, and fluorescent UV style blood/teeth/eyes give it that "awful" look, and the script is dire.....this film is more like a test to see how long you can last before giving up on it. It's also predictable but not in a good way. Nothing this film does is in a good way. I watched it 10 minutes ago and thought I would rant a bit so there you are. (oh and the acting doesn't let the film down, it's also terrible)

If you get it, you'll love it!

[yrhma31 · 10/10 · 30 November 2002]

Oh come on! What do you expect? It's a trashy horror/comedy

starring Adrienne Barbeau. And it's a REALLY FUNNY one at that.

If you were expecting anything more...well I just can't understand

how you could. It is what it is---and it's FABULOUS!

Like Buffy on Acid

[netchimp · 7/10 · 9 April 2008]

This was a really great little horror movie that had some hilarious surprises up it's sleeve. With excellent direction and above average (for the genre) acting, I'm thinking of that 'Goth girl' in particular, it was a blast.

The film starts like every other horror movie : A bunch of teens decide to stay in a scary place, but these teens are actually nicely drawn characters and quite funny. As soon as the 'action' kicks in though, all bets are off. The film changes style to a 'love it or loathe it' UV lit zombie nightmare. It plays out like an episode of Buffy on Speed or Acid or both.

With fresh quirky characters (the Lord of Darkness guy, with his terrible accent) to keep you entertained throughout, this is definitely worth a watch. Especially if Adrienne Barbeau kicking glitchy,UV, demon ass is your thing Nice One!

Worst film ever

[choc_a_bloc · 2/10 · 17 October 2000]

Saw this 'film' recently and have to say it was the worst attempt at film making I have ever had the misfortune to see. What the Hell was going on with Coolio? Totally unprovoked shooting at people in distress. Totally uninvolving, slow, tedious and detached. Worse than Spawn. long live "Evil dead II".