Holy Ghost People (DVD Review) - XLrator Media

USA/2013
Directed By: Mitchell Altieri
Written By: Mitchell Altieri, Phil Flores, Kevin Artigue, Joe Egender
Starring: Emma Greenwell, Brendan McCarthy, Joe Egender
Color/93 Minutes/Rated R
Region 1
Release Date: April 8, 2014

The Film
A young woman searching for her missing sister finds herself at The Church Of One Accord, a southern snake church buried deep in the Appalachian Mountains. Brother Billy leads this parish of lost and damaged souls with his death defying handling of rattlesnakes and games of Russian Roulette. He demands total loyalty from the brothers and sisters of the church or else he will kick you out, which usually means death. As the young woman and her friend find out more about Brother Billy they fall deeper into the clutches of the serpentine church and have to fight for their lives to get out.

HOLY GHOST PEOPLE is a very timely film as every week it seems another person has died from the result of being bitten by a venomous snake at one of these churches. This film explores the power that religious leaders have over their weaker minded followers and how they can push their own agendas onto them with startling ease. HOLY GHOST PEOPLE is very much a horror film, but the horrors don't lie within the dangerous wild animals being handled but within the deranaged mind of Brother Billy and his cult-like followers. The acting is good, especially from Joe Egendger as Brother Billy, and there are some gruesome moments but I can't help but feel that HOLY GHOST PEOPLE could have been something bigger and that this is only a piece of it. The focus should have been on the far more interesting Brother Billy as opposed to Charlotte looking for her sister, and more snake danger would have been welcomed. 

The Audio & Video
XLrator Media brings HOLY GHOST PEOPLE to DVD with a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that looks solid. The digital photography handles dark scenes and black levels rather well and overall image quality is good. The DD 5.1 audio track is mixed well, and free of any distractions. 

The Extras
A selection of deleted scenes are included.

The Bottom Line
People that are interested in the terrifying and corruption within the more extreme churches will find HOLY GHOST PEOPLE a satisfying watch.

HOLY GHOST PEOPLE is available HERE