User reviews

Here's a concept for you, Hell is run by God. In this movie Hell is a place where sinners are punished by "demons" who worship, and work for, God. Our heroine, Veronica, is a demon born in Hell and raised by God fearing parents to punish sinners until they repent. As she comes of age she wonders why people are only punished after they die, she wants to know why the wicked are not punished before they can do more evil, thus lessening the sins upon their souls and reducing the pain and suffering of others. Veronica slips out of Hell and ascends to the mortal realm only to find it is literally brimming with sinners of the worst kind. Upon learning that sins are not only ignored but often encouraged in the mortal realm she sets out to set people back on the straight and narrow, with appropriately gory results.

This movie is unique; it's both good in a "so bad it's good" way, and good in the ordinary sense of the world. The cinematography cinemathogory, photography and sets give this b-movie an artsy feel, while the acting and the goofy script gives the film a feel of unintentional comedy.

The cold-shower effect this twist gives is actually quite refreshing. I had fun watching the film from beginning to end, and so will you. Extra plus for the nerdy "hot-chick-on-gargoyle" fantasy cover.

7/10

What could be considered the typical occult, horror, monster movie actually transforms itself into something quite different and with positive outcomes. Certainly not a classic, what might easily have been a four- or five-star movie at best, turns out to be a decent seven-star movie that is worth viewing for its story and the singular fascinating performance by its leading actress Angela Featherstone as Veronica, an angel-like creature from Hell. Starting with the movie's problems and then a description of some the movie's strengths follows in the progression of the movie's overall qualitative tenor, except for its questionable special effects later in the movie.

A good part of the movie especially the first half, presents some pretty dead, stunted performances likely attributable to the director. The movie also has a very brief heavenly angel scene that is so cheesy even though it's a sincere attempt to add a tantalizing twist to the concept of an avenging creature hell based on Biblical sin. The poor special effects especially later in the movie of fire and brimstone is a huge unfortunate weakness at that point in the movie, diminishing its intended impact, though the consequential and relatively effective psychological performance of its aftermath partially makes up for the low-budget lapse in film quality. Other minor weaknesses include the use of a manual typewriter in 1994 when the IBM's Selectric typewriter was available by 1961. There's the odd use of a taxi when it's more likely a car would be available. There is also a bodily injury that is from a human medical perspective appears to be potentially lethal based on arteries that may have been severed or internal organs damaged so that a doctor's response in the movie might be reasonably suspect. And the many, many candles while very romantic also seems a bit unrealistic.

Yet this low-budget, B-movie, has the fortune to be based on a somewhat distinctive script that consists of a serious attempt to use the avenging angel from Hell concept based on the Old Testament which by the end of the movie offers up a reasonable and tantalizing movie arc. The music track is adequate with interesting ethereal strains and an enhancing if not specular accompaniment. Angela Featherstone, as Veronica's adjustment to earth seems surprisingly too smooth at first but there are suggestions of a more difficulty accommodating to a non-Hell world. But the script continues to evolve beginning to present Veronica's cultural challenges and even more tantalizing and captivating one, including her choice of eating utensils. Later Featherstone really ups her performance thanks to the script and her ability to capture its tangible and intriguing paradoxes in behavior. Surprisingly, Veronica is given to acting out realistic snoring, often omitted in most movies which by itself is both quite refreshing and yet at the same time quite repulsive. The brilliance of the script is Veronica's behavior as a hellish angel from the Old Testament. There's a fascinating brief encounter between Veronica and two nuns that offers up a striking and distinctive appeal in the movie.

Angela Featherstone does a credible acting performance in what is typically a rather ironically a black and white character presentation by most actors in other movies. Considering the script she has to work with, her performance comes across impressively consistent with the movie's biblical basis and the sharp cultural differences, almost alien in nature to the actual humanity that Featherstone grew up from in real life. In contrast to the remarkable stylistic performance from Brad Pitt who plays death in Meet Joe Black (1998), Featherstone actually seems more convincing. Her acting is more is relatable to the superlative eerie sci fi/horror movie Under the Skin (2013) in which Scarlett Johansson dazzles with her disguised alien presence among humans.

What's commendable about the film direction is its nice balance between horror, drama, romance, and comedy. The humor usually comes in the form of the detectives' impertinent remarks or physical fumbles which are rarely overly done, to their credit. And after a while, either the dull acting parts are either significantly reduced or the movie's decent storyline allows the audience to ignore the performances to some extent, making this movie more watchable overall.

I am somewhat of a B Movie junkie. I've seen this film about 4 times. The first time I saw it I was 15(Late Night Cable). I was hypnotized by the innocence of a demonic being and the depth of the story line. It was one of the best B movies I had ever seen even now 7years later. Featherstone wasn't playing apart she was the part of a beautiful demonic angel full of innocence and bloody justice. Her character made the movie and having a good script to work with didn't hurt either.

Is it so hard to believe that God runs Hell, Demons are God fearing, and we suffer for our sins until we realize and repent. If I wasn't such a sinner I'd ask God for a job.

If you haven't seen it see it, if you didn't like or even appreciate it for what it was you weren't really watching it.

I have just finished watching this and I really enjoyed it. A young demon, Veronica, defies her father and leaves hell with her dog, Hellraiser to see the world under the yellow orb with the blue roof. She discovers a world rife with sin and chooses to send those sinners to their reward in hell. Along the way she meets a young doctor in the emergency room and she moves into his flat. He finds himself drawn towards the strange girl and her innocence and certainty.

The film did have its problems - some the acting of some peripheral characters was pretty poor. On the other hand some the acting was pretty good. I liked the guys who played the two detectives on the trail of the brutal demonic killer. The guy playing doctor did a fair job too. The best thing about the film was the story with its unique take on the story of the innocent abroad in the modern world, where that innocent is an unforgiving slayer of those who commit sin.

This is one that always allured me by cover art and title alone, knowing it was a low budget full moon release, my expecations as an actual good movie were slim but yet i was optimisitc in viewing non the less..... You have some really good idea's tossed amixed rushed scenes and hit or miss acting.... Angela has some solid morally thought provoking lines here and her persona and look is captivating and sensual if not also innocent in her own twisted way! this is one of those movie's were the bad guy could be the good guy , and you find yourself feeling more sympathetic towards her and her crude actions, more so than the victims.

This is not something i would go out of my way to own, but i wouldn't oppose another viewing in social setting, having a few beers cutting loose.

A funny little horror flick of the B category. No masterpiece but with some fun ideas, elements of comedy and even a little shimmer of gore here and there. Shining: Angela Featherstone as Veronica, our good but evil demoness from a place named hell. Verdict: good enough for a little snack in-between.

Dark Angel The Ascent is undoubtedly the best low-budget film to ever be made. The special effects are superb, the acting is beyond expectable, and the story is surprisingly good for a low-budget film. Though, the one part that seems to pull this movie together is the talented and titillating Angela Featherstone; who showcases her multiple talents in this movie.

One of the oddest films I've seen on Tubi, the free streaming site. Seems to have been made somewhere in Eastern Europe. The religion is a pop presentation of some branch of European Christianity. Maybe Orthodox. The female lead is not unattractive. She acts real tough, and scares men. I guess this is energy of this film, as the filmmaker uses her as a sexual magnet. As other commenters have said, the dog is great. Worth a watch for a few well-earned laughs.

I discovered this film a few years ago, and having happily given in to the sleazy heavy metal/custom van mural cover art on the box, was floored to realise that there was a perfectly serviceable piece of B movie fun here. I showed it to a friend, and he remarked " I know what my next dungeons and dragons character is going to be..." So there you have it, as far as love stories between hunky doctors and lawful evil demonic assassins go, this is the best of the genre.

The rebel demoness Veronica (Angela Featherstone) has another argument with her father Hellikin (Nicholas Worth) since she wants to live among the humans on the world above. Hellikin tries to kill her and Veronica escapes from Hell with her beast through a secret passage that her friend Mary (Cristina Stoica) had shown her. Veronica becomes human, finds some clothes and sees Dr. Max Barris (Daniel Markel) in the window of the hospital. Out of the blue, she is hit by a car and Dr. Max treats her. He learns that she has nowhere to go and offers his house to Veronica stay. She watches the news on television and learns how evil the world is and that the Mayor Wharton (Milton James) is a corrupt man. While walking on the street at night, she sees two men trying to rape a woman, kills them and her beast eats part of their flesh. Then she kills two violent Caucasian police officers that were beating without any reason a black man, leaves a message to the mayor and brings an internal organ to her beast. The detectives that are investigating the cases suspect that Veronica is responsible for the murders and follow her until she shows one of them the horrors of Hell. But Max and Veronica have fallen in love with each other.

"Dark Angel: The Ascent" is a delightful supernatural romance from the 90's that has not aged. The funny plot is excellent, with the rebellious Veronica stealing the movie. The beauty of Angela Featherstone is another attraction of his low-budget movie. There are great scenes and funny dialogs. Unfortunately, has only been released on VHS in Brazil. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Anjo das Trevas" ("Angel of the Darkness")

I had no idea what I was in for when I sat down to watch "Dark Angel: The Ascent", but I must admit that I had hoped it would be something a bit more than what it turned out to be.

Why is that? Well, because this movie was mundane and somewhat boring actually. I dozed off once or twice along the way, because the storyline was downright slow and uninteresting.

It should be said that the production is actually good and the movie does have a good sense of professionalism to it. But when the storyline is lacking contents, then the movie does tend to suffer.

Plus it didn't really help the movie much that the characters were bland and for most parts actually turned out to be characters that you don't really care much about.

Sure, the movie is watchable, but this is hardly a movie that will appeal to just everyone in the audience. I wasn't really in the target audience here, and I felt bored with what transpired on the screen.

The concept idea was interesting enough, just a shame that there was no solid or profound script and storyline to back up the concept idea.

All in all, this was a less than mediocre movie experience. And as such, then I am rating "Dark Angel: The Ascent" a four out of ten stars.

Viewing a Full Moon production from owner Charles Band is often quite a risk because you never know what to expect on your screen. The great covers of their videotapes/laser discs give hardly any indication about the quality of their movies inside. Keeping that in mind, I was very curious to see what this movie was all about. After viewing it I was quite surprised at the quality of this low-budget flick. It had a good script which isn't often the case, including the last episodes of the Puppet Master series.

Being filmed in a former eastern communist country adds a lot of flavour to the whole production. It gives it a lot of credibility. Every film fan knows by now all the back-lots of the American production companies, so a change of scenery gives this movie a fresh breath of production air. The story is the classic Romeo and Julia with a horror twist. Will their love reach across the borders and horrors of Hell? What is the cost of loving a man from another dimension?

Many have compared this film's plot and storyline to the Terminator (1984). Both deal with lead characters from different worlds who get put into the real world and are looked upon as outsiders and have to juggle with their new reality.

Lead character Veronica in Dark Angel: The Ascent is intriguing and a clear presence but the story is basic and moves at a slow pace.

For a lower budget film, the special effects aren't bad and the camera quality and look of the film is watchable enough.

Although the story is predictable and doesn't get as much out of it as it could have. In the end it was seemingly pointless and fails to make a true lasting impression.

When I saw Charles Band's name attached to this one, I should have known it would smell worse than the pit from which the title character came. One has to wonder with whom the "starlet" slept, for it obviously wasn't her "acting" that got her the nod. As for the other characters, I can't recall ever seeing such a mish-mash of robotic emoting combined with overacting so ludicrous that it would have been over-the-top even in a spoof.

I find it amazing that this gobbler got such a high rating. Apparently the entire crew, plus their families, friends and pets must have been the only ones that voted. Overall, the DVD of "Dark Angel" is not worth the hellfire to melt it. Give it a miss.

Another one of my favorite Full Moon films! I'd say "Dark Angel" is a movie that thinks its a Japanese manga... or a Japanese manga that thinks its a movie.

For instance, the lone innocent female from a different (under)world.. on a mission but romance gets in the way. Also thought-provoking, makes you think.. "what if demons are doing god's bidding after all?". I definitely enjoyed the story and how this played out! Has the same 'vibe' as subspecies... sexy but not over the top. The director and writer did a great job with this piece!

I wholeheartedly recommend this movie for a b-movie marathon, you can't go wrong with it.

Low-budget indeed! So many shots in this "film" were bereft of any visual detail or texture, its straight-to-video intentions were painfully apparent. Why did I start to watch this flick? Generally positive reviews found here and, more to the point, Videohound's four-bone rating (highest on the scale). This causes me to doubt the trustworthiness of anything the Videohound wrote. Did I finish watching this flick? No. Do yourself a favor; don't start.

Certainly gets the gold star for originality. I personally believe that the whole basis for the plot is preposterous but I've always been the type that can put those feelings aside long enough to sit back and enjoy the ride (hey I did it for every Bruce Willis movie I ever saw). Anyway, this was a prime example of what hell would be like if God designed and ran it. We also get some interesting insight as to "zero tolerance" of a divine nature. Pretty scary if you are an evil doer. After watching this film I wanted to see something else that Featherstone starred in. She was a real trip in this one. The acting was pretty good worked well. This movie should definitely be watched if you are open minded and enjoy major paradigm shifts.

DARK ANGEL: THE ASCENT is an atypical movie from Full Moon, purely because it has a thematic plot tackling the nature of evil and hell, the kind of depth that you don't normally find in films made by these B-movie specialists. Saying that, it is undoubtedly a cheap and largely disappointing production in which the conception must have looked very different from the outcome. The hellfire-and-brimstone scenes are cheesy in the extreme - although Nicholas Worth (DARKMAN) is always fun - and never more so than here. Unfortunately, many of the scenes are talky and there's a romantic sub-plot which drags the pacing right down. Imagine this as a religious version of THE TERMINATOR but made on a tiny budget and you'll be close...

This film essentially begins with a young female demon named "Veronica" (Angela Featherstone) who lives underground in Hell but has visions of life on the surface. When her father hears of this he becomes quite furious and almost kills her. Fortunately for her, she manages to escape and with her faithful dog "Hellraiser" finds her way up to the surface. Unfortunately, upon venturing into a nearby city she happens to get struck by a car and is subsequently taken to a hospital. While there she meets a physician by the name of "Dr. Max Barris" (Daniel Markel) who takes pity on her and agrees to take her to his home upon her release the next morning. Veronica, however, has been conditioned since inception to punish those who do evil and upon venturing outside of his apartment she proceeds to do just that. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an interesting movie which apparently tried to mix in some dark comedy with some of the horror aspects but didn't succeed all that well. It also suffered from a low-budget which was particularly obvious with some of the computer graphics. In short, this wasn't necessarily a bad movie by any means but it had its faults and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.