Essence of Echoes 2002 Horror Movie Review

ESSENCE OF ECHOES is filmed video-cam style digitally, and once you get used to that, the movie isn’t as bad as it could have been.  This type of filming tends to limit such suspense gimmicks as car chases, ultra fighting scenes (although Michael Worth pulls off a nice karate fight with villain Yan Birch), and other things that “pump” up a movie.  Watching this movie is like watching a true crime video, and it suffers some from that.  The good old government is responsible for the madman in this one, having decided to splice the genes of several notorious serial killers to come up with the ultimate killing machine.  Needless to say, the experiment was ditched, but not the killer.  There are a couple of gruesome death scenes, and even a modicum of suspense in some of the spooky lighted scenes.  Michael Worth as the bad guy agent gone good does a sturdy, macho job.  His swagger and self containment help strengthen his character.  Sharisse Baker-Bernard as his partner Julia doesn’t have the strength of conviction to make us care too much for her, even though she’s had her own share of nightmares, evidenced in her recurring dreams. There’s a kind of double climax, and it is effective, and ultimately saves the movie from being a total waste.  A rental, but not a buyer.