Faust – Love of the Damned

Based on an early 1990s superhero comic book series by artist Tim Vigil and writer David Quinn (itself loosely based on Goethe’s classic “magnum opus”), Yuzna’s “Faust: Love of the Damned” is probably his weakest, most jumbled work. The plot’s all over the place – too disjointed, too frenzied, too deafening.

Sub-par cast: An extremely one-dimensional protagonist facing an equally trite antagonist. The only saving graces are the lascivious Mònica Van Campen and a low-key Jeffrey Combs. Not helping matters is an ear-splitting heavy-metal soundtrack and a super-slick barrage of quick cuts that systematically water down the strongest scenes. Despite those faults, blood does flow left and right, and there’s a decent dose of Clive Barker-esque sex scenes – like those in 1993’s “Return of the Living Dead 3” -, mainly of the eros-death variety (“Pain and pleasure are one“).

The rubbery special effects aren’t anything to write home about, but fans of practical effects will probably enjoy them anyway. Extra treats include a cool inside-reference to “Society” (1989) and a hellish monster that looks like it stepped out of “Evil Dead II” (1987).

Wild, fever-pitched conclusion with lines such as: ‘You should have done your homework. I can’t have children […] I have no womb!’ Reply: ‘I thrive on the impossible’.

What more is there to say?