My review was written in January 1986 after a screening at UA Twin theater in Manhattan.
"The Alchemist is a dull, old-fashioned (with gore added) supernatural horror film. Onscreen credits are garbled: direction is attributed to James Amante, probably a pseudonym, since Craig Mitchell was listed as director when film went into production in February 1981 and Charles Band received the credit when pic was released overseas in 1983. Band opened the pic domestically beginning last May through his Empire Pictures banner.
Robert Ginty stars (though his role is abbreviated) as a Virginia maker of beautiful glass figurines who, in 1871, is cursed to live and kill forever as a beast when he accidentally kills his wife Anna (Lucinda Dooling) in a struggle with Delgatto (Robert Glaudini), who is using a spell to seduce her.
Ginty doesn't age and is cared for by his daugher (Viola Kate Stimpson) until 1955, when she casts a spell to free him by substituting another soul for his. Anna's lookalike (and presumably her reincarnation) Lenore is driving to Charlotte, North Carolina and becomes involved as the substitute soul until a contrived climax in the woods at a portal to the nether world sorts out winners and losers.
Whoever really directed tis junker, the screenplay by Alan J. Alder is extremely weak in failing to develop any tohe the alchemist's lore or to make credible the plot coincidences. As a hitchhiker who tags along with Lenore, John Sanderford acts as the audience's surrogate, continually striking poses of bewilderment as he witnesses each phony plot turn unfolding. Ginty is unconvincing in a period role, while Stimpson as his 90-year-old daughter engenders the most sympathy. Dooling, who was most impressive in her next film, starring as the karate expert of "Lovely but Deadly", is wasted here as a stock gothic heroine.
California lensing generates no atmosphere for the story's Southern setting and the 1955 dateline (with no period music) is presumably chosen to avoid the extreme silliness of such a hoary plotline in a contemporary setting.
"The Alchemist is a dull, old-fashioned (with gore added) supernatural horror film. Onscreen credits are garbled: direction is attributed to James Amante, probably a pseudonym, since Craig Mitchell was listed as director when film went into production in February 1981 and Charles Band received the credit when pic was released overseas in 1983. Band opened the pic domestically beginning last May through his Empire Pictures banner.
Robert Ginty stars (though his role is abbreviated) as a Virginia maker of beautiful glass figurines who, in 1871, is cursed to live and kill forever as a beast when he accidentally kills his wife Anna (Lucinda Dooling) in a struggle with Delgatto (Robert Glaudini), who is using a spell to seduce her.
Ginty doesn't age and is cared for by his daugher (Viola Kate Stimpson) until 1955, when she casts a spell to free him by substituting another soul for his. Anna's lookalike (and presumably her reincarnation) Lenore is driving to Charlotte, North Carolina and becomes involved as the substitute soul until a contrived climax in the woods at a portal to the nether world sorts out winners and losers.
Whoever really directed tis junker, the screenplay by Alan J. Alder is extremely weak in failing to develop any tohe the alchemist's lore or to make credible the plot coincidences. As a hitchhiker who tags along with Lenore, John Sanderford acts as the audience's surrogate, continually striking poses of bewilderment as he witnesses each phony plot turn unfolding. Ginty is unconvincing in a period role, while Stimpson as his 90-year-old daughter engenders the most sympathy. Dooling, who was most impressive in her next film, starring as the karate expert of "Lovely but Deadly", is wasted here as a stock gothic heroine.
California lensing generates no atmosphere for the story's Southern setting and the 1955 dateline (with no period music) is presumably chosen to avoid the extreme silliness of such a hoary plotline in a contemporary setting.