Ice from the Sun (1999)

 

A very artsy sometimes incomprehensible film about battles in the afterlife and whatnot.

Alison (Ramona Midgett) has had it with life. he watches the horrors unfold on the news and decides enough is enough. She slits her wrists with a box cutter in the bath - but a voice speaks to her. The voice tells Alison that she will be used as an assassin to kill an interdimensional wizard.

We are introduced to The Presence (D.J. Vivona) - a diabolical interdimensional being who enjoys tormenting souls brought over to his dimension.  He uses hapless humans as his minions to draw in the victims.

Buck (Joseph Palermo) the plumber becomes a servant of the Presence, tasked with bringing humans to his world. 

Dana (Angela Zimmerly) is among Buck's friends gathered at his dirty apartment to do drugs.

Dana tells her boyfriend Keith (Tommy Biondo) about how she was raised in a strict religious home.

Then The Presence arrives and shit gets weird.  Dana suddenly finds herself in an empty theater.  The Presence binds and taunts her.

Suddenly, Dana is naked and unconscious on a gravel country road.

A redneck in a pickup truck ties Dana's legs to the hitch and drags her.

Dana is badly hurt and the redneck throws salt on her.  

Suddenly, Dana is alive and well.  But she's standing before The Presence.  Her shirt is unbuttoned.

To Keith's horror he finds Dana's body.  The Presence has brutally killed her.

She's naked on a slab next to The Presence's tools. Then Alison finally arrives and completes her mission of destroying The Presence. 

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I generally can't stand these arthouse films which are purposefully confusing and feel like pretentious vanity projects.  But this one just hit right - you could tell a lot of thought and work went into this. And while there was lots to be confused about, the central story was easily grasped.  Also, much respect for Angela Zimmerly who provides extensive nudity.  I think if this film had just tapped the brakes a bit with all its worldbuilding backstory (I mean who gives a shit about Abraham, Amblin, etc.) and perhaps settled down with all the fast-cuts and crazy lens filters, this would be a choice cult film. 

★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10