The Black Crystal

Another fun and entertaining release from Agfa. Really enjoyed this one which has some great locations. It’s great to see this very obscure gem to be unearthed and resurrected for this release which comes with interviews and a great looking slip cover.

Lots of charm in this satanic cult action masterpiece. AGFA never disappoints. 4/5 stars!

The Black Crystal is exactly the sort of obscurity I like finding through AGFA. It is rough, strange, atmospheric, and has that slightly unpredictable quality where I was never entirely sure what direction it was going to take next. There is a dreamlike feeling to parts of it that I really liked, even when I wasn't completely sure what was happening. It is certainly not polished, but that is part of the attraction. Another fascinating bit of genre cinema that I probably never would have known existed without a label like AGFA digging it up.

As a lifelong Tucsonan, I get a kick out of seeing my city as it was in 1989/1990. There are several good establishing shots of downtown Tucson - fun! Beyond the period Tucson flavor, though, there's really not much to this movie. The eponymous "Black Crystal" is a particularly macguffin-y macguffin, the acting is uneven, and the special effects are cheap (though they deserve an A for effort). I think you can skip this one unless you have a connection with Tucson.

Backwoods horror, not the best quality, watchable nonetheless, great slipcover artwork !!