The Daily Dig: A Day of Judgement (1981)

Much of the potential is left on the table as the celluloid fills with boring drama instead of reaping, raptures, and the blood of sinners.

A town filled with sin gets its due when a black-cloaked man brings wrath upon them. Let’s dig into 1981’s A DAY OF JUDGMENT, directed by Charles Reynolds!

As I See It

Set in the 1920s in the southern United States, this period piece has sets and a wardrobe that at times read more like it was set in the nineteenth century. It lends to the mythology.

There is a real old-school, Twilight Zone vibe to the film. It’s labeled a slasher but preserves enough unseen terror to give a classic lean to the kills. Maybe they could have dressed some things up a bit, such as the hands coming out of the ground in the first kill. They were quite clean and manicured. A bit of mud and grime under the fingernails would have helped.

Unfortunately, Death doesn’t strike often enough, and it digresses into a boring soap opera for a large chunk of the film.

The lighting used on the Reaper and his makeup deserves more screen time. They do make up for it a bit with a bit of blood for the climax.

I did actually like the ending, as it implied the new Reverend and the Reaper were one and the same. I think it’s always good to end a film in a way that forces the audience to ponder a bit more on ethics or implications.

Famous Faces

Just about the entire cast is made up of untrained or inexperienced actors. Some of them, you can tell, others it’s clear that there is some stage experience.

William Hicks is the only one I could find with a resume of any sort, as he had a role in an earlier Dig: Death Screams.

Of Gratuitous Nature

The scenes of heaven and hell are as cliche as you can imagine. Heaven is bright lights and two white pillars, nothing more. Hell is an uninspired animated plate of “fire and brimstone,” — which is really just an orange background and some rocky outcroppings intercut with a skeleton.

Heartthrob

I really love the lighting on the Reaper. It’s not necessarily suited for film, more for a still image, but it’s got all the right retro, eighties vibes to give me a nostalgic fix.

Ripe for a Remake

The dark side of humanity is prolific enough to warrant another visit from the Reaper.

Spawns

No progeny to report.

Where to Watch

Severin Films saw fit to bring this obscure title to the masses on Blu-Ray for posterity.