Film Review: American Satan
“Rock N Roll is where the Devil and God shake hands.” American Satan, released by Sumerian Films and distributed by Miramax films, is more than an atypical supernatural thriller. It’s a wild ride through madness and how far someone would go to obtain fame and fortune. Johnny Faust (played by Andy Black) is a phenomenal singer who, with the help of Leo Donovan (Ben Bruce) and Vic Lakota (BooBoo Stewart) has been writing some killer music that just hasn’t found its mark. With the help of Leo’s clever, clumsy friend Ricky, they form a band and make the decision to move to LA. What they find when they arrive might just be more than they bargained for. The first night, a mysterious stranger posing as a tour guide (Malcolm McDowell), arrives and begins taunting them. Shortly thereafter, Ricky stumbles across Lily (Jesse Sullivan) and things get heated up.
A fully-formed line-up blossoms into an amazing friendship between the 5 and they set out on the road to achieve their dreams. Johnny, being business smart and having a silver tongue, lands The Relentless an impressive headlining gig at the world-famous Whiskey-A-Go Go. After obtaining tickets to sell, they begin playing every show that they can get on (for the exposure to new fans) and eventually sell all of their tickets. The night of the show, the ugly side of LA shows its face as Damien (Drake Bell) decides to sabotage their big night by starting a rumor about a fake Metallica concert happening at The Roxy. Immediately calling BS, Lily realizes that this was Damien’s doing and the band goes to confront him about it. Suddenly, the mysterious stranger reappears and offers them the chance of a lifetime. A Faustian deal is signed and things begin to happen, very quickly, for the young quartet. Completely consumed by the lifestyle of “sex, drugs & rock n roll,” the band finds themselves in over their heads as they have to do a dark deed to seal the deal with “Capricorn.” From this point, their lives change and there is no turning back.
Suddenly, they’ve got a record deal with their favorite label (Akkadian Records), mass amounts of fans clamoring for their attention, groupies who all want a piece of them and fame beyond their wildest dreams. That isn’t all, though, in the wake of all their success, comes several disturbing scenarios that call a ton of negative publicity to the band. However, regardless of what happens, they seem to pull out of the situation and continue to get bigger… until they finally headline Hellfest. Preceding their set, a final bargain is made in order to turn “The Relentless” into legends… a deal that leads to the most controversial story that they’ve ever faced. American Satan is more than just a movie. It’s an experience! It twists, turns and allows you to see the pros and cons of what “making a deal with the devil” can do. It’s a fascinating exploration of the history of the genre and its fixation on the occult. Best yet, though, it forces you to open your eyes and see how religion separates humanity and how, when you choose to be your own “god,” you can truly reign.
Following in the footsteps of his father, director/producer Ash Avildsen has proven that great filmmakers run in the family. Having created not just a movie… not just a story, but a legacy. This is a film that, despite all odds, will stand the test of time and deserves every bit of praise it has received. American Satan is out now and can be purchased using the links below, where you can also view the trailer.
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