Very well executed

Absolutely Fantastic

Absolutely brilliant

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Told that he only has a few weeks left to live, a terminally ill lawyer searches for a host to receive his memories upon passing away - as per his belief in reincarnation - in this unusual Canadian drama. Although credited on IMDb as a horror film, 'The Reincarnate' is mostly a series of filmed conversations as the lawyer discusses his beliefs and tries to convince a young sculptor to take part in the ritual. The plus side of this is that Jack Creley is intriguing to listen to with his utter calmness about dying and philosophical quips; "there is another life if you remember this one". The minus of this is that the film's take on reincarnation is rather complicated and therefore there is far more talk than action as everything is explained to us. It is not a particularly moody or atmospheric film either and while there is one awesome sequence involving a stray cat crashing through a sky light, more moments like these could have really given the film an edge that it feels like it is missing. Overly complicated though the film's mythology may be, it is still undeniably fascinating and it is interesting throughout as it is hard to predict where exactly the film is going to go with all the reincarnation discussion. The film is topped off with a memorable final scene too, though it is a mystery why anyone thought it was a good idea to tack that cheesy song on as the end credits scroll.

(There are Spoilers) Strange movie about reincarnation and the transfer of one's memory to another at the moment of death. All of this coming from the philosophy of the ancient Sakana religious cult that corporate lawyer Everet Julian, Jack Creley,belongs to. Being told by no less then three different doctors that he doesn't have long to live Julian looks up a person that he dealt with in a court case a while ago artist David Payne, Jay Reynolds, who greatly impressed him. Payne a stubborn and bull headed individual is just the free spirit that Julian wan't to transfer his memory to after he dies. Seeing Payne at his studio Julian at first is not direct about his reasons for being there, having Payne accept his proposition of brain-transportation, but tries to impress him by lauding over his works. Going so far as to later rent the prestigious Ormsby Gallery to have an exposition of his art has the some-what befuddled Payne start to listen to Julian's theories about reincarnation and mind transfers which he starting telling him about as soon as he felt that Payne was ready to except them. Payne who at first thought that Julian was some kind of rich and eccentric nut slowly starts to feel that there's something to all the BS he's been telling him. Thats when his lover Ann's, Terry Tweed, husband gets killed in a car crash making it possible or him to marry her. His suspicions are even more confirmed about Julian's theories when he suddenly comes into a large inheritance of over $200,000,00 in stocks and a 170 acre piece of real-estate outside of the city with only a church on it! A Sakana church.What Payne doesn't know is that all this, the stocks the land the church, belonged to a professor John Louella, who got Julian involved with Sakana, who's memory was transfered to Julian years ago just after he passed away. Meanwhile Payne who had trouble producing great works of art starts knocking them out as if he were the reincarnation of Leonaro Da Vinci. As the day of his art exhibit arrived October 31,Halloween,all of Payne's works are sold out at huge prices as he became the newest and possibly greatest genius, in the world of art, of the 20th century. That day was also the day that Julia expected to die.As the time came for Julian demise there had to be a price to be paid by Payne for everything that Julian gave him beside him receiving Julian's memory; a young virgin Ruthie Monese, Trudy Young, was to be sacrificed at the altar of the Sakana Church with Payne being the master of ceremonies.Jay Reynolds as David Payne was by far the best and most interesting person in the movie going from a skeptic to a believer in all the stories that Juian told him about the occult. In the end Payne did everything that was expected of him even offering up as a burnt offering Ruthie to the God of Sakana. Jack Creley as Everet Julian was so clam during the entire movie that he seemed to know exactly what the outcome would be as if he saw it hundreds of times before, like he must have in all his past lives. Trudy Young as Ruthie was just a typical 1970's hippie-type teenage girl looking for a Guru to tell her what's the meaning of life and for what reason was she put on earth for, Ruthie found out soon enough. And the high priest of the Church of Sakana Stedley, Gene Tybrun, was so immersed in his practice of Sakana that if a bomb landed and exploded on top of his head he never would have noticed it. Since even though his body was here on earth his mind was in another different realm of existence. P.S Ruthie's end was not as tragic and gruesome as you, and I,would have expected it to be it actually gave her a new start in life as you see when the movie is ending.

As one character says, "This sounds pretty hokey to me," which is a good description of this overlong, overwrought, pretentious diatribe on reincarnation.This might, I say, might, have made a middling episode of a TV series like 'Tales from the Darkside' or 'Tales from the Crypt' but as a film it's far too slow and dull. Nothing really happens until the final part of the film and before that it's just talk and more talk. Nothing wrong with that but it's static and too much time is taken with endless shots of the leads looking at each other and explaining the plot.More a drama than an actual horror film but lacking any tension or suspense. You can see the end coming from the start and it's just a matter of waiting till it happens....eventually.The style of acting reminds me of amateur dramatics at the local Church hall, very intense and earnest but quite boring for the audience.This type of stuff has been done far better in other films with a reincarnation theme. This is one that I don't want to come back again to watch!Plus it also has one of the worst closing credits song I have ever heard!

Yes, a surprisingly engaging low budget film. What is of interest is the film's ability to convey a very thick atmosphere for the arts and of reincarnation. It is chock full of the usual kitsch associated with minimal budget films (filmed in Toronto, by the way) but this is of no consequence. Both Jack Creley and Jay Reynolds work well together and are excellent actors in their own right.Pretty much a forgotten film now I would recommend at least a single viewing and for those frightened by horror films your desire to be "creeped out" will be satisfied. Like The Shining the horror is more in the story than in shocking images. It will envelop you and you will want to see it again.7 out of 10.