This movie opens with a voiceover explaining that the Magus referenced in this flick is a powermad wizard who doesn't give a rat's ass about the code of the wizards and is out for his own personal gain. This is followed by a short scene in an alley where said Magus attempts to look scary with his long white hair while killing a dude using CGI energy blasts. Next up, are the opening credits featuring a terrible nu-metal riff playing over a neo-industrial beat. Needless to say, by the two minute mark I was ready to turn this one off as voiceovers, villains with long white hair, and generic industrial music are three things that I despise in indie horror flicks because they usually indicate that the movie is going to be derivative and a struggle to sit through. The only thing that made me continue watching is the fact that Lizzy Strain is top-billed. I have always been curious about the half-sister of b-movie mainstay Julie Strain and decided to see what she is all about and how she performs as a lead actress. I'm glad I stuck with it as this flick ended up being a decent watch. I guess it is true that sometimes all you need is a name to get people to watch your movie (so long as people recognize the name).

Strain stars as Claudia, a judo student who is training for her black belt. She is asked by her family to entertain her eccentric uncle Felix (Bill Steele) who has not been the same since his wife passed away. Claudia agrees and discovers that Felix has magical healing powers when she cuts her hand on a glass and he turns what what normally would have required stitches into a mere scratch. The two of them begin to spend a lot of time together and help each other out with Felix assisting Claudia with her judo training and Claudia bringing out the positive things in life to Felix. Meanwhile, the evil Magus (Ron Fitzgerald) has hooked up with a sexy kung-fu sidekick named Sen (Eva Derrek) who gives him a haircut and listens as he reveals his plan to kill the secret wizard chiefs and use his power for wicked purposes. While Magus and Sen go on a bit of a killing spree, Felix works with a fellow wizard named Madame Zelda (Julie Strain) to come up with a way to stop them. Eventually, he lets Claudia in on his secret life as a wizard and the movie builds to a final battle between good and evil.

The fact that Lizzy Strain is not more popular is baffling. This girl is likeable, tough, cute, and has a screen presence that cannot be ignored. She is natural onscreen and it is easy to relate with her character and be drawn into the plot. Literally, from the moment she was on the screen, I was hooked. Bill Steele comes across as a likeable guy and it takes no effort to be on board with his plight and get behind the two of them as a team. Although Ron Fitzgerald is somewhat menacing as the Magus, all of the CGI trickery that is involved with his character takes away from the performance. He is a bit cheesy at times but Fitzgerald is a gothic illusionist in real life and this persona creeps into his acting style in the same way that a stage actor's actions can be overstated if not toned down for the camera. Luckily, Eva Derrek as Sen is total eye candy, looks fantastic in her sexy outfits, knows kung-fu, and has a full-frontal nude scene that seals the deal. This is what all sexy gothic henchwomen should aspire to.

The biggest problem with this flick is the CGI that constantly reminded me that I was watching a low-budget movie. It looks cheap and does not do the movie justice. This, combined with an unflattering score, brings the flick down a notch. I know the movie is about magic and wizardry but I would have preferred that the effects team had a better way of showing the magical powers other than computer visuals that look like they are from the early 2000s. The presence of Julie Strain hurts the film a little as well. She is great in the Andy Sidaris movies and in 90s erotic thrillers but her acting this one reminded me that I was watching an low-budget horror flick and she seems somewhat bored (which may explain why she retired shortly after this film was made). I am not sure if it is the director that should be blamed or the lack of funds but it is a real shame that the performances of Lizzy Strain and Bill Steele are lost in the overall scheme of things. If this is a fair representation of Lizzy's acting ability, I hope she continues in the profession but this may be wishful thinking as she also seems to have left the business and has not made a movie since 2009. (Josh Pasnak, 7/4/13)

Directed By: John Lechago.
Written By: John Lechago.

Starring: Lizzy Strain, Ron Fitzgerald, Bill Steele, Eva Derrek.