The Final Sacrifice
Encyclopedia
The Final Sacrifice is a low-budget Canadian horror film
released in 1990
. It was directed by Tjardus Greidanus, and stars Christian Malcolm as Troy McGreggor and Bruce J. Mitchell as Zap Rowsdower.
The story begins when the protagonist, Troy McGreggor, finds a map belonging to his late father, who was shot seven years earlier, as the first scene depicts. Troy’s father, Thomas, met his untimely death after becoming involved in a plot with a mysterious cult
led by a strange man named Satoris (Shane Marceau). The orphaned Troy grew up under the protection of his aunt. Troy decides to follow the map to learn about his father and the circumstances of his death. The cultists somehow learn about Troy and his father's map and begin chasing him in a black Ford Torino
, but Troy escapes by outrunning them on his 10-speed bicycle. The cultists refuse to give up, however, and in a final attempt to escape the pursuing cultists, Troy jumps into the back of a battered pickup truck heading into the Alberta countryside. The truck belongs to a drifter with the unlikely name of Zap Rowsdower. At first Rowsdower considers turning Troy over to the police, but after Troy helps him to fix his broken-down truck and Rowsdower helps Troy escape from the cult leaders again, he decides to let Troy stay with him. At a campfire that night Troy asks Rowsdower lots of questions, which irritates the grumpy Rowsdower, who drinks lots of beer and rubs his tattooed left arm as if he's in pain.
The map leads Troy, and eventually Rowsdower, all over Alberta
, through some unlikely caves, and finally to the unkempt house of a hairy, grizzled fugitive by the name of Mike Pipper (Ron Anderson). Pipper was a partner of Troy’s father, and thus he has been hiding in the woods from Satoris for seven years. Pipper reveals that the cultists are the last descendants of an ancient race, called the Ziox, whose civilization was destroyed by their god after they turned away from it and worshiped an evil idol instead. According to Pipper, the Ziox built a great city that was more advanced than "anything the ancient Egyptians or Romans ever knew", but their god sank the city in a yearlong rainstorm. He believes that Satoris wants to raise the buried city, in hopes that it will restore power to the Ziox and allow him to conquer/rule the entire world. Pipper also casually mentions that Rowsdower once belonged to the evil cult and may have killed Troy’s father; Rowsdower reveals he has the cult’s insignia branded
on his arm, like the other cultists. Satoris seems to be able to torment Rowsdower through the mark, as we see Rowsdower writhing in agony while asleep, presumably having a Satoris-induced nightmare.
Eventually, Troy is captured by Satoris and his cult, who use the map to locate their ancient idol. Satoris means to make Troy the titular final sacrifice, which will give him an army of invincible zombie warriors. It’s up to Rowsdower to save Troy and put an end to the cult’s activities. Pipper gives him his horse and an old rifle, and tells him where he can find the ancient Ziox sacrifice site. Rowsdower stumbles upon the site of the idol and begins to duel with Satoris, who reveals that when the moment came, Rowsdower could not bring himself to kill Troy’s father and Satoris had to do it himself. This, along with the revelation that Rowsdower is only part Ziox (instead of a direct, full-blooded descendant like the other clan members), led Satoris to banish Rowsdower from the cult and torment him through his dreams constantly. Satoris is about to kill Rowsdower when Troy manages to intervene, shooting the cult leader in the back with Rowsdower’s rifle, possibly causing Satoris' spontaneous combustion
, though it's most likely to have been caused by Rowsdower forcing Satoris' torch into his back near the end of his fight with Rowsdower. Satoris’ death causes the destruction of the idol and the reemergence of the lost city of Ziox, indicating that Satoris was the true final sacrifice. Instead of bringing about evil, the risen city (as Pipper had foretold) is actually a force for good, and Satoris' cult breaks up as its members are freed from his evil influence. Troy and Rowsdower observe the rise of the lost city from the ground, then the two heroes drive off together.
Bruce Mitchell (who played Rowsdower) later commented, “I don’t have any regrets making the movie because I find, as an actor, anything you do is a learning experience.”
Mitchell and Malcolm were accidentally credited in each other's roles in the end credits. By the time the mistake was realized, it was too late to fix.
Since making the film, Greidanus has gained success as a director of making-of
documentaries, including several for the films of Michael Mann. Malcolm has continued working on stage and screen, and Mitchell continues to work as a stage actor and musician.
in VHS
format, although it is difficult to find. Currently the movie is available through Netflix Video on Demand service. The video box features images of two muscular adventurers who do not resemble Troy and Zap, presumably searching for the lost city, as well as a man who vaguely resembles Satoris. A sword is prominent in the poster, though the movie contains no swordplay. The tagline on the box was "On this mission, no sacrifice is too great!"
, as experiment #910. The Final Sacrifice was one of fewer than ten movies made in the 1990s that went on to appear on MST3K, which ran from 1988 to 1999.
The episode featuring the film was released on the Mystery Science Theater 3000 - XVII DVD collection by Shout! Factory
on March 16, 2010.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
released in 1990
1990 in film
The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
. It was directed by Tjardus Greidanus, and stars Christian Malcolm as Troy McGreggor and Bruce J. Mitchell as Zap Rowsdower.
Plot
In the first scene of the film, hooded men chase a lone man through a snowy forest. A shot rings out and the opening credits roll.The story begins when the protagonist, Troy McGreggor, finds a map belonging to his late father, who was shot seven years earlier, as the first scene depicts. Troy’s father, Thomas, met his untimely death after becoming involved in a plot with a mysterious cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
led by a strange man named Satoris (Shane Marceau). The orphaned Troy grew up under the protection of his aunt. Troy decides to follow the map to learn about his father and the circumstances of his death. The cultists somehow learn about Troy and his father's map and begin chasing him in a black Ford Torino
Ford Torino
The Ford Torino is an intermediate automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. The car was named after the city of Turin , which is considered the Detroit of Italy...
, but Troy escapes by outrunning them on his 10-speed bicycle. The cultists refuse to give up, however, and in a final attempt to escape the pursuing cultists, Troy jumps into the back of a battered pickup truck heading into the Alberta countryside. The truck belongs to a drifter with the unlikely name of Zap Rowsdower. At first Rowsdower considers turning Troy over to the police, but after Troy helps him to fix his broken-down truck and Rowsdower helps Troy escape from the cult leaders again, he decides to let Troy stay with him. At a campfire that night Troy asks Rowsdower lots of questions, which irritates the grumpy Rowsdower, who drinks lots of beer and rubs his tattooed left arm as if he's in pain.
The map leads Troy, and eventually Rowsdower, all over Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, through some unlikely caves, and finally to the unkempt house of a hairy, grizzled fugitive by the name of Mike Pipper (Ron Anderson). Pipper was a partner of Troy’s father, and thus he has been hiding in the woods from Satoris for seven years. Pipper reveals that the cultists are the last descendants of an ancient race, called the Ziox, whose civilization was destroyed by their god after they turned away from it and worshiped an evil idol instead. According to Pipper, the Ziox built a great city that was more advanced than "anything the ancient Egyptians or Romans ever knew", but their god sank the city in a yearlong rainstorm. He believes that Satoris wants to raise the buried city, in hopes that it will restore power to the Ziox and allow him to conquer/rule the entire world. Pipper also casually mentions that Rowsdower once belonged to the evil cult and may have killed Troy’s father; Rowsdower reveals he has the cult’s insignia branded
Human branding
Human branding or stigmatizing is the process in which a mark, usually a symbol or ornamental pattern, is burned into the skin of a living person, with the intention that the resulting scar makes it permanent. This is performed using a hot or very cold branding iron...
on his arm, like the other cultists. Satoris seems to be able to torment Rowsdower through the mark, as we see Rowsdower writhing in agony while asleep, presumably having a Satoris-induced nightmare.
Eventually, Troy is captured by Satoris and his cult, who use the map to locate their ancient idol. Satoris means to make Troy the titular final sacrifice, which will give him an army of invincible zombie warriors. It’s up to Rowsdower to save Troy and put an end to the cult’s activities. Pipper gives him his horse and an old rifle, and tells him where he can find the ancient Ziox sacrifice site. Rowsdower stumbles upon the site of the idol and begins to duel with Satoris, who reveals that when the moment came, Rowsdower could not bring himself to kill Troy’s father and Satoris had to do it himself. This, along with the revelation that Rowsdower is only part Ziox (instead of a direct, full-blooded descendant like the other clan members), led Satoris to banish Rowsdower from the cult and torment him through his dreams constantly. Satoris is about to kill Rowsdower when Troy manages to intervene, shooting the cult leader in the back with Rowsdower’s rifle, possibly causing Satoris' spontaneous combustion
Spontaneous human combustion
Spontaneous human combustion describes reported cases of the burning of a living human body without an apparent external source of ignition...
, though it's most likely to have been caused by Rowsdower forcing Satoris' torch into his back near the end of his fight with Rowsdower. Satoris’ death causes the destruction of the idol and the reemergence of the lost city of Ziox, indicating that Satoris was the true final sacrifice. Instead of bringing about evil, the risen city (as Pipper had foretold) is actually a force for good, and Satoris' cult breaks up as its members are freed from his evil influence. Troy and Rowsdower observe the rise of the lost city from the ground, then the two heroes drive off together.
Production
The Final Sacrifice arose as the project of a film student named Tjardus Greidanus, who was enrolled in the aspiring filmmaker program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. The film was completed with a budget of approximately $1500, and using cameras borrowed from the school. The actors signed on to the project with the understanding that they would be paid if the movie succeeded. Though the movie was eventually sold, the actors did not receive payment for their work. Christian Malcolm, who starred as Troy, was a fellow student of Greidanus and co-wrote the screenplay.Bruce Mitchell (who played Rowsdower) later commented, “I don’t have any regrets making the movie because I find, as an actor, anything you do is a learning experience.”
Mitchell and Malcolm were accidentally credited in each other's roles in the end credits. By the time the mistake was realized, it was too late to fix.
Since making the film, Greidanus has gained success as a director of making-of
Making-of
In cinema, a making-of, also known as behind-the-scenes, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program...
documentaries, including several for the films of Michael Mann. Malcolm has continued working on stage and screen, and Mitchell continues to work as a stage actor and musician.
Home media release
The Final Sacrifice has been released under the title of Quest for the Lost City on home videoHome video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
in VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
format, although it is difficult to find. Currently the movie is available through Netflix Video on Demand service. The video box features images of two muscular adventurers who do not resemble Troy and Zap, presumably searching for the lost city, as well as a man who vaguely resembles Satoris. A sword is prominent in the poster, though the movie contains no swordplay. The tagline on the box was "On this mission, no sacrifice is too great!"
Mystery Science Theater 3000
In 1998, the film was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
, as experiment #910. The Final Sacrifice was one of fewer than ten movies made in the 1990s that went on to appear on MST3K, which ran from 1988 to 1999.
The episode featuring the film was released on the Mystery Science Theater 3000 - XVII DVD collection by Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
on March 16, 2010.
