4/5 Islamic Horror movie
  by Dawoud Kringle (New York City)
Yes, you read correctly. This is, to my knowledge, the only Islamic Horror movie. Now, Muslim nations such as Pakistan, Turkey, etc. have produced plenty of horror movies. But this is the only one that presents the genre of horror from truly Islamic mindset. All the others were copies of Western / Christian based horror.

In a nutshell, a concert flautist and his astronomer girlfriend go to rural Turkey to investigate a solar disturbance that threatens the earth. While there, the flautist is taken under the wing by a Sufi (Islamic mystic) who helps prepare him to battle a powerful djinn (demonic spirit) - and they do battle using nothing but music as their weapons.

The film has a few flaws, and the symbolism will be a bit confusing to some who are unfamiliar with the base material. But all is all, its a good film; and if nothing else, it holds its own as a unique piece of cinema.

3/5 Visual Rumi For The Soul
  by Brian E. Erland (CA - USA)
`Born of Fire' is an obscure, surreal film from '83 starring Peter Firth (Equus). Based on Arabian Mythology, the tale delicately unfolds of a young man who travels to the Middle East in search of the mystical Master Flautist bent on destroying the world through sound.

This film is definitely not geared to the general audience. It's extremely slow and the storyline is ill-defined and difficult to follow. However if you give it a chance you'll discover it has a unique, melodic feel all its own that will draw the attentive viewer into it's mystical world and leave its audience a lingering memory of mood and texture if not understanding.

My Rating: -3 ½ Stars-.