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436,288 | 9,938,570 | 82,537 | 5 | Humongous | The horrible rape of a wealthy woman trying to resist a drunken male killed by her pet dog sets in motion the later plot where a group of college kids become stranded on a seemingly deserted island thanks to the troubled Nick ( John Wildman ) who is incredibly jealous of his more responsible , likable brother Eric ( David Wallace ) who seems to get the most attention of the lovely ladies than he does . Eric is also a more heady , trustworthy type and so Nick wishes to take controls of the boat and , in a scuffle with his older brother , accidentally crashes it setting it on fire with everyone on board narrowly escaping ( . . including a shipwrecked passenger they take on board who boat was damaged by treacherous rock , played by Layne Coleman ) . On the shore , Eric calls out for his sister Carla ( Janit Baldwin ) with only silence answering back . Brother Nick , ashamed at the destruction and situation he caused , goes to search for help . . it's told to them by their passenger that the rape victim from the start of the film , Ida Parsons ( Shay Garner ) , has a place up on the hill from the shore , run down and decrepit , where she lived in seclusion with her dogs . What Nick encounters is something of a man who growls like a beast . Soon the others will run into this type of deformed man-monster who hunts with rage . Eric and his lover , model Sandy ( Janet Julian ) will have to find a way to stop him while also learning about the secrets regarding Ida while searching her home . . but , even more important is that she had given birth to a child with a photo , found in an album , showing her holding it with the dog , who saved her from the man raping her , by Ida's side . Had Ida given birth to the thing hunting them on the island ? Mysteries may be solved within the house as they find Ida's corpse , her diary ( . . or mad scribblings ) , and a special place where the monster lives . Interesting , gore-less slasher undermined by certain scenes at night & darkened places ( such as Ida's cellar where the monster is known to lurk ) where the low-quality lighting doesn't capture images or action on screen very well . Some scenes , such as the monster's chasing Nick into a desecrated boat-house , are incomprehensible . . you just wish someone with excellent skill at providing decent lighting ( such as perhaps Dean Cundy ) could've worked in the film because the plot is quite interesting . I mean my eyes begin to hurt I was straining so . But , the unnerving music accompaniment can be quite effective and Ida's depreciating abode creates a spooky setting so not all is bad regarding this flick . And , some of the night-time sequences are quite genuinely eerie . The flick is certainly better than it's 2 . 1 IMDb rating . Joy Boushel portrays the object of lust ( and she's quite easy on the eyes ) , Donna who carries a torch for Eric and envies Sandy . One thing's definitely for certain . . this flick needs a different title . |
436,277 | 9,938,570 | 467,167 | 5 | Beneath | Christy watches as her sister is badly burned in a car explosion due to a crash with which she was driving . Told that she was dead , Christy believed that she was still alive . Sent away to a mental hospital , Christy is said to have a Borderline Personality Disorder , and this affects her job later as a 20 year old intern ( Nora Zehetner ) . Finding out that an old friend passed away , Christy returns and decides to pursue whether or not her sister Vanessa ( Carly Pope ) died from heart failure due to trauma , or by malicious intent . Her sister's husband John ( Matthew Settle ) wishes her to leave as soon as possible and his daughter Amy ( Jessica Amlee ) speaks of a thing which comes from the closet to haunt her at night , hoping to catch it on her digital camera . When those close to Vanessa either wind up dead ( . . like John's mother , portrayed by Gabrielle Rose ) or harmed ( Amy and John ) , Christy , against the advice of those around her who resist her notions of a sister who was buried alive , will hopefully shed some light on obvious secrets which have remained hidden just like a crawlspace in the Locke house leading to several areas . An important sub-plot is Christy's uncanny ability to see people's faces and certain acts from the past and future for which she artistically renders to paper . Also important is the location of a mysterious medical assistant to John , Claire ( Eliza Norbury ) who was with him when Vanessa supposedly died . More or less a mystery with pretty , cat-eyed Zehetner , quite subtle and never really over-dramatic despite the struggles and hurdles she contacts during her search for the truth . If some character , particularly John , is rather aggressive and angry towards her wishing for her to leave , Christy ( . . through Zehetner ) doesn't overreact or throw tantrums about being mistreated . A constant feeling of others wishing for her to just leave the town is ever-present and when she questions anything about Vanessa's death , barriers are thrown up . But , you just know that Christy will forge ahead despite signs of danger , and find the truth . While it's easy to see who the culprit might be regarding the mystery's answer , I found a critical twist regarding Vanessa's true fate rather hard to swallow . The film contains a house with a crawlspace that is very important as a travel source for both escape and directly leading to rooms . . it's a plot device used well . You often see Christy attending funerals , too . The twist might work for some . . who the monster is that is supposedly terrorizing Amy and behind the attack of John , but I found it a bit hard to take . Beautiful location work , attractive production values , and rather decent acting , but the overall film never really gripped me . And , that ending ( . . what happens when Christy discovers the real truth about Vanessa ) left me cold and indifferent . |
435,850 | 9,938,570 | 82,497 | 5 | The Hand | Comic book artist Jonathan Lansdale ( Michael Caine ) loses his good hand in a freak car accident . His marriage to Anne ( Andrea Marcovicci ) had already begun to crumble and even suffers worse because JL even becomes are harder person to be around than before . She has hinted at them separating while she takes their daughter Lizzie ( Mara Hobel ) to school in New York , but when his professional career hits the skids , a California teaching job becomes available . The job itself is nothing to write home about but an affair with a student , Stella ( Annie McEnroe ) , offers a promise of happiness as Anne becomes involved with another man much more attentive to her emotional needs ( . . and it does help that this man is kind to her treating her with respect which seems to be faults JL lacks ) . But , JL is not the kind of person to give up his family because his pride is a monster to deal with and his very thought of that man fulfilling his role as father enrages him . That's where the horror elements come into play . Those who cross JL's ire are being attacked and killed by his severed hand ! That hand seems to have such power in it that it crushes bones and throats with gusto . Director Oliver Stone , though , often provides doubt regarding whether it's really that hand or JL himself as we see his face twist in bitter anger as if he's on the verge of unleashing furious violence . Caine does this well , but unfortunately his cartoonist can often be so vile and harshly aggressive and taken to outbursts towards Anne , that we feel nothing for him at all when his life becomes threatened itself . I certainly don't blame Anne for wanting to leave him and seeing his life fall apart isn't that shocking . It's hard to feel any sort of sympathy for his plight because we rarely have a chance to like him . Stella is able to get through to his calmer side which seems to soften him until we find out a secret regarding her and another teacher ( Bruce McGill ) she's involved with sexually . Decent horror fare , with a nasty little bloody sequence where JL loses his hand with blood squirting all over the place . Stone creates enough a mystery keeping us from totally believing this hand is doing the offing . It has an end result regarding JL when that hand has one last task , silencing Anne ( not that surprising , huh ? ) which might provide enough answers to satisfy , yet Stone doesn't release us , but instead drags it out further . That last five minutes , I believe , could've been left out and it wouldn't have hurt the film . Stone , it seems , wants one last grisly scene to close his film . |
436,590 | 9,938,570 | 82,498 | 5 | The Scarecrow reviews " Happy Birthday to Me " | Students from an elite group of rich young adults in this private school are picked off in various bloody ways by a deranged psycho wearing leather gloves . Virginia ( Melissa Sue Anderson ) is a troubled young woman , suffering from brain trauma after a car crash , is one of " the ten " the film focuses on . The link between the repressed memories Virginia is slowly seeing and the murders unravels in the climax . . or so you think . This film is tricky , as directed by J . Lee Thompson ( the original " Cape Fear " and " 10 to Midnight " ) , and there lots of clues that lead us to at least four possible suspects . The film is slippery in how it cancels out one clue after another , but , I have to admit , the ending seems a bit tacked on as if the writers ran out of tricky gags . It is an interesting ride , however , as the bodies piles up . The film seems to want us believing it is Virginia , but the ending left me a little disappointed . Glenn Ford plays Virginia's genial doctor . . and the only one that keeps her from shifting into a complete nutcase . Her brain trauma causes hallucinations and the flashbacks that occur seem to be all part of a trick for the viewer . That's essentially what this film is to be honest . . a bag of tricks to keep you guessing . The music is perhaps the film's main weakness , particularly in the early going . That perhaps , along with the early 80's slasher mentalities , makes this film quite dated . . which can hurt or not depending on the one watching it . There is a specific angle this film constantly pokes at . . this birthday party . It's obvious really because of the film's title , but there is a repressed memory in the back of Virginia's memory hidden away under lock and key that will provide possible answers to why the kids are being killed . . and also the reason for the car crash over one of those splitting bridges { you know those that open so barges and ships on the river can cross to the other side } that caused the death of Virginia's mother . That may've worked if the writers weren't trying so hard to come up with ample doses of twists . If they would've stayed with the linking angle of the birthday instead of the final revelation of the killer . . this film could've actually been quite nifty . But , one too many twists makes this film merely an exercise . |
436,793 | 9,938,570 | 176,799 | 5 | Hangman | Serial killer detective thriller regarding a Police Detective's search for a slick murderer using an Internet game of Hangman , as a challenge to find him / her . Detective Nick Roos ( Lou Diamond Phillips ) enlists the aid of " retired " pill-popping psychotherapist , Grace Mitchell ( Mädchen Amick ) , who supposedly awakened to find a man hung in her living room . As Roos and his precinct squad work to find the killer , a development seems to be occurring , those chosen by the Hangman are affiliated with Grace and her former place of employment , a psychiatric institute ran by her estranged stepfather , Dr . Henry Mitchell ( Robert Haley ) . As Roos pursues leads and evidence , his team uncover suspicions of an employee , Paul Jarvis ( Grant Nickalls ) who was once a patient at the institute , carrying a torch for Grace . Roos also discovers that Grace's reason for leaving had to do with an affair and some bad blood associated to Dr . Henry's associate , Dr . Natalie Walsh ( Rosemary Dunsmore ) . It seems that Natalie was having an affair with Henry as Grace's mother lie dying . Natalie's medical practices with patients was reported by Grace but Henry saved her from being terminated thanks to his powerful influence with the board . In turn , Grace was marked , with Natalie using her affair with a deeply depressed patient as leverage . Meanwhile Jarvis was stalking Grace , obsessed with her since first meeting her in the institute . The film shows that Jarvis was sneaking into a room right next to Grace's , even calling in a masseuse who would be a victim of the Hangman game . . this took some gall considering that an armed policeman was guarding Grace's room and Roos was talking to her about the on-going case . Obvious , for those who have seen their fair share of these films , Jarvis is a red herring and the true mastermind will be revealed even though Paul isn't an innocent . The film features familiar traits often associated with these types of films and crime shows dealing with a detective who is burdened to find the killer , and we see how Roos is led on a wild goose chase with his superiors demanding answers , willing to close what they believe is a solved case when a man of his experience knows something's amiss . Also , the film ( . . as often as occurs in this type of crime thriller ) allows the super-intelligent killer to perfectly plan and execute these incredibly difficult / elaborate Hangman murders encountering no problems , carrying them out without a hitch . I always find this far-fetched , but there are serial killers who have survived for a long time , duping police and investigators , but considering who the mastermind is in this film and how incredibly hard it would be to pull off the murders , staged the way they are , the participants involved , and the exact precision it takes without even the slightest mistake , you have to accept it as entertainment in order to fully swallow what's taking place . The film doesn't end the way many often expect , not at a neat resolution for our heroes as is often the case in the past involving detectives and their catching the killer responsible . We're asked to take a leap of faith considering that we must accept a character's personality changing quite drastically when the reveal takes place and the film unveils it's hand . Like many television shows and crime dramas , the detectives often face heavy resistance from sneering , slimy big-city lawyers who enjoy embarrassing them when it is shown that they were either wrong about an arrested suspect or just didn't have the proper evidence to hold him . And , like any giallo or mystery , the story opens numerous suspects , and a motive for committing such crimes soon is enlightened to the viewer . I think this film will possibly find a home with those who like slippery thrillers where the killer stays one step ahead of the police until the lead detective puts two + two together . . the whole cat-and-mouse aspects might draw you in if you are a sucker for this sort of thing . Startling erotic sequence isn't expected and unveils the psychology of the murderer who'll do whatever it takes to get revenge . As always Lou Diamond allows his detective a sense of dignity and compassion , but he's quite gullible at times which exposes him as being human when it comes to shady characters with ulterior motives . Flashy role for Mädchen Amick , whose character is complex and conflicted , with plenty of skeletons in her closet . |
436,898 | 9,938,570 | 454,224 | 5 | Penny Dreadful | Penny Deerborn ( Rachel Miner , in a great performance ) suffers from a deep , penetrating fear of cars stemming from a devastating wreck which took the lives of her parents . To tackle this fear head on , her therapist Orianna ( Mimi Rogers ) wishes to take Penny to the location of which the wreck occurred . But , along the way , they pick up a hitchhiker who is actually an escaped lunatic who murdered several people at a diner . Releasing the hitcher at a closed campsite for the winter , Orianna wishes to get the hell out of dodge , but her tire is torn by a large pin . . the hitcher has them where he / she wants them . With it getting colder and colder and a storm a brewing , Orianna walks away from the car hoping to get a signal on her cell phone , but the hitcher has other plans . Penny suffered a twisted ankle when Orianna was teaching her a lesson ( Penny would not return to the car so Orianna pretended to leave her which had the frightened young phobic running for it with the end result being a twisted ankle ) and when trying to get away from the killer hits her head on a stone . Awakening inside her car , Penny finds the recording of Orianna's murder on a camcorder in her lap and even worse the car pinned between large trees with no escape route possible ! So Penny is at the mercy of a psychopath bent on toying with her inner fear of cars . There are various characters in the flick merely fodder for the hitcher to sneak up behind with his / her knife such as two camp groundskeepers pulling night shift duty , Eddie ( Mickey Jones ) and Alvin ( Chad Todhunter ) . Also , Alvin's adulterous lover , Mary ( Tammy Filor ) is another addition to the hitcher's death list . Cliché ridden horror flick is surprisingly intense thanks to the effective multiple dilemmas facing our heroine Penny . Miner's virtuoso performance as the tormented Penny helps anchor this exercise somewhat . Having Mimi Rogers ' corpse in the car with Penny ratchets up the macabre situation not to mention the blood scattered all over the car windows bringing a vibrant color red splashed on Miner's face as she constantly looks for the appearance of her captor or possible help from somebody outside . The knowledge of a sicko killer somewhere out of the car as we watch poor Penny inside adds dimension to the thriller . But , when we are introduced to the killer in all his / her glory . . the screeching , hammy , over-the-top villainy is laughable instead of frightening and ruins the sharp build-up of suspense from director Richard Brandes . And , the cliché-ridden script is also hard to overcome considering this is still a hitch-hiker psycho-thriller that has been done before . This flick's damn lucky Miner is as good as she is and that her mental plight is so interesting because it almost makes this little creeper a success . I will say Brandes is quite talented with a keen ability to squeeze every bit of tension out of this rather-predictable flick . It's also quite attractive visually . . good production values , it's most certainly a good-looking film even if it's rather derivative . Horror icon Michael Berryman has a cameo as a Gas Station Attendant . |
436,111 | 9,938,570 | 106,450 | 5 | Body Melt | A neighborhood suburban community is selected by corrupt scientists testing subjects with a very unstable , unpredictable vitamin supplement , which causes hallucinations , glandular problems and hideous death . . the body , resisting the vitamin in the system , essentially destroys itself from the inside out . Opening a posh health / fitness resort , Shaan ( Regina Gaigalas ) wishes for the vitamin to be mass produced due to a customer contractual demand , but her partner-n-crime , Dr . Carrera ( Ian Smith ) , testing the experimental drug on a pregnant woman of all people , has fears of it's possible side effects and questions such a hasty decision to do so right away without further testing . A third scientist , who actually has the chemical formula needed for the vitamin to truly work , lives in the boonies outside of Melbourne with his inbred family of freaks . . at first welcoming a couple of teenagers on their way to Vimuville ( . . where Shaan's health resort is located ) halted by a vehicle malfunction , soon the kids are treated hostilely when one of them is ripped apart by the inbred daughter with a taste for human flesh and sadism . We watch as each member of the community of Homesville suffers horrifying effects by the vitamin , as the police attempt to solve the baffling mysteries behind the deaths . We are provided the icky , gooey adverse reactions by the vitamin supplement towards those who ingested it unknowingly . Those who abuse the vitamin knowingly , taking excessive amounts , often suffer even worse reactions . Faces come apart , throats rip open , heads turn to slop , a tongue protrudes from a mouth , a pregnant woman's placenta attacks her husband entering his mouth later causing a devastating bodily meltdown among other gory effects . The film is primarily aimed at the rapid growing obsession for fitness and shaping the perfect body , also poking fun as the mass-market process of consumers with greed motivating the production of a vitamin without proper testing . The film spends small amounts of time on the various victims of the vitamin , but none of the characters leave a lasting impression . . except maybe for the inbred weirdos and their grotesque way of living . My favorite sequence is when the skateboarding kid crushes his face on the ramp and we see the aftermath . . his face disfigured , quite a ghastly sight . |
436,526 | 9,938,570 | 67,396 | 5 | The Murder Mansion | Modestly entertaining spook-house chiller has a various group of motorists finding themselves crashed nearby a cemetery thanks to a thickening fog that has engulfed them . Near the unattended graveyard is a manor once home to a rumored-to-be witch who , along with her chauffeur , died in a car crash three decades earlier . Their spirits perhaps roam the grounds as a car , being driven by a man dressed in a chauffeur's uniform , almost runs over handsome motorcyclist Fred ( Andrés Resino ) who was attempting to flag the driver down . Fred is carrying a lovely hitchhiker , Laura ( Lisa Leonardi ) , as they found themselves crashing near the graveyard . Before their unfortunate accident , wealthy heiress , Elsa ( . . beautiful red-head Analía Gadé ) , recently recovering from a nervous breakdown due to the death of her father ( . . who died of a heart-attack while having sex with a much younger woman ) , was driving to a village to meet clients , Mr & Mrs Tremont ( Eduardo Fajardo & Yelena Samarina ) but , also runs off the road and into an embankment near the graveyard , encountering two sinister beings shrouded in darkness , one in a chauffeur's hat and boots , with a female figure slightly behind him . Incredibly frightened , Elsa runs into Fred and Laura . The trio find the manor , discovering that the Tremonts inside , having been in a wreck with another motorist , a gun-toting , sports-car driving , alcoholic , skirt-chasing , weak-hearted Mr . Porter ( Franco Fantasia ) who came on to Laura a little strong when he had initially picked her up on the side of the road . This group finds that the manor has an owner , the mysterious , enigmatic Martha Clinton ( Ida Galli ; Case of the Scorpion's Tale , Seven Notes in Black ) , who carries a striking resemblance to her aunt ( . . her portrait hangs above the fireplace in the living room of the manor ) . Martha dotes on the folklore behind her ancestor , the claims of vampirism and witchcraft and how these things drove locals from the location elsewhere . Over the night , Elsa will be targeted by the eerie chauffeur and Aunt Clinton , as she slowly is driven mad , but why ? Why would the spirits of Clinton and her chauffeur wish to drive Elsa crazy ? Meanwhile Fred and Laura snoop around , wishing to understand more about their surroundings and the chauffeur who almost run him over . Important sub-plot is introduced in the early going , regarding Elsa's very unhappy husband Ernest ( Alberto Dalbés ) , who is having an affair with another woman . Ernest was once wealthy as well , but spent his money on women and drink . Ernest mentions to his devoted lover how he'd like to split from Elsa , but her financial support is hard to give up . This isn't just thrown in the movie for filler , and could very well tie into the future events of the movie . The cast is decent and the dubbing is bearable . The film flirts with the supernatural , but the overall story isn't that overwhelming . The whole film lives and breathes familiarity . . . you have seen it all before , over and over . Perhaps the film offers surprises for viewers who are not accustomed to these type of old dark house mysteries where something's afoot , but I believe most will find this merely an adequate time-waster , nothing special or mind-blowing . Could've been a lot worse , but I have a pretty good feeling most will forget about this movie soon after it's over . Elsa's story is emphasized more than everyone else's . |
436,969 | 9,938,570 | 62,433 | 5 | The Curious Dr . Humpp | Dr Humpp ( Ricardo Bauleo ) has almost perfected the formula for eternal youth and it's source derives from the removed libidos of those engaged in passionate sex . A newspaper reporter , George ( Aldo Barbero ) , is on his trail , soon finding his hidden fortress , kidnapped , and forced into becoming a sexual subject , attempting to not only escape but help those captured as well . This plan won't be easy because Humpp has his secret estate / society surrounded by monsters , hideous human experiments which went awry , now robotic servants obeying his command . Humpp also is guided by his dead mentor whose alive brain ( . . kept in a jar with fluid ) motivates him to continue on what seems like a potential success . Humpp's actually an elderly man using the extracted libidos to remain young , aided by his nurse ( . . and lover ) Enfermera ( Susana Beltrán ) . George soon falls in love with a sultry captive , Rachel ( Gloria Prat ) and desires to rescue her from their prison . Meanwhile the police attempt to trace George's steps before he went missing also following leads tipped to them by several witnesses who reported a brute with a ghastly face before they were killed by him . Humpp needs certain pharmaceutical items and his henchman is sent out to fetch them , soon having to kill the pharmacist who contacts the police based on a sketched facial diagram of a suspect provided to them by a bartender ( Justin Martin ) . That monster also burns the human subjects once they are drained of their libidos and has a particular fondness for Rachel . Basically a bizarre concoction of the mad scientist genre and soft-core pornography . I personally found most of the sex scenes tedious , unerotic , performed rather zombie-like , and repetitive . The frank sexual dialogue is often so unbelievably blunt , it's almost hard to accept that the performers had the ability to say their lines without bursting into laughter . I think what makes THE CURIOUS DR HUMPP such a delirious experience is how serious the tone and performances really are . Bauleo is incredibly intense as the scientist , quite fanatical at times when anyone attempts to defeat his purpose behind using folks ' passion as a means to remain young . Features a delicious striptease by Prat before she's kidnapped , and Beltrán is scrumptious as Humpp's assistant yearning for his affections . The sex scene between George and Enfermera is so odd because it occurs when she's drugged and he was about to attempt an escape , yet they just go at it without abandon . It's so surreal to see the kidnapped subjects just embracing each other as if they were elsewhere , not captured and doomed to perish . The sets are really cheap as is the monster's rubber mask , hairy gloves with claws , and black costume . This will all appeal to a certain audience who find such lo-fi junk entertaining . Veritably wall-to-wall sex with lengthly screen time devoted to people disrobing each other . Not short of trashy dialogue either while couples are engaged in their tawdry exercises . Frequent lesbianism which I normally fancy is so blandly performed I had a hard time staying awake . Luridly photographed in B & W photography , often quite voyeuristic as if an invited peeper with a camera was recording folks up close and personal . Director-writer Emilio Vieyran is less concerned with the police procedural aspects as he is with showing naked flesh gyrating in a state of supposed ecstasy . |
435,900 | 9,938,570 | 387,126 | 5 | Cold & Dark | Never trust anything that bleeds for a week and still doesn't die . Vice Sergeant detective John Dark ( Luke Goss , who seems more worried about how cool he looks on screen ) realizes that his new , well dressed partner , " Governor " Morty DC Shade ( Kevin Howarth , who grows more and more creepy and menacing as the film continues ) was actually killed in a raid on slave runners gone awry , revived by the blood of a foreign girl which gives birth to a creature ( . . labeled a " grail " by a kooky member of internal affairs , Dr . Elgin portrayed by bald-headed Matt Lucas ) inside him . The grail yearns for blood , slowly transforming the host , creating a monster which replaces Shade overtime . Shade begins attacking those behind the slave-running operation which moves underage girls from country to country illegally for prostitution purposes , and Dark stands pat because playing by the rules hasn't brought the " bad guys " to justice . But , when Shade attacks a decoy placed in harm's way by the mastermind behind the entire slave-running operation , Dark convinces himself that the monster must be destroyed before things really get out of control . Albany ( Carly Turnbull ) , a secret agent keeping a member of the slave-running organization safe because of his testimonies against his comrades in exchange for favors , butts heads with Dark when those associated with her client are turning up dead , horribly disfigured by some sort of beast with a nasty overbite . Soon Dark and Shade will have to duke it out or else the monster poses danger to the human race at large , not just those undesirables which break laws and pose a threat to society . Director Andrew Goth presents a flashy neo-noir Gothic horror flick which also works as a variation on the vampire theme and cop drama . The British-speak is on display and the tough-talking detectives ooze machismo . The villains of the film are rather undeveloped , only serving the plot as delicacies for Shade's vampiric monster , which emerges from a hole in his hand ( . . also , before the monster appears , long nails burst forth from Shade's fingers ) . Goth's style is ambitious and flamboyant as he uses all types of camera set-ups and movements , attempting visually , it seems , to make up for the paper-thin plot . Without the creature , this is just another Death Wish variant with Shade replacing Bronson's vengeance seeking vigilante , out for his own brand of justice . The heavies in the film are colorful , but they appear , are killed , and disappear . . card board characters placed in the film as vermin for extermination . One member of the slave-ring , a woman needing money for her young son , Tommy ( Rhys Moosa ) , who forges passports , is developed a bit because we do need some sort of sympathetic character in this film , other than agent Albany ( . . who often seems but a mere robot doing her duty to prevent harm towards her voice into a major operation she wishes to demolish ) for when you have a story seething with such corrupted sorts and coppers stooping to their level to " clean the streets " , it's nice to find someone to care about if even slightly . The attacks are often committed in a way to not show the creature eating inside it's victims perhaps due to budget constraints ( . . instead we are privy to the pleasured expression on Shade's face as he " feeds " ) . The creature is also rather shown quickly , never fully visible too long on screen , perhaps because it's created through CGI , which would expose how unrealistic it is . A lot is left to our imagination , that's for sure . Shade looks more and more like a vampire as the film moves along , his eyes absent of humanity , as he carries a ferocious visage . He really looks like a human monster by the film's climax . The film doesn't go out of it's way to explain how this creature came to be and the entire warehouse sequence where people died , including Shade ( . . the director follows Dark as he attempts to find his partner and the two slave-runners who were party to this particular exchange ) , occurs away from our eyes . Merely a hanging female corpse whose blood drops gave new life to Shade , combusting into flame , is our reason for the creature's existence . |
436,881 | 9,938,570 | 371,853 | 5 | The Nun | So let me get this straight , are you trying to tell me that all this is some sort of I Know What You Did 18 Summers Ago or something ? Sister Ursula ( Cristina Piaget ) , murdered by her students and thrown in the pond near the Catholic school she taught them , returns in watery form to kill those who took her life 18 years later when the watering hole that was her place of rest is dried out by the Thermal Heating Spa planning to place their site there . Each now-adult student of Ursula's is killed in the form of the portrait of their patron saint counterparts hanging on the wall in the school which was shut down after the nun's disappearance . Eve ( Anita Briem ) finds her mom's throat being slit by the liquefied nun as Ursula flees out the window . It's Eve's new mission to find the other students who attended with her mom in the hopes of understanding what exactly has spurned the events taking place . She doesn't exactly understand what her mother and those students did one day many years ago and finds that each person who partook in Ursula's demise die in various gruesome ways , most right before her eyes . Eve receives assistance from a seminary student , Gabriel ( Manu Fullola ) with past emotional baggage of his own , when she travels to Barcelona with her high school chums looking for answers . They will make their way to the closed-down school as Eve meets with the two remaining students left alive as the nun plans to finish her quest . If one can look past the hokey premise , and terrible explanation of who the nun is by dufus Joel ( Alistair Freeland ) , then there's some good , inspired moments in this flick . The watery nun creation is obviously more than inspired by the Ring's Samara , but she is quite a creepy concoction Yuzna and company's Fantastic Factory have come up with . Lots of gruesome decapitations such as one woman's arms being sliced off by an elevator and one woman's head being sheared off by a sliding piece of broken window glass . Anita Briem is merely okay as the heroine , but most of the cast have a hard time combating the English language . The production values are surprisingly good for a flick such as this and it's stylishly photographed . It's a glossy bad movie , but one that at least leaves somewhat an impression . The ending , as silly as it's explained , is marred with an unsatisfying resolution . |
435,871 | 9,938,570 | 900,381 | 5 | Trackman | Thieves remove money and three hostages from a Russian bank , take it to a labyrinthine underground subway system of tunnels where their mastermind is supposed to be waiting since he understands where the exit is . What the three bank robbers don't expect is a psycho wielding a pickax with a penchant for removing eyeballs as keepsakes ! The film highlights Grom ( Dmitri Orlov ) as the most level-headed humane figure among the thieves who soon becomes leader of their motley frightened group hoping to set some sort of trap for the killer , but his problem is that only the " trackman " understands his way around the underground maze . Kostya ( Tomas Motskus ) and his partner were responsible for this seemingly perfect plan of snatch-grab-hide-and-escape not knowing that there would be a major set-back awaiting them in the tunnels . Kostya and his pal had planned on keeping the loot for themselves which , in a wicked twist of fate , is spoiled thanks to their choice of location . The killer wears an eerie pair of goggles over a ski-mask , heavy overcoat and pants , carrying not only his trusty pick-ax but an eye-removing device as well ( . . one of those nasty kind of creations obviously designed and made by his own mind and hands ) . Director Igor Shavlak often shoots the trackman in ominous ways and really exploits the dread of our characters ' situation thanks in part to the choice of location . The ancient abandoned underground subway tunnels make an ideal choice for an atmospheric hunting ground for a killer , and the perilous situation our characters find themselves in works in the film's favor . The idea that the killer knows the method of travel and escape in the tunnels as the others attempt various ways to escape heightens the suspense even though slasher fans have seen this all before . Director Shavlak mostly pulls his punches , not really elaborating on the attacks with great detail , disguising the pick-ax violence ( . . and eyeball extracting ) through cunning camera-movements and editing . What is a constant , a certain success , is that the location , claustrophobic and unsettling , where light is privilege the characters often lack and their cold breath is always visible , works it's hold over you . . you would certainly not want to be caught in this environment with a killer who knows where every nook and cranny is of the place . Unlike a great number of films in the slasher genre , the identity of the killer is of no great importance to the plot as a whole . He's a warped and dangerous psychopath who constantly threatens those he pursues . Guns are used in ways which shape the outcome of certain characters ' lives thanks to a killer who hides and moves well in the dark patches of the place with fear often separating them . One robber , who decides that there's no way in hell the killer would get his trophy , slashes his own eyes with a blade . We do witness an eyeball being pried away from the socket , but it's rather brief . I think the novelty of this being a Russian slasher might catch on with fans of the genre , while others will find it just another average entry in the ever-growing cycle of films regarding a serial killer chasing his prey . |
436,745 | 9,938,570 | 758,730 | 5 | Aliens versus Predator : Requiem | Gunnison County , Colorado faces an incredible crisis of galactic proportions . . A Predator-alien hybrid , Predalien , has birthed on a Predator ship studying other aliens , face-huggers kept in liquid glass cannisters , and causes the space vessel to crash-land in a forest region on Earth near the Colorado town posing a thread to humankind . We watch as the Predalien spreads eggs into the human populace while the face-huggers , which escapes the crashed Predator ship , attach to human faces . The birthing process , unlike in previous Alien films , is much faster it seems and they soon grow into the monsters that go on a murderous rampage leaving bodies piled up . Soon the National Guard moves in only to be eliminated in quick fashion , leaving a motley group of surviving citizens to fend for their very lives as menacing baddies are at every turn . A Predator warrior , who finds his fallen comrades , silently vows vengeance , and any human in this path will die . Glossy dumb cartoon action-horror flick is a fun way to waste 100 minutes . Characters are given just enough exposition to establish them before they face the trials of being in between a war of a Predator warrior and slimy alien walkers . Yes , a lot of the film takes place at night and within darkened places ( such as a sewer during which alien face huggers attach themselves to derelicts ' faces and Predalien attacks a female hobo who finds her buddies under unfortunate conditions , while we also see the Predator warrior setting up hi-tech booby-traps and blasting them before exploding through the city street above ) so the action can be hard to place which is a shame . I didn't have a problem others , it seems , have with the CGI used in the film . CGI actually never occurred to me . The filmmakers found clever ways to use Predator warrior's night vision to display the violent wake of their victims ' dead bodies . There was also an amusing scene where a citizen's head is taken clean off by the Predator warrior's helmet laser . And , the Predator warrior uses a large , hi-tech forms of daggers which , when thrown , slice off alien heads ( . . one even sticks a human to the wall ) . The Predalien is a funny hybrid which can actually lay eggs down the throats of victims ( . . as is the case when the things fills the body of a pregnant woman in a hospital ) . It has the face of a Predator , yet has the alien walker's whipping tail . As in any of the previous films that came before this , there are human casualties , in the wrong place at the wrong time , such as a father and his son hunting , nuclear power plant technicians who find themselves trapped at work while the Predator warrior does battle with an alien walker , a sensitive father whose killed right in front of his returned soldier wife and frightened daughter , etc . You have two brothers , with a troubled relationship , who must set aside their differences when terrors are threatening them . One's hottie girlfriend gets the goofy clichéd lines that have become standard dialogs for these kind of films , such as " We're not gonna make it , are we ? " or " Maybe , they're all gone . " You have the typical governmental corruption , as humans expect an airlift to rescue them with a plane under different orders . As you've probably read elsewhere , with a fine-tooth comb , you could pick this film clean because there are an endless foray of holes which pop out to snap you faster than an alien walker's second mouth . . but , it goes by so fast that I barely had enough time to care . Certainly a guilty pleasure , but isn't a classic by any means of the imagination . If you can somehow turn your brain off ( . . yes , this is often used when one watches a film such as " Aliens versus Predator " ) this might be entertaining . If anything , you get little aliens bursting from the stomachs of women , acid melting away human faces , and a combat between a Predator using the gadgetry at his disposal against a growing number of nasty , slimy-mouthed aliens . What's not to love , eh ? |
436,797 | 9,938,570 | 117,342 | 5 | Pinocchio's Revenge | A recently divorced district attorney and her troubled daughter ( . . she has " repressed hostility " towards her father who left them ) move to a new place to start over . Jennifer Garrick ( . . the lovely veteran of television and B-movie horror , Rosalind Allen ) is worried about her daughter , Zoe ( Brittany Alyse Smith ) , who has a hard time adjusting to any school she's been in which only adds weight to the heavy anvil of stress in a job often representing the lowest of criminals . Jennifer feels she has found a new love in landscaper David ( Todd Allen ) but their lives get a little complicated when she inherits the case of a convicted child murderer , Vincent Gotto ( Lewis Van Bergen ) who is on trial for the killing of his son . Unable to to rescue him from the electric chair , and truly believing he was innocent , Jennifer reluctantly " inherits " a Pinocchio doll , wood carved by Gotto's own hands . It's really supposed to be evidence filed away , but manages accidentally to make it into the arms of Zoe setting off a chain of dangerous events that will put many lives in jeopardy . The film seems like another in a long foray of killer doll movies where a puppet can move amongst the adults freely committing cruel and violent deeds because no one in their right mind would suspect an inanimate object of such things . But , instead , the films opens the possibility that Zoe herself could be harvesting a dark side urging her to commit foul play out of some sort of mixed up agenda to keep her mother from " leaving her like daddy did . " The film even opens a possibility that Pinocchio is possessing Zoe , and perhaps did the same to Gotto's son . At any rate we actually " hear " the puppet's voice and director Kevin Tenney ( Witchboard ; Night of the Demons ) has us seeing his " lips move " , although Zoe's therapist records a session where she appears to be talking to herself after we had just witnessed a conversation between child and puppet ( . . the pivotal scene has Zoe confronting Pinocchio about his actions in a key character's death with the puppet questioning her on perhaps actually being the perpetrator behind the crime ) . The climax has Pinocchio killing another key character with a fireplace poker before chasing after Jennifer which might remind many of the Zuni doll attack in Dan Curtis ' Trilogy of Terror . Candace McKenzie is Jennifer's hired help , Sophia , an Italian beauty who sees herself certain odd happenings around the house such as Zoe's dolls either damaged or thrown in the trash . I think many might find the puppet chasing after Jennifer with a butcher knife too wacky to be disturbing or scary , while , for some reason , the Chucky doll was able to escape such a pratfall . Many might be reminded of Child's Play while watching this . Perhaps a critical mistake by the filmmakers was featuring so little action at the start , only kicking in the " thrills " after about 45 minutes in ( . . the first real stunning attack has Pinocchio using the handle of a rake to trip a girl ( . . a bully to Zoe ) from her bike and into the path of a moving school bus ) . And , David ( . . seen as a threat at " seperating mom from daughter " ) is not only attacked once , but twice . I think a major plus is that the characters are likable and the girl's position within the plot raising a question on who is behind the deeds that occur to innocents , is actually a fascinating psychological arc . I felt Tenney does what he can through technical means to enhance the thrills when victims are in danger , but while his 80's films had a degree of spunk and enthusiasm , Pinocchio's Revenge lacks those traits which often make his work such fun to sit through . In this film , Tenney's direction plays completely straight , without even a scent of the tongue-in-cheek attitude one recalls from time's past . Dick Beals provides the voice of Pinocchio , and none other than Verne Mini-Me Troyer portrays the puppet walking around in darkness after Zoe clips his strings enabling him to move around with freedom ( . . it seems the puppet strings limited his abilities to do whatever he so wished ) . |
436,512 | 9,938,570 | 890,870 | 5 | Saw IV | If you thought the tests were over after seeing both Jigsaw and his accomplice Amanda dead by the third film's end . . nope , think again . A third accomplice is now putting several people through a test , and a black cop wanting to find his partner , will hold the lives of others in his hands , as he follows the guidance of Jigsaw ( ? ) in order to do so . This fourth film in the series further explores the evolutionary process in what motivated Jigsaw John into setting up his method for testing those who do not appreciate life in a positive way . . a philosophy that developed primarily from a series of factors we see happen in this film such as meeting John's wife , a self-help psychologist who runs a clinic designed to assist people with emotional problems , how her disrupted pregnancy at the hands of a vile petty thief ( . . and John's cancer diagnosis ) provoked his mad design , and her interrogation by Agent Strahm ( Scott Patterson ) needing answers as to how to find Jigsaw's workshop / factory . The black cop , Rigg ( Lyriq Bent ) , told by his superior , Hoffman ( Costas Mandylor ) , to step away from the case ( . . attempting to find Eric Matthews ( Donnie Wahlberg ) , a returning character from the second film ) , is provided with a chance to help " others save themselves " , in an ambiguous lesson he has yet to learn . . he's the " hero who wishes to save everybody " while his personal life has been ignored during such an impossible quest . Meanwhile , a lawyer , Art ( Justin Louis ) survives a grueling test , only ( . . it seems ) to be working for Jigsaw looking on as Hoffman ( . . who , it seems , was kidnapped as well ) and Matthews are caught in a trap designed to keep both of them alive until Rigg reaches them . Agent Strahm and his partner Perez ( Athena Karkanis ) are investigating crime scenes once Rigg has been there believing the cop could possibly be seeking a vendetta with criminals he's been associated with in the past . Betsy Russell is Jill , John's ex-wife , who relates her former husband's story to Strahm , threatening to prosecute her if she doesn't help him find Jigsaw's whereabouts . The story also coincides with what took place at the end of SAW III as Jeff ( Angus Macfadyen ) runs into a detective , while attempting to find his daughter , after executing Jigsaw John , failing his test . Convoluting as ever , SAW IV has several alternating story-lines , keeping you plenty busy . The camera work and editing process will be certain to give you a headache sometimes , particularly during Rigg's ( . . and others ) tests where director Darren Lynn Bousman can not keep the action still long enough for you to see anything clearly . There's a really nasty autopsy at the very beginning where a tape recorder is found in Jigsaw's body relating yet another message from the mastermind , even after death . The traps are just as elaborate and painstakingly designed as ever before , and I stand amazed at Jigsaw's ability to plan so well in advance just exactly how characters would react to their tests . And , the revelation of Jigsaw's second ( ? ) accomplice is a nice touch no matter how ridiculous it might seem . Let's be honest , it's highly unlikely that anyone could create such a fool-proof design where characters would precisely follow every step without fail , and end exactly as he has planned . I find it hard to believe anyone , no matter how brilliant , could create such a design so perfectly , setting up the process without one wrong detail . But , the SAW series has always operated this way . . characters are kidnapped , provided options to escape certain death , while concealed in a trap of some sort , reawakening their abandoned appreciation for life , tested concerning personal weaknesses that prevent them from living a better , more fulfilling time on earth . Rarely do any of these characters survive due to their own moral / emotional inadequacies and imperfections . And , as often is the case , those assigned to catch Jigsaw ( . . and his partners ) wind up trapped as well . Just prepare for a lot of plots interconnecting . . many viewers will perhaps become so frustrated , they'll throw their hands up . It can become tiresome after a while , and this sequel , as the others in the past , demand a lot out of the viewer because we are asked to believe that Jigsaw's scheme could operate so incredibly well , depending on peoples ' predictably due to their flaws in character . I think the series is starting to loose steam , and implausibility stands out more than ever before . |
436,481 | 9,938,570 | 758,746 | 5 | Friday the 13th | Underwhelming , formulaic " addition " to the Friday the 13th franchise has hockey-masked psychopath Jason Voorhies killing a group of teenagers who make the unfortunate mistake of trespassing on his property , the wilderness and surrounding area of his home and Camp Crystal Lake . The film opens with Jason , as a boy , watching his mother being beheaded by the remaining survivor of a group of camp counselors ( . . this opening is incredibly disappointing and uninspired ) . He picks up a neck-laced locket with his mother's ( . . and his ) picture inside . Years later , a group of teenagers are on the pursuit of marijuana , building a camp in the wilderness nearby Crystal Lake , falling prey to Jason ( . . at this point wearing a pillow case over his head with an eye hole cut to see ) . Whitney Miller ( Amanda Righetti ) watches as her boyfriend is attacked by Jason while they are touring through a ravaged house belonging to the killer's mom . Running like hell , she encounters her fallen friends and as Jason is about to drop his machete towards her face , the screen fades black ( . . a plot point to add : her boyfriend encounters the locket noting to Whitney that she favors the woman's picture ) . Whitney's brother , Clay ( Jared Padalecki of " Supernatural " fame ) is searching for her , probing the area of Crystal Lake hoping that a citizen might've recognized her , encountering locals who warn him to leave . Meanwhile , another group of partying teenagers decide to crash at the wealthy estate of Trent's ( Travis Van Winkle ) father . Jenna ( Danielle Panabaker , who has blossomed into an attractive young woman ) , Trent's girlfriend , opts to assist Clay ( . . they seem to know each other as does Trent who does not embrace Clay's presence , seeing him as a threat , hostile towards him ) in his search while others smoke dope and get wasted . Clay and Jenna discover some gruesome truths regarding Jason after finding the psychopath with a dead body draped over his shoulder . We will also discover what happened to Whitney along the way . I will admit that this remake / reboot / whatever looks fabulous . . it is dark , gritty , and polished . Director Marcus Nispel and Platinum Dunes essentially give this film the same kind of look their TCM " re-envisioning " had . The film has all the bells and whistles money could buy but lacks that sense of fun the franchise always had . . it's an exercise in weapons stabbing victims with characters running for their life or finding Jason's massive presence behind them . Jason is indeed a menace and kills with an authority everyone ( . . except one female character ) in his path . It's simple really . . if you invade his turf , you die a horrible death . The film is essentially a series of graphic violence towards teenagers . . the machete rips through bodies a lot . Victims ' backs are turned and the blade penetrates them all the way through ( . . we see their shocked reactions as the machettes bursts from their chest ) . Savage murders include an ax thrown at a victim as he retreats ( . . slamming into the guy's back ) , an arrow stabbing a victim driving a motorboat ( . . through the skull ) , a fireplace poker inserted through the eye of the local sheriff ( . . and through Trent's father's front door ) , a girl is " antlered " ( . . an obvious homage to Silent Night , Deadly Night ) , one girl is trapped in a sleeping bag upside down over a camp fire , one guy's ankle gets caught in a bear trap with the bone and ripped flesh present ( . . also receiving a machete slammed into his face ) , one girl ( . . underneath a bridge in Crystal Lake hoping to avoid Jason ) getting rammed directly into the skull by the tip of the machete , another victim slowly stabbed into the throat with a screwdriver , etc . Nispel often shoots the film at night . . a moody , brooding , forbidding place where victims barely stand a chance . The wilderness and home of Jason around Camp Crystal Lake are a murky , decadent environment civilization has left to rot . Jason has no personality . . he's simply a killing machine who awaits vulnerable victims , mainly when they are alone or in the middle of something . The cast is your basic stock group of attractive disposable teens , lambs to the slaughter , representing basic stereotypes we slasher fans know all too well . There's a pretty lame set-up for how Jason finds his hockey-mask . Nothing about this film is fresh or original , although many of the chase scenes are exciting accompanied by a pulse-poundingly loud musical score and frenzied camera attempting to capture the horror of it all , with " jump scare " sound effects ever present to make theater-goers scream with fright . I rather liked Padalecki and Panabaker . . they are likable enough and not overbearing . The others meant nothing to me although , Julianna Guill is quite a sex kitten who sheds her clothes ( . . having sex with Trent who can not escape his lustful desire for her ) and Willa Ford goes water boarding topless , so that was appreciated . For slasher fans only . |
435,771 | 9,938,570 | 78,916 | 5 | Beyond the Darkness | Spoilers regarding some violent acts in the movie . . Read at your own risk . . " Death has no power to separate us . " Franc ( Kieran Canter ) succumbs to madness when his beloved wife Anna ( Cinzia Monreale ) dies of heart failure . What he doesn't know is that his house-servant Iris ( Franca Stoppi ) , someone who is was supposed to be able to trust , was the one responsible for her demise . . via witchcraft . Franc ( in a very explicit , gory sequence ) digs Anna's body from her grave , and preserves it removing the organs and blood . A female hitchhiker he was stuck with after fixing a flat tire ( she helped herself in the passenger's seat ) discovers what Franc is doing and tries to both flee and attack him in a state of fear and pays the ultimate price . Scratching his neck , Franc retaliates by plucking out her fingernails followed by death through suffocation . Iris finds Franc stuck in a difficult situation and assists him ! We find that Iris wishes to become his new wife and will help him get rid of the dead hitcher's corpse ( in another of many grisly scenes , Iris only too happily chops the body up dumping the pieces in a bathtub of acid ) . Another female victim is claimed later as Franc picks up a female jogger training for a race . You see Franc keeps his Anna's preserved corpse in their former bedroom and imagine the shock of a sexually willing jogger getting a glimpse of that as the man she's about to sleep with carries on without a flinch . Biting his hand , she receives a chunk of her throat pulled out by Franc's teeth as he devours the flesh ! Iris again steps in to assist him by burning the corpse in their incinerator in the basement . But , you have to question how long this union between to obvious wackos can last . A snooping man , who works for a priest in charge of keeping Anna's grave-site undamaged , begins to circulate around Franc's humble abode . . will he discover the truth ? Disgusting , unflinchingly gruesome tale lives up to it's reputation mightily . It'll take individuals with strong stomachs to watch it . The flick is directed seriously with no winking , but the twist at the end regarding Anna's surprise relative seems pulled out a hat . . it just seems a bit too much after seeing what we have for 85 minutes . As a gore film it succeeds . . but the flick is tasteless and especially morbidly sick . The flick's theme is about how obsession can cause people to do strange and bizarre things . |
436,302 | 9,938,570 | 479,125 | 5 | ( Clive Barker's ) The Plague | A plague renders mostly 9 year old children catatonic , yet alive . Through ten years , they have serious seizures twice a day and mysteriously grow stronger . After this , anyone with child birth infants catatonic . . it brings about societal collapse and all across the world , laws are being enforced regarding pregnancy being outlawed and forbidden . Then one night , everything changes . These kids , now teenagers mostly , awaken inhumanely violent towards anyone who is in their path . While , thanks to news bulletins , this is a global catastrophe , the film centers in a town being overrun by these cold-blooded and unhinged kids who operate as a collective . What sent them into a coma for ten years and why are they so violent and powerful ? The film focuses on a selected group of characters . Tom Russell ( James Van Der Beek ) is recently paroled and returning to his hometown rather unwelcome . His older brother has a kid among the " catatonic collective " he has tended to for ten years . After meeting up with Sheriff Cal Stewart ( John P Connolly ) to show him his proper release forms , Tom finds his brother-in-law , Sam ( Brad Hunt ) drinking in an alley . Through Sam we find that Tom was responsible for the murder of someone in a bar-fight ruining a promising sports career and marriage to Jean ( Ivana Milicevic ) , a nurse who tends to a school of catatonics along with a staff . Jean's resistance isn't surprising but what Tom wakens to is . . his nephew attacking him after murdering his father . Along with Sam who has to assist him in dispatching their newly revived and bloodthirsty relative , Tom makes it for the school where Jean is working the late shift . With these catatonic kids now forming packs of murderous fiends , Tom , Sam , Jean , Cal ( . . his deputy and wife ) & a teenage couple , who pretend to be among the catatonic collective as a means of survival , hole up in a church as a temporary sanctuary . Sam's leg is snapped thanks to one of the powerful kids he attempts to fend off , and must rest while the others try and figure out how to evade the other killers for an Air Force Base miles ahead . The plan is disrupted when Cal's daughter is found in the church , with all hell breaking loose as a result . And , the collective are growing smarter , removing the innards of every vehicle and using guns . . For a good portion of the running time , " The Plague " operates like a zombie film . Characters who are able to escape from the clutches of the killing breed swarming around gather in a temporarily safe location until circumstances arise threatening the momentary peace . The killer kids attack with a ferocity , sometimes individually , oftentimes in groups . They pop up out of nowhere at times . A Steinbeck novel providing hope during harsh times ( " The Grapes of Wrath " regarding the Great Depression ) is used as a symbol for those in the film trying to hold their head up as the obstacles increase in number . The book is used as a device several times . The " collective angle " is important to the film as a whole . When one kids learns and adapts , the collective follow suit . The kids " devour " the souls of victims taking the emotions of each during the moment of removal . Perhaps this is why the collective continue their murderous rampage with seemingly no end . . taking what their victims feel at the time , there's turmoil , fear , and a desire to kill if necessary for survival . It seems they are searching for someone in particular . . this will ultimately come at the very end when Tom makes a revelation , provided through the last written words of a priest . The film also looks at the need for revenge with Jean serving as a major example when she reacts to the death of her brother in a most negative way . Clive Barker's name is on the film , but " The Plague " doesn't carry a single signature of his work , so do not be fooled . This film , despite some violent moments , is just too soft to even resemble a product of Barker's . . his name was just used as a marketing tool . The film , unlike many a zombie movie ( . . which this resembles even if it isn't directly a zombie picture ) , is played dead-serious with little-to-no humor . Carries a heady existential conclusion . Dee Wallace has a rather minor role as a grieving mother ( . . and wife to the sheriff ) who doesn't accept that her daughter isn't the little girl she once knew , with repercussions threatening our heroes . |
435,971 | 9,938,570 | 443,435 | 5 | Autopsy | Modern slasher spin on the Mad Scientist genre stars Robert Patrick as a psychotic doctor keeping his terminally ill wife alive by using the harvested organs and spinal fluid of victims , brought to him fresh by two ex-cons posing as paramedics . A motley group of college drop-outs , having just enjoyed a raucous time of partying at Mardi gras , are heading home when they suffer a car wreck which provides Patrick's diabolical Dr . David Benway a new supply of fresh meat . Jessica Lowndes is Emily , the established " final girl " who seeks out her boyfriend Bobby ( Ross Kohn ) when he is taken away by Benway's goons , Travis ( Michael Bowen ) and Scott ( Robert LaSardo ) supposedly to get attention to his severe rib injury ( . . a piece of glass was embedded into his skin , almost causing a lacerated lung ) . Meanwhile , Emily's other friends , Clare ( Ashley Schneider ) , Jude ( Ross McCall ) , and Andrey ( Acradiy Golubovich ) are each sent to a room by Nurse Marian ( . . James Cameron regular , Jenette Goldstein ) , not knowing that instead of receiving a check-up , they were bound for certain grisly death . Writer-director Adam Gierasch ( . . who cut his teeth authoring screenplays for Tobe Hooper ) provides quite a colorful , glossy look thanks to his superb cinematographer , Anthony B Richmond , and the setting compliments the blood shed and grue nicely . Make no mistake about it , this is a gore film , first and foremost , and the rules of the slasher formula are in full effect . The screenplay finds multiple opportunities to rescue Emily from certain harm while her friends never have a prayer . Most of the characters , except some modest exposition for Emily and Benway , aren't incredibly developed , and the film pretty much features our heroine pursuing her beloved Bobby never knowing which brute is around the next corner . We also bare witness to the sadistic activities of Travis and Scott , as they clean up the messes once Benway is finished with his victims . As far as the graphic violence , gorehounds will not disappointed . . director Gierasch ( . . whose screenplays for Hooper often feature extremely unpleasant ends to characters killed off ) doesn't shy away from the fact that he's setting out to shock the audience with gratuitous ultra-violence . One scene has poor Clare pinned down by a patient whose wounds aren't sown , his body parts splashing in her face as she struggles to break free . One poor soul is alive , under anesthetic , as his stomach's being removed ! And a cleaver is used to lop off an arm . Travis , in particular , loves torturing victims ( . . how he slams a cleaver into the back of a live victim after punching her in the face , not to mention a very nasty scene where he pokes his finger into the tiny drilled hole of a victim's head display his penchant for embellishing the work of himself and colleagues ) and Scott introduces Jude to a very hallucinogenic drug , locks him in a room , and watches as he falls prey to the effects . Scott is assigned the role of disposing of the body parts no longer needed , sanding off the finger prints . Benway's always operating without emotion , coldly detached from the suffering and pain of others , only concerned with his wife . How Emily fights back against those who need her silenced follows the pattern of slashers , she finds ways to save herself ( . . or is saved by circumstances like the drill which doesn't cut into her skull like Benway desires , and a friend willing to sacrifice himself by lighting nitrous gas ) by using the tools around her . . she gets a chance to really upend one of her attackers by stabbing him in the kneecap with a knife , scissors into his chest , before smashing his face in with an oxygen tank ! The ending ( . . where we see Bobby's condition and how he's being used to " service " Benway's wife ) is quite disturbing , and how Emily confronts the one responsible for all the death that has taken place certainly ends on a vicious note ( . . although , as Gierasch's written screenplays often do , the killer isn't so easy to eliminate ) . The alternate ending ( . . where Emily's fate is different thanks to Benway's wife ) is even more chilling than Gierasch's preferred choice . Fans of " hospital horror " might really enjoy AUTOPSY , although it rarely rises above the routine . |
436,462 | 9,938,570 | 25,465 | 5 | Maniac | Positively strange portrait of dementia features Bill Woods as an insane vaudeville actor , Don Maxwell , working as the assistant of a deranged scientist , Dr . Meirschultz ( Horace B carpenter ) desiring to reanimate the dead . The very definition of ineptitude , the film features a gallery of oddball characters and situations , sectioned with narrative chapters speaking on various diagnosis regarding mental afflictions . Dwain Esper ( Marijuana ) lets his cast ham it up without restraint and there are characters nonessential to the plot which come and go as if dropped into the film to fill the running time . For instance , there is a drop-dead hilarious scene where a police detective is meeting a neighbor of Meirschultz who owns a giant cage of cats and rats that has to be seen to be believed ( " The rats eat the cats , the cats eat the rats , and I get the skins . " ) . What little plot there is consists of those who come in contact with Maxwell who has shot and killed his boss , assuming his identity . Bizarre scenes rarely come as close as seeing a troubled patient , Buckley ( Ted Edwards ) , given a shot of powerful adrenaline by Maxwell , as he transforms into a Renfield type of deranged nut , carrying off a gorgeous female corpse which was stolen by Meirschultz for his experiments . Mrs . Buckley ( Phyllis Diller , nope , not that kooky comedienne ) actually seems shocked at first regarding her husband's sudden surge of psychosis , later propositioning Maxwell for control over her husband after discovering that he plans to re-animate the dead Meirschultz . . to see her negotiating with Maxwell , after her husband had just snatched up a dead chick is jaw-dropping . And , in an uncanny decision , director Esper intersperses scenes from , I think , HAXAN when Maxwell has these demented inspirations which come along fleetingly . Such as when his wife , Alice ( Thea Ramsey ) desiring to get her grubby hands on Maxwell's inheritance from a distant uncle , comes a calling ( . . deciding to rid himself of both Alice and Mrs . Buckley , he concocts a scheme to have them murder each other in Meirschultz's basement ) or his decision to hide Meirschultz's body under a brick wall as to not be caught ( . . this is the body he had planned to experiment on , but that falls to the wayside not long after ) . Edgar Allan Poe's THE BLACK CAT is used for the body hiding sequence thanks in part to a black cat named ( . . appropriate enough ) Satan , who hops into the make-shift tomb . Perhaps the most mind-boggling scene features Maxwell getting revenge on Satan ( . . who had destroyed a living , beating heart kept in a jar ) by popping out it's eyeball and eating it ! I have a hard time believing such a terrible film could be made seriously . . I always had a sneaky suspicion , MANIAC was played as a black comedy . It's just too weird , with several instances of crazed behavior , to be taken seriously as a thoughtful subject on insanity . The acting is off-the-wall and their characters often speak some pretty inane dialogue . The film is basically a series of vignettes in the life of Maxwell the impersonator and how his life is eclipsed by sheer lunacy . A definite must-see for fans of rancid cinema . Those who consider this a precursor to those bad Ed Wood movies down the road are correct , in my opinion . Startlingly features bare breasts . |
436,725 | 9,938,570 | 476,958 | 5 | Amusement | A maniac practical joker , with an overexaggerated , distinctively crazed laugh , terrorizes three young female adults he knew from childhood . We witness how he sets them up before capturing each one of them , preparing a very grisly game holding them in his house of horrors , a maze of intricately designed traps in darkened rooms he elaborately created for them to fall prey to for his own amusement . The opening hour works as a loose anthology , with each female victim headlining a chapter in the movie , named after them . The first victim is Shelby ( Laura Breckenridge ) , who is riding home with her boyfriend , Robert ( Tad Hilgenbrink ) who likes to drive within a convoy ( . . partnered with two other vehicles on an interstate , working as a team ; this one has a suspicious trucker in a rig and a seemingly hospitable suburban father driving an SUV ) . Unfortunately , Robert chooses the wrong convoy , it containing the laughing psychopath whose goal is to kidnap Shelby . This one is woefully short in length and ends rather abruptly with the true psycho pulling a fast one on Robert . The second tale concerns Tabitha ( Katherine Winnick ) , babysitting her nephews while the parents are away . This one works off the fear of clowns and builds suspense ( . . a slow burner where Tabby's sleeping room is decorated in clown dolls with a particular big one in a chair giving her the willies ) eclipsing the first tale , which had ended as it was just getting good . Someone is in the house with Tabitha , the laughing psycho who dons an eerie disguise ( . . the clown mask is particularly effective ) chasing after her . . reminiscent of Halloween , Tabitha must get the boys out of the house as the maniac attempts to break into the bedroom . The third tale , a bit long-in-the-tooth , concerns Lisa ( Jessica Lucas ) who is worried about a roommate / pal who hasn't returned to their pad , very uncharacteristic for such a " good girl " . Persuading her beau , Dan ( Reid Scott ) to drive her to the residence where the friend claimed to be heading , Lisa makes an unfortunate discovery . . a certain someone is waiting just for her . This tale follows Lisa within the ominous confines of a decadent hotel which harbours an unpleasant truth regarding past visitors who became victims of a certain cackling madman . The remainder of the film follows Tabitha as she makes her way through a darkened hellhole , created by the weirdo , not as familiar with this foul unfriendly environment as he is , finding her friends Shelby and Lisa in a very difficult position . Kind of a Saw-lite , with traps and psychological warfare befalling the three female leads and those who happen to be around them , in the wrong place at the wrong time . I thought it was technically sound . . I was thoroughly impressed with the cinematography from Mark Garret and the art direction of Bence Erdelyi & Mihály Molnár . While I wasn't that blown away by the content of the movie ( . . rather bland and predictable story-line , even as the filmmakers attempted a clever arrangement of chapters leading up to the " great escape " where the girls try to flee their captor whose hot on their trail ) , it looks great and is professionally made . Being that this is an independent horror film , it looks as if is has the production values of a big Hollywood budget . I attribute this to the presentation . . I just wish the material present had some originality and pizazz to it . The attractive leads I found credible enough , although I found Keir O'Donnell as the hissable villain really terrible in his over-the-top performance , never creepy enough and , without restraint , he just reeks of amateurishness . I think the overall film is uneven , certain chapters ( Shelby & Lisa ) suffering pacing issues . . . the first too short , the third too long . A problem plaguing me was how Tabitha found herself in the killer's lair towards the end . . and how the psychiatrist winds up there also left me scratching my head . While I realize " it's only a movie " , I have always wondered where these lunatics find the funding and skill available to create such elaborate traps . |
436,454 | 9,938,570 | 96,511 | 5 | Zombi 3 | For fans of zombie gore films , Lucio Fulci and Bruno Mattei's " collaberative " efforts will probably leave you rather entertained . The plot is as uninspired using the tired formula of scientists working on a bacterial experiment for the military , called Death 4 , which revives the dead , with a very nasty side-effect . . the hunger for human flesh and a thirst for blood . The threat is contained until enemy agents attempt to steal the formula ( . . placed in a metal case for proper travel ) while scientists are preparing to board a helicopter . . in a shoot-out between these agents and military personnel , one gets away with the metal case , fleeing into the nearby jungle , only to be shot from a helicopter soldier from above . . in doing so , the case bursts open with the formula spilling on his hand . Finding a nearby villa , the agent gets a room , slowly falls victim to the formula's radioactive side effects which cause the skin to bulge grotesque sores which ooze blood , and peeling flesh . A very contagious infection , others come in contact with this guys bodily fluids and an outbreak ravages the closest city with violence and cannibalism . The military , as they always do in these films , decide to quarantine the city , destroying all humankind within the perimeters so that no infection can spread , containing the problem . The huge boo boo the military makes is burning the renegade agent's remains after discovering his body in the villa . . the ashes enter the sky making contact with a flock of birds . This in turn causes the birds to react violently , while also posing a threat to all who happen to live within the area where rain can fall carrying the infection . We follow American soldiers on leave , as they flirt with a bus load of female tourists . A bird attack on the bus leaves a girl wounded , while in another area , a troubled couple encounter homicidal birds of their own . These characters will all face a very hostile threat as the undead of the city , from all directions , wish to feast on their flesh . Meanwhile , the scientists work to find an anecdote so that their military employers will stop the killing . There are plenty of shock-gore moments to be had here , although , the film itself isn't exactly a masterpiece . From what I understand , Fulci directed most of the perilous situations regarding the central characters within the city seeking a way out as zombies keep coming . Bruno Mattei was responsible for the scenes involving the scientists and military providing another hostile threat towards the characters we follow in the city . . as they pursue an escape , the military , in white contamination suits , are to exterminate them following orders to not let anyone out of the city as they pose a possible threat globally . Fulci uses a lot of dry ice in this film as fog is very present as the zombie outbreak becomes more and more imposing . While I considered the use of fog in the swimming pool sequence rather ineffective and corny ( . . although , a female character , who was thrown from a balcony by a zombie into the pool , the result being that her legs were gone , amputated , I guess by underwater undead flesh eaters ! ) because it really looks like gaseous chemicals causing it , but I thought the way the zombies rise from the water and jungle wilderness nearby quite suspenseful due to the " strength in numbers " aspects of it all . There's a classic Fulci sequence where a bridge is immersed in fog shrouding a pack of zombies looking at the character Patricia ( Beatrice Ring ) as she struggles with a damaged , wounded leg causing quite a limp . The American soldier Bo ( Massimo Vanni ) , who is attacked by the woman whose legs were eaten away , futilely fights valiantly against a non-stopping horde of zombies attempting to find some sort of escape route that always eludes him . Ken and Roger ( Deran Sarafian & Ottaviano Dell'Acqua ) are the soldiers who attempt to help Patricia find away out of their difficult situation . Nancy ( Ulli Reinthaler ) has a memorable exit involving a zombie fetus bursting from it's mother's stomach and it's father ripping apart her face . The most obvious memorable effects sequence which causes you to rise from your chair in disbelief is a flying decapitated head out of a refrigerator ( ! ) attacking the throat of a surprised victim as another zombie tearing the flesh from the neck of his lady friend . Of course , there's a gruesome sequence where an infected man chops of his diseased hand . Some very effective make-up for the zombies ' faces , very reminiscent of Romero's undead gut-munchers , yet these look more monstrous ( . . particularly the hands and fingernails ) due to the side-effects of the bacterial infections causing the plague . Some scenes I thought evoke John Carpenter's The Fog , particularly when rotted hands appear , breaking through wood , or standing from afar cloaked in darkness and fog . And these zombies are more athletic and engage in a tussle with potential victims , often even falling from buildings to grab their prey . Plenty of bizarre moments to be had here , some really unintentionally hilarious dialogue , laughable dubbing , and an ending ( . . regarding the condition of a DJ whose a voice across the airwaves , ala Vanishing Point , communicating to the people , and Ken's ridiculous decision to " return to fight " ) that's just side-splitting . This is more of an action-survivalist film overall , with atmospheric touches that hearken back to Fulci's Zombi 2 , but Zombi 3 doesn't achieve the same kind of visceral thrills as it's predecessor . The Phillipines setting is quite alluring , and Fulci achieves a dread through it's being uninhabited as if civilization had gone extinct except for those pesky flesh eaters who'll stop at nothing to corner fresh meat . |
436,195 | 9,938,570 | 183,523 | 5 | Mission to Mars | In 2020 , a small crew on Mars , led by Luke Graham ( Don Cheadle ) come across a metallic object which causes a catastrophic sand-storming tornado , which coils like a snake , killing nearly every member thanks to an accidental miscalculation using radioactive waves . Luke's friends , astronauts at a space station , Woody Blake ( Tim Robbins ) , Jim McConnell ( Gary Sinise ) , Woody's wife Terri ( Connie Nielsen ) & Phil Ohlmyer ( Jerry O'Connell ) convince their superior ( Armin Mueller-Stahl ) to allow a rescue mission to Mars to see if he's still alive . The film documents their harrowing journey to Mars and the unforeseen complications that arise . And , especially what they find on Mars , a specific face which shows itself after the massive dust storm erupted killing Luke's crew . Who'd have thunk it . . a family friendly Brian De Palma movie . A rousing score from Ennio Morricone and state-of-the-art special effects ( . . the best money can buy ) highlight a rather artificial " 2001 " wannabe . While the setting is 2020 , the characters seem like they were from 1965 , in modern dress of 1999 . The use of product placements , something of an object of critical scorn , such as Pennzoil and Kawasake , along with an amusing use of Dr . Pepper during a crisis , is certain to get under the skin of those who notice them blatantly paraded on screen ( . . heck , someone had to pay for the visual effects on Mars , and set designs inside the space station and rescue ship , not to mention the outer designs ) . It's clear that Kubrick's masterpiece inspired the filmmakers ( . . the rotating sequence in the rescue ship where Woody and Terri are dancing as Phil walks nearly upside down in zero gravity ) and the ending aspires for grand heights when our remaining survivors find out exactly what gave birth to the Earth we live and how Jim's life will change forever when he accepts an otherworldly " invitation . " The film attempts to give the characters a little exposition . We have the opening barbecue party ( . . a " going away " for Luke and his other three crew members set on a course for Mars ) where De Palma shoots in one long uninterrupted take it seems as his camera follows the main characters who will become a part of the action of the story . We find that Jim has lost his beloved Maggie ( Kim Delaney who just glows with beauty ) to a terminal illness and has suffered for it to the point where his planned mission to go to Mars is not granted due to his difficulty coping with such a shocking loss . Woody and Terri are planning to dance at her sister's wedding . Luke will not be able to read bed-time stories to his kid once he goes on the trip to Mars . Most of this is developed in the first thirty minutes so that the filmmakers can get that back-story out of the way as the action starts . You have the trusty suspenseful " meteorites attack ship " sequence which brings the astronauts through a complex situation where Oxygen is running low and the ship is losing pressure . You have the horrifying loss of an important character when he overshoots a mini capsule , giving his life for the others by attaching a hook-line so that they could make it to Mars . You have the typical " astronauts meet an alien " , straight out of the " Close Encounters of the Third Kind " ( . . even the alien favors the one which greets Earthlings from the ship ) . This is a commercial effort which might generate positive reactions from science fiction fans , particularly when the crew discovers that the alien they're attempting to communicate with is testing them ( . . how Jim discovers this through the use of M & M candies is another rather amusing form of product placement ) . |
436,426 | 9,938,570 | 82,748 | 5 | Pieces | Slasher favorite with a very vocal cult following concerning a demented sickopath murdering female students on a Boston college campus with disgruntled Lieutenant Bracken ( Christopher George ) hoping some kind of lead can be detected from secretly planted policewoman Mary Riggs ( Lynda Day George ) , covertly posing as a tennis coach , and student Kendall James ( Ian Sera ) as they pursue his identity on the grounds . Under their very noses the killer uses a chainsaw and butcher knife , stalking and viciously executing victims while they are alive and screaming . Bracken also relies on partner Sergeant Holden ( Frank Braña ) to seek out informative leads on the campus faculty , perhaps questioning whether or not they might have a motive or background history which would provide an incentive to chop up bodies , taking pieces away from the scene of the crime . Secretly , the psycho is building a body of his own using various parts removed from those he kills , while also putting together an old jigsaw puzzle from his youth the day he attacked his mother with an ax , hacksawing her head from her body . A possible suspect . . and prototypical red herring . . is the grounds-keeper Willard ( . . the massive and imposing Paul L Smith ) who uses a chainsaw to remove unneeded limbs from bushes on campus . Over the years , thanks to netflix , I've watched some films from the 80's regarded as " video nasties " . Many didn't quite live up to such notoriety , but if any film would it's Juan Piquer Simón's Pieces . This has to be one of the vilest , most violent gore-fests I've sat through . It's a mean film in the vein of Lucio Fulci's New York Ripper , where women are attacked in the most vicious , cruelest ways possible . An ax to the head as blood sprays throughout a room as a young boy , who'd later be the campus psychopath , delights in pulverizing his mother for seemingly no reason whatsoever . A female student , studying , gets her head taken off by a chainsaw in broad daylight with blood splattering . A girl in a pool is pulled from the water by a net , later found chopped into pieces , shown in such a state as the police comb to area for clues . A woman is stabbed multiple times on a water bed , ending with the knife sticking through her head and out of the mouth . One tennis student is cornered in a shower with no where to run as the killer slices her side with a spinning chainsaw blade . Another female student is cornered in an elevator with her arm decapitated by the infamous chainsaw . If you thought Fulci was a misogynist , then you need to see this film because Simón unrelentingly butchers women as they cry for help , receiving nothing but the unforgiving chainsaw blade carving through their flesh . As others , both those who embrace and dislike this film , have mentioned , Pieces will appeal to those who find bad cinema and gratuitous violence , with nudity , entertaining . You have to appreciate and / or enjoy films which are made for a certain crowd who digs sheer exploitation , and Juan Piquer Simón's slasher is catered to those who want just that . I think this succeeds where many other slashers fail , it delivers the gore and tits fans crave . It really is a true , dye-in-the-wool , slasher fan's wet dream . For everyone else , I find it hard-pressed to recommend Pieces . The Mondo Bizarro ending has to be seen to be believed . It is like all the victims come together to gain revenge on the male member which often demeans them ! Edmund Purdom ( Don't Open Til Christmas ) is one of many suspects , the school's Dean who finds the circumstances plaguing his school aggravating . Jess Franco's vet , Jack Taylor also portrays a suspect , professor of anatomy who is often enlisted by the police to aid them in the horrifying cases concerning the methods of mutilation . This is not for the squeamish , but why would anyone with a weak stomach rent a film like this to begin with ? The dialogue is sure to cause plenty of chuckles . |
435,988 | 9,938,570 | 293,564 | 5 | Rush Hour 3 | Flimsy , by-the-numbers plot ( . . about the cops getting tangled up with a criminal organization known as the Triads in Paris ) is just an excuse to re-team director Brett Ratner and stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker . Inspector Lee ( Jackie Chan ) watches as Ambassador Han ( Tzi Ma ) is shot by a sniper , a man he's assigned to protect . Able to finally track him down , Lee is startled to find that the shooter was in fact a " brother " from his childhood , Kenji ( Hiroyuki Sanada ) , a prestigious member of the dangerous gang known as The Triads who wish to find the document which reveals the secret members of their organization . This document , which was in Han's possession has been stolen back from a French beauty named Genevieve ( Noémie Lenoir ) , a popular fashion model in Paris , and Lee and Carter ( Chris Tucker ) , currently a traffic cop for bumbling up several cases , plan to find her before Kenji does . It is only inevitable that Lee and Kenji will meet again , after the inspector , unable to relinquish love for his brother , isn't able to arrest / shoot him . Both fish out of water will hit the streets of Paris , attempting to find and protect Genevieve while also evading the Triads who will not stop until they retrieve what is theirs . Also in danger is Han's daughter Soo Yung ( Jingchu Zhang ) , quite a bargaining chip for the Triads if they could kidnap her . The film's plot is basically a series of comedic bits strung together with martial arts stunt sequences . Chan seems as flexible as ever , although , I'm certain he must depend on a stunt double at times . . there's just so much punishment a body can absorb for someone in their mid 50's . The film depends heavily on the chemistry of the leads ( . . and their clashes in culture which bring out the best comedy , specifically when both are in another country ) and the breathtaking action sequences , which feature Chan in a magnificent sword fight with Hiroyuki Sanada on the Eiffel Tower while Tucker engages in a martial arts brawl with Kenji's goons , and an all too brief encounter between Chan and " Dragon Lady " ( Youki Kudoh ) in a hotel room . Stunning supporting cast compliments the film such as Roman Polanski as Paris Detective Revi ( . . with a funny interrogation gag who even gets punched out by the duo at the end ! ) , Dana Ivey as a nun who understands French and gives information during an interrogation to find out about a contact vital to the case , Max Von Sydow as Reynard , leader of the World Councel who may not be who he seems , and Philip Baker Hall as beleaguered ( . . with Tucker's hapless Carter ) LAPD Captain . Yvan Attal has a very amusing role as a French cabbie who helps Carter and Lee during a thrilling car chase , and wishes to join forces with them to stop the Triads . My personal favorite sequence occurs in a training facility where Lee and Carter find themselves in an unpleasant fight with a giant , only saved by the blind master Yu ( . . the names of Yu and Mi are playfully poked fun at during an inspired interrogation with Carter ) . . many will relate back to Game of Death between Bruce Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabar . |
436,073 | 9,938,570 | 73,324 | 5 | Lips of Blood | A man finds memories about a vampiress he met as a child rekindled when he sees a beautiful poster of ruins at a party . He is inspired to seek out those ruins as he sees visions of the vampiress while others try to thwart his mission to find her , such as his mother , a supposed girl he knew from childhood , a hit-man , psychiatric doctor , etc . Yet , anytime someone tries to halt the man's search for the ruins , vampire girls kill them allowing him to continue . No matter what his mother tries to accomplish , this man desires to find this vampiress and will do whatever it takes to find her . It'll come to a head at the Sauveterre Castle where the vampiress is buried . . will the man , Frederic find Jenifer ? Or , will Frederic finally listen to his mother's pleas at allowing Jenifer , the vampiress responsible for his own father's death , to roam free from the tomb of her coffin ? With limited dialogue , it seems director Jean Rollin wishes to capture you with visuals . The problem I had is the visuals are so coldly ( . . and oddly ) displayed , I had a hard time getting involved in the film . Jean-Loup Philippe bored me to tears as Frederic , the young man on his search . He barely registers as the protagonist . . actually , his method of acting blends itself well within Rollin's quiet , unenergetic direction which holds silence as things occur on screen at a snail's pace . Annie Belle ( The House on the Edge of the Park ) is a stunning beauty as the vampiress , but she , like Philippe , often stares blankly towards the screen . The film , quite honestly , has some pretty terrible vampire-bite sequences because the vampire girls simply nookie on their victims . The film is beautiful , with some haunting location work and fluid camera-movement . That alone helps , but I had a hard time staying awake through it . |
435,963 | 9,938,570 | 800,367 | 5 | Storm Warning | I'm gonna be completely honest with you , this film's plot is paper thin and easy to describe . . two innocents , an Aussie barrister and his French artist wife get lost while boating on French Island and find themselves caught in a game of survival with three savage marijuana farming sadists with a penchant for twisted sex . That's it in a nutshell , the rest of the film shows how this non-cruel , civilized rich couple find the primal violent nature in themselves in order to somehow survive against sadistic Aussie rednecks , with naked pictures taped all over their house , their dwelling's a pig-sty , and each one could use a bath and fresh , clean clothes . As in these types of films , Pia ( Nadia Farès ) is able to come up with nasty ways to upend her captors with designs on raping her . Hubby Rob ( Robert Taylor ) stumbles onto the farmers ' barn of weed , rather loudly pronounces that he'll turn them in to the police when they escape , and gets his leg broken when attempting to save her from the inevitable . Poppy ( John Brumpton ) and his heathen boys , Jimmy ( David Lyons ) & Brett ( Mathew Wilkinson ) are quite the heavies , with their bulging eyes , spitting profanities in every sentence , and grubby appearances . The film is really predictable and you know how it will end . This is an exercise in visceral carnage as we watch Pia figure out a grisly way to halt a rape with the use of a broken bottle . We see how a booby trap using fishing line and hooks can really do damage when one walks unknowingly into it . We also see the effects on the human body when a victim is thrown into the spinning propeller blade of an air boat . And , for extra effect , we get a chance to see what a hungry , bloodthirsty bulldog can do to a crotch gushing blood . If you are looking for a gore film , this is especially for you . No deep meaning to be found , just a build up where these kind folks get lost , having to kill or be killed when facing dangerous , unsavory sorts who wear their stench and filth like a badge of honor . The innocent couple get modest exposition before they are flung into this difficult situation . The director of this film , Jamie Blanks , known for pulling his punches in tame teen slasher flicks like " Urban Legend " & " Valentine " actually doesn't shoot blanks regarding the bloody violence this time . Still , honestly , the couple do get off relatively easy . . in most cases , they'd be mincemeat , winding up in Poppy's meat-grinder . |
436,216 | 9,938,570 | 82,696 | 5 | Madman | A notorious psychopath named Madman Marz murdered his family and was a horrible drunkard . Well , supposedly he survived a lynch hanging ( . . while also getting his face scarred with an ax to it ) and his butchered family's bodies were never recovered . Over a campfire , the mythos of Marz is that if one calls his name ( . . the infamous home of Marz where the murders occurred , isn't too far from the campsite setting of the film ) he will return to kill those in his path . So the plot , or of what little there is , is set up as counselors , over a camp for gifted kids , are being murdered one by one . The chain reaction ( . . or domino effect ) begins when idiot kid Richie ( Jimmy Steele ) , the dope responsible for crying out Marz's name , tossing a stone through the legendary psycho's window , doesn't return to camp with the rest of his brethren . He takes a hike to Marz's creepy , seemingly-abandoned home , out of curiosity , and doesn't return to camp . Why ? I dunno . He watches from the bushes as Marz brings victims back to his lair . Meanwhile , counselors begin to go into the woods to find Richie , and each time another meets their maker . Marz looks like some monstrous ghoul , a Sasquatch in hillbilly attire who grunts like an aggravated animal . His skin is pale and fingernails look as if they could use a good manicure . Not the best of hair-days , either . Anyway , like many psychopaths in the slasher genre , Madman Marz has superhuman strength and can pull one male victim with a rope over a strong branch that leaves him in a difficult position , with the result being a nasty neck snap with the eventual eyes rolling back into his head . There's this ax that has been buried in a log stump for sometime with no one able to remove it with force . . of course , Marz does remove it with a little pull and some grunting . There are some off-screen beheadings ( . . one amusingly as a female victim is working on repairs under a hood Marz slams down on her ) with the severed neck squirting blood . There are subtle scenes inside Marz's cellar where he keeps the murdered bodies and we hear a sharp thud in the background , later finding that he has a thing for hanging corpses on hooks . There's one howler of a scene where this dim-bulb female victim attempts to hide from Marz in a refrigerator . She gets it with an ax and an accidental shot-gun blast to the face ( . . nah , not as gruesomely staged as it sounds ) . Poor Gaylen Ross of " Dawn of the Dead " fame gets the " final girl " role , but it isn't much and she is served a grim fate . All in all , " Madman " is tame compared to the slashers lucky enough to have obtained the talents of make-up extraordinaire Tom Savini . There's a campfire scene akin to " Friday the 13th Part 2 " and " The Burning " . Marz is yet another Jason Voorhies clone . Nothing that inventive or terrifying here , folk . Some stylish touches in the woods where victims pursue a dumb kid , and the sad irony is that this boy makes it out unscathed , the very one responsible for the madness in the first place . I think this benefited from the DVD boom because Madman has a quality release . . the use of campfire and fireplace light are exceptional , and the way Marz is shadowed works well enough . If this weren't so damned run-of-the-mill . . . |
436,877 | 9,938,570 | 82,700 | 5 | Make The Die Slowly . . Cannibal ferox | Despite it's notoriety , I was so surprised that CANNIBAL FEROX was so positively dull . The film concerns a student of anthropology , Gloria ( Lorraine De Selle ) her research assistant brother , Rudy ( Danilo Mattei ) and gal pal ( . . with loose morals ) travel to the Amazon to prove that cannibalism doesn't exist . They encounter a vile , violent coke-addict diamond hunter , Mike Logan ( Giovanni Lombardo Radice ) and his poisoned friend , Joe ( Walter Lucchini ) soon discovering that they had attacked primitives in a nearby village , setting off horrifying circumstances . The premise is indeed a yawner as is Lenzi's unbearable pace as he relies heavily on the killing of animals ( . . villagers feasting on turtle and gator ; a tiger eating a monkey ; an anaconda smothering / squeezing the life out of a rat in it's massive tail as the poor creatures cries out for help ) and the Americans wondering / contemplating how they would be able to get out of their present situation intact . There's a lot of conversation , but the dialogue is painful to listen to . The approach is straight-forward yet stretches the action beyond what needs to be , letting the viewer sit impatiently on an alternate plot regarding a detective seeking out the whereabouts of Mike due to his involvement with drug dealers , including his girlfriend who may know where he is . I think the film could've trimmed the New York City scenes practically altogether , but alternating between the jungles of Amazon and the " civilization " of a big city does provide an interesting sub-text , but the heavy-handed message of who is actually the savage is rather loud and pretentious . Anyway , Gloria and Rudy are a sympathetic pair , but their decision to descend into the depths of a jungle without a guide is sheer lunacy . And , Pat ( Zora Kerova ) , the wild friend who accompanies them , makes a really bizarre decision to mess around with Mike , an obvious cretin from the get go . MAKE THEM DIE SLOWLY differs from CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST ( . . for which it's often compared ) in that , this time , you have people who aren't to blame for what happens to the villagers , yet in associating with scum like Mike , place themselves in great jeopardy . I will say that the film delivers in the grisly violence . A top of a victim's skull is chopped off , his brains eaten . . the same victim's pecker is hacked off and his testicles eaten ! A female victim is hung by hooks through her breasts as she slowly dies . One is hiding from the villagers , during an escape attempt , in a watery hole containing piranha which gnaw at his knee wound . A poor villager is bound as his eyeball is plucked out . A victim dies from a blood disease , he's disemboweled , his innards removed and eaten . A villager is shown eating slithery bugs . A villager is helping Gloria to escape and pays a great price when he sets off a spear trap that stabs him in the chest . Plenty of ultra-violence with Lenzi attempting to dethrone Deodato in sadistic grue . Radice is gleefully obscene and viciously ruthless in his treatment of the villagers which provides the viewer a chance to cheer for his execution . Radice's Mike Logan is a selfish sadist , coked up beyond the normal limits , and actually coerces Pat into leaving her friends without any supplies , to die . I'm pretty sure Lenzi directed this as a message movie , but that got lost within the blood-letting and unnecessary sub-plot involving the police's search for Mike . |
436,202 | 9,938,570 | 94,262 | 5 | Video Violence | Satire on our desire for the closest form of graphic bloodletting and violent carnage as possible has a NYC couple , Steven and Rachel Emory ( real life married actors Art & Jackie Neill ) discovering that their new town is a haven for snuff connoisseurs . These psychos , mainly loonies Eli ( Uke ) who grinningly hosts and camera-operator Howard ( Bart Sumner ) , often leave their video recordings of the live murders of innocent travelers in the rental store of Steven's and as he ( . . and a frightened Rachel ) seeks to put an end to such sickening shenanigans , finds that almost everyone ( . . if not everyone ) is in on the sadistic misdeeds . You know perhaps video is a proper medium for a tale on the creation of snuff films , with director Gary Cohen , who is actually a pleasant and charming enough fellow on his interview for this film's DVD release , exploring the joyous nature of those who partake in slowly killing hitchhikers or lost traveling innocents just passing through . The violent gore effects are cheap and cheesy , but rather impressive if one considers the limited funds available . Head and arm sliced from the body . An ice pick slowly inserted in a victim's breast . A woman's near-entire leg being hacked from her body . You know if one really thinks about the plot , it can kind of provide an unsettling feeling . . that idea that you happen to come across such deranged people as Eli and Howard who know jack squat about you , but are willing to stab you with a knife or remove your legs slowly with a machete just for the hell of it , laughing their asses off with such glee at your horror and torment . Cohen uses his film as a vehicle to explore such sadism and how seemingly normal citizens ( . . perhaps representing the kind of rental customers he himself had when Cohen was renting videos in the 80's ) could enjoy such evil antics on screen . I think fans of horror who recall renting videos back in the 80's will have a time warp trip seeing the movie posters and VHS tape boxes lining the shelves in 1987 . Disregarding the acting , performed by no-names , amateur production values , and rather poor camera-work ( . . and the loud piano used producing the score ) , horror fans with tastes for such an unpleasant storyline might dig " Video Violence . " There's an especially disturbing film sent to the Emory's titled , The Vampire and his Bride , which depicts an unfortunate actress suckered into a video production not knowing that her stomach would be torn open by a knife with her guts removed by a local would-be actor portraying a blood-sucker . |
436,023 | 9,938,570 | 67,491 | 5 | Night of Dark Shadows | Quentin Collins ( David Selby ) moves into the Collinwood manor with his lovely wife Tracy ( Kate Jackson ) not knowing that the evil presence of his look-a-like ancestor Charles ( . . with a noticeable limp signifying to the viewer his appearance ) and the lynched witch Angelique ( Lara Parker with limited dialogue still scoring thanks to her sinister presentation ) live within ready to take over their lives . Their maid-servant Carlotta ( Grayson Hall , winning as the human host of a very cleverly subdued , but appropriately sneaky reincarnated child spirit who befriended Angelique ) is secretly working for Angelique in the attempt to keep Quentin in the tower room where Charles and Angelique had a torrid affair , which also was his studio , as the menacing spirit takes hold over time . Meanwhile , Tracy tries to rescue her husband from Charles ' grasp , with help from their friends , Alex & Claire Jenkins ( Dark Shadows regulars John Karlen & Nancy Barrett ) who live at a nearby cottage . Tracy finds herself outmatched thanks to Carlotta and man-servant Gerard ( Jim Storm , in the film mainly as a heel whose motivations are inappropriately defined ) who manipulatively persuade Quentin to continue to work in the tower . The film depicts , somewhat , Tracy's battle to keep her husband from being overtaken by dark forces as the spirits of Angelique and Charles haunt the manor , while her life is in constant danger . The version I watched , presented on Chiller , was badly tampered with in post-production . It seems very important scenes which define perilous situations are interrupted by cuts and background music stops abruptly at key moments . You can plainly see the scissors at work . I've read from sources that a complete director's cut is available , but certain troubles continue ( . . such as dubbing , I believe and dueling production companies regarding the film's rights ) to keep it away from the public . It's a shame , because I might like this one if I could see the story play out in a complete form instead of a badly botched hack-job . Selby attempts courageously to tackle duel roles , as innocent Quentin who adores his wife Tracy , and the vicious and corrupt Charles who seems to be a male mirror image of his lover Angelique . Karlen , against type , actually is the hero of the film , along with Barrett , attempting to remove his pal from the clutches of the evil which permeates within the Collinwood manor . Hall plays her character lurking about , quietly stirring the pot , but I'm never sure we ever know Carlotta all that well . Her character is rather undefined . Perhaps the spirit has already consumed her , taken full custody of the human host . I never understood Gerard . I think he lusts after both Carlotta and Tracy , but I feel that he might've been more properly defined in the longer version . I think this is a more imaginative film that " House of Dark Shadows " since that film was basically a rehash of familiar material , but it suffers due to the tinkering which remains a jarring distraction . I liked the camera-work , and we can see Dan Curtis sharpening his visual skills with each film he directs . Many might find that the ending to his far superior later " house of evil " feature , Burnt Offerings echos " Night of Dark Shadows " as our couple are almost free from the sinister trappings of the Collins-Stoddard manor only to succumb to it's powers . Unfortunately , the ending is so orchestrated early on thanks to the painting of Charles , that it doesn't produce the necessary effect it would otherwise . There's no surprise when you have already seen the twist painted to canvas . One sequence that truly puzzled me was when Angelique's evil spirit corners a trapped Tracy only to never explain what exactly transpired ( . . of course this was one of the key sequences cut to ribbons ) . And , there's a suicide which never quite made sense to me either as Angelique led a specific servant to certain destruction . The film reflects past memories which come to Quentin in dreams as he sees what took place many years ago setting up the plot . What this film lacks that " House of Dark Shadows " has in spades is atmosphere . The melodrama is intact , but the dark Gothic elements which were such a staple on the soap opera are missing , for the exception of evil spirits Angelique and Charles . The absence of Barnabas Collins can be felt as well , with Angelique being the motivating source of all things evil this time around . I wonder how good the official cut , made the way Curtis & Hall intended , might be . |
436,654 | 9,938,570 | 67,500 | 5 | Tombs of the Blind Dead | Someone has to be the spoiled sport of the user comments section and it might as well be me . I thought this was a mess of a film with some creepy , very atmospheric scenes built within . Eastern knights , who were excommunicated by the Pope due to their Satanic ritual practices in seeking immortality , rise from their tombs within the ruins of a 13th century village Berzano to hunt prey that dare venture there at night . I guess their horses do the same , although none of them show skeletal parts emerging from their flesh . . oh , well . Why are these skeletal ghouls , with a thirst for the blood of fresh humans , eyeballs gouged ? After sacrificing a beautiful virgin , through a series of sword stabbings by the soldiers , not to mention their hideous drinking blood from her gaping bloody wounds , the knights are tried and executed for their horrendous cultic activities . Made as an example against participating in such activities , the dead knights are left hanging on a tree while the crows plucked their eyeballs out . Virginia ( María Elena Arpón ) , I'm guessing , gets jealous of the way her " friend " ( or whatever he is ) Roger ( César Burner ) is flirting with her former lesbian lover Bet ( Lone Fleming ) so she hops off the train they are traveling making the inanely stupid decision to stay the night in an obviously deserted village . . the very ruins once dominated by the knights resting in their tombs until nightfall . We watch as Virginia tries to flee from the SLOWWWWWWWWW skeletal knights and seems unlucky at finding any form of escape route available to her because they have these magical horses that appear out of thin air . Roger and Virginia pursue their supposed missing friend's whereabouts when she never made it to the hotel they planned to stay . Finding out she was attacked and viciously bitten , Roger and Bet will seek out knowledge regarding the history of the knights and Berzano . Hooking up with Pedro ( Joseph Thelman ) , a corrupt notorious figure the police have yet to nab , they will visit the Berzano ruins ( along with Pedro's annoying girlfriend who thankfully becomes a blood-feast ) and face the same threat as Virginia . . and fare about as well . There's no doubt , the ruins of a once thriving monastery is an amazing setting for a spooky zombie ghost tale . . the night sequences created are quite foreboding . The problem I had were the intensely slow zombies . There's a scene where Pedro , who horribly rapes Bet in a uncomfortable , unnecessary sequence , has plenty of time to escape the clutches of the knights but seems to stand in his location for ages as they creep ever so slowly in his direction . It's as if he wants to die , the idiot . Then there's the scene where Bet is running from the knights and just approaches the train when she just goes numb . . I mean she waits to go completely life-less when the train is right there in front of her putting the conductor in the awful position of dragging her limp carcass to the steps giving even the slowest zombies extra time to catch up to the victim they are chasing . You also have this whole sequence where Virginia's body , for some reason never explained , that comes back to life attacking a morgue attendant by sucking his blood , then attempting to drain Bet's co-worker at a mannequin factory ( this features a hilariously awful sequence where Virginia is burned alive but one can easily see the effects fails miserably ) . It just seems unnecessary grinding the film to a halt . Instead of keeping the focus on the knights , you shift gears towards her making the film uneven and unfocused . The final thirty minutes is the best part of the film where the knights are the most frightening because we get a good look at their skull faces and blood-drinking in all it's glory . It's an eerie sequence that soon gets even more disturbing when they reach the train killing many passengers inside . |
436,762 | 9,938,570 | 64,393 | 5 | The Green Slime | The Class-Two asteroid Flora is on a collision course for earth and Commander Jack Rankin ( Robetrt Horton ) must take over operations of the space station Gamma Three from unproven Commander Vince Elliot ( character actor Richard Jaeckel ) . . they will use a cruiser on the Gamma Three to land on Flora to detonate it before it can reach earth . They have 10 hours and immediately head for Flora and indeed accomplish their goal . What they do not expect is a second , and just as deadly , threat . . green slime that , when feeding from energy , evolve into tentacled blob monsters with a big red eye ( . . with multiple collections of eyes underneath ) and crab claw hands ! These monsters electrocute their prey on instant contact resulting in immediate death . Using laser weapons on these creatures is oblivious because the green blood that releases from their wounds evolve into monsters themselves when contacting any form of energy ! And , the monsters that bleed can heal themselves ! Chief medical physician , Dr . Lisa Benson ( foxy red-head Luciana Paluzzi ) comes between Jack ( her former flame ) and Vince ( her current flame and fiancé ) resulting in a love triangle of galactic proportions ( . . well , maybe I'm exaggerating just a bit for effect ) . A past mission where Elliot made an order against Jack's wishes resulting in many dead officers over one has put a bit of tension that remains throughout until the gung-ho final battle against the monsters at the end . Ever present is the love triangle which causes friction and an un-needed problem when trying to focus on how to kill these alien slime bastards . Quarantining the space station , Jack and company will exhaust every feasible option available before contemplating the most terrible one . . exploding the space station before it can , like the asteroid before , threaten earth . The film's budget is low , relying heavily on models ( mainly the space vehicles and station ) and the sets are designed like something out of Classic Star Trek . The film's cheap look might appeal and charm those who enjoy this type of movie . The sequence on the asteroid looks like some back-lot sound-stage . The rubber-suited monstrosities , with waving tentacles ( you might be inspired to cry , " Warning ! Warning ! " ) and screeching are right out of the Godzilla creature factory . In other words , the film is cheap so many viewers judging harshly will not like it . Director Kinji Fukasaku ( Battle Royale ) implements a claustrophobic style using zoom lens often keeping his camera close to the action and faces of the actors / actresses . He also keeps his camera moving with the action such as when the crew try to keep the monsters at bay or have to move with them throughout the space station . You know this feels like a Japanese creature feature merely replacing the typical Japanese cast with an American one . |
436,768 | 9,938,570 | 79,082 | 5 | Driller Killer | Unpleasant , depressing ( . . and ultimately very sick ) portrait of a mentally disturbed artist's plight and how various factors ( . . a rock band's non-stop practicing ; his gay art dealer's nasty , negative reaction to a long-waiting artistic rendering of a buffalo ; ever-growing supply of homeless living near his gloomy , smallish , yet rather ridiculously expensive flat ) lead to his psychopathic reign of terror , murdering numerous street people with a power drill . The film only sporadically ( . . but effectively ) highlights Reno's ( Abel Ferrara ) attacks on the homeless , penetrating their bodies ( . . and , in one instance , a forehead ) with a spinning drill as they shake and quiver . The meat of the film shows the grind and misery of Reno as he attempts to finish the buffalo portrait which has been a long-suffering chore which may just be why it lends to the later ridicule . His girlfriend , Carol ( Carolyn Marz ) takes a great deal of abuse , despite being quite supportive of him , even using the alimony payments from her ex-husband to pay the rent . For pleasure , a druggie , Pam ( Baybi Day ) lives in the flat with them , supplying Carol with a lover and pal . Meanwhile , the punk band , always jamming and rehearsing , are a camera mainstay , their sessions a constant in the film . Ferrara's Reno is a crude , vile jerk with little redeeming value , but perhaps he has formed into such a creature thanks to his bleak , immodest surroundings . Ferrara makes it a priority to display not only his lead character's plight but New York's as well . There's nothing remotely pretty about this film , it's an ugly , urban hell we see and the photography and characters represent this . Fans of Lustig's Maniac might embrace Driller Killer since the same kind of New York is projected in that film as well , with Spinell a mentally disturbed killer ( . . except his victims of choice are pretty women while Reno's are hobos and alley-cats ) who scowers the streets seeking fresh victims to slay . There's a really warped scene where Reno chops up a skinned rabbit . Some may consider this an accurate representation of a gritty , unglamorous city dwelling place where the undesirables go to die and innocence has no place of refuge . Ferrara's later films would definitely have better production values , be far more narratively strong , and certainly contain better casts . This film shows the signs of a new filmmaker ( . . stylistically wise , with a plodding pace that drags ) , but one willing to take daring , provocative risks . |
436,752 | 9,938,570 | 53,593 | 5 | The Amazing Transparent Man | A determined ( quietly deranged under the surface ) Major Krenner ( James Griffith ) wishes to possess the ability to create an invisible army and enlists , through an arranged escape , notorious criminal Joey Faust ( Douglas Kennedy ) a thief and all-around bad hombre , to steal money from banks while completely unseen thanks to the genius of dying former Nazi scientist Dr . Peter Ulof ( Ivan Triesault ) ( . . the " former Nazi " part is more subtly mentioned in the screenplay never elaborating what country he worked for , but the horrifying description of what he did to his wife , through undetermined experiments , one can see who he represented considering the atrocities committed ) . Ulof's daughter is being held captive in a locked room and if he doesn't define his experimental invisible formula , which works through a peculiar use of radiation using a unique method regarding X-rays and how they can completely transform the body , then her safety is in danger . The Major uses those under his watch through various means . . his gunsel , Julian ( Boyd Morgan ) , believes Krenner knows the whereabouts of his son , supposedly held captive in Europe , Joey is an escaped con for whom can be sent back to prison ( . . dead , more than alive , since his body's worth 5 grand either way ) , and femme fatale Laura ( Marguerite Chapman ) who fears for her own life if she even decided to leave her employer . But , soon double-crosses will be attempted and we see that if one toys with radioactive material for use in corruptive schemes only bad can come from it . In this respect , director Edgar G Ulmer doesn't abandon his noir roots , for nearly every character has been ( . . or is ) corrupt in one way or another . Major Krenner , wounded not only physically by war ( . . the shrapnel which ended his military career , Krenner habitually tosses around in his hand , quite a reminder of what ruined what could've been ) but haunted by it psychologically as well . Faust , using the invisibility as a means to continue his profession without the restraints once holding him . Scientist Ulof , haunted by his shady alliances with a government whose atrocities committed against humanity exploded in his face with the murder of his wife by his own hands , and now forced , against his will , to continue experiments which could lead to a threat against the United States by outside forces thanks to his invisibility creation . And , Laura , a dame all too willing to stab her employer in the back for cold hard cash in an alliance with Faust . Blindly loyal Julian knows what his employer is up to in using the others for the benefits of invisibility , and is all too wiling to hold his shot gun pointedly at Faust and others who dare try to escape . Basically , this is Ulmer's take on THE INVISIBLE MAN , using the dangers of atomic energy as a type of lesson to preach against . When Faust is invisible , the other actors pretend he's there by mimicking his presence ( . . such as when he attacks Krenner ) This particular film shows Faust , in and out of stages of invisibility , including one ingenious sequence where parts of him appear and disappear after he holds up a bank . Ulmer , seemingly always burdened with little budget to work with , has a precious few scenes where objects move by themselves . Ulmer counts on his cast to parlay to the viewer where Faust is . . not an easy task , but I give the cast credit for giving it the ole college try . But , in my opinion , this is more of a noir cheapie with sci-fi undertones . . a mad scientist B-movie regarding the dangers of tampering with science for our own personal gain . I know Ulmer often gets a bum wrap for making no-budget films which show the lack of funds he had available to him , but I like the idea of a cross between the mad-scientist and noir sub-genres . I like the fact that this motley group is doomed right from the start because when you have untrustworthy types , with their own greedy agendas , and a dangerous weapon ( . . in this case invisibility and the tools used to create it ) only bad can come from such an enterprise . |
436,430 | 9,938,570 | 107,764 | 5 | Ozone | Goofy , cheap gore-flick from Ohio's own JR Bookwalter ( The Dead Next Door ) has cop , Eddie Boone ( James Black ) tangling with the malformed agents of a drug pushing monster ( . . once a human being who evolved into what looks like a talking protoplasm , with a pig's head ) who has created a drug called Ozone which turns your body into something quite grotesque . This monster who sits in a swivel chair ordering his posse , whose faces bulge these bulb-like warts , to commandeer Eddie , wishes to use him as the next step in an evolutionary ladder with Ozone providing the change . Most of the film displays Eddie's nightmarish night of dodging the villains while suffering bouts of hysteria caused by part of the Ozone drug that was injected in his arm when he lost his partner on a drug bust gone awry . Lots of outrageous gore for fans of the ultra-violence . A druggie's head explodes when he ingests too much of Ozone . A human body dissolves into a skeleton . A head is crushed under the tire of a driving car . An arm is severed with the wound bleeding . A female gives birth to Eddie's demon baby ! The monster of the film is a badly designed costume , with the actor's voice mechanically altered . When Eddie and Justine ( Lori Scarlett ) , the female he is seduced by who is in league with the monster , transform momentarily into these hideous beasts ( . . a severe case of mutation ) while embracing for a sexual encounter . The director depends heavily on the morphing process utilized in Terminator 2 . When humans begin to transform , their faces and skin often bubble ! Eddie's world , presented in the film , is basically a series of run-ins with the monster's zombie agents , and his escapes . A lot of the film has Eddie working through the city under siege much like Snake Pliskin in Escape from New York . Close encounters , staying one step ahead when all hope seem lost . The special effects are as low budget as it gets , but there's a charm to Bookwalter's films that might rub off on those just seeking a flick to consume 90 minutes . It has enough insanity , I believe , to please an audience looking for such over-the-top grue and strange characters . |
436,328 | 9,938,570 | 411,267 | 5 | Annwyn | There is a dark realm called Annwyn , based in old Welsh folklore , and Adèle ( Maria Bello ) has lost her daughter to it . It seems to the outside world that her daughter , Sarah ( Sophie Stuckey ) has drowned , but her body has not been recovered . Adèle believes that the idea behind retrieving your loved ones by leaping off a certain cliff into the watery depths below until you enter Annwyn is real when she researches the man ( called The Shepherd ) who created a church to worship this Welsh doctrine they pretty much made up through folktales . The Sheperd lost his daughter to illness at a young age and manipulates his congregation into a mass suicidal leap from the cliff . One who didn't sacrifice himself is Adèle's husband , James ' ( Sean Bean ) friend , sheepherder Dafydd ( Maurice Roëves ) . Through Dafydd , Adèle learns about the history of The Sheperd and Annwyn . Adding another layer in strangeness to the ordeal concerning Adèle and James is a young girl , Ebrill ( Abigail Stone ) who may've returned from the dark place within the water to find her a new father . . James ! She hears her daughter's cries of help and will take a leap into the dark to rescue her by using Ebrill as bait . Confusing , ambiguous horror tale doesn't really ever tell us how The Shepherd was able to create this dark world . What actually happens to Adèle at the end and why all the arduous , unorthodox happenings once she finds Annwyn . There's a lot left to our imagination , but it especially wishes to question Adèle's character as it pertains to her tumultuous relationship with her daughter . Sarah wishes to live with her father and we see that Ebrill has bonded with James as well . As Adèle is within Annwyn , we see what may've occurred on one terrible day between mother and daughter and how their relationship may've been scarred for good . Perhaps what ultimately happens to Adèle is that she is having to answer through a morbid sort of punishment for neglecting her daughter . Lots of room for conjecture here . |
435,980 | 9,938,570 | 643,106 | 5 | Haeckel's Tale | Nasty piece of business from director John McNaughton has atheist scientist Ernst Haeckel ( Derek Cecil ) finding out that his father is gravely ill , and as he is returning to his home runs into a couple who have had dealings with a man he knows from his past . . a necromancer named Montesquino ( Jon Polito ) who can bring the dead back to life . There's a catch , however , and that is the dead remain in their same condition . . and thirst for flesh as all zombies apparently always do . The couple Haeckel meets on his journey home is an old man named Wolfram ( Tom McBeath ) and his lovely , very young wife , Elise ( Leela Savasta , who has an incredible body ) . Elise has need of the necromancer as her love and devotion is to one man . . her dead husband ! So here is Haeckel in amongst all this madness ceaselessly trying to find out how to send the dead back to their graves , but understanding futilely that there is no way . This yucky MOH offering has some wild sex scenes between Elise , who really lets go and makes the sexual love-making with a corpse erotic in the disgusting sense . There is gut-munching for zombie fans and even a homage to FRANKENSTEIN thanks to an inspired Mick Garris teleplay . Garris uses a narrative device from an old female necromancer telling some poor sad soul ( who has returned from his beloved wife's funeral and wishes her resurrected ) this tale of what Haeckel experienced . There's an ending only a horror fan could love . . it is indeed a unique twist to cap it off . I'm not real fond of the idea showing sex with corpses , but there is a built in audience for this sort of thing . McNaughton relies on some mediocre filler scenes designed to make a person jump ( such as a dead pederast hanging from a noose or a stones falling from a hole in the wall housing rats ) which take away from the overall story . This shows signs of a mini-film having to work through a plot rather quickly instead of giving it the proper development it really does need . |
436,619 | 9,938,570 | 101,831 | 5 | Eve of Destruction | Mediocre sci-fi thriller about a renegade android , Eve VIII ( Renée Soutendijk ) who malfunctions when she is shot by a bank robber while on a mission . Her creator , Dr . Eve Simmons ( also Renée Soutendijk ) designed the female android with the same facial characteristics , while also transferring memories , thoughts , and feelings from herself . Those memories reoccur in Eve VIII's mind and she reacts violently . She is very dangerous because , she is a nuclear threat as well . Equipped with a machine gun , this android has to be stopped because she is also very powerful with the ability to toss men across rooms and in the air with ease . The secret government group funding the Eve project enlist the aide of Colonel Jim McQuade ( Gregory Hines ) with expertise in anti-terrorism , to somehow stop the malfunctioning killer android before truly dire consequences erupt . Many innocent bystanders , and a few profane undesirables , will cross Eve VIII's path and suffer the consequences . The film shows how Dr . Eve must assist McQuade in his efforts to find and kill her creation ( a shot through the eyes is the way to down it ) . The android targets Eve's father ( for the murder of her mother which returns in a memory ) and later , in the film's harrowing climax in the New York subway , her son . The film owes a hell of a lot to the really good leads who work well off each other . I've always felt Hines had a strong presence on-screen , very easy to like and charismatic . He takes what could've easily been a dull role and injects life into it . I like his character because he's sympathetic to Eve's cause , yet looks at the dire , difficult situation they find themselves with a levelheadedness . Renée Soutendijk , I thought , was very impressive in this film . . having to portray two different characters while making both of them different than the other is an outstanding accomplishment . I give praise for her work in such a rather unextraordinary sci-fi actioner . Pretty much by-the-numbers , but the leads keep it interesting . Kevin McCarthy has a cameo as Eve's now old-aged father . |
436,731 | 9,938,570 | 166,808 | 5 | Sombre | I'm pretty sure director Philippe Grandrieux's SOMBRE was supreme festival fodder during it's initial release , but to me it was an aggravating and trivial exercise to sit through . Like other important modern filmmakers , Grandrieux adopts a camera style that lenses his subjects often out of focus with the characters at times ( . . more like most of the time ) on the edges of the frame , rarely in a position where we can see them with clarity . This choice is probably applauded by critics and those who appreciate a particular vision ( . . perhaps mimicking the distorted , warped view of the world in regards to the particular characters features prominently in the film ) shown in this film , but I found Grandrieux's style frustrating and difficult . I'd actually prefer to see characters and Philippe Grandrieux's camera always moves , following the actors / actresses around , often jerking and shaking . I consider myself a patient viewer who has tolerated this style for a great deal of time , but it's begun to weigh on my nerves and what's even more tiresome about Philippe Grandrieux's direction here is that his performers , especially Elina Löwensohn as the psychologically troubled and confused Claire in love with volatile , quietly menacing serial killer Jean ( Marc Barbé ) , are very good and deserve to have their work seen clearly without a camera unable to capture every nuance and aching truth presented for the viewer . Sure , if you are attentive enough and completely focus , the viewer is able to catch the performances when the camera stays still long enough . The film somewhat focuses on a serial killer , Jean , driving through the French countryside as the Tour de France is in full swing , picking up loose women working the streets , clubs and nudie rooms , strangling and suffocating them , leaving their carcasses often in rural areas along river fronts and fields ( . . or wherever he happens to engage in rough sex , often humiliating them before sticking his fingers down their throat as he initiates his ritual of grabbing their throats , squeezing tightly , covering their mouths pressing the air waves tightly so that oxygen can not be successfully and sufficiently accessed ) . Jean meets Claire , a very depressed virgin , a beautiful wallflower who seems detached from the world around her , bored and alone . Her free-spirited sister , Christine ( Géraldine Voillat ) is her polar opposite , actually attempting to seduce Jean , and is an open and vocal woman who has engaged in sexual activity , quite a blunt and frank individual . . she's also a model for the type of woman Jean likes to ravage and kill . Once the three start on a journey together , Jean can not control the beast and almost kills Christine before Claire thankfully intervenes . Unable to break free from Jean's grasp , Claire will submit to his will in that Christine can survive without dire harm . But , will Claire be able to survive ? Jean will force Claire into the night , having her indulge in drink and dance , but his victim becomes an all too willing subject with unpredictable fireworks sparking between these two troubled souls . Definitely an ultra-dark character study which features several unpleasant scenes where Jean works over victims before killing them , but the director's haphazard camera doesn't capture these traumatic attacks with any clarity ( . . there's enough to make those with a faint heart squirm a bit , though and the grunts , screams and pain of the victims certainly convey to the viewer what is happening to them ) . Löwensohn hits it out of the ball park with a very demanding and complex performance , her character's not an easy nut to crack . . one grimaces at her decisions to associate with Jean when she knows the kind of person he truly is , yet embarks on an affair with him anyway risking her life in the process . Barbé shows us the torment he's facing , the monster he can not tame . His face conveys the agony that always pushes him to commit the deeds he does towards " corrupt " women who feed that anguish and desire . This film might test viewers who like a film to remain on the story of these characters because the director likes to show the trivialities of their lives , not concerned with moving in a linear path , freely allowing these people to exist the way they might in real life . Shots of the French countryside , which are often dump sites of the killer , are haunting . . as are scenes of the waving water before Jean makes his move to dive in with a goal of possibly killing Christine . The director also opts for minimal music ( . . the sound of a car on the road with other sounds drowned out ; a type of droning as the killer moves to and fro , from one place to another ) , instead using natural sounds of the environment with which the characters exist , quite effective . |
436,212 | 9,938,570 | 1,060,277 | 5 | Cloverfield | A party given by Jason ( Mike Vogel ) to his brother , Rob ( Michael Stahl-David ) whose moving to Japan for a spell is interrupted when a rampaging monster wreaks havoc on New York City leaving absolute devastation in it's wake , while also " leaving behind " little creatures to terrorize citizens on foot . Through the use of a camcorder , operated by Rob's best friend Hudson ( TJ Miller ) , we are witness to the monster's attack and how the city appears once it leaves for other areas to destroy . Following the monster's attack on the bridge they're walking , Rob decides to return to find his beloved Beth ( Odette Yustman ) , who sends him a call claiming to have been hurt , with Marlena ( Lizzy Caplan ) , an unfortunate victim attending the party , Lily ( Jessica Lucas ) a dear friend set up the party , and Hud , taping everything he can . I think the most effective moments are when we witness the aftermath of the monster's rampage with a city crumbling with buildings and cars destroyed . The monster itself didn't really impress me , to tell you the truth , and perhaps should've been left to the imagination . The little creatures which seemed like off-spring from the monster were pretty creepy , especially when they attack our heroes in a subway tunnel . The bridge attack was a bit effective and the the smoke and terror on the faces of those who just witnessed their city attacked rather works . But , to tell you the truth , Spielberg's " War of the Worlds " was basically made in the same fashion , except for the " Blair Witch Project " type of " real footage found " governmental set-up . The city is attacked , we witness the carnage and horrified people , and follow certain protagonists as they try to move to a desired location . I agree with others that the camcorder used is top of the line and takes a licking and keeps on ticking . I do digress . . I don't think Hud would follow behind Rob , or Marlena , for that matter . Being best friends is one thing , but returning to find someone that's very possibly dead , Hud wouldn't be criticized if he joined those being evacuated . . . although , I realize we wouldn't have the " Cloverfield experience " if that was the case . You can read on this site the numerous factual errors that are looked over in impacting the viewer like Beth's damaged building leaning against another skyscraper or the Statue of Liberty's head . As far as the constant dizzying movement , it didn't bother as much as others , but there were times where I wanted him to hold the damn thing still . . I guess we must understand the situation Hud was facing and take it from there . |
436,936 | 9,938,570 | 120,841 | 5 | Species II | Patrick Ross ( Justin Lizard ) was the very first man to step foot on Mars . But , in one of the planetary samples , a specific fungus carrying the alien race from the first SPECIES film thaws out on board the American space shuttle and invade the body of Patrick and astronaut Anne Sampas ( Myriam Cyr ) . For some strange reason , Dennis Gamble ( Mykelti Williamson ) wasn't invaded by the alien . Later testing might prove that being a sickle cell anemia carrier might've saved him . This also might be a key to killing them because it's proved through experimental testing by Dr . Laura Baker ( Marg Helgenberger ) on clone half-human / half-alien Eve ( the VERY , VERY sexy Natasha Henstridge ) that the breed are able to regenerate cells . When women are being found mutilated soon the government will be on the lookout for Patrick , who has been having sex with various females ( hookers , lovers , admirers , etc ) and impregnating them with half-human / half-alien children who burst from the stomach not too long after mating occurs . When these children reach a certain stage in numerous days , they will turn into a cocoon and once released will be fully grown to terrorize and conquer the human race . Colonel Carter Burgess , Jr ( George Dzundza ) is the military muscle behind pushing the experimental project for finding a way to kill the alien species and when he discovers that another is on earth ( . . after the murder of a scientist who discovers alien genes in Patrick's blood ) , he calls in Press Lennox ( Michael Madsen ) , the kind of special ops man / bounty hunter with a skill for finding prey he target . He's the man the government call in to do their dirty work . He'll team with Dennis who sees for himself , when Patrick blows his head off with a shotgun ( . . with it subsequently regenerating before his very eyes ) , what the alien is . Laura , who has bonded with Eve during their period of time together ( . . while it's Laura's job to find a way to kill Eve , it's really her agenda to protect her from harm ) , will also have to team with press to stop what could be a global disaster from taking place . Patrick must be stopped and the storage place of the cocooning aliens must be found before it's too late . The most prominent threat . . if Patrick and Eve mate an even more advanced alien being might emerge perhaps too unstoppable for anyone to handle . The cast doesn't have a lot to do except quote their lines and the film is rather derivative of other similar sci-fi films using threatening aliens , but I found it decently entertaining in a race-against-time sort of way . I wanted more Henstridge , here used more as a sympathetic being , and the pace is so fast plot can not catch up . . but , I'm one in the minority who doesn't believe this is the worst sequel ever . It was just not as well developed , screenplay-wise . It does feel rushed , but has some gruesome alien-attack sequences such as the aliens protruding from the bellies of their human mother hosts . It's forgettable , but could be looked at as a flick to watch when you got time to kill . |
435,753 | 9,938,570 | 482,606 | 5 | The Strangers | Well , I finally watched it and can easily say that some decisions made really ticked me off . They just have to go and spoil the entire film ( . . the " Dark City " syndrome if you will ) by announcing not only in the narration but the opening scene displaying the " morning after " . Talk about shooting yourself in the foot . This was the same problem I had with Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE THE BEGINNING . . If you already know the victimized characters ' fates how can you really get into a film ? I wasn't drawn in because I knew it couldn't possibly go well for the couple thanks to the opening minutes summoning up their fates . And , as usual the female victim twists her ankle , makes so much racket stumbling into things people miles down the road could hear her , and she's constantly screaming . She might as well stood out in the yard with a GIANT bullseye and said " hit me with your best shot " . I will say that I thought that the filmmakers took pointers from Dean Cundy on how to lens their masked villains . . because the whole time they'd show up , Michael Myers came to mind immediately . This I liked really well , although I think the murderess in INSIDE was even better a menace , appearing from the shadows . Speaking of INSIDE , I immediately thought of a certain accidental murder that occurred in that movie and saw the surprise death in THE STRANGERS coming before it even happened . Horror has come full circle really . Used to filmmakers preyed on your fears in regards to being caught in an unfamiliar territory where no one could save you ( . . whether it be in the shower of the Bates Motel , out in the water as the Great White draws ever so close , in the farmhouse of a maniac wearing a mask made of human skin , wielding a chainsaw , in the space ship Nostromo where the alien hunts for victims or in the dark torture rooms of a faraway third-world country ) , but now there's really no escape because even in the comforts of your own home ( . . or a close relative's summer home ) the predators are around somewhere to cause terror to victims . The movie goes out of it's way to make the couple , Tyler and Speedman , stumble , trip and fall all over themselves as the kid killers , under creepy masks , stalk them quietly and methodically . It calls Columbine back to your attention and as of late , those kids haven't quite killing . THE STRANGERS , in that regard ( . . although , I'm one of those who considers ILS ( THEM ) a better candidate ) taps into something truly vital , that impacts . Too bad , the filmmakers clue us into how the whole situation will end right at the start . |
436,306 | 9,938,570 | 218,619 | 5 | Soul Survivors | Cassie ( Melissa Sagemiller , whose face is forced into the background of the movie poster behind the recognizable faces of Eliza Dushku , Casey Affleck and Wes Bentley , despite being the main star ) shares a forbidden kiss with an ex-boyfriend , Matt ( Bentley ) who still carries a torch for her as current beau Sean ( Affleck ) watches . Annabel ( . . the absolutely sexy Dushku ) was dancing in the goth club playing loud industrial rock music as Sean went after her as Matt pursued that " innocent " kiss with Cassie , whose head-over-heels for Sean . With Sean mum due to being appropriately angry with that kiss he witnessed , Cassie's eyes are on him when a car in front of her Bronco ( . . carrying " thrashers " who were inside the club ) skids leading to a head-on collision . Awakening to find Sean supposedly dead while the remaining party survived , Cassie attempts unsuccessfully to move on with school , but her whole world spirals out of control as people appear and disappear , those thrashers ( . . one with long hair and a facial scar , another wearing a mask ) often either follow her , chase her , even threatening her life , and visits from Sean begging her to return with him . Matt returns from Harvard to help guide her through the pain and misery of Sean's death , while attempting to win her adoration , meanwhile Annabel begins to carry on relations with the third thrasher in that car the night they wrecked , Raven ( Angela Featherstone ) . For about 70 minutes , we watch as Cassie attempts to convince Matt and Annabel that people are after her and that Sean is with her . But , we see that perhaps everything that happens to her may be fiction created by some sort of head trauma as a result of her crash , or maybe even some sort of near-death journey with a " priest " , Jude ( Luke Wilson , never more angelic ) trying to help her . About 70 minutes of this film is rather disorienting with constant nightmare scenarios , characters who behave normal one minute and oddly the next , blood making appearances often in bizarre ways ( . . from Cassie's nose , mainly ) , constant dangerous figures who appear and vanish , with Cassie constantly wondering what the hell is going on . I must admit that I found this rather frustrating , but I guess that's part of what director Stephen Carpenter is aiming for , creating a difficult experience where nothing is what it seems and questioning Cassie's mental state . I do feel Carpenter is certainly ambitious , trying to challenge the viewer , but I personally found this rather tedious . I think those who buy into the " love conquers all " concept at the heart of the film ( Cassie and Sean's love can go up against any odds , including death ) , will like this best . But , the film's freakish nature , constantly hurling one bizarre sequence involving Cassie and her remaining pals ( . . and those creepy folks after her ) after another , might turn many off . After a while , I gave up on it , but the ending does bring everything full circle , and Carpenter does shed light on various characters and things Cassie sees which don't make sense at first , so maybe it's a sleeper for horror fans looking for this sort of thing . Not really as violent or lurid as it could've been thanks to the teen-friendly PG-13 rating . Fans of Dushku might wish to check it out just to see her in tight little outfits and during certain scenes with the goth look . She's a babe , no doubt . Pretty blond Sagemiller spends most of the film conflicted , frightened , and miserable . Bentley is wooden and Affleck plays up the perfect , sensitive , gentlemanly dreamboat boyfriend every 18-25 year old girly could possibly hope for . I think the film echoes " Carnival of Souls " in some ways , with Cassie ( . . like the character is CoS ) actually trying to escape fate . |
436,132 | 9,938,570 | 478,305 | 5 | Triloquist | Seriously warped horror comedy about an unlikely trio , a demented family of weirdos driving across the desert wreaking havoc on whoever they meet . A mute , seemingly autistic brother , Norbert who communicates through his ventriloquist dummy , Dummy ( . . voiced by Bruce Weitz ) and psychotic foul-mouthed sister Angelina ( Paydin LoPachin , a real blond babe with things that come out of her mouth that make a ghetto gangster blush ) were left to fend for themselves after their mother overdosed on heroine . Sent to live with an uncle , who would sexually abuse Angelina ( . . perhaps shaping the monster she would become ) while Norbert closed his eyes in horror , they would soon murder him , winding up in a foster home before chopping the fingers off a kid who insulted them . Blaming Norbert , Angelina and Dummy concoct a plan to break him free from his asylum , hitting the road to Vegas , often killing various victims for their vehicles , and kidnapping a female traveler , Robin ( Katie Chonacas ) who is to carry their family's seed . Angelina is quite a cold-hearted sociopath always scheming while tormenting Robin ( . . who tries endlessly to find ways to escape ) , while constantly at odds with Dummy who begs Norbert to leave her behind . A running gag has Dummy a isolated entity who can speak and move on his own away from Norbert . . hell , he even has fantasies of naked chicks ! We watch as Angelina's trail-blazing psychopathic ways leads to a countryside manhunt for her and Norbert as Robin attempts to get away before she is killed . A great deal of the film shows the crazy antics of a demented family , but the film is more or less a gore-less , colorful send-up of killer-clans-on-the-road thrillers . This movie is built around the often very obscene dialogue , particularly the nasty mouth of Angelina who often blatantly asks strangers if they are looking at her tits ( . . or telling them that they would love to do sexual acts towards her ) . Rocky Marquette is really a tight-lipped innocent with the misfortune of growing up with a sicko sister and dummy he too attached to . Dummy is a vessel to communicate , and Norbert is very dependent on it , as a crutch you could say . The trio as a unit are seemingly unstoppable , until the cracks start to show and Angelina's violent streak ( . . along with Dummy's desire to break free from her hold on Norbert ) gets out of hand . It's only a matter of time before their " happy " union sours , and Robin pleas towards Nobert and Dummy begin to work . I can understand why many hated this film . It doesn't really have a plot , but is a series of comic vignettes showcasing Angelina's unpredictable nature and her manipulative hold over her brother and dummy . And , the way the film embraces Dummy as a vehicle for humor ( . . and he is one ugly wooden creation ) and the twisted acts performed by Angelina so that she and her posse can continue their quest for Vegas won't always appeal to everyone ( . . or even most people ) . I found it entertaining and sick in equal measure . The film doesn't know when to quit and is always bizarre . The director includes several B & W sequences featuring the trio at times . Paydin LoPachin is a knockout and the director often loves to focus on her face with the camera . She rarely cracks a smile when delivering her profane zingers . Plenty of time is spent showing how Angelina keeps Dummy in check by threatening his livelihood with matches . There's incest played out with Angelina initiating contact with her brother , and this might be the first time I've ever seen a dummy giving head . |
436,109 | 9,938,570 | 874,917 | 5 | Hybrid | The bio-engineering transplant of wolf eyes in a young man yields devastating consequences as the wild spirit of the animal motivates him to act out his primal nature . Thankfully he encounters Lydia ( Tinsel Korey ) , a Native American woman who wishes for the outside world to appreciate her people's beliefs and customs . Her confidant is Claude Robertson ( Gordon Tootoosis ) , a wise old Indian whose private wilderness is desired by the white man . Lydia's beliefs in nature are important in that Aaron ( Cory Monteith ) has someone who might can lend a hand in taming the beast that wishes to unleash itself . The scientist responsible for the successful surgery , Andrea ( Justine Bateman ) begins to understand that their human subject , the guinea pig they experimented on , may've had psychotic tendencies that wouldn't react too well with the transplanted eyes , and thus wishes to help him cope with such a radical change in behavior . But , Andrea's organization is one of those secret government projects and she's up against the military who want to start up a program using her " success " ( . . Aaron gains senses of the wolf , like nocturnal sight , that would certainly benefit men in the field ) . When Aaron escapes , the military commandos will seek him out leading a manhunt as Andrea fears for her subject's well being and stability among civilization . The werewolf genre has always yielded so few really good films . I remember seeing this for sale , part of The Maneater series , and the cool box art had this man transforming into a werewolf . . quite catchy and could easily sucker those who know nothing about it . But , the film never shows Aaron transforming into a wolf , he's often seen running with the pack , shirt off , eyes glistening . The best part of the movie was the wolf contacts used on Monteith's eyes . . but , he's not an imposing presence ( . . I felt Monteith is just too scrawny and non-threatening which I felt works against the film ) so the eyes do little to make him a real threat towards innocents . Bateman has a secondary role , merely a worried scientist who finds that her procedure is flawed and regrets performing the surgery without further testing . Korey is the dramatic heart beat of the film , the girl caught between two worlds , the modern and natural , finding in Aaron her possible soul mate . Korey's Lydia will have to protect him and , in a sense , find a type of psychological leash to bound him even though the spirit that possesses him wishes to be free from restraints . This is where spiritual mysticism , laid on thick , plays a major part in the story . . Lydia's mentor , Claude , has the means to let Aaron free from those restraints . The ending is typical . . the commandos enter the wilderness to pursue ( . . possibly kill ) Aaron and find they have their hands full . I think in the climax credibility goes out the window as we see these heavily equipped military men unable to stop a young man running throughout the woods with wolves as his companions . I think people will have a hard time believing Aaron could evade and attack his pursuers when they have such an arsenal at their disposal , but in these kinds of movies , we have to see nature defeat technological progress , and crooked government must be defeated , so HYBRID just follows the formula . |
436,763 | 9,938,570 | 50,147 | 5 | Attack of the Crab Monsters | Two giant crab monsters , grown from poisonous radiation thanks to the H bomb ( good ole reliable radiation sure provided many a screenplay with the perfect excuse to enlarge regular animal and fish life into killing monsters ) , terrorize a Navy science research team sent to an island to investigate the disappearance of another science team who stopped communication with their base . It seems that the crab monsters are equipped with the ability to absorb the knowledge of the heads they eat from their various victims since the brains essentially carry electrical impulses . The team will race against time to find out a way to try and outlast the two monsters hoping to study them while staying alive as the island is being capsized , by detonated dynamite , around them . The crabs can telepathically communicate through metal ( ! ) to the crew through the voices of those they behead and eat . This telepathy , at first , is used to lure victims to them , and then as a device to threaten . It seems that bullet-fire and grenades do little to stop the giant crabs , but attacking their brains ( where their ultimate power stems from ) or the use of positive electrical energy are the perhaps the crew's only defense against them . Charles B Griffith's screenplay uses science to explain the shenanigans of the crabs and their preposterous powers thanks to radiation , but this flick is ultimately for fans of creature features . The monstrous crabs are , at the very least , more effective than that hilarious patch-worked beast in Corman's other sea-creature flick , " Creature from the Haunted Sea . " Russell Johnson , the Professor of " Gilligan's Island " fame has the part of handyman Hank Chapman . |
436,608 | 9,938,570 | 24,727 | 5 | The Vampire Bat | Someone ( or , something thing . . ) is leaving puncture marks on the jugular and draining victims of their blood till dead . Police detective Karl Brettschneider ( Melvyn Douglas , before slipping out of the B-movie horror genre for greater heights ) is stumped at who . . or what . . is behind these notorious crimes . The village is overcome by hysteria and Karl depends on his trusted medical genius , Dr . Otto von Niemann ( Lionel Atwill , in yet another effective mad scientist role ) to provide some feedback as to what might be causing the deaths of innocents . He also fears for the safety of his beloved Ruth ( the lovely Fay Wray who stars for the third time with Atwill after " Doctor X " & " The Mystery of the Wax Museum " ) who is Niemann's assistant . Dwight Frye steals the film as a rather loony village idiot who collects bats and carries a demented demeanor wherever he goes . . it's easy to see why he becomes a suspect as local paranoia is at a fever pitch . Maude Eburne provides the film's humor as a very naive ( . . and easily influenced ) patient of von Niemann's who believes she has ailments she reads about in books near the laboratory where he works . She's impressionable and often von Niemann just humors her and constant fictional illnesses she feels plagued with . Lionel Belmore returns as yet another frightened , superstitious Bürgermeister . Creaky , static , but rather entertaining nonetheless thanks to the cast . The film is obviously as low-budget as they come , but this doesn't hurt the film too much since it's put together rather well by director Frank R Strayer and his crew . I'm certain the film's print has seen better days , though . This is the kind of B-horror item you'd find packaged in with 50 other random cheesefests and poverty row programmers . The film's villain . . and his motives for feeding a synthetically made biological creature . . certainly provides a different take on the Frankenstein formula . Many might be disappointed with the end results as the film strays away from being an actual supernatural tale about a real vampire killer causing the murders . |
435,897 | 9,938,570 | 95,126 | 5 | Fair Game | A narcissistic intellectual video game designer doesn't appreciate the fact that his " weakling " ex-girlfriend has moved on with her life , trying to earn a living from her putty sculptures ( ? ! ) enjoying the fruits of her labor in a posh vast loft , blessed with limited windows , highly secure . Gene ( Gregg Henry ) decides to put an end to this by " inheriting " a deadly venomous black mamba , required by a snake handler ( Bill Moseley , in one his many grubby roles . . the actor has a whole trunk load of these parasites he can pluck for use ) he dupes and murders . Gene's plan at eliminating an " ungrateful " inferior girlfriend is to seal Eva's ( Trudie Styler , and hour or so of running time spent with her is enough for any wary viewer to endure ) home , locking her inside with the Mamba snake , with a special tracking device on both of them , watching their " progress " from his car . Gene injects more hormones in the snake supposedly giving it a limited life expectancy providing the Mamba with " extra motivation " for attacking anyone in it's proximity . . Gene even has a timer set on his computer as to when the snake would die if it couldn't release it's venom in time . So the main meat of the film is Eva by herself practicing meditation and yoga , talking and joking to herself , making funny expressions to herself in the mirror , and generally goofing off until she realizes the snake is in there with her . . and the fact that her loft is locked tight with no exit it seems . The film often cuts to Gene in his vehicle , " sweating " it out as the counter clicks away and Eva often evades the deadly fangs of the Mamba . I would recommend seeing this film for those interested in Gregg Henry . The DVD release of " Just Before Dawn " , and films like " Slither " , " Payback " and " Body Double " feature his talents . But , I think his work here is exceptional . I think the point-of-view shots of the snake slithering around in the loft are quite reminiscent to those snake-cameras used by thieves attempting to find passages through difficult security systems in hi-tech actioners . The director often uses this device probably because it's a lot easier , and a bit more realistic . On paper , this film could be a winner . It probably is if you find Trudie Styler interesting or entertaining , because , in just my opinion , the film hangs on her likability . . she is in the film the most and it's her plight we must be concerned with . I found her pretty annoying so her plight didn't concern me , to be honest . I was more interested in Henry , because he created this air of pomposity and I've always been a fan of actors who could create a quiet menace , seething underneath this calm exterior . I like how the director often shoots him from below as if he were standing on a pedestal looking down on his prey . I say if you like Styler's performance and character , the film will work . . if not , then you'll feel the same way I did . Really , the interesting premise on paper never quite materializes on screen although , as I've mentioned already , Henry's villain is quite memorable . To be honest , in a real movie , a character such as Styler's would've been mincemeat . The funniest scene would have to been when Eva stares down the mamba with a lit cigarette lighter . |
435,849 | 9,938,570 | 252,963 | 5 | The Bunker | German soldiers ( who sound awfully British ) have to take refuge in a bunker when Allied American forces have surrounded them . Only an old timer , a bit off his rocker , and a young soldier are present inside the bunker to protect it until they join them . With hardly any supplies and little ammunition , they are easy sitting-ducks ready to be picked apart . Within the gut of the bunker is a creepy , dark , dank tunnel which might lead to a way out if the Americans haven't found out about it . But , something sinister lives within the tunnels where a large crop of human skeletons and bones are stored . The tunnel seems to be a sort-of burial ground for dead soldiers put there by the German Reich . But , as wise tales of the tunnel's creepy past begin to fester in the minds of those in the bunker , paranoia , mistrust and irrational behavior set in with disastrous results . Ambitious film doesn't have the budget to quite succeed . It tries it's hand at making the soldiers human , but it's hard to care about their fates knowing who they are . You almost feel like cheering for whoever is causing these soldiers to turn inside out . The dark tunnel is a highlight providing some chills , but I felt it has lots of potential in it's " ghostly " story-line it fails to capitalize on . That could be because not enough money was present to provide us with ghastly looking ghouls , but it seems director Rob Green is aiming for what you don't see than showing us ghosts with decaying corpses or skeleton soldiers going for revenge . There is an interesting reason behind a certain violent deed these particular Nazi soldiers did that plagues on them which might provide the motivation of acts against them in the bunker . There's also a running theme about desertion as one soldier goes mad wishing to eliminate all those German soldiers who came to the bunker after departing war when it was getting harsh . |
435,759 | 9,938,570 | 80,379 | 6 | Cannibal Apocalypse | Two Vietnam vets contracted a form of " rabies " that has caused a mental disturbance for causing violence and the unending hunger for human flesh . It seems that when they bite someone else , that " virus " causes the one bitten to have the same symptoms , because the soldiers ' commanding officer Captain John Saxon ( bitten by Radice ) is developing the craving after taking a small bite out of an alluring female teen neighbor . I'll just be honest . . I know this flick has it's fans , but I thought it was crap . I enjoyed it for all the wrong reasons ; I seriously giggled non stop at the crude vulgar dialogue nearly every character speaks , especially the police detective . There are some ridiculously over-the-top gore scenes which nearly had me rolling in the floor like when a demented Giovanni Lombardo Radice is sawing away at a gas station attendant's torso as he hits bone or when a certain character trying to flee police in the sewer ( . . guess who ? ) gets a complete hole blown through where his stomach once was . . replete with a camera shot through the hole as police come around the corner to see their handiwork as a glide up the body shows the dazed face of the now-dead character . Both shock sequences are pretty impressive , though . And , Radice really " gets into character " , saddled with some hilarious rubbish dialogue and his co-hort Tony King REALLY has a field day with his deranged Vietnam crazy who just loves leaving violent carnage in his wake . Liz Turner is John Saxon's concerned . . yet also terrified . . wife who worries about her husband's well-being and mental state . The conclusion is grim , to say the least . If you rent the DVD from netflix , I highly recommend watching the documentary with interviews by Saxon , director Antonio Margheriti , and ESPECIALLY Radice whose very candid and quite funny . Saxon says he didn't know that this film would feature flesh eating and Radice denounces his later film with Umberto Lenzi , " Cannibal ferox . " Director Antonio Margheriti did what he could , I guess , with the material he's stuck with . Radice says that he didn't take the material too seriously , which is probably good . |
436,226 | 9,938,570 | 99,108 | 6 | Basket Case | Granny Ruth offers refuge to fugitives Belial and Duane , who are on the lam from NYC police for several murders , including the doctors behind their separation . Ruth is an activist for those born with malformations and rejected by society as misunderstood freaks , and her attic is a secret haven for them . But , that haven might be threatened by a troublesome tabloid reporter who is sniffing at their heels for a major exclusive since a warrant is out for the arrest of Duane and Belial . Ruth will motivate her freakish community to rise up against those who threaten their comfortable way of existence . Meanwhile , Belial falls in love with a female freak such as himself as Duane falls in love with a seemingly normal young woman , who assists Ruth , named Susan ( Heather Rattray ) . Henenlotter's oddball sequel to his cult hit is really designed for the kind of crowd with a twisted sense of humor , not an audience at large . I have to admit that some of the freaks in the film are a bit much , such as a gargoyle and frog , but underneath the sick plot is a metaphor speaking out for those mistreated by the normal-looking society who shun anyone that's different from them . I did feel the ending takes things a bit too far , but it's more of a personal opinion . . Duane's reaction to Susan's " flaw " and how he decides to " re-join " with his brother maybe pushes the limits of bad taste . I found the film's two highlights being a back yard feast for the freaks by Ruth and a particular homage to Tod Browning's FREAKS . I did think effects whiz , Gabe Bartalos came up with some amazingly creative grotesque facial designs for his freaks , but Belial's attack sequences are rather laughable because he never escapes the unconvincing appearance of a rubber concoction . |
435,910 | 9,938,570 | 120,524 | 6 | Wishmaster | A Djinn is a demonic genie caught between two worlds who needs the person who calls him to ask for three wishes so that he can release his legion upon the earth . Shannon ( Wendy Benson-Landes ) unfortunately blows on a gem , created by a wizard to hold the Djinn inside , wiping it on her shirt so that she could get a clearer picture of it's center not knowing that was how you release the demonic genie from his cage . The Djinn takes the face of a dead corpse and names himself Nathaniel ( Andrew Divoff , who is perfectly cast as the purely evil demon in human form ) . The theme of " Monkey's Paw " is utilized in this film as anyone who desires a wish from the Djinn suffer the consequences losing their very soul in the process . These victims are merely a pawn in the Djinn's game for proposing that Shannon use her three wishes to halt the torture that will take place to those who made wishes . The climactic showdown between the two occurs in an cultist artifacts collector , Raymond Beaumont's ( Robert Englund playing a " normal " character for a change ) party where he wishes his shindig were like another in the past ( the one Djinn suggests . . the very gruesome one the viewer was privy to at the beginning in the past when a King's people were being slaughtered by the Djinn ) . The slaughter at Beaumont's party is quite graphic as well . It will come down to one last wish and whether or not Shannon can make it one that will not backfire releasing pure evil the entire Earth can not overcome . Making up for the silly premise is the film's outrageous graphic violence . People die in hideous , unusual ways . The idea that wishes can spawn evil to those who desire them is merely used as a tool to flood the screen with various means of bloody death . But , Divoff as the demonic genie is very effective and there are many cameos from B-movie types such as Buck Flower playing , yes you guessed it , a homeless person who wishes for pharmacist Reggie Bannister to die of Cancer because they hate each other . You have Ted Raimi in a small role as Robert Englund's assistant . The Tall Man Angus Scrimm even has the credit of narrating the opening introduction to the Djinn and where they came from . |
436,878 | 9,938,570 | 66,160 | 6 | Werewolf vs . The Vampire Woman | Silver bullets are removed from the chest of Waldemar Daninsky ( Paul Naschy ) by a skeptical coroner and weary assistant who suffer for doing such an idiotic deed . It's a Full Moon and the werewolf releases itself in attacking both them and an unfortunate female who happened to be walking nearby . Elvira ( Gaby Fuchs ) and her friend Genevieve ( the delicious Barbara Capbell ) are searching for the burial site of a devil-worshiping , supposed-vampire Countess Wandessa d'Arville de Nadasdy ( Patty Shepard , who looks great when she ever gets a chance to be on screen ; quite menacing yet striking at the same time ) . Their car runs out of gas near the estate of the mysterious , yet kind Waldemar ( yep , the man plagued by the wolf within ) who offers them a place to stay while they wait for the handyman , Pierre ( José Marco , playing one of those creepy perverted types ) to take them into the closest village . Waldemar's sister , Elizabeth ( Yelena Samarina ) is a bit off her rocker but tries to warn Elvira to leave . She later attacks Genevieve when she ventures into a chamber with chains and hand-latches showing signs of blood . Genevieve survives and Waldemar apologizes proclaiming that Liz is a bit unstable since the death of their parents . Later Waldemar takes the ladies to the resting tomb of Wandessa . Genevieve wishes to take some photos of Wandessa's corpse and Elvira takes a rain check heading towards the ruins of St . Anne's Chapel . A specific cross , wedged in the heart of Wandessa , is pulled out by Genevieve who rather likes it . . Big Mistake ! Cutting her wrist , the blood that sprinkles on Wandessa ' rotted mouth " rebirths " her so that she can rise again awaiting a certain night where her Lord and Master Satan can assist her in taking over the world ! Elvira will fall in love with Waldemar , while Elvira is bitten by Wandessa . Soon Pierre tries to kidnap Elvira and is killed by the werewolf . Genevieve will attempt to bite her friend and Waldemar informs Elvira that the cross which was pulled from Wandessa can in fact rescue him from his Full Moon Curse . Waldemar believes that if the cross is put through his heart by the one that loves him , he would be freed for good . You know that climactic battle that will take place as Wandessa kidnaps Elvira and her former beau , police Inspector Marcel ( Andrés Resino ) chaining them while awaiting her master Satan , but instead finds a battle with the werewolf . Despite many things plaguing the film , ( mainly mediocre writing and some languid pacing with acting that is sub-par ) the film is quite atmospheric with Naschy's werewolf quite a great monster . . a homage to the Universal creature except with blacker fur , lots of ferocious teeth , drool and blood gushing from the mouth and those scary , piercing white eyes . I would've loved a bit more of Shepard because I thought she had incredible presence on screen . I actually liked how the director puts their walking in slow motion as they pursue their desired victims . The music worked for the most part , often matching the mood of the night walkers . Sadly , the print I watched had bad visual and sound quality . . I would have enjoyed this much better if it was also in it's original language subtitled with a decent quality print . |
435,671 | 9,938,570 | 218,085 | 6 | Nightmares Come at Night | Strip-tease artist Anna ( Diana Lorys of Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll ) is having disturbing nightmares where she's forced against her will , it seems ( . . possibly under hypnosis by lover Cynthia ? We do see her lips moving without words uttered as she stares towards the screen as if giving orders right before the off-screen murders occur ) , to murder people she doesn't even know . Her nervous cries to psychiatrist Dr . Paul Lucas ( Paul Muller ) are resisted , as he seems to offer an ear , but often scoffs at the idea of her being crazy , suggesting that hospital care might be an option worth pursuing . Anna is convinced that her lover , Cynthia ( Colette Giacobine ) is behind what ills her . . . this stems from the fact that the nightmares really didn't start until after beginning their love affair . Meanwhile a couple ( Andrés Monales & Soledad Miranda ) , neighbors who live across from Cynthia's home where Anna stays , are often shown spying on them awaiting their " pay day " . To be honest , there are some major problems that keep Franco's mystery undermined . I think Lorys is good in the right role , but , to be honest , she's not really the archetypal heroine that leads a Jess Franco production . Lorys isn't ugly , but I'm afraid to say that she doesn't really have the beauty needed for this particular role . And , Lorys tends to take it a bit over the top , except one scene , my favorite , which is in a dream sequence where Anna has this moment of tranquility and peace ( . . and what truly enhances this dream sequence is Bruno Nicolai's melodic and serene score which only makes the final result of it even more tragic and sad ) as a possibility of true love with a fling of Cynthia's ( played by Franco regular Jack Taylor ) only to end in tragedy . I think Lorys is at her best when the character is subdued with the turmoil and paranoia bubbling underneath the surface , not elaborated outwardly where she often descends into hopeless melodramatics . My favorite actor in Franco's " inner circle " is Paul Muller , and he doesn't fail me here , either . His character carries an appearance as of someone who cares about the plight of a patient , listening to what Anna has to say with a quiet observance , delicately offering advice and solemn treatment to her . . I think , in portraying the doctor in such a fashion , the end result with him makes a greater impact . I don't think anyone ever doubted Cynthia was corrupt . Cynthia , almost from the get-go , is pointed out as a culprit behind Anna's trauma . . the way she slaps her around when angry at Anna for behaving " out of line " or how she seems little bothered at the suffering her lover is going through . Fans who adore Soledad Miranda will be sorely disappointed , because her role in the film is minimal . This is Lorys film , and Franco's camera doesn't shy away from closing in on her face and naked flesh . Lorys , like many a Franco heroine , wears revealing , see-through gowns , or those types opened down the middle as she sprawls out on a bed either in a seductive pose or under a difficult mental ( . . or nightmarish ) state . The DVD version I watched of Nightmares Come at Night was full screen and the technical aspects of a low budget show . The lighting in certain scenes was rather blah , making it hard to see certain actions ( . . like a sex scene between Anna and a couple she would murder ) taking place . Still , I've seen worse films than this and it held my attention . . any film which uses dreams and a troubled heroine inflicted by them will always have a place with me . I have to say this is one of the saddest and grim Franco films I've seen . Two scenes which didn't work for me were the longish strip-tease sequence with Anna ( . . when she meets Cynthia for the first time ; perhaps , I just never found Lorys acceptable or convincing so the act didn't wash ) and a love-making scene between her and Cynthia due to Franco's blurring the camera not allowing us to see what was taking place between them . I think the best aspect of the film is Nicolai's score . . it perfectly accentuates the mood of the story and characters even if the cast doesn't always succeed . |
435,698 | 9,938,570 | 54,462 | 6 | The Wasp Woman | A scientist has discovered a way to reverse the aging process through experimenting with the extracted enzymes from wasps , but there's a nasty side-effect . . those who take injections of the serum slowly " become " a wasp over time , which includes attacking those the person ( . . or thing ) comes in contact with for their blood , devouring the prey . The lovely Susan Cabot stars as Janice Starling , the head of a cosmetics marketing company , Starling Enterprises , that is slowly losing their customers due to her aging ( . . she is also the company's model spokesperson ) . Janice discovers that a scientist , rather rejected as a kook by his own medical community , Eric Zinthrop ( Michael Mark ) , may've found a way to reverse aging and she provides the financial means for his research and experiments . Shown the success of his work on animals , Janice opts vocally to serve as Zinthrop's human guinea pig . After the experience of her beauty and youth returning , Janice becomes obsessed with the process working faster , entering Zinthrop's office while he's away . After an auto accident where a vehicle hit Zinthrop while crossing the street , Janice continues to inject herself , and even worse , her scientist has suffered a possible brain injury . While comatose , Janice begins turning into a human wasp attacking certain employees who have the misfortune of coming in contact with her , at night . She reverts back to her human form , but the changes are becoming more frequent and it's only a matter of time before she threatens nearly her entire staff , including Bill Lane ( Anthony Eisley ) and Mary Dennison ( Barboura Morris ) , members of her marketing team who begin to search for missing colleagues such as the cosmetic chemist , Arthur Cooper ( William Roerick ) and the building's night watchman ( Bruno VeSota ) . One of director Roger Corman's notoriously cheap creature features with star Susan Cabot first wearing old age make-up , soon donning a silly wasp mask and insect gloves . Look , I fight myself when I watch these movies because on one hand , this is 1960 and many young filmmakers had to deal with the budget they had , attempting to make the best movie according to the funds available . I like these mad scientist movies that deal with the " fountain of youth " formula and Corman's film hones in on the obsessions with beauty and how that drives ambition to return to the thriving success you once had , that has waned due to age . And , it's as prevalent today ( . . if not more so ) as it was in 1960 . I think Corman makes the correct decision showing less of the wasp woman as possible , to restrain the giggles of many audience members who wouldn't consider such insect wardrobe realistic . I really liked Cabot , and thought she expressed all the anxieties of losing her beauty , the rejuvenated spirit of gaining it back , and the pressures of keeping it ( . . while struggling with the creature yearning to escape and the secret of having to hide bodies from her employees ) rather well . It doesn't hurt that she's not bad to look at ( . . and , the old age make-up did little to fool us into thinking she wasn't a sight for sore eyes , because her impressive figure was still intact ) and I felt Cabot was able to draw sympathy from the viewer due to the harsh climate of a powerful woman in a business world where beauty is held to such a high degree . But , it receives a high level of criticism due to it's poor costume for Cabot . . during the time of it's release , I'm sure it probably made hearts flutter from those in attendance . If I were to hold this movie at such severity , I'd have to pick on THE FLY as well , because both films deal with actors in costume . . I haven't seen the remake of THE WASP WOMAN , but the story is fine and could benefit from some more effective ( . . elaborate ) effects . That , for me , was really the only negative holding THE WASP WOMAN back . I feel the low IMDb score is unfair , but many have contempt for these kinds of movies so THE WASP WOMAN lingers with a 3 rating . |
435,792 | 9,938,570 | 56,341 | 6 | Period of Adjustment | As the film opens we see right at the offset that the marriage between " shaky-hands " George ( Jim Hutton ; a problems that resulted from his war experience in Korea ) and Isabel ( a smoking Jane Fonda at the early part of her career ) is rocky . But , the home they are headed for in Florida holds a marriage coming apart at the seams . Ralph ( Anthony Franciosa ) and Dorothea ( Lois Nettleton ) are having problems of their own . Ralph has had enough of his boss , and Dorothea's father , and tells him his thoughts about the crusty old man and where he can take this job . Other things underneath the surface , though , lead Dorothea to leaving Ralph such as his quitting his job , the way he wishes for his son be treated like a male than a sissy ( I felt this was an intentional Tennesse Williams subtle plot point about parental homophobia ) . . his son is given girlie toys instead of a football or other more manly presents . We watch as these four characters face personal demons in a night of not only bitter feuding , discussion , and , most importantly , reflection . The main question is can both marriages survive ? Like a lot of films based on plays , this shows characters searching their souls and trying to become honest with themselves and the faults that guide them into unusual terrain . We watch as they try and sort out their emotions by talking . We see an age-old ordeal in the Ralph and Dorothea marriage . . the in-laws butting in and causing further conflict . That alone casts a foreboding shadow Ralph wishes to escape . Also , the " ugly duckling " aspect regarding how Dorothea feels about herself is also a little ordeal that plays out in the film as she questions whether Ralph wants to remain in a " love-less " marriage . George is a fragile man who met his wife Isabel in a mental hospital where doctors tried to find the reason for the consistent plague of shakes that take over his hands ( it would probably acute to panic attacks that many suffer today ) . He talks a big talk , even tries to play out his aggressiveness , but he's weak and really does need Isabel even though he pretends to acts all macho . Isabel has such a wonderful personality , but her insistence to be heard and appreciated , at times , weighs a bit on George . So we see that each person has to come to terms with each other's faults and problems . This film has a tendency to over-exaggerate it's message ( . . and is a bit syrupy at times ) and lays on the melodrama a bit thick . It still has a more adult theme to it and touches on some very important things every marriage faces . It's always interesting seeing Fonda in these early roles before she becomes engulfed in the hippie lifestyle of the on-coming Vietnam war . |
436,944 | 9,938,570 | 398,712 | 6 | Assault on Precinct 13 | Potty-mouthed , tough-talking cop film , preposterous to the max . One can easily rip the film to shreds psychoanalyzing the mistakes and holes in the plot . I can understand if many loathe it for the very fact that a saboteur is among those in the precinct and yet he doesn't just plug everyone despite the fact that they have no knowledge of this person's outside criminal activities . You could question how a few people on the inside of a precinct could fend off professional cops with high-tech equipment and state-of-the-art weaponry without major casualties . Or , you could just say the hell with it and enjoy it despite it's numerous faults . I realized it's a ridiculous action-packed film where Ethan Hawke seems to be the luckiest cop in the world because he can evade gunfire despite those shooting having the very best snipers shooting with their night-scope . The film is a very loose remake of John Carpenter's superior remake ( that film was set in LA ) , this time set in a wintry Detroit precinct on it's way to being closed down . As we see in the thrilling opening sequence , Ethan Hawkes ' Roenick loses his undercover crew when a drug bust goes awry . He's mentally shaken by this and is now a Sergeant behind the desk of the soon-to-extinct precinct awaiting another desk-job reassignment . His night crew consists of Secretary Iris ( Drea de Matteao ) , who has a thing for bad boys , and soon-to-be retired cop Jasper ( Brian Dennehy ) . Their peaceful night is shattered when a bus driver must stop his vehicle , with criminals aboard including drug crime-lord Marion Bishop ( Laurence Fishburne ) , at the old precinct to await out the winter blizzard that has erupted causing badly icy roads . That takes us to the up and coming siege of the 13th Precinct by Duvall ( Gabriel Byrne ) and his corrupted police cronies . They have been in partnership with Bishop for sometime , but the drug-lord doesn't wish to do business with them anymore ( he kills one of Duvall's men in a church early on before being caught by police ) . Afraid he'll testify , therefore possibly bringing down 33 men on the force , Duvall will eliminate all those present in the precinct after Roenick discovers , when venturing outside towards the bus killing one of them in a fight , that the police are behind the attack . The film spends most of the film showing Roenick trying to find out how he and those inside the precinct , including three other prisoners with Bishop ( John Leguizamo , Ja Rule and Aisha Hinds ) and his department-appointed psychiatrist ( Maria Bello ) , will survive an onslaught of consistent gunfire . Worse even still is how they will ever make it out of the precinct to possibly get help . The precinct is located around abandoned industrial plants where no human life is around to hear the constant barrage of bullet-fire . But , what even makes matters worse is someone among them is working for Duvall . |
435,665 | 9,938,570 | 36,931 | 6 | House of Frankenstein | Escaping Neustadt prison ( after a terrible storm appropriately capsizes their prison cells ) with hunchback Daniel ( J Carrol Naish ) , the evil Dr . Niemann ( Boris Karloff ) , a scientist , and follower of Frankenstein's work , wishes to find his idol's records wherever they might be . Niemann will murder Professor Lampini ( George Zucco , rather wasted in a VERY minor role ) taking his identity of traveling promoter for his " Chamber of Horrors " . Desiring revenge for being sent to prison , Niemann first sets his sights on the village of Reigelberg to kill Burgomeister Hussman ( Sig Ruman ) . Lampini had removed the skeletal remains of Dracula as an exhibit , with the stake still firmly wedged in his heart . Niemann removes the stake promising he'll watch over Dracula's coffin at night if the vampire murders Hussman . Under the disguise of Baron Latos , Dracula ( John Carradine , quite effective in his limited screen time ) will do as Niemann wishes but makes the mistake of pursuing Hussman's married granddaughter Rita ( Anne Gwynne ) . . Upon stopping at Frankenstein village , Daniel lusts after a pretty dancing gypsy , Ilonka ( Elena Verdugo ) and saves her from the whipping of a thief . Coercing Niemann to carry her along , Ilonka will join them upward to Frankenstein's castle ruins . Niemann and Daniel find The Monster and The Wolf Man Larry Talbot ( Lon Chaney , Jr , still weary and sorrowful for having his affliction , but the sympathy for this character is waning . . ) encased in blocks of ice underneath Frankenstein's castle . Niemann releases them from their temporary tombs , promising to cure Talbot of his affliction if he helps find Frankenstein's records . They head for Niemann's laboratory in Visaria where , on the journey , Ilonka and Talbot fall in love with Daniel growing jealous of this budding relationship and Niemann's not fixing his body as promised . Niemann , in fact , promised Daniel the body of an Adonis . With Niemann only concerned with revenge against two assistants who betrayed him to police , regarding his experiments , for wages and bringing strength back to the Monster , both Talbot and Daniel grow impatient and angry . Talbot hopes that Ilonka will kill him with a silver bullet and Daniel will finally confront Niemann once and for all regarding not doing as he promised . . Episodic which really is the only method when trying to form a movie with so many characters . My favorite part of the film has Carradine as Dracula . I thought he looked the part . . completely sinister with a strong presence on screen . I was actually quite disappointed when his part in the movie was over . I think Naish captures that sympathy quite well taking a completely different approach to his hunchback than Dwight Frye . Karloff captures that menace with ease . . . it is good that he freed himself from further Universal monster movies , though . Fun , but a far cry in quality from the earlier Frankenstein films . |
435,957 | 9,938,570 | 56,331 | 6 | Panic ! | Cautionary tale about a family who are driving on the outskirts of LA when an atom bomb is dropped right on top of the mighty city . Dad Ray Milland ( who also directed from what is clearly a minor budget ) understands human nature's decline when civilization is attacked and our idea of order is crumbled ( for a realistic example Katrina's damage and how chaos ensued in New Orleans when order was effected ) . He decides to take his family to the hills , but faces many trials along the way . They hole up in a cave until safety and some sort of order can be re-established . There are others nearby their cavernous hideaway and danger ever so becomes an imminent threat . That specific threat , and the key conflict to our family , are three hoods they were able to get the best of on a highway , but now must face them in the mountains . Will civilization ever be restored ? Is there anyone left to trust ? Or , is this only a clear sign that the collapse of human nature will awaken a beast that eats itself alive ? The score is rotten cheese , and the film can't escape the look of a studio set . But , the story is quite compelling and having the point-of-view through the suffering eyes of a family trying to survive works . And , the constant fear of villainy just out in the distance somewhere creates this kind of unease as Milland and family worry almost every waking moments of possible attack . Despite a straight-faced bravado , this film can't escape it's hokey nature . |
435,780 | 9,938,570 | 297,284 | 6 | Mindhunters | Okay , so I have an affinity for Renny Harlin's Hollywood movies . So sue me , I can't help but enjoy these polished time-wasters . I'm also a sucker for these FBI crime thrillers where someone is not who they seem . On an island compound , designed by the FBI to train profilers , Kilmer places a group of intelligent wannabees there to find a " killer " called the " Puppeteer " . It's all supposed to be a simulated game . . this changes when murders start to occur . Lots of tricks and traps are pulled by the puppeteer , and the film goes out of it's way to place LL Cool J ( charismatic as always ) as the chief suspect . Sure , the film will also put out there the main heroine as well , but this is perhaps far-fetched that anyone would believe she's anything more than a decoy by the screenplay to leave open everyone as suspect . Yes , I was eye-rolling at some of the elaborately staged death traps , but they are built much like SAW in surprising us . You never know what crazy kill will happen next and to whom . And , the always asked question . . who is the exceptionally talented assassin ? This , like SAW before it , is the ultimate screenwriter movie . I can envision the writer coming up with all kinds of nutty scenarios at his laptop , hammering out which ones work best . I felt the revealing of the killer and his motivations rubbish . I question the ability of anyone being able to set up and execute such sharply created death tricks . But , the film is a play of cat and mouse with the viewer . I will freely admit to being entertained , nothing more or less than that . |
435,946 | 9,938,570 | 24,055 | 6 | The Ghoul | Pagan Professor Morlant ( Boris Karloff , absent for far too long ) wishes for a rare jewel , sold to him by Arab " shiek " Aga Ben Dragore ( Harold Huth ) who stole it from an Egyptian crypt , to be buried in his tomb when he passes . Morlant is dying and has his aide , Laing ( Ernest Thesiger , up to his usual scene-stealing ways ) bandage the jewel in his hand . Unfortunately for Morlant , Laing steals the jewel in a moment of weakness and before long others seek after it such as Dragore , sneaky no-good accountant Broughton ( Cedric Hardwicke ) , and even " padre " Nigel Hartley ( Ralph Richardson ) . Betty Harlon ( Dorothy Hyston ) and Ralph Morlant ( Anthony Bushell ) are cousins from bickering families related to Professor Morlant who stood to benefit from anything left by him after his death . What no one counted on was Professor Morlant's " rising from the grave " in search of the stolen jewel . . he plans to bow at the altar of his pagan statue hoping for eternal life with the jewel clasped in his hand . While being deliciously atmospheric with foggy nights and creepy Morlant estate as the setting , this film lumbers along at too slow a pace . Kathleen Harrison is the comic relief as Kaney , Betty's friend who tags along , falling for Dragore and getting into possible peril when the jewel winds up in her hands out of all people . The leads , Hyson and Bushell aren't charismatic or charming enough , but pros Karloff ( . . the precious few minutes we have him ) , Hardwicke , Thesiger , & especially Richardson give this some merit . Not really that bad , but could've been so much better . |
436,511 | 9,938,570 | 54,393 | 6 | Tormented | From director Bert I Gordon , I was surprised to find in TORMENTED a rather competently made little thriller about a troubled jazz pianist whose lover falls to her death from the top of a lighthouse accidentally . . hanging for dear life from the lantern room's Astral bars , Vi calls for Tom Stewart to help , and yet he allows her to fall , crashing to the rocks below . Tom's actions were out of fear that she'll do as she threatened , informing his fiancé of their affair . This act will be quite a burden as Vi returns as a tormenting spirit , haunting him ( . . could it be his guilty conscience or was Vi so determined to have him , her vengeful spirit would rise from the watery depths to stake her claim at owning him ? ) . Tom's life grows even more complicated when a blackmailer , Nick ( Joe Turkel , most know him as Lloyd , the bartender in Kubrick's THE SHINING ) , who boated Vi to his location , wants compensation due to her never paying him for his services . When Tom makes a decision regarding Nick , his fiancé Meg's ( Lugene Sanders ) little sister , Sandy ( Susan Gordon ) catches him in the act only adding to an already difficult situation . The planned wedding could be in danger as Tom's pressures at concealing a secret slowly lead him down a dark path to no return . . You know director Gordon is known as a schlock filmmaker , but I think this is one of those times where the story is told in a rather effective way , although his special effects featuring Vi , the ghost , might induce chuckles , such as when her disembodied head and hand appear to him , when her ghostly apparition often pops up unannounced at inopportune times , or a photo taken featuring her face along with Tom and Meg . Unlike other films , though , they aren't as corny ( . . or , at least I didn't think so , but you be the judge ) and the story regarding a man's sins returning to him over and over , never letting go , due to his own mistakes , isn't a bad one . Bottom line . . this kind of film has a concept that could work if the filmmakers had the kind of effects which exist today . But , Gordon didn't , so many will have a bit of fun at his expense . I actually liked the movie if just for the finale when a wedding service is actually interrupted by the slamming opening of the church doors accompanied by withering roses , leading up to a disturbing close as Tom contemplates murdering young Sandy because of seeing too much . The final image is a dandy , probably one of Gordon's most compelling closings to any film he's made . . a wedding ring lost , and found , with a proclamation actually coming true . Understandably , movies like FOOD OF THE GODS & EARTH VS THE SPIDER would almost make any film look like a masterpiece , but still those didn't feature a story with some merit to it and Carlson is the anchor holding the dramatic elements together . Plus , Carlson's character is quite a noirish archetype . . the kind of flawed victim of circumstances , most his own making , who , instead of coming clean to the woman he loves , continues to create a worsening situation for himself . By the end , he's quite scary , especially if you take into count his willingness to possibly throw Sandy from the top of the lighthouse . . also his end is quite tragic , but Gordon allows the character to suffer for his bad decisions . |
435,841 | 9,938,570 | 38,937 | 6 | Shock | Prehistoric Price vehicle , before he become a major horror star in HOUSE OF WAX , where he portrays a psychiatric doctor at an institution who attempts to silence a patient under his care who suffered a traumatic shock after witnessing him murder his wife with a conk on the head using a candlestick after she threatened his career due to his adultery with a fellow nurse working under him . Janet Stewart ( Anabel Shaw ; spending most of the screen time in a bed either sedated or trying to warn others of the murder she witnessed ) has been long awaiting her husband , Lt . Paul Stewart ( Frank Latimore ) , who was a three-year POW , and has been battling nightmares regarding their separation from each other , spending time in a hotel worrying about the potential of his not showing up . While she waits , Dr . Richard Cross ( . . a young , dashing Vincent Price , proving here his capabilities as a leading star ) confronts his wife in another room across the way , attacking his wife in the heat of the moment , placing her body in a trunk . Janet is shocked to total silence , her face frozen with horror . Husband Paul finds her in this devastated condition and Cross is called to look at her . . discovering why she is in such a shape , he will act to keep her mouth shut , having Paul reluctantly moving the poor girl into his hospital , under his care . Enter , Cross ' lover , nurse Elaine Jordan ( Lynn Bari ) who persuades him to not follow his emotions of reporting his actions towards his wife to the police , by keeping Janet sedated , while attempting to drive her mad , with their plan soon evolving into a possible murder . While Cross becomes more and more weary , his conscience and psyche cracking , Elaine continues to motivate his cover-up so they can be together . Soon Cross is able to dump the body with it found , proclaimed an accidental plunge . . but , a district attorney ( Reed Hadley ) soon gets involved in the case , which will inevitable make Cross squirm even more . What doesn't help is Janet's awakening long enough to finger Cross as the murderer , producing an even more difficult situation for Cross , but Elaine is concocting a scheme to convince their colleagues ( . . and husband Paul ) that she's simply delusional , perhaps even crazy . I must say that the performances ( . . particularly Price and Bari ) are effective and the story is suspenseful . There's nothing new regarding the old storyline of man killing his wife , with his lover helping him to cover it up , facing challenges along the way , but the idea of a psychiatrist holding psychologically hostage the patient who can put him behind bars is a rather gripping and intriguing one . I like that Price isn't as much a villain , as a trapped man , who is painted in a corner trying to escape with few options available except the criminal kind . We obviously sympathize with poor Janet who has been waiting for her husband for so long , not knowing if he was hurt or dead , fragile already emotionally , only to be stuck under the treatment of a man who holds her life in his hands and needs her silenced . Bari is the true villain of the film , as Elaine , her behavior cold-blooded , a devotion to Cross so unyielding she go to great lengths to help him remain out of harm's way . Unfortunately , I watched an obvious public domain rip with rather dodgy picture quality and poor sound . One major complaint was the ending with a certain negative reaction between Cross and Elaine that I felt was forced in the story to clearly implicate the doctor . . at this time , there was a rule in Hollywood where the criminals must be punished . I'm not saying Cross couldn't change his mind regarding Janet's fate , but his actions towards Elaine feel a little suspect as if the writer put it in the film as a way of appeasing the censors . To be honest , the film is unremarkable in style , but I believe SHOCK is a must-see for Price's loyal fanbase . . this kind of role was a sign of things to come and it was a showcase for his abilities regarding the character shaped by fate , his frailties leading to certain downfall . |
436,151 | 9,938,570 | 78,288 | 6 | The Blood Stained Shadow | A professor , Stefano ( Lino Capolicchio ) , returns home to visit his brother Don Paolo ( Craig Hill ) , a parish priest , and finds that someone is bumping off specific citizens in gruesome ways . We get a séance reading with the spiritualist after earlier seeing her receiving bribe money in an envelope in the café where the brothers feast and chat about old times . The spiritualist is strangled by someone in black leather gloves and raincoat as a storm rages outside with Paolo hearing her death scream from his room above . He doesn't see the person responsible only later receiving threatening fragmented riddled letters informing him to remain silent or else . Stefano will pursue the identity of the killer , out of devotion to his brother . Stefano meets an art decorator , Sandra ( Stefania Casini ) , on his train to home , with a blossoming relationship resulting as the murders to several who partook in the very séance held by the spiritualist before she was killed , continue to increase . Sandra's ill mother , once a very talented artist , has a specific painting which might yield a clue to the overall mystery that opens the film in slow motion . . an innocent girl was strangled by someone ( . . the killer , of course , off camera ) and as she falls to the ground , ripping pages from a book tossed away . Also , the way the letter " t " is printed on the threatening letters to Paolo , an image that haunts Stefano , an abortionist with a mentally ill son , and the aforementioned painting someone is very interested in requiring all play a hand in who is committing the murders . Those who sought after by the killer include a wealthy aristocratic homosexual Count who likes to fondle boys , an atheist doctor often clashing with the priest , Sandra's own artist mother , and quite possibly the abortionist and Paolo himself . Stylish giallo from director Antonio Bido perhaps is a bit slow in places , but is convoluted enough with a pretty good cast and sordid characters which should satisfy the giallo thriller crowd . I thought Craig Hill as the troubled priest was very good , quite expressive as his face displays tormenting thoughts and paranoia . This giallo does have a sex scene between Stefano and Sandra which should also satisfy the ones expecting it in their gialli . Not as violent as other thrillers of it's ilk , and the film takes it's time telling the story . Very story-driven with the mystery unveiling bit by bit . Those who are familiar with this genre might find a twist ( . . used in films such as " Don't Torture a Duckling " & " Seven Blood-Stained Orchids " ) rather derivative , but I think this giallo works well enough . Some beautiful , effective uses of the island the director shot the film representing his own form of Vienna . My favorite set-piece would be the following point-of-view shot as someone is walking behind Sandra through alleys of Vienna and across corners as she makes her way to home . |
436,262 | 9,938,570 | 70,603 | 6 | Curse of the Devil | Irineus Daninsky ( Paul Naschy ) and his men , crusading in the name of God , execute a group of Satanists and his ancestry are cursed by E Bathory as she is burned alive . The movie continues many years later as a descendant , Waldemar , kills a wolf which was actually a male member of gypsies who call upon the Devil ( a man dressed in a black suit and gloves . . quite a surreal sequence in a cave ) to have sex in a cavernous worshiping lair swearing to torment him with a curse . A pretty one from their group seduces Waldemar later sprinkling some of her " infected " blood on the skull of a wolf's head pressing a nasty bite into his flesh . He is now to become a werewolf at the Full Moon always to terrorize innocents biting and slashing . A vicious ax-killer is also on the loose chopping up pretty ladies and beheads the satanic woman who accursed Waldemar with werewolf blood . The ax killer will also do battle with Waldemar in werewolf form . A family from Budapest set roots in a cottage nearby Waldemar . Waldemar falls in love with the older daughter of the Wilowa family who informs him she's pregnant with his child . Her jealous younger sister seduces Waldemar . . at the wrong time , a night of the Full Moon , and becomes another in a growing line of werewolf victims . Soon many villagers ( . . and a traveling troupe camping nearby Waldemar's estate ) are getting their throats slashed and faces ripped to shreds . By the end of the film , most of the film's cast are destroyed by Waldemar , in werewolf form . Not too bad , I thought , as far as the series goes . Mixes the occult within the werewolf sub-genre for some interesting results . I think it would work a lot better if given a better soundtrack , in Spanish language with subtitles ( truly terrible dubbing where it seems that those who spoke the dialogue had contempt for the material making this flick cheesy when it could be an more serious werewolf product ) , and had snappier pacing . But , this delivers on the gore . . lots of bloody gaping throat wounds and facial tears . The werewolf even slams a huge stone across a victim's face ! Also has a grisly scene towards the end as villagers decide to form a lynch-mob killing Waldemar's hired help and comrade with farm equipment . Beautiful location assists , especially at night where my favorite sequences seem to take place . Chock full of nude female flesh as well . Not as good as " Werewolf Shadow " , but not the worst werewolf film I've seen . |
436,933 | 9,938,570 | 780,593 | 6 | Pumpkinhead : Ashes to Ashes | Doc Fraser ( Doug Bradley ) has Bunt Wallace ( Douglas Roberts presenting a flawed , but sympathetic character ) throw corpses his removed the skin from in the swamp as he sells the hide to others for grafting and plastic surgery . His source is a meth-maker named Lenny ( Emil Hostina ) who can sell the skin and other parts ( like a poor live soul who makes the unfortunate mistake of crossing their path on a hike through the backwoods ) such as kidneys to other lucrative clients . When the poor unfortunate soul is able , despite having his kidney removed , to run into Molly Sue ( Tess Panzer , whose character is a grieving mother stuck in an unhappy marriage ) traveling on the road . When Molly calls on the local fuzz , Doc's operation suffers , although he isn't unmasked as the ringleader . Those taken in are Bunt ( who is often visited by the ghostly image of Lance Henriksen's Ed Harley from the first PUMPKINHEAD film ; it's Bunt who told Ed about the witch in the woods . . Ed serves as a type of guilty conscience for Bunt ) and his meth-addicted sister ( and Doc's lover ) Dahlia ( Lisa McAllister ) . They are the ones who dug up the corpses for Doc from their graves . When Molly's interference causes the finding of all the corpses , both found in a barn and in the forest , Doc has to come up with a plan to halt anyone finding out his involvement . That's the least he has to worry about , because Molly will pay a visit to the witch in the woods , along with three others including her husband's lover , Ellie ( Ioana Ginghina ) . Seeking vengeance for her son being dug up and skinned , Molly will give over her blood marking all those involved with the grave-digging operation . The corpse of Ed Harley will be the demonic vessel used to summon Pumpkinhead to wreak havoc not only on those marked , but also anyone , innocent or otherwise , that stands in the way of that murderous goal . Will Molly's husband Oliver ( Emanuel Parvu ) be able to find a way , along with Ellie who regrets her decision for participating in the summoning of the monster , to stop Pumpkinhead and it's bloody rampage ? Can Bunt find redemption for his past involvement with Fraser ? And , will Fraser be able to kill all those who summoned Pumpkinhead before he becomes a victim ? This film is a welcome return to the franchise and seeing Bradley out of his Pinhead make-up is really neat . He's a good actor and being able to play a human monster without a disguise is fun . The cast outside of Bradley and Henriksen , who is also a welcome sight even if he's basically in it as a messenger communicating to Bunt about how vengeance and summoning evil can do no good , is forgettable and uninteresting . The monster is terrific , even if the filmmakers can not resist whipping out the CGI for some climbing sequences ( particularly the church sequence ) . The film also wisely avoids even mentioning the sequel BLOODWINGS adopting a more serious tone and staying close to what made the first film so intriguing . It's also quite gory with the monster mangling quite a few folks who get in it's path of bloodshed . |
436,835 | 9,938,570 | 99,313 | 6 | The Scarecrow reviews " Crash and Burn " | Well , unlike others on here who really didn't like this film , I have to say I rather enjoyed it . It's a B-picture all the way and lifts ideas from other films ( the checking for blood is from John Carpenter's " The Thing " and the synthoid is clearly an imitation of the monster android in " The Terminator " ) , but has a capable cast who bring much to the film . It's also a rather short 80 minutes so the film doesn't outlast it's time . The plot is set in the future where the ozone layer has depleted badly and " thermo-storms " often cause havoc . The ultra-violet rays keep everyone from enjoying life outside and this totalitarian government called Unicorp runs the society of the United States . There is a secret organization called ILU which plan to overthrow this government so the Unicorp has sent out synthoids as watchdogs to keep an eye on possible suspects . On a television station ran by Ralph Waite's Lathan Hooks ( I liked Waite so much I wish he had more screen time ) . His granddaughter Arren ( a fine Megan Ward who had done some really good work for Full Moon ) knows that Lathan is secretly a part of ILU and uses the TV station as a quiet cover for the group's activities . A motorcycle courier for Unicorp named Tyson ( Paul Ganus ) brings Lathan a supply of freon and decides to stay until a thermo-storm passes the night . He and Arren bond as friends while Tyson is physically attracted to a schoolteacher named Parice ( the foxy soap opera star Eva LaRue Callahan ) . Jack McGee , a fine character actor who often plays leeches , is Winston Wickett . . a relative of a Unicorp rep which is the reason he has a sleazy talk show at Lathan's station . He has invited two porn stars , Sandra and Christie ( Elizabeth Maclellan , who is quite good in this movie , and Katherine Armstrong ) to shack up with him until the thermo-storm passes . Then there's Quinn , a handyman and electrician , played by " The Devil's Rejects " Bill Moseley . During the night someone kills Lathan and it is told that there's a synthoid loose amongst the group ( this occurs when Arren hides from the pack , finds Tyson , cuts him to see if his blood is red , and tells him about that very fact ) . Will Tyson and Arren find the synthoid before it kills the entire group ? This film actually has a decent pace and the robot effects at the end by David Allen are solid but don't last near as long as I'd have liked . Anybody that has indeed seen the low budget films , " Robot Jox " and " Robot Wars " should recognize the robot in " Crash and Burn . " Many have sided against it for being unoriginal which is a fair argument , but I have to say I enjoyed it for the cast who do bring it up more than a notch . I was entertained and this is the type of movie that might go over for genre fans with low expectations . |
436,519 | 9,938,570 | 50,432 | 6 | The Giant Claw | A giant extra-terrestrial buzzard with an anti-matter forcefield ( . . I'm not making this up ! ) is terrorizing the world , flying at intense speeds , downing vehicles in flight , chomping on parachuting innocents attempting to escape , and swooping down to cause death and destruction . It's up to our brave government and scientists to figure out how to penetrate it's forcefield so that the rockets and bullets we fire from our artillery can end it's reign of terror for good . Directed by Fred F Sears ( The Werewolf ; Earth vs The Flying Saucers ) and starring Jeff Morrow ( This Island Earth ; The Creature Walks Among Us ) as an " electronics wiz " , Mitch MacAfee who works with the military to solve the crisis regarding the anti-matter forcefield , hoping to find a flaw , creating a weapon of some sort to remove this shield used to protect itself from invading hostile threats towards it's body . Mara Corday is Sally , a mathematics genius and Mitch's love-interest who helps keep him centered and focused . The dialogue is full of delightfully dated and cornball ( . . terms like " we'll throw everything but the kitchen sink at ' im " or " Holy Toledo " or " I must've lost my marbles " ) , with much fun derived from the inner arguments between this civilian Mitch and the government assigned to find answers to a terrifying crisis where time is limited and martial law is declared as the giant killer bird causes nothing but problems with the public in cities or across the country . It swoops down to grab a moving locomotive train from it's tracks , lands upon the United Nations building , smashing it to smithereens . Falling debris has city folk running for their lives . The blasted alien buzzard even has an egg for which Mitch and Sally destroy . The film will cause much amusement as the characters carry on with grave expressions , many at each other's throats due to the crisis at hand . Good stuff . The puppet buzzard is a hoot . Many will find it rather embarrassing as I'm sure those who starred in this did , but I couldn't stop giggling at what the characters were forced to say , the cast attempting with dignity to bring an authenticity to such a rubbish , outrageous plot . Like in a lot of these B-movies , a dark , brooding narrative voice speaks about the job of our men and women , also foretelling danger regarding the monster in the sky . |
436,027 | 9,938,570 | 70,634 | 6 | Dracula-The Satanic Rites | I seem to be in the minority regarding this Dracula feature which I think is satirical in many ways . Think about it . . England's finest worshipping Satan , following the leadership of Count Dracula for ultimate mad power . The idea that Dracula has moved up the corporate ladder , a powerful businessman who has his own corporation , and a criminal organization planning to threaten global catastrophe by way of a newly created Bubonic plague . Lee even speaking Hungarian ( ! ) , obviously paying homage to Lugosi , using an alias , DD Dunham to carry out his underhanded dastardly deeds . Unlike other films , Dracula only bites one female victim in this one , threatening the life of Lorrimer Van Helsing's daughter ( . . this time played by stunning Joanna Lumley ) who are together working with detectives to infiltrate a den of vampires , led by Dracula . There's a great use of a hawthorn bush ( . . from such a bush was the crown of thorns placed on Christ's head which is why such a thing can inflict harm to the Devil's disciple ) to weaken Dracula . There's a place of Satan worship where Dracula's agents and disciples use for their amoral activities with a cellar containing his " brides . " You have Gibson's exciting camera-work , some nicely vicious stake-in-the-heart stabbings , and , while a bit dated , it's not a kooky as the previous Gibson vehicle , actually incorporating spy elements . . Dracula is kind of like a Bond villain with Cushing infiltrating his organization . Check it out if you would like to see a different type of Hammer Dracula movie . Includes a bit of nudity as a disciple of Dracula lays upon a table naked as kind of a sacrificial lamb as English political giants grin lasciviously at the idea of attaining global power and eternal life thanks to their new master . It seems Hammer fans resist Dracula in modern London , but , like the previous film Dracula AD 1972 , the vampire rarely circulates with society , using others to assist him in his activities . I think the office meeting between Lee and Cushing hearkens wonderfully back to Horror of Dracula and the we see a fabulous dissolve sequence at the end where a murdered vampire deteriorates before our eyes , from the flesh withering into bones , finally turning the remains into dust . To be honest , unlike others , I didn't mind the film not explaining how Dracula returns . I think , like previous films have shown , someone used blood or something to resurrect him . Look , films in the past came up with far-fetched , but imaginative , ways to bring him back to life and dispatch Dracula again , so not displaying his resurrection this time perhaps saves haters from rolling their eyes in disbelief . |
435,891 | 9,938,570 | 90,021 | 6 | Silver Bullet | A small town community is rocked by a rash of killings thanks in part to a werewolf , and Sheriff Joe Haller ( Terry O'Quinn ) has no clues as to who the predator is . With a curfew effecting the town and frightened , angry citizens wanting the killer apprehended , it'll be up to brother and sister Marty & Jane Coslaw ( Corey Haim & Megan Follows ) , along with their dis-believing alcoholic Uncle Red ( Gary Busey ) to stop the one committing the violence . Bothered with having a responsibility for helping take care of crippled brother Marty , Jane must somehow trust him when he claims that he shot the werewolf in the eye with a bottle-rocket one night while lighting them in a nearby park . When his identity is discovered by Jane , they will have to convince Uncle Red to assist them or their very lives may be in jeopardy . You know looking at " Silver Bullet " now , I feel it's a tale of two halves . A rock solid opening up until the fog-misted werewolf slaughter of gathered citizens , joining a mob out to find the beast , and the stunning show-stopping highlight , a dream sequence of the priest whose congregation turn into werewolves . Then the film suddenly changes . The one plagued with lycanthropy , once before was a good man , troubled with the beast , but at a certain point turns into a grubby-faced psycho attempting to murder Marty with his car , even threatening the wheel-chair bound kid inside a crippling bridge . When the sheriff is told Marty's story about being threatened by this person , he goes to the person's abode without a deputy backing him up . And , it seems that the town up and forgets about the terror plaguing their community murdering their citizens after the incident in the foggy park where the werewolf picked off several out to kill it . When Stephen King's screenplay shifts completely towards Marty & Jane's battle of wills with the man troubled with lycanthropy , the folks from the first half slide out of the picture . But , the first half effectively , I felt , displays a town riddled with paranoia and horror , especially when a child , a friend of Marty's , is brutally murdered . There's an effective attack on a pregnant woman on the verge of suicide . Another effective sequence is where the werewolf attacks a nasty repugnant citizen with a foul demeanor and profane mouth in his greenhouse . The last half does show two werewolf effective transformations . . one where the killer turns after his identity is discovered by the sheriff , and at the end from the beast back into a man . Less effective , I felt , were the decapitated heads which never looked very real . I think the true success of this beloved werewolf flick is the undeniable chemistry between Busey and Haim . Their bond really helps bring the characters to life , as does the troubled brother-sister relationship . . these elements are indeed important in fleshing the leads out into real characters , building up to a rather underwhelming conclusion when the werewolf comes to claim their lives . One touch I had never noticed before that really impressed me was the last time Marty would see his friend Brady alive , asking him if he was coming . . the camera closes in on Haim's face as he stares as if knowing that this would perhaps be the last time he'd see his pal alive ( . . I felt it worked as an ominous omen the director was foretelling to us , that the werewolf would attack anyone in it's proximity ) . |
436,756 | 9,938,570 | 363,276 | 6 | Madhouse | Clark ( Joshua Leonard ) is a meek student intern looking to earn a credit so that he can finish his degree taking an employee position at a poorly ran mental institution , overrun by the stern and irritable Dr . Franks ( Lance Henriksen ) . When Clark poses the idea of making conditions better at the institution , immediately Franks shows aggravation and resistance towards him . When mysterious brutal murders begin to occur to the staff of the institute , Clark joins forces with a co-worker Sara ( cutie , Jordan Ladd ) , who herself has secrets regarding her own bouts with slight schizophrenia , to uncover what exactly is going on . Who is committing the murders and is the good Doctor Franks hiding something . Clark confides in a " patient " in a cell block on the bottom floor , a darkened hall of prisons for lunatics and psychos , named Ben who seems to know about specific details regarding the murders and history of the institution . Also , Clark sees the ghostly apparition of a little boy . How does Ben know about details being that he's locked away in a cell and who is this little boy ? And , who exactly is the murderer doing in hospital staff members and a certain mental patient who seems healthy enough to leave the facility ? I thought for the first hour , this was quite a nifty little asylum terror tale , but the twist conclusion , as the reveal of the killer is established , really opens up Pandora's box where the logistics of everything we've seen and the possibilities of how an identity of someone could be taken so easily . I'm not sure the twist can hold strong on close scrutiny . The opening sure belts you for a loop . . we get an explosion of bizarre , grotesque images of creepy characters within the mind of a child patient who escapes out the third story window of an asylum who is hit by a car intentionally . It certainly sets up the story in an unusual way . I'm drawn to horror films set in asylums because crazies make for interesting subjects . . that's what the genre's all about . Natasha Lyonne is wasted as a patient named Alice who sees a boy yet no one believes her . Dendrie Taylor is Nurse Hendricks , who appears as about as loony as the ones under her watch . Leslie Jordan is the eccentric Dr . Morgan who informs Clark of the place's unusual history regarding the escape of the boy and how buildings such as the specific institute they reside has secrets which continue to live on through the place . Leonard ably fulfills the role of Clark , a young man trying to set things right in his pursuit of the killer . He's geeky , yet attractive . He's a bit naive , yet doggedly determined enough to continue his search for the truth . Jordan Ladd sets up Sara as someone with troubles , who has finally found a possible soulmate in Clark . There's an air of mystery about her and the film goes with that offering up a possibility that she might be the one responsible for the slayings . But , the film gives you clues within the story to guess who is committing the ghoulish murders taking place . Those who have watched enough of these kind of twisty movies will probably guess who the killer is . I'm not sure I completely bought into the twist , but I found the flick entertaining enough . I might've actually have enjoyed this more if it had followed the possible supernatural path , concerning a possible haunting to the institution , instead of the psychological direction it eventually takes . Henriksen fans might be disappointed in his rather underwritten role . . he's merely here to provide a possible figure of higher authority with secrets to hide , who might just know the answer to what's going on under his watch . |
436,088 | 9,938,570 | 37,084 | 6 | The Monster Maker | J Carrol Naish stars as a scientist , Dr . Igor Markoff , obsessed with the daughter of a skilled professional concert pianist , Anthony Lawrence ( Ralph Morgan ) and will do whatever it takes to have her . . including injecting him with acromegaley ( . . a glandular condition which causes physical distortions of the face , hands , and feet ) in a diabolical scheme to force a marriage . His object of desire , Patricia ( Wanda McKay ) , is in love with pop's business manager , Bob Blake ( Terry Frost ) . Working as his assistant is Maxine ( Tala Birell ) , who understands his intentions and longs to have his love towards her . But , Maxine's devotion to Markoff and love go unrequited and she is growing tired and worried regarding his behavior , voicing her concerns , threatening to leave and report his devious actions ( . . regarding his purposely infecting an innocent man of a rare disease for the sole reason of gaining his daughter in return ) , with her life in danger as a result . . Markoff attempts to murder her by releasing a caged gorilla , and often hypnotizes her when she threatens to expose him . Meanwhile , Pat watches her beloved father fall prey to the acromegaley , at first restless and energetic , suddenly a hideous human monster in an accelerated amount of time . In an ultimate confrontation , Igor will meet his created abomination with Pat following soon after in the hopes that her father will be saved not yet knowing the warped scientist's plan to have her as his own . Cheap , low budget production with Naish is great form as the disturbed Markoff , willing to go to any lengths necessary to claim a woman who reminds him of his late wife . The whole movie is macabre , particularly the back story and what Markoff does to Anthony . . Naish's character was an assistant to the real Markoff , killing him in retaliation for adultery with his wife , Fiona , and assuming his identity , taking his work to the United States , along with Maxine , and continuing the acromegaley experiments , perfecting a serum which can regress the disease while also holding a dangerous weapon in liquid form that can also cause it ( . . . Markoff admits to Maxine that he purposely infected Fiona with acromegaley so that no one would want her , the result being that she committed suicide ) . Naish has really never been recognized as the star that he was , and little modest B-pictures like THE MONSTER MAKER are examples at how commanding he could be . A real talent he had at portraying a number of characters , from a man evolved from an ape in DR RENAULT'S SECRET to a dogged inspector in THE BEAST WITH WITH FIVE FINGERS to a rejected , mistreated hunchback assistant in HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN . I sadly believe the man perhaps left this mortal coil thinking that he had not left an indelible mark in the genre he starred in for so long . . but when those of us discover his work in a film as minor as this , an admiration for him grows exponentially . He absolutely embodies this madman , perfecting the balance between brilliance and madness , all low-key and subtle , never over the top , with a calm voice and unshaken disposition which makes him all the more menacing . The rest of the cast , except for Morgan , soon hardly recognizable under ghastly make-up , are merely adequate . . Naish practically carries the movie on his shoulders . I'd recommend this to classic horror buffs who wish to see Naish in his element , while also getting a glimpse at a towering Glenn Strange as a hulking henchman , Steve , who works as Markoff's enforcer . |
436,085 | 9,938,570 | 75,834 | 6 | The Pyjama Girl Case | A female corpse , with a charred face , bullet wound in the neck , and rather burned feet ( . . also carrying semen possibly explaining rape as well ) is discovered by a child on a beach on the outskirts of Sydney , Australia . A retired , and bored , crusty , easily irritable Inspector Thompson ( Ray Milland ) offers his services to the investigation under young , and rather green , Inspector Ramsey ( Ramiro Oliveros ) who eyeballs a suspect named Quint ( Giacomo Assandri ) . Quint is quite an easy mark . . maybe too easy . . for he is notorious for leaving empty cars on the beach , is rather uncouth and grubby , & lives rather close to the location of where the unidentified corpse was found . He also lifted a watch from her arm and was caught by the inspectors masturbating to the sight of a female neighbor's bum . Thompson , however , believes Ramsey's too focused on nabbing a suspect in order to quickly close the case , instead of finding out who the dead girl is . It's Thompson's belief that if you find out who the girl is , her murderer's identity will soon follow . Yet , Ramsey's too involved in making Quint admit to a murder he might not have committed , thus creating a narrow-minded agenda towards getting an easy confession . Meanwhile , like a bloodhound sniffing for clues , Thompson uses his old-school methods of following leads through little bits of evidence ( . . such as rice found in the a bag which wrapped the dead body , and a tag from the yellow pajamas she wore ) which will ultimately yield results towards who is the real killer ( s ) . In an alternate story , free-spirited river-boat waitress , Linda ( Dalila Di Lazzaro ) juggles sexual relationships with three men : one a wealthy professor , Henry Douglas ( Mel Ferrer ) who perhaps opens an avenue of removal from financial struggles , one a slimy lothario , Roy Conner ( Howard Ross ) whose merely well built and good in the sack , and a poor , rather melancholy , but handsome Italian immigrant waiter , Antonio ( Michele Placido ) . You might ask yourself what this film is doing taking two different paths telling alternating separate stories which often abruptly interfere each other . I will merely say that everything , as others who wrote user comments have already mentioned , falls into place at the end as the mystery is solved . I'm one of those who feels , despite this film's being Italian made set in Australia , that " The Payjama Girl Case " is not a giallo . It's mostly a somber tale about the ramifications for living a certain sordid lifestyle . Linda mistakingly marries Antonio , only to find herself pregnant , living a life of near-poverty , and desiring more in life than merely making ends meet . We see that , despite how happy she seems bedding different men , Linda is deeply yearning for a connection with someone unfortunately ending in limited ( . . to no ) success . Through the beautiful Lazzaro , who offers a surplus of emotions both exteriorly and under the surface ( . . the pain is quite evident in her eyes , particularly one unpleasant sex scene where she prostitutes herself for abortion cash as a 13 year old boy on-looks in horror at what the two men he's with are doing to her ) , we are witness to a really sad unfolding of events as the sleazy atmosphere of her lifestyle choices come back to haunt her . But , the film takes a unique turn in Linda's story by showcasing the true tragic character as the film continues , Antonio . Antonio , deeply jealous and wounded by racial strife , lonely in a completely alien world of Australia far removed from his Italian country , confides in the wrong girl and is left battered emotionally . The detective story almost takes a back-seat to the lurid melodrama of Linda . It's cool seeing old pro Milland ( . . another one of those Hollywood abandoned , making his way into Italian cinema , even if temporarily ) as the ornery detective , on his own it seems , deemed a relic better suited for remaining out to pasture by his younger colleagues , who represent a new breed of investigative reporter . There's an aura of sleaze throughout the whole film , in both stories . It's interesting viewing Milland's reactions to the ugliness he comes in contact with as he searches for answers ( . . such as how he responds to Quint's whacking off and nude posters on the wall ) . The most incredibly bizarre scene would have to be Inspector Ramsey's decision to put the dead corpse's nude body on display for the public so that someone might come forward to identify her . . just the idea to do such a thing certainly shows the detective's unorthodox approach at solving his case ; the crowd reaction takes voyeurism to a whole new level . The film's true weakness , in my opinion , was the musical accompaniment whether it be the cornball elevator score or the disco songs with a female singer belting her tunes rather masculinely . I do think the director brings style to the film through the camera-work , specifically the way he shoots faces and characters in certain settings ( . . especially the difficult / intimate moments between Linda and Antonio ) . I will admit , though , that after a central character is dispatched , my heart wasn't as into the movie . . I was rather mortified because I thought the character brought such presence to the movie . . . |
435,837 | 9,938,570 | 87,759 | 6 | Murder Rock | The flashdancers of a prestigious dance school are winding up dead thanks to a killer in a leather coat and gloves who uses a lion-headed hat pin and chloroform as his / her weapon . The hard-nosed , tough Candice Norman ( Olga Karlatos ) , embittered by being robbed of her own opportunity of achieving a dance career thanks to a motorcyclist running her over , pushes her students to the very brink . Three dancers have a chance to move on to even greater heights , and this might provide extra motivation towards murder . Candace sees a vision of a model / actor named George Webb ( Ray Lovelock ) coming at her with the murderous hat pin closed in hand ready to stab her . Candace is driven by the dream to pursue George once she spots a billboard add with his face modeling a product . What she doesn't count on is falling for him . The film shows the setting up of certain girls being murdered ( such as two who are attempting to take a shower after practice in the dance school ) and Candace's pursuit of the truth . As she digs deeper , George might be the major suspect in the murders . Set amongst the backdrop of New York City flash-dance music scene at the time , the soundtrack and look of the film shows this time of life in the early 80's as women connived and killed themselves in order to make it to the top of the dance scene by any means necessary . I'm sure in Fulci's macabre mind , he saw an opportunity to question . . Just how far is one willing to go towards achieving that dream ? But , when the killer is indeed exposed even deeper truths come out such as losing that dream before having a true opportunity of achieving it thanks to circumstances out of left field . George is presented as a male model struggling to make it in the treacherous business of modeling and acting . He has ambitions and dreams like the flashdancers , but is hitting the brick wall that often comes when wishing to achieve stardom . Certainly gialli fans ( . . and , most especially those of Fulci fandom ) will probably find this slow and talky . It's also anemic , barely showing any real violence at all due to what the killer uses as his / her weapon . The dialogue and dubbing are nothing to write home about , either . But , technically , Fulci's film is polished . I loved the DVD transfer and felt the cinematography ( . . and how Fulci uses light such as the bathroom / locker rooms in the dance hall at night as the lights blink on and off in increments stating that the electronic doors will be bolted in a specific time frame telling anyone still in the building they need to get out ) and lighting were top-notch . Fulci is quite restrained not filling the screen with bloodshed and gore as he does in his zombie flicks . And , yes , the flash-dance music scene backdrop is indeed cheesy but merely a product of what was happening at the time . |
436,100 | 9,938,570 | 245,120 | 6 | The Forsaken | Prolific director JS Cardone ( Alien Hunter ; Shadowzone ; Outside Ozona ) brings us this profane Midwestern vampire tale with attitude starring Kerr Smith as , Sean , a young editor of trailers for a low-budget movie company who takes a car delivery job from Cali to Florida , but his journey is disrupted when he unfortunately picks up a hitchhiker , Nick ( Brendan Fehr ) who just so happens to hunt bloodsuckers . The head vampire , Kit ( Johnathon Schaech ) he's looking for is of a specific number called " The Forsaken " , a clan who accepted an offering from a demon and hence were cursed to only walk the earth at night . Sean and Nick come across a young woman , Megan ( Izabella Miko ) who has been bitten by Kit and is slowly going through the process of " turning " as the vampire who left the virus in her continues to live . While trying to cool her body ( . . Nick , who has been bitten and must also find a member of " The Forsaken " before he himself becomes one of the undead , notifies Sean that Megan's blood is " burning " so her body temperature must be cooled ) Megan bites Sean's hand leaving Kit's virus in him . So now Kit's death is of major importance because not only does Megan suffer as long as he remains alive , but Sean also is threatened to become a vampire . Nick , appropriately enough , encountered a doctor who had been bitten and was given knowledge of certain drugs which can slow down the process of turning into a vampire . But , the drugs can only last so long so finding Kit and exterminating the source of the blood disease is of utmost importance . But , Kit as his own brood , two female bloodsuckers and a dim-witted subservient day-driver ( Simon Rex ) , who travel with him so Sean and Nick , with Megan used as bait , will need to find holy ground for a legitimate stand-off . Ina Hamm ( Carrie Snodgress , rather wasted ) just so happens to live in the middle of nowhere with her house stands on top of a Spanish graveyard . . perhaps this is indeed the refuge they need as a base to fight Kit . The film doesn't pretend to be anything else but a horror tale of innocents plunged into a battle against a predator who holds the keys to their salvation . It's too bad this was made in 2001 because Cardone's trashy little vampire film would make perfect drive-in fodder . Schaech's presence as a charismatic and sexy male vampire really adds a great deal to this particular film as does Phina Oruche as his black sex slave Cym who attacks bloody throats with ferocity . Rex will earn chuckles as a rather simple-minded human watcher often saying " Okeydokey " when ordered by his boss to commit murderous deeds to those who threaten them . Particularly memorable is the murder of a cop who pulls Rex's Pen over for speeding , insists on seeing what was in their truck , receiving a shot-gun blast to the chest , and subsequently is burned alive on top of the hood of his police car . The attractive cast is headlined by Smith as the young hot-shot stud with a big bright future in the movie industry whose life is changed by a fateful drive into a most dangerous situation , and Izabella Miko as the doe-eyed innocent whose family was obliterated by the evil clan and bitten by Kit who must settle " unfinished business " when one of his vampire chicks didn't follow his command of killing her . Fehr was a bit too young , I felt , for the part of vampire hunter who knows an awful lot about the history of this breed of bloodsuckers . . I often wondered just how he received all this information . But , I guess Cardone was perhaps motivated by the studio to fill his cast with beautiful people so Fehr was selected . The opening of Cardone's film sure sets the tone of this flick , a zombie-like Miko showering the blood from her gorgeous naked body . She's later undressed by Nick attempting to find the vampire bite as Megan lies comatose from the virus raging inside her . Miko is either asleep or mute for a good portion of the film but Cardone utilizes her vulnerability , youth , and beauty quite well . . very photogenic . There's a very nifty image of Miko's Megan with her hands pressed up against the back window of Sean's car as they drive away from a scene which nearly killed them . This film isn't all that original and seems to evoke the spirit of " Near Dark " , but I thought Cardone uses the setting at night really well and there's a nasty streak this film has that worked for me . There are some unnecessary images propelled into the action from past scenarios which distracted me a bit , but certain gory bits are effective like how vampire bodies explode when in contact with sunlight too long , and a shot-gun blast to the face which does some serious damage . " The Forsaken " would probably make an appropriate double feature with John Carpenter's " Vampires . " |
435,932 | 9,938,570 | 281,919 | 6 | How To Make a Monster | Creating the scariest game comes with a price . . and we witness this when a group are put to work on " touching up " a video game which doesn't scare or thrill children who play it . Evilution , where skeletal armored creatures do battle , is supposed to go to market soon and it's up to Drummond ( Steven Culp ) to get the right associates on board to fix the numerous problems keeping the game from truly adhering to the addictive requirements associated with kids and their parents ' dollars . Intern Laura ( Clea DuVall ) , a naive , meek , sweet-natured chick who sees the world through rose-colored glasses , interviews three programming geniuses , all with their various short-comings . . Hardcore ( . . the hulking Tyler Mane ) a bit too intense / intimidating with an extensive knowledge of weaponry for " battle games " , Sol ( Karim Prince ) , a narcissist who loves the sound of his voice and enjoys informing others of how brilliant he is , and acne-faced , speed-speaking , stuttering nerd Bug ( Jason Marsden ) who is a whiz at producing sound effects . With a promise of a bonus ( 1 million dollars ) to any of the assigned group who can create this game on time for market , the war begins with each individual often at odds with each other . But , their competitive nature will indeed be tested when an electrical current " brings to life " ( . . Bug has an explanation , but it's in " geek-speak " , so I won't bother elaborating extensively ) a telemetry suit used by actors for the game characters . The computer is controlling the suit , and the computer is playing the game so the cast are being targeted as if they were characters in the game . The suit actually uses body parts from a few of the victims to form a hybrid and those left try to escape the best they can throughout the well-secure building . . but , thanks to Bug's mishap , the doors are slammed shut with limited means ( . . crawlspaces ) of retreat as the creature hunts for them . Along the way , Laura learns a lesson on greed and the evils of the world . A twist yields a surprise regarding the back up disc , the remaining members are seeking , which contains the entire game . Yes , this is as wacky as the premise sounds , but if you can somehow look past this there's some fun to be had here . I thought the cast did what they could under the circumstances , playing it as straight as they possibly could . Still , the film has a grim view of human nature , leaving us with a transformation of Laura when it's all said and done that's kind of a bummer . There's some truth to her logic regarding the dog-eat-dog world we live in , that she learns from her boss , Drummond . The monster suit is a wild concoction of metal , wires , and body parts . Not overly gory , but some heads are removed and blood splatter . The computer effects are rather underwhelming . I think the casting of DuVall succeeds . . she's the normal eyes of what is transpiring , but her battle with the creature at the end is hard to take serious , even if you cut your brain off . Food for thought . . perhaps the title has a two fold meeting regarding Laura's metamorphosis ? |
435,909 | 9,938,570 | 330,691 | 6 | The Card Player | A psychopathic poker wiz has challenged the Rome police department to either defeat him in three rounds of Internet poker in a game where if they lose , a kidnapped female victim will die ( after each round if the sicko wins he removes a finger . . if he wins the complete game , the female victim receives a sliced throat ) . The police pool all their resources into finding the killer trying to tap into his location even though his ability to thwart their efforts is quite skillful . Detectives Anna Mari ( Stefani Rocca ) , and visiting Irish forensics expert ( from London assigned on the case after a messy incident back home ) John Brennan ( Liam Cunningham ) must try and figure out where this killer is before he leaves a nasty blood trail of many victims . They are able to find a 19 year old poker ace named Remo ( Silvio Muccino ) who can lend them a hand against the killer . . his task even becomes greater when the Police Commissioner's daughter is kidnapped and used as a pawn in the poker game . Also , Anna finds the killer in her home one night letting us know that the card playing monster has targeted her as well . Director Argento aims more for a police procedural than a bloody thriller having us attend the detectives ' methods at trying to piece together facts that surface such as seeds found in the nostrils and slit throats of victims , the peculiar sound of a gunshot firing as John listens to the audio recording of a victim sobbing , the confines of the card player's location when a victim is able to free herself from the ties that bound her arms and his size & height when he kills her , etc . The film has a good pace , a very fascinating story-line which gets quite complicated when Remo , the wiz who is the first to " defeat " the killer , is hunted down by the psychopath . Even more interesting is that a development arises which might prove that the killer may very well be a member of the Rome police ! There are things that might be highly unlikely concerning how the killer could accomplish his feats considering who he is and when he does his murderous deeds , but the film's a wild ride that I actually found quite fun . It isn't that gory and seems to aim more for being an unfolding mystery with Argento using the Internet poker game as a thematic element within whether luck plays a hand in victims surviving . Perhaps unfairly criticized as a dismal failure , I must say that I'd rather watch a flick like this than most of the drivel churning out on the horror fans of today . I will say , though , that this doesn't have the usual Argento stylistics , but I thought the film still looks terrific and the locations used are gorgeous . |
435,852 | 9,938,570 | 89,629 | 6 | Moving Violations | A group of people , whose vehicles are held because of traffic violations , must pass the test of hardened , tight-wad Deputy Halik ( James Keach ) and his very butch lover Virginia ( Lisa Hart Carroll ) . What weighs against them , other than their own ineptitude , is that crooked Judge Henderson ( Sally Kellerman playing the usual sexpot slut ) is in cahoots with Halik on failing them despite their chances of passing so that they can sell their cars and share the profit . Henderson also offers her bed to Halik . Will they be able to outwit Henderson and Halik ? John Murray ( who is indeed imitating his brother . . but doing it very well because he's quite funny ) plays Dana Cannon , the one responsible for costing Halik a big promotion . Halik and Virginia attacked a car believing it was Dana's but was indeed their chief's ! So being busted down to traffic teaching really has Halik gunning for Dana . The cast has some recognizable faces such as a young frizzy-haired , bubble-headed Jennifer Tilly as Amy , Dana's love interest and an employee of NASA ! Brian Backer , with his bulging eyes , plays Scott , a puppeteer in love with a 15-year old punk rocker ( who pretends to be older and passes off as an ordinary clean-cut girl until the bad side comes out ) . Wendie Jo Sperber has a hilarious role as hypochondriac Joan who doesn't understand that Fred Willard's " Doc " Williams is an auto mechanic ( she thinks he's a doctor , he thinks she's wanting her car worked on . . the dialogue of the scene and when she comes to visit for a " check up " are priceless ) . But , the real laughs come from Nedra Volz as Loretta Houk . She's blind as a bat and this provides some gut-busting moments of true silliness such as the scene where she mistakingly goes into the men's room and wonders why her back is all wet ( . . or how she wound up in the class to begin with ; she actually drove her car onto an airstrip ! ! ) . |
436,005 | 9,938,570 | 105,459 | 6 | The Scarecrow reviews " Split Second " | The London of 2008 is buried under much water thanks to man's not fixing the global warming problem . Hauer plays a cop who is after a carnivorous creature who rips out the hearts of victims and eats them believing that it'll possess their souls . Hauer is linked to the creature for it sliced him across the arm after killing his partner . Hauer can sense when the creature is nearby as the viewer watches his agony ( not to mention we hear the thudding of heartbeats in the soundtrack ) . Duncan plays Hauer's partner , a young psychologist who is a college grad well studied in the understanding of psychopaths and their natures . The film also has a sub-ploy concerning Cattral , as Hauer's dead partner's wife who came to visit her late husband's grave stand . Hauer and Cattral had a thing at one time , but his alcoholism and decline in mental health ( the obsession in finding his partner's killer ) ended that partnership . Though , we see in their meeting ( Hauer came also to honor his best friend's tomb ) and the fire is rekindled . The creature is often hidden in darkness , with our point of view coming from the shooting of our characters . The camera often camouflages the creature through smoke and often placing the camera right on Hauer and company . The London we see has that cool neo-noir future . . wet , damp , and ugly . Hauer plays his cop half-crazed , and pretty unkempt . He drinks bad coffee , chain smokes cigars , and is quite profane . But , he's tough as nails and cagey . . a cop that isn't afraid to face the ugliness of evil and does so against the creature . The creature itself is basically a likeness to the essential HR Geiger design . It is about 10 ft tall , black , with a long head and nasty serpentine teeth . The violence is mostly is how we view the creature's aftermath . . bloody scenes of the crime where the victim's chest lays open and heart missing . Duncan is a hoot as the much more intelligent , green , and tidy partner who Hauer resists at offset , but accepts once he sees that creature himself . The film does nothing with Cattral who is simply in the film because she's very attractive . |
436,221 | 9,938,570 | 95,446 | 6 | Midnight Cop | Inspector Alex Glass ( Armin Mueller-Stahl ) is on the trail of a serial killer who leaves Vaseline on the faces of his victims , dumping their bodies in secluded areas . We see in the opening of the film that Glass accidentally shoots a girl as an attempted arrest escalated into a shoot-out with a drug dealer who gets away . Glass also is burdened by an ex-wife who will not let him see or communicate with his daughter . The girl is a cripple and Glass is afraid of confronting her , leaving the little girl gifts as she tries to recuperate from her injuries . Meanwhile , Glass deals with renovations to his dilapidated Berlin precinct , a new associate / partner , Shirley May ( Julia Kent ) who he pesters for the hell of it , and a nasty drug dealer named Miskowski ( an effective Frank Stallone , in a criminally underwritten role ) who is the leading suspect in the murder of a murdered girl who seemingly died of an overdose . Glass has a friend and confident , lawyer Michael Karstens ( Michael York . . not his finest hour , to be honest ) whose own sister was found dead , and pregnant in a meat plant freezer . When Karstens ' own daughter is found dead the same way as the other victim ( . . also a ballet friend of hers ) , Glass will certainly have to fend off his alcoholism and sadness to stop the killing . Another plot development has Glass getting involved with a high-price call girl named Lisa ( Morgan Fairchild , fatally miscast and , in my opinion , hurts the film ) who has a relationship with drug dealing Mikowski , who is black mailing an important public official which reveals the answers to the film's ultimate mystery as to who is committing the murders . I will admit that this is troublesomely convoluted , as mysteries often are , despite the fact that viewers who are paying attention will recognize who the killer is relatively early . But , Stahl's performance , in my opinion , is a must-see . He adds little touches and quirks to his character ( . . such as a funny little twitch with his nose , and little bit with a horn mouthpiece when bored during a stake-out of a person he's tailing ) and is the kind of actor who adds dimension to a his detective which makes him interesting and believable . Stahl could've phoned it in , but he really makes the most of this part . Despite his flaws , Stahl is incredibly likable and vulnerable . When he's betrayed by someone in the plot , and is duped during the investigation , Stahl handles this perfectly . He's not a carciature whose detective knows every move of his quarry and has all the aces up his sleeve . . I like this myself and was happy that he doesn't make all the right decisions . Yet , Stahl's character doesn't remain in a sulking state , and he isn't some cranky , angry sort always barking at people as is typical by boozing , down-on-their-luck detectives always seem in these type of films . I also thought the film was evocatively photographed in a moody neo-noir style capturing an effective Berlin where teenage prostitution , buildings in ruin , drug-abuse & sordid types all bathe the city streets where our Inspector works . Sometimes the score can be a liability , especially when the music hammers in certain scenes , but there's some jazz that I think added a nice little touch to the proceedings . I didn't care for the ending . . a bit strange where the climax has the killer cornered in a meat plant where Stahl's detective sets up a dangerous scenario which could've been handled with a bit more finesse and an all too quaint close where Glass can appropriately exorcise that massive demon that's been plaguing him . But , worst of all , is having us buy into the relationship between Glass and Lisa . To be honest , Glass has better chemistry with his partner , Shirley . . this would've been a more ideal pairing and they have a wonderful scene where they're caught in an uncompromising position thanks to a clumsy misstep when tailing Lisa hoping to catch up with Miskowski . |
436,391 | 9,938,570 | 59,076 | 6 | Curse of the Fly | Oddly plotted , yet strangely compelling second sequel to The Fly has the next generation of Delambres , Henri ( Brian Donlevy ) and son Martin ( George Baker ) still attempting to make their teleportation machine work , with a decent degree of success . . they were able to travel from Quebec to London , but not without consequences . Martin is plagued with rapid aging unless he is injected with a serum and Henri suffers from radiation burns . Three lab assistants , including Martin's wife Judith ( Mary Manson ) were tragically altered by mutations due to trips through the teleportation device . Henri has a second son in London , Al ( Michael Graham ) who operates the other teleportation device , but is conflicted and disturbed with his father's disregard for the lives affected by the experiments . Al is fed up , and longs for a happy , normal life away from teleportation devices and labs . Martin makes a rather bad decision when he marries Patricia Stanley ( Carole Gray ) , a patient who broke free from an asylum ( in the bizarre opening title sequence , quite a weird way to open a sequel to The Fly ) . . Pat is in the asylum due to a nervous breakdown as a result of the death of an overbearing mother demanding her to excel at playing the piano . Henri is alarmed at Martin's marriage due to the risk of their experiments being disrupted . The plot thickens because Henri and Martin keep Judith and their student lab assistants , now monstrous mutations , locked in sheds like diseased animals ! Even worse is Wan ( Yvette Rees , in poor oriental make-up ) , the wife of the Delambres ' Chinese assistant Tai ( Burt Kwouk ) who is repulsed at Martin's decision to re-marry even though he's still attached legally to Judith . Wan responds by secretly tormenting Pat by reminding her of Judith's presence , with Henri and Martin covering up her treatment by saying she is merely having bad dreams . Pat begins to question her own sanity , while Wan ( who I believed was in love with Judith ; it just seems that way , I could be wrong ) continues to torture her in manipulative ways . Soon , a detective , Inspector Ronet ( Jeremy Wilkins ) . . called to find the whereabouts of Pat by Madame Fournier , the head of the mental institution . . begins to delve into the history of the Delambre threatening the whole teleportation operation . Tragic results spurn from Henri's insistence to continue as Wan stupidly releases Judith from her cage . . . Certainly flawed , but I found it rather fascinating for some reason . . maybe it's the way the story is arranged . The make-up of the mutated victims is terrible . Yet , I felt director Don Sharp made a rather entertaining little feature despite the material's limitations . That opening credits with shattering glass exploding at the screen , with Carole Gray escaping with nothing but undergarments , running ins slow motion is certainly an eye-opener . You have that angle of an emotionally disturbed , yet quite beautiful , young woman entering the life of a scientist who is weakened by aging that attacks with such painful force ( George Baker makes it look like a heart-attack was occurring ) , experimenting with his father on transporting humans from one place to another instantaneously . The scientist is actually already married to a woman he keeps locked up in a shed , has completely disregarded her , his father who has turned a blind eye to the effects of their experiments because of his undaunted desire to see his family's legacy completed . This is a lot of drama , not even including Wan and her antics throwing everything out of proportion . I think the film's strongest scene is at the end when Henri must get rid of the two lab assistants , having his son Al commit a dirty deed that puts all the madness into perspective . Clouded by his mad , dogged desire to see the teleportation experiments succeed ( and especially removing themselves from the possibility of being apprehended by the police for their illegal conduct , amoral decisions and treatment towards victims of their failed science ) Henri will do whatever it takes , no matter what consequences result . Not a successful film , but an interesting failure . I never thought it was boring , that's for sure . |
436,069 | 9,938,570 | 330,634 | 6 | Mimic III : Sentinel | Marvin ( Karl Geary ) is one of the last remaining persons to have contacted an illness called Strickler's which derived from " diseased " roaches . He is pretty much confined to his room where he keeps a camera pointed constantly across the street at his neighbors ' open windows gazing into their lives since his has been put on hold . His condition is so bad , if a woman , such as his later love-interest , a dentist's assistant , Carmen ( Rebecca Mader ) comes near him with perfume he requires oxygen or he'll go into an asthmatic fit . Even if he smells the afterlife of smoke , like from Carmen who had just finished a cigarette prior to entering his room , the shock kicks in with him darting for his oxygen tank . Occasionally , he journeys out of his room , but not without his tank and only for minutes not wishing to risk his health . His sister , Rosy ( Alexis Dziena ) is an addict who notices her brother's interest in Carmen . Rosy likes to poke fun at Marvin's hobby and often struggles with the need to get high . . she is always on edge and squirrelly . His mother Simone ( Amanda Plummer ) has a new love in her life , a beat cop Gary Dumars ( John Kapelos ) who pretends , at first , of being a detective . He's called in when Marvin and Rosy believe they saw a drug dealer , Des ( Keith Robinson ) killed by the " garbageman " , a dark , conspicuous character with bags on his feet whose face they have a hard time seeing . Also , Marvin keeps tabs on a father and son , whose relationship descends as the other son of the family ( seen at the beginning killed by the cockroach killer ) remains missing . Soon , the person they believed was the garbageman ( Lance Henriksen ) committing the murder of Des , shows his face when he finds Rosy and Carmen in his apartment ( they decide to see what's up with him while also searching for possible evidence regarding Des ' death ) . This man has something padlocked in his freezer . . and it could be something relative to the cockroach creatures which show up to kill various victims on the streets at the wrong time , including Dumars out searching for anyone suspicious . As many have already mentioned , the film uses the idea from Hitchcock's " Rear Window " that a helpless peeper has to watch helplessly as others he loves walk into possible peril . He often struggles for air when simply moving some in his room , so his assisting those in need of help when facing giant bugs with claws that stab the torso repeatedly and have wings which flap incessantly is rather limited . The film plays with what Marvin sees and , especially , what he doesn't . JT Petty adopts a little trick with the camera to let we , the viewers ( who are essentially peepers ourselves if you think about it ) see other poor apartment dwellers being killed by the giant winged cockroaches through the lens while Marvin is away from it . We see the things responsible for the slayings , but such as Marvin , the viewers can not help anyone either . . . so , we , in a sense , are helpless on-lookers to peril . I like this idea and think it's the most positive aspect to the flick . But , in all honesty , there's not much story here , other than the poor soul with Strickler's trying to find a way to help his loved ones who seem unable to escape the horror that awaits them . Sadly , I found Henriksen's character a little murky . . his motives were open to a point , but I wanted more about him . The killer bugs themselves are only revealed at the end when they attack certain individuals . . these attacks deliver the goods in how they speedily thrust the victims before they even have a chance to scream . In the film , Henriksen tells us that the things which lie in his freezer are breeding underground , so I'm guessing there are more sequels to explore a possible outbreak . This flick surrounds a few characters near an apartment complex staying away from what's been occurring to civilization as a whole . |
436,748 | 9,938,570 | 97,368 | 6 | The Fly II | Martin Brundle ( Eric Stoltz ) , the son of Seth Brundle , is only 5 years old and has progressed at an alarming rate into an adult . His mother died giving birth to him , and so Martin is raised by Anton Bartok ( Lee Richardson ) as a sort of lab experiment , almost a captive in a sealed room where scientists can study and observe him . He's released from this prison with Bartok informing him that he now can live in a home without mirrors which is anything but the case . Bartok's scientists have not mastered the pod experiments of Seth Brundle and through cunning manipulation , Martin is coerced into finding out how . Along the way , Martin meets an office employee , Beth Logan ( Daphne Zuniga ) , and as they fall in love , he realizes that the supposed serums Bartok's scientists have been injecting him with , to halt his " illness " , were never useful . . Martin is slowly progressing into what his father was , a monstrous fly . Bartok informs his " son " that he has desired for this re-birthing for many years hoping to use not only Martin , in his new state , but the teleporting pods as means to create a brand new world . It's clear Bartok sees himself as a God-like figure if he's able to gain control of his " pet freak " and the telepods with their abilities . While the love story between Martin and Beth is basically recycled from the first film , this sequel boasts a gory climax as the monster goes on a rampage getting revenge towards those who have betrayed it / him . Lee Richardson is a perfect heel , the kind of manipulating corporate slime who has clear goals and an empathy regarding the use of human life when it pertains to receiving success . . casualties mean little when the importance of life stands in the way of big business and radical dreams . Stoltz and Zuniga have little chemistry and their tragic affair plays second fiddle to the gooey effects of Martin's changing / cocooning . But , I'd be lying if I didn't admit that the final twenty or so minutes is what draws me back to this sequel . The opening sequence is a doozy . . when the Martin baby is born , it's hidden within a slimy insect cocoon . The final conclusion when Martin , in full fly form bursting from his grotesque cocoon , seeks retribution towards those who allowed this horrifying fate to happen , is exciting because there are highlights of gory attacks . The special effects from the director , Chris Walas , are superb . One security guard's face blasts apart as an elevator crushes his head . Another security guard's face melts to his skull appears when Martin Brundlefly spits acid directly at him . One security guard's hand is burned by acid before he's snapped into by Martin Brundlefly . Bartok's fate is particularly satisfying as it has a sense of irony . Sadly , John Getz turns up in a minor cameo as Stathis Borans from the first film , boozing in loneliness and quite worse for wear who gives little hope to Martin and Beth as they're on the lam from Bartok regarding a cure for the illness plaguing Brundle . Gary Chalk , as Bartok's chief security guard Scorby , plays a real loathsome scumbag , often making life unbearable for Martin and Beth just because he can . He takes delight in Martin's woes and often gleefully cracks wise towards Beth regarding her state of affairs with Brundle . The true star of the film are the special effects , Walas ' real strength to begin with . |
436,022 | 9,938,570 | 70,297 | 6 | The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires | I think The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires has a very fortunate novelty having Peter Cushing ( as Van Helsing attempting to teach Easterner orientals the dangers of the vampire threat often ridiculed with scorn by citizenry who feel insulted at his ravings coerced by Hsi Ching ( David Chiang ) and his family of martial artists into accompanying them on a journey to their ancestral village to destroy centuries-old bloodsuckers and their undead slaves , with son Leyland ( Robin Stewart ) and wealthy widow , Vanessa ( Julie Ege ) who is funding the difficult trip due to her adventurous spirit ) in a film featuring martial arts , Hammer and Shaw productions , an interesting marriage which should seduce the curious . Dracula occupies a brief space in the film , mainly as the chief source behind the resurgence of the oriental vampire threat , using Kah ( Shen Chan ) , the human leader of the group , as his host out of his Transylvania castle . Something you'll definitely notice is the lazy writing which functions mainly as an excuse to allow the Hsi brothers ( . . and kick-ass sister whose better than nearly all of them ) , using their various skills and weaponry , in dazzling battles against a horde of skull-faced corpses and the golden-masked vampires ( . . whose faces / bodies are rotted badly , resembling zombies ) with Cushing , Stewart and Ege often servicing the plot as on-lookers until being forced to protect themselves when danger presents itself . Cushing's presence alone brings a unique glamour to this otherwise action-oriented fare . The Hammer influence comes towards the beginning and end when Dracula is present , his battle with Van Helsing anti-climactic and uninspired . John-Forbes-Robertson is in the film perhaps ten minutes tops which is fortunate because Christopher Lee he's not . The film really doesn't even need Dracula to tell you the truth and I'm guessing the character was only added as to draw an audience to see the film . Lots of blood , and surprising amount of boobs , displayed as vampires rip the blouses from female victims they wish to feed from . The method of attack in killing the vampires , and their minions , is through the destruction of the heart with the end result being that their bodies deteriorate into dust . Fire is also used from time to time to destroy these ghastly ghouls . The climax occurs in the ancestral village , kind of a last stand between the undead and heroes attempting to stop their reign of terror forever . But , the battle in the cavern previous to this is just as exciting . The days of " Horror of Dracula " quality story-telling were gone , but " The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires " takes a completely fresh ( . . for the most part ) direction which should provide something new for the crowd looking for a different type of vampire feature than Hammer Dracula fans are used to . I think fans of martial arts action will appreciate this more than the die-hard fans of the Hammer Dracula series . |
436,408 | 9,938,570 | 100,904 | 6 | The Scarecrow reviews " Watchers 2 " | Paul Ferguson ( Marc Singer , whose likability and charm bring a respectability to this B-movie ) is being taken to a suspension area for punching a superior when his MP's encounter a creature that had escaped and killed several animal rights ' activists when the government decides to shutdown the andodyne program ( more on this in a moment ) . Paul is helped to escape from his hand cuffs thanks in part to an intelligent golden retriever . Fleeing from the creature , Paul holes up temporarily with his ex-wife for the night . Paul is able to flee the residence thanks to his wife ( Irene Miracle ) driving him past police watching her home outside . With the dog in tow , Paul is able to swap his car with a man for a jalopy so that he will not be spotted . Tracy Scoggins ( trying to hide her hotness underneath nerd-glasses ) is an animal behaviorist named Barabara White who was trying to teach the golden retriever how to read letters in the alphabet . She is pretty much out of college and beginning her career & is green to exactly what the company she works for actually does . Andodyne is actually a military project where scientists ( in this case a doctor named Steve Malceno played completely wooden by Jonathan Farwell ) create beings from genetics which are in fact linked to canines . It is a new project and the creature that Malceno is over is the first experimental venture . It is explained that the canine would be used to " spot the enemy " and the beast would attack and destroy . Unfortunately , the experiment goes awry because the creature has an uncontrollable urge to kill . So everywhere the canine goes , the creature follows leaving a bunch of dead bodies in it's wake . Soon Paul will understand that the canine is much more than just some ordinary dog and will soon be lead to Barbara because she is the only one available to trust . Will Paul and Barabara be able to stop the thing and quiet it's rampage once and for all ? The film also shows the obsession of Dr . Malceno to continue his research regardless how many this thing kills . The film has a rather low budget ( produced by Roger Corman . . need I say more ? ) , and at times the creature really simply looks like a man in a rubber suit . Singer and Scoggins try , but this film suffers somewhat by revealing the creature awfully early into the film . The director does try to shade the monster and this often does work , but when light reflects on it the credibility of the creature takes a lashing . The dog's tricks are fun to watch and I liked Singer enough to at least enjoy the film . This film is perhaps the close you are about to get to the quality of the Koontz novel ( the first one tries the approach of " less is more " , but the unveiling of the creature was laughable ; the " Watchers Reborn " has that " so bad it's good " quality , but is very mediocre ; the third film in this series is merely a " Predator " rip-off ) , which is kind of sad . You kind of wish a Koontz novel could get a decent enough budgeted film , but maybe " Watchers 2 " is about as quality as we'll ever see . |
436,840 | 9,938,570 | 68,415 | 6 | Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye | Gothic giallo from the late Antonio Margheriti ( Castle of Blood ) with the novelty of a cat always present at the scene of murders , by a leather gloved killer using a razor , which occur in and around the castle estate of the family MacGrieff . The actual proprietor of the castle , James ( Hiram Keller ) , is deemed mad by his family doctor , Franz ( Anton Diffring ) and held responsible for the murder of his sister as a child . James ' mother Mary ( Françoise Christophe ) faces a difficult financial crisis which may leave them without their ancestral home . Trying to persuade monetary backing from her sister Alicia ( Dana Ghia ) , Mary promises Franz , who are secretly lovers , that she will keep the castle , one way or another . Alicia's daughter , Corringa ( Jane Birkin ) , arriving unannounced after being expelled from Catholic school , will soon face a horrifying ordeal . . her mother is suffocated by someone , leaving Corringa on her own to possibly face the killer whoever it may be . Could it be Mary , willing to do whatever it takes to keep the castle ? Could it be James , who has such a harsh attitude towards nearly everyone ( . . and with a record , whether it be real or a set-up ) and is considered emotionally hostile ? Is it the hired french teacher , Suzanne ( the delicious Doris Kunstmann who run rings around Birkin in a very sexy , albeit slutty , turn as whore hired by Franz to seduce James ) who might have a concocted plan with Franz at getting their hands on Mary's estate if everyone is killed off ? Is it secretly Franz , who is bedding two women under the same castle roof ? As each possible suspect is eliminated we'll know soon enough . Venantino Venantini has a limited but crucial role as a trusted priest , Father Robertson . Keeping the spirit of Mario Bava alive , Margheriti uses the environment of his castle , grounds , family cemetery & crypt , really well . He tries , through some enthusiastic camera movements , to make up for a deranged screenplay . There's a lot of naughty activity taking place within the film's castle . Margheriti sure grabs you right away opening the film with a wail from this unfortunate soul , after having his neck slit , placed in a trunk , tossed down the spiraling steps into a creepy cellar , with his corpse exploding forth with rats having a grand time using his body as lunch . . we see the poor guy's torn face , ripped apart and exposing the skull underneath . As always , the giallo trademark of the deck being stacked against a specific character ( Lord James , who is easily recognized as a red herring , once Corringa gets involved with him , opening an incestuous love affair between kissin ' cousins ) is here as is the convoluted plot yielding countless twists peppered with a corrupt group of characters offering much in the way of seedy melodrama . The violence is mostly blood spray across walls after a victim is sliced off-camera . Nudity is limited to Kunstmann showing her breasts . Unusually Birkin , as the innocent , naive and jaded protagonist , doesn't get out of her clothes , although there's one juicy implied lesbian crush as Suzanne lustfully sets her eyes on Corringa as she removes her stockings . Also thrown in is James ' pet gorilla ( ! ) , the proposed idea that the relatives of MacGrieff return from the dead as vampires if murdered by their own kin , and the reveal of the killer ( . . which seemed pulled right out of the screenwriter's ass at the last possible moment ) showing that this particular film falls right in line with the giallo genre of Italian cinema which populated the screens of the 70's . |
436,713 | 9,938,570 | 86,014 | 6 | Nightmares | Four tales with no wraparound story titled TERROR IN TOPANGA , BISHOP OF BATTLE , THE BENEDICTION , & NIGHT OF THE RAT inside a movie structure consecutively . The first is about a housewife who , despite her husband's warnings to stay in because of an escaped loony who murdered a police officer with a knife , goes out for a pack of cigarettes . Guess who she perhaps bumps into when she unfortunately runs out of gas ? This one has a nice build-up , but goes absolutely nowhere which is a shame because it has lots of potential . . it simply lacked inspiration by the writer . The second tale is about an obsessive arcade nerd who just can't rest until he reaches the prestigious Level 13 of a very difficult game called " The Bishop of Battle " . When he does , he's thrusted into a new kind of game where the stakes are his very life . To be honest , this one was a bit hokey . . the result when he reaches 13 I mean . My favorite of the anthology has a Priest ( Lance Henriksen , with conviction ) , who has lost his faith because of the frequent human suffering he sees on a regular basis , being terrorized by a psychopathic trucker , whose face is never revealed thanks to darkened tinting on the windows . We do get an indication who the driver might be . . an upside down crucifix is hanging from the rear-view mirror . And , the weapon the Priest uses against the trucker also is telling in perhaps who this evil driver is . Tense , well developed little episode with little spiritual elements which aren't too heavy-handed which is a plus . An unhappily married couple ( Richard Masur and Veronica Cartwright ) have a MAJOR rat problem . Their house cat finds that out first hand . It has been leaving a path of destruction throughout their house yet the husband wishes to fix the rat problem on his own without paying someone else . The wife , having had enough of her kitchen being demolished , calls a specialist ( Albert Kague ) and after studying comes to the conclusion that this big rat might be a Devil Rodent , the type from ancient German myth . He says they are indestructible . I know one thing , as presented here , when it lets out a roar it must measure on the Richter scale . The final scene where the couple come face to face with it might be a little too cheesy to fully scare , but I feel the episode overall works quite well . None of the stories can claim complete originality , but the last two , I believe , are thrilling & creepy enough to rise this anthology as a whole slightly above mediocrity . |
436,392 | 9,938,570 | 403,407 | 6 | Perfect Creature | Everything flows from me . My blood will change the world . An evolved genetically enhanced race of homo-sapiens ( " vampires " ) titled " The Brotherhood " have lived in harmony with humans serving them faithfully for centuries until a rebellious rogue member , Edgar ( Leo Gregory ) , responsible for creating an anti-virus towards the dangerous outbreak of influenza which took many lives , decides he's tired of being a servant towards those he deems inferior . He has created an influenza virus that poisons humans , and his direct aim is the Jamestown slums where he feels those undesirables aren't fit to live . His brother Silus ( Dougray Scott , mostly emotionless and stoic , tilting his head slightly towards an action or something of human nature that fascinates him ) is to be a leader of The Brotherhood one day , but Edgar's goal is to infect him with the influenza virus . For the first part of the film , Silus ( . . and The Brotherhood members ) has trouble catching an elusive and cunning Edgar who is feasting on the throats of humans in alleys and apartment dwellings . Silus joins the human police , lead by policewoman Lilly ( Saffron Burrows , although glammed down she's still quite beautiful ) as they seek the whereabouts of Edgar . Edgar bites Lilly , but doesn't kill her . Silus develops an attraction to Lilly , who now will be Edgar's chess piece in his goal to infect his brother . For a little while The Brotherhood are able to quarantine Edgar , but you know a prison will not hold this villain very long . Edgar's goal is to kidnap Lilly and cause a world of chaos as The Brotherhood see no other alternative but eradicate Jamestown due to the outbreak by one of their own . Will Silus be able to stop Edgar ? Will Silus turn on The Brotherhood , his people for what they plan to do to Jamestown ? Will Silus be able to save Lilly from the harm Edgar has in store for her ? The film moves about as fast as Edgar , and the plot isn't very complex ; I'm pretty sure most vampire fans will find it easy to follow . The setting isn't very glamorous , but the film uses that to an advantage , dipping the viewer into an ugly world where humans are rotting from disease , poverty , and filth . The Camera often briskly follows the actions and movements of the characters . . the camera even often follows the heightened senses of the vampires such as what Silus hears and what Edgar sees as he crawls through a ventilation shaft in retreat and hiding from those out to catch him . Leo Gregory , as the snarling villain , often has his face locked in rage like a venomous snake on the verge of attack . There are moments of vampire carnage such as when Edgar takes a bite out of slum victims . You know the film is heading towards a showdown between Silus and Edgar , so that shouldn't be a surprise . The ending opens the possibility of a sequel . Not a bad way to waste about 88 minutes . Nothing that'll stay with you afterwards , but works as a futuristic vampire tale that doesn't overstay it's welcome . |
436,612 | 9,938,570 | 95,271 | 6 | Halloween 4 | The series brings back Michael Myers , the mystique and terror of The Shape far removed . He's just some supernatural killing machine who can be anywhere he pleases and survive every scrape it seems . The Shatner mask he wears this time produces about as many chills as a Disney cartoon . The cast is pretty good , though . Michael has niece Jamie ( Danielle Harris , oh so cute as the little girl . . just a doll ) he wishes to kill . Standing in his way , of course , Sam Loomis ( Donald Pleasence ) who warns Sheriff Ben Meeker ( Beau Starr ) that Michael has escaped from an ambulance killing the paramedics inside and is probably somewhere in Haddonfield . Michael is quite a busy man . He has time to knock out the power lines by tossing an engineer into the power grid , follows in the shadows after Jamie and foster sister Rachel ( Ellie Cornell ) who are trick-or-treating before accidentally separating , and sneaking into a deputy's car as he drives to the Sheriff's house for a shut-in to watch out for the killer . The film's main setting is Meeker's home where his daughter ( the uber-hottie Kathleen Kinmont who knows how to where a guy's shirt ) and Rachel's boyfriend Brady ( Sasha Jenson of DAZED AND CONFUSED ) are making out before Daddy barges in with Loomis , Rachel , Jamie all in tow . The point is to hold out for State police since Michael seemingly wiped out an entire police station as if he were the Terminator . But , despite the gang's best efforts to board up the whole house , Michael somehow can manifest himself within the place . . he doesn't need an entrance way in , not Michael . My favorite portion of the film is when Rachel and Jamie are out in the neighborhoods trick-or-treating and we get a sense of what John was going for in the original . . this vast area of houses where the killer could be anywhere . One great ( probably the most inspired moment in the film ) scene has Meeker and Loomis caught on a street . . after finding Rachel and Jamie . . with several men wearing Shatner masks not knowing who among them is the real Michael Myers . Sadly , though , the film barely registers past mediocrity . The kills are off-screen except when Michael plunges his finger into someone's face or forehead . The film works best , I guess , with the angle of a poor innocent child being stalked by the killer . . there's a harrowing escape sequence on Meeker's roof that seems to work rather well . Good thing is that Cornell , who is cute , and Harris are both quite likable and easy to root for against the killer . My question is , does this film rise amongst the pack of the countless Friday the 13ths and slashers that came before it ? Oh , and the film's little novel twist had my sides splitting . . |
436,852 | 9,938,570 | 105,217 | 6 | Raising Cain | Now I know directors of today love the hyperkenetic , shaking camera and the fast editing technique , but watching " Raising Cain " has awakened why I love the methodical , slow-burning Steadi-cam . . that fluid camera flow is a thing of beauty . Even if the film from De Palma is less-than-stellar ( a rehash of other film ideas done to death such as split personalities and non-stop use of dream sequences which often distort reality ) , the film's main star is indeed the camera stylistics . The long unedited tracking shot of Dr . Lynn Waldheim ( Frances Sternhagen ) explaining her history with child psychologist Dr . Nix with detectives Lt . Terry and Sgt . Cully ( Gregg Henry & Tom Bower , who work well together and clearly are enjoying themselves ) as they walk from their office upstairs down to the morgue should be a pleasure for fans of " Rope " ( you'll be reminded of the amazing opening sequence with Nicholas Cage in " Snake Eyes " ) . There's also a highly inspired climax at a hotel where the real Dr . Nix is secretly staying that is a visual wonder to behold as well . The film is about the troubled Carter ( John Lithgow ) , an example of a traumatized abusive childhood with split personalities . His evil personality comes in the form of Cain . . the one who kills and does the dirty work for dear dad such as stealing children for the old man's experiments . Two other personalities lie within . . Josh , a child who stays in constant panic of Dr . Nix's perhaps drawing near , and a mysterious female personality in the form of Margo . Margo is the interesting one because her voice remains silent yet could be the most meticulous and craft personality of them all . Lolita Davidovich is absolutely sexy as Carter's wife Jenny who still has a thing for hunky Jack ( Steven Bauer ) . Her adulterous betrayal sets off a series of events that lead to the framing of a murder and other dire consequences where poor Carter will be the victim of tragedy again . Carter seems to be the reluctant victim called on to do dastardly deeds he can't accomplish because the evil to do such things isn't there . Cain is clearly like Norman Bates ' mother personality ( though , Margo might be also . . her voice isn't heard but actions speak louder , don't they ? ) . . the dominant , benevolent one who can accomplish what dear old dad desires . Brian De Palma gives John Lithgow free reign to play his numerous characters to the hilt and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't entertained . Watching him twist into Cain from the weak Carter is so much fun because he plays the evil one with such flair . The film is pretty preposterous , though , and asks us to believe that a man could walk out of a police precinct so easily towards the end leading to the hotel climax is hard to swallow . The film has such grand style that it was hard not to enjoy it . I know the film material is old-hat and his ripping off the " car-river drowning " sequence from PSYCHO is hard to not be disgusted at . De Palma can't resist these impulses and they cost him this time . |
435,892 | 9,938,570 | 180,274 | 6 | Unhinged | Three teenage girls , traveling to a rock festival , find themselves trapped in the castle of a mother and her dutiful daughter , after their car hits a log in the country road they've managed to get lost on . With rain-swept roads unable to drive on , the girls must wait out the time in the house , opting for finding a way out of the castle for their hosts are a bit creepy . . and the thoughts of remaining in such a repressed environment where the mother is always blasting her daughter for being such a disappointment , while also establishing her hate of men , is a bit of a drag . They will , however , come in contact with a killer who is behind a rash of female disappearances in the woods near the castle . Here we go . . an Oregonian slasher flick , made by folks from the state , in Portland at a creepy mansion , utilized well by director Don Gronquist , whose influences of such films as " Halloween " , " Texas Chainsaw Massacre " & " Psycho " are undeniable . Don't let the whole " BANNED IN THE UK " fool you . . this slasher flick isn't really that gory . Sure blood sprays from off-screen slashing ( . . one is murdered with a scythe , another with an ax , and the good old machete does some damage as well ) , but most of the gruesome violence isn't shown . I think the film benefits most from the uneasy dinner table scenes between Terry ( Laurel Munson ) , a nineteen year old early 80's teen and the two " women " of the house she's stuck with , from another time living in the past . The house itself , whose lavish grounds are buried deep within the mountains cut completely off from society with a paid ground keeper doing their chores and bringing in supplies when they need them , carries the appearance of a castle from many years past where the regal wealthy would have their tea parties , and pomposity filled the room . Certainly the senile , loony crippled matriarch , Mrs . Penrose ( Virginia Settle , showing her character teetering on the brink of insanity , snapping back into reality to insult her " daughter " some more for having men around the house behind her back ) reflects the atmosphere of the home . . she too is cut of from the modern age , still living in the past . Janet Penner , as the tormented spinster daughter Marion , portrays her as polite and controlled , surprising under the circumstances she finds herself . You can not help but wonder when such a person is bound to snap , after bearing the weight and burdens of such an overbearing and mentally troubled mother . Then you have the wacky brother roaming the grounds , wondering if he is the one behind the murders of Terry's pals . We're not sure , until the very final scene , whether or not it is he who is the person whose eyeball peeps through a hole in the wall spying on the girls when they are either bathing or talking to one another . Through the heavy use of a synth score , director Gronquist builds the dread , while also , through the secretive Marion , revealing little secrets along the way . The film's low budget , at times , can be a liability . Sometimes the picture is too dark , and the cast show their uneven acting ability , although Munson , and Sara Ansley ( . . as Terry's friend Nancy , the " evil influence " her mother was worried about ) aren't afraid to get naked . I noticed Gronquist shies away from conversations between the female teenagers , perhaps recognizing a limited ability to project the type of " high schooler banter " needed when these types of girls speak . I think the film's greatest strength is the awkward situation the girls find themselves in , amongst such relics from a time they have no knowledge ( . . although Terry does mention that the mother reminded her of a senile grandmother ) , there's an unpleasant discomfort I thought worked wonderfully . The twist at the end can be realized much sooner if one is paying attention to a certain photograph found in an upstairs room by Terry . And , the twist echoes " Psycho " quite a bit , as does the overall thematic elements of a mother's emotional state effecting her child . I think if one can look past the director's ( . . and film's ) limitations , there's an eerie quality the film has . . or , at least , the flick gripped me : being closed off from help , caught in a place where disturbed people live , with a wilderness outside housing possible terror . Do remember that the film shows signs of an amateur filmmaker , for there are needlessly long stretches of helicopter shots of the girls ' car driving down the road , and fade-to-blacks that last too long . There's a much tighter film that could've been produced that would've made this film feel less tedious . |
436,053 | 9,938,570 | 308,152 | 6 | Dead End . | Frank ( Ray Wise ) takes a detour into the Twilight Zone when he wishes to try another road besides the interstate which , after traveling it for so many years , causes intense boredom . What Frank and his small family doesn't know is that their in for one heck of a hellish nightmare . It's really the road that never ends . Where their true nightmare begins is when they pick up a mysterious lady in white and her dead infant . Marion ( Alexandra Holden ) watches in horror as a black car with her boyfriend Brad ( played by Billy Asher ) in the backseat , trapped and fisting the glass in terror , drives away . Later finding Brad's badly torn body , the family never quite recovers the initial shock . One by one , each family member succumbs to dark forces in various odd ways . The Harrington family will never be the same as Frank searches nervously for a place called Marcott . . it is the only evidence of any normality other than one deserted ranger station . A paranoia thriller , this film's main strength is it's unpredictability . The ending perfectly conveys why most of their road odyssey is indeed so strange . The repetitive things within the drive should flick a light switch for many viewers . Fast-paced and surprisingly entertaining . |
435,677 | 9,938,570 | 93,628 | 6 | Nightmare Sisters | Three sorority sisters from Tri Eta Pi , buckteeth , frazzle headed Melody ( Linnea Quigley ) , geeky Marci ( Brinke Stevens ) who often frequents flea markets for trinkets , and plump Mickey ( Michelle Bauer ) always in big clothes and snacking on whatever junk food is in sight , invite three dorks to a shindig of their own making . The three nerds are constantly abused by three jocks in their fraternity . The jocks threaten , through some made-up rule in a pledge book , to expel the nerds from the fraternity if they go to this party . But , the dorks sneak away anyway , and the jocks find out , hot in pursuit . Awakening a demonic spirit in a crystal ball Marci found at a flea market during a séance with the nerds , the three sisters are turned from geeky broads to delectable babes . There's a catch . . these babes are possessed by evil making them succubus yearning to bite young eager horny males in the crotch , turning them into ash , and removing their souls . Will the nerds be able to save their gals from the evil driving them ? Perhaps with the help of an expert in exorcism , found right in the phone book no less , they can . . Look , when I rented NIGHTMARE SISTERS I knew exactly what I was in for . . and I got what I expected . I rented it for titillation and tongue-in-cheek humor and got exactly that . I didn't really find the opening , where a fortune telling con-artist is looking into his crystal ball as a naive , rather dunderheaded ( . . quite wealthy ) widow falls for his theatrical antics regarding the summoning of her husband , that funny , but I chuckled quite a bit just at the three female leads in nerdy disguise . It was quite obvious that they were having a good time playing against type . The film is indeed a light-hearted romp , a sex comedy which delivers the nudity expected as Quigley , Stevens & Bauer give their male ( . . and perhaps , female ? ) audience what they pined for . The special highlight is their bath tub scene where all three partake in soaping and washing each other with glowing smiles . Once the gals become succubus , they practically remain top-less trying to seduce any male in close proximity . The film certainly shows it's low budget in the photography , sound , & choice few locations . A great deal of the picture takes place at the house of our sorority sisters . A demon monster , behind the possession of our unfortunate sorority sisters , shows up at the end , as Perrin ( Jim Culver ) the exorcist who wants time and a half working such late hours , goes to battle in a spiritual warfare for the ages . |
436,698 | 9,938,570 | 93,624 | 6 | Night of the Demons | A group of kids decide to have a party in old Hall manor on Halloween which was the location of a massacre by the proprietor many years previous . They decide to turn it up a notch for the sake of holiday spirit and have a séance using a mirror which could hold everyone's reflection . What they don't know is that their little séance DOES unleash a demonic force of some kind that enters through the mouth of slutty Suzanne ( Linnea Quigley who is scorching ) who then spreads it to goth pal Angela ( Amelia Kinkade who has a show-stopping " dance of the damned " sequence in the film ) . Soon the slaughter begins with various characters running for their lives through this frigid , ancient , decrepit manor trying to flee those taken over by demons . Rodger ( Alvin Alexis ) and Helen ( Allison Barron ) ultimately become the prey . Helen is the stereotypical pure and innocent virgin . In the vein of films like CHOPPING MALL , acting and dialogue this bad ( . . over-expressed , heightened emoting with extra emphasis on delivering corny dialogue loudly ) had to be intentional and encouraged . You don't even know the meaning of obnoxious until you've seen Hal Havins ' very annoying , boisterous character Stooge . I thought it was very reminiscent of THE EVIL DEAD , especially the creepy demonic make-up work and how the camera travels ( the camera represents the demonic force which enters Quigley much the same way as that force which attacks Bruce Campbell at the end of THE EVIL DEAD ) through doors and down halls . The manor , full of cobwebs , dust & darkness with hints of dense light , makes up quite an effectively eerie place and there's enough gruesome bits to provide the thirst of starving gore-hounds . The film's saving grace is that it never takes itself seriously . |
435,668 | 9,938,570 | 50,294 | 6 | The Deadly Mantis | A volcanic eruption near the Antarctic circle causes an after-effect which triggers the release of a gigantic Prehistoric praying mantis , enclosed in ice centuries ago , in the Arctic circle . An outpost ( Weather Shack ) of a " dew line " radar system set up around the North Pole , is the first of many attacks by the flesh-eating insect ( . . with an insatiable appetite ) which can leap , fly , and walk making it a dangerous and deadly threat to human civilization . A C-47 plane and an Eskimo village become other targets before Colonel Parkman ( Craig Stevens ) , authority over a radar Interceptor base for the Dew Line ( Red Eagel 1 , " Sentinel of the Arctic " ) built as a distant early warning system to cease sneak attacks by other hostile countries , and Dr . Nedrick Jackson , curator of the Department of Paleontology of the Museum of Natural History and chief scientist in his field , are called to stop the monster before it poses an even deadlier threat to the United States during it's suggested path of a more tropic climate of South America . General Ford ( Donald Randolph ) of the Pentagon hopes they can stop it as the praying mantis sets it's sights on Washington . The closing of the film is the mantis ' attacks on Washington before a showdown in the Manhattan tunnel between it against Parkman and his men . While the low IMDb rating of 3 . 3 perplexes me , I'm guessing that a modern audience will find it hard to accept the monster for this movie . It's not as realistic as the Harryhausen creations , but if you are a die-hard fan of these types of creature features , then " The Deadly Mantis " will provide a decent amount of entertainment . I thought the dialogue was literate and intelligent . . those who wrote the script weren't numskulls . The flick has a serious tone and is handled very matter-of-fact , and I think this can only help considering the hokey monster created on screen . You might call " The Deadly Mantis " a " second-tier " creature feature , as it doesn't have the qualities of much better sci-fi / horror " giant insect " outings such as " Them " or " Tarantula . " Still , I think the cast is fine in their roles , enhancing the dialogue , bringing a bit of respectability to this B-movie item . I've seen a hell of a lot worse movies than this and , at the very least , the film uses stock footage well , juxtaposing it within the film rather seamlessly . Only major problem I had was that no insect , no matter how huge , could sustain the attacks of bullet-fire , missiles , and a flamethrower , not to mention the mini-mines used in the tunnel at the end . My favorite scene was the climax in the tunnel as the men try to stop the mantis as it emerges from the smoke . The special effects are a detriment that are awfully hard to overcome , specifically in the age of CGI . Alix Talton is Marge , a magazine photographer working with Jackson and the military , and a love-interest of Col . Parkman . |
436,103 | 9,938,570 | 290,747 | 6 | Man-Thing | A restless Native American spirit , deep in the heart of a creepy Southern swamp being drilled for oil by power tycoon Schist ( a portly , over-the-top Jack Thompson with bulging eyes , cat-like grin and slimy disposition ) , formed from the natural resources of it's habitat , viciously attacks those who have the misfortune of entering it's lair . A " Yankee " from " up north " is hired on as the new sheriff after the old one disappears . Kyle Williams ( Matthew Le Nevez ) just wanted to be a sheriff in a nice peaceful place but instead inherits Bywater , a township reeling from an obscene number of missing citizens who entered a sacred swamp never to return . Through an attractive schoolteacher , Teri ( Rachel Taylor , doing what she can with a pedestrian role ) Kyle will find out about the town and it's troubles . The oil refinery has brought undesired attention to Bywater , and it's claimed that a well-respected Native American , Ted Sallis , a presumably proud man who wouldn't appear to be the type to sell away his heritage for green out of Schist's pocket , run away with money meant for the remaining members of his dying people . Pete Horn ( Rawiri Parantene ) , a medicine man who Kyle confides in and Teri loves and has known since childhood ( . . an important story-arc is Teri's knowledge of the swamp ) , is troubled by the violence spurning from his people's sacred swamp and plans to face the beast who is the cause of so many deaths to innocent people . Rene LaRoque ( Steve Bastoni ) , a bald-headed Native American who lives within the swamp often seen hidden underneath a hood , knows of the swamp-monster and has plans to end the madness as well . Important to the whole picture is the refinery and drilling rig which is centered at the heart of " Dark Water " , the Native American tribe's most sacred spot in the whole swamp . Why is the Man-Thing killing folks and what does this have to do with Schist ? There are indeed hidden secrets which will be unveiled as Sheriff Kyle Williams searches for answers in a place shrouded in mystery . One thing's for sure . . this isn't your family friendly Marvel Comic Feature . Loaded with profanity , ugly characters , and a few moments of shocking images ( . . half a body on a morgue slab , one poor soul's body ripped to pieces in front of Kyle , victims who get " wooden limb-branches " thrusted into their bodies while hoisted in the air ) , " Man-Thing " certainly isn't for the eyes of children . While it's rather predictable ( . . you know who will live and die , plus the mystery of what this creature is , why it was " born " , and the revealing of the real purpose behind it's specific hunting ground perhaps won't leave that many people surprised ) , the hunting lair of the killing swamp-monster is dandy . Like entering a sinister green abyss , wooden branches protrude from the ground and swamp water , moss " spider-web " the dead trees throughout , and fog moving with wind and layering the area . Oftentimes , characters can barely walk as the trees ( . . and their branch-like arms ) colonize . . the setting is also quite dark with light only seldomly greeting those who find themselves in the wrong place at night . I found this thrilling and eerie and the atmosphere of the whole setting really took my mind away from the rather threadbare story which essentially has a sheriff trying to find out information on why the monster is killing people in a swamp and how Schist plays into the grand scheme of things . I can see how many might consider this a rip of sorts from " Swamp Thing " perhaps making little comparisons as they watch this film regarding it's Marvel character . But , I found this monster quite ominous in how it looks like an evil hybrid of nature , an essence of it's environs . . but unlike Swamp Thing , this beast is an unstoppable killing machine without a conscious or guilt over who it may harm . Schist and those who associate are it's main targets , but if you enter it's domain , expect no privileges . Robert Mammone portrays Mike Ploog . a rather cuckoo photographer chasing that one chance for a legitimate picture of something out of the ordinary which will land him fame and fortune . John Batchelor and Ian Bliss are the filthy croc-hunting Thibadeaux brothers who make the mistake of boating in the beast's neck of the woods . One major gripe ( . . being that I live in the South , Mississippi ) is the fake Southern accents from the obvious Hollywood cast . . but only a minor gripe for I guess they did the best they could ( . . they failed to convince me , however , that they are members of some Southern backwater town ) . Many will be surprised to find that this comic feature even has a woman displaying her boobies . |
436,728 | 9,938,570 | 279,919 | 6 | The Legend of Bigfoot | Critically panned " in search of . . " Bigfoot faux documentary about an expert tracker / adventurer Ivan Marx , who feels deeply motivated to seek out " the missing link " throughout North America . When Marx captured evidence of what he claims was a Sasquatch , he was met with scrutiny and jeers from " experts " ( . . when Ivan says this word , it's richly conveyed in his voice his general loathing for those who consider themselves experts critical of his " evidence " of a photographed Bigfoot ) and this reaction would haunt him , driving the tracker to search endlessly for further truth no matter what dangers and inclement weather awaited him . The film is more of a document of Marx's journey to find Bigfoot and what he encounters along the way , such as the laws of nature , how the old ways are dying ( . . he is considered an old breed of what man once was , living off the land , remaining true and honest towards nature and the environment ) with modern civilization taking over ( progress ) , and how mankind effects nature in a negative way ( . . like their poaching , oil drilling , and lumber-jacking slowly destroying the environment and nature ) . While I realize and understand that many find Marx a bit pretentious in how he constantly reminds viewers of his talents , skills and capabilities as an everyman , I must admit that found " The Legend of Bigfoot " a rather pleasant experience . I think many aspects discussed as Ivan moves from location to the next ( . . he's quite the naturalist , giving us information of the areas he travels , the folklore and history of Eskimos , Native Americans , miners , and animals ) are truly fascinating and informative . Sure these are distractions from what we are hoping to see , general proof of a live Bigfoot specimen , but Ivan makes an account of what he encounters while hoping to find the creature always eluding him . I don't for a solitary minute believe those furry things we see are Bigfoot creatures ( . . and the sequence featuring lights in the distance of a Yukon valley are very unconvincing and rather awful ) , but I thought director Harry Winer and narrator / star Marx are good story-tellers , giving us a travelogue of the life and land of a tracker and his journeys . But , as other naysayers have pointed out , this is supposed to be about the Bigfoot , not nature and it's habits , hunting and mating rituals , so I must agree that this documentary isn't exactly focused on the specific subject of the title . But , I won't dismiss what the film does feature because even if this does belong on the National Geographic channel , I still found it an informative and worthwhile experience . Marx himself comes off a bit theatrical , and certainly praises his abilities throughout , but he's sincere about his subjects ( . . animals and nature ) and seems to know quite a bit about them . I will admit , however , that I have an affinity for films which photograph nature within various potential hostile environments and settings , and for Bigfoot as well ( . . no matter how imagined and created he is for our amusement , by those seeking to earn an extra buck ) . It's clear that " Legend of Bigfoot " attempts , woefully according to 99 % of those who have watched this , to ride the success of " The Legend of Boggy Creek " , since this features a narrator and a subject similar to that hit from director Pierce . Many will find this incredibly boring and misguided . I can only say I was entertained for the most part . |
436,340 | 9,938,570 | 76,068 | 6 | Watch Me When I Kill | Those familiar with Antonio Bido anyway , the director of WHO SAW HER DIE ? & THE BLOOD STAINED SHADOW , understand that his giallo thrillers are always leisurely paced ( . . to say the least ) with LOTS of plot . And , there's always a sense of real sadness behind the plot , real tragedy often motivates the story with characters uncovering horrible truths . And , WATCH ME WHEN I KILL is no different , it is insanely convoluted yielding such a melancholy conclusion when our detective hero finally figures out the painful reasons behind a series of murders in ( . . and outside of ) Rome . Three characters share a secret involving the Nazis and a family they betray and this fuels the killer who hunts each down , waiting for the right time , when they are most vulnerable , slaying them from behind . The first is a pharmacist stabbed in the back , the killer slicing his throat . The second , a female character named Esmeralda ( Bianca Toccafaondi ) , who is friends with Giovanni Bozzi ( Fernando Cerulli ) , a businessman with corrupt lending practices , she has a history with . Bozzi seeks aid from neighbor , Lukas ( Corrado Pani ) regarding disturbing phone calls featuring a collage of loud , random sounds which mean little to him , yet are enough to cause concern . Lukas is also assigned to protect his actress girlfriend , Mara ( Paola Tedesco ) who came across a crime in progress ( . . the pharmacy as the killer escaped quickly ) and has been targeted for possibly seeing too much . Lukas begins his own investigation into the murders , and soon realizes that his girlfriend's pursuer and the killer behind the others are related . Soon , a judge ( Giuseppe Addobbati ) , a wrongfully accused escaped con ( Franco Citti ) , and a screenplay writer ( Paolo Malco ) all have their own part within the convoluted story . I will admit that I labored through WATCH ME WHEN I KILL , even though I respect director Bido for the ambitious story and it's chilling finale when we get all the facts after a lot exposition . I thought the score , supplied to us by Trans Europa Express was fabulous , good mixture of styles which often provide the film with a texture complimenting the shifts in tone ( . . while also making the long haul a little more bearable ) . I wasn't as critical of the acting and think the important characters were handled reasonably well . I agree with others that the dubbing and dialogue effects the impact of the film because characters are often saddled with cringe-worthy words that were perhaps more articulate in the Italian language . I for one liked Pani as the lead detective . . he had the look down , and the cigar was a nice touch , and he never , to me anyway , ever committed a dopey characterization which would make him unsympathetic or unworthy of interest . The trademark giallo POV shot for the killer is often relied upon , and there's really nothing particularly stylish or fresh . . that could be looked at as perhaps a positive for Bido , his conscious decision to bare more emphasis on the story , not dependent upon certain camera angles or imaginative methods at keeping our attention . The murders themselves are vicious affairs ( . . especially the final strangulation using a shower head's extension cord ) which correspond with what their past mistake resulted in . . the savagery with which the killer conducts his work ( . . such as the grisly sequence where Esmeralda's face is buried in a beef stew she was preparing on a skillet ) correlates with how certain family members fell to the Nazis . Also important is a family photo with faces cut representing lost lives . |
436,952 | 9,938,570 | 451,187 | 6 | Room 6 | Amy Roberts ( Christine Taylor ) is having recurring nightmares where a surgeon and staff are about to make an incision while she's still awake , and the faces and event are so real . Boyfriend Nick ( Shane Brolly ) finally pops the big question but she's late for work , and this unresolved answer ( . . if she'll marry him ) will have to wait until after school ( . . she's a school teacher ) . Amy is incredibly afraid of hospitals and this fear derives from a tragic incident when she was a child regarding the death of her pops . A child plagued with terrifying nightmares , Melissa Norman ( Chloe Moretz ) , in her class might have the answer to halt the dreams tormenting Amy . . Melissa's artistic renderings of those nightmarish faces troubles Amy , demonic and grotesque . After school , Amy and Nick are driving home when a truck smashes into their SUV causing a massive collision . . left with a broken leg , Nick is taken away by rude , inhospitable paramedics and Amy left concerned about which hospital he would be going . Lucas Dylan ( Jerry O'Connell ) , the other driver , whose sister is also hurt and taken to a hospital of unknown origin , will accompany Amy as they search for the whereabouts of their loved ones . Meanwhile , Amy begins seeing demonic faces of her own , many carrying an exact likeness to those horrifying drawings painted by Melissa . We also follow Nick , who is trapped in a hospital with a weird , intimidating staff , and nervous , frightened patients who are reluctant to answer his probing questions about the mysterious behavior of those in charge of their well being . I'm in the minority regarding this movie , because I thought it was an unsettling , rather creepy little demonic thriller , with terrific make-up effects from Robert Hall and his Almost Human team . I thought the demons were genuinely frightening , and provide a real sense of dread as Amy confronts opposing forces who want her soul . The Rosemary's Hospital is quite a spooky setting and it's back story heightens the terror , while also providing answers to what Amy is up against . . a battle , or test , facing a past decision regarding her father's death that has lingered over the years , and overcoming this by confronting it will be the only way of escaping those who desire for her to " join them . " The theme is really traditional " good vs evil " subject matter with Amy's soul hanging in the balance . Renowned camera operator Raymond Stella learned a lot from working with Dean Cundy , as cinematographer really creating a disquieting atmosphere within the hospital ( . . the way the lights flicker on and off ; how disconcerting , empty , and dark the halls are ) . Within the film , Amy does have help ( . . ambiguously presented by certain characters who somehow know her name , like the taxi driver ) in discovering the history of Rosemary's hospital in pursuit of saving Nick , while the evil forces always try to thwart her mission . Nick also finds himself pitted against the forces of darkness , trying to uncover the mystery behind the hospital he's stuck in , while also attempting to understand the aggressive and off-putting nature of the staff . Why do they take so much blood , and where are they when he needs them ? Director Michael Hurst creates a state of unease for Amy and from the moment she leaves the wreck , the film remains surreal and strange , a world in purgatory as she attempts to find Nick , a spiritual struggle to the very end . Flashy role for Ellie Cornell ( Halloween IV ) as a disgruntled , acid-tongued white trash mother of Melissa who doesn't appreciate Amy's attempts at " headshrinking " her daughter . Kane Hodder has a terrific cameo as a bum who attempts to attack Amy , and gets into a violent scuffle with Lucas . O'Connel , as Lucas , is able to create an air of mystery despite conveying a very comforting and supportive friend to Amy , who certainly needs one . The climax in the hospital is a doozy , particularly when Amy must face the spirits of burn victims and killer nurses after her as she searches for Nick . The computer effects aren't as effective as the make-up prosthetic work , but I felt they aren't a really heavy burden on the movie overall . Cool factoid . . the boiler scene where Amy squares off with a demon harassing her was in fact the very room where NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET was shot . The film does seem reminiscent to JACOB'S LADDER in it's spiritual theme and discomforting nightmarish scenario ( . . though , this film doesn't quite reach it in overall quality ) . |
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