User reviews

* minor spoiler * The director of this movie apparently helmed a lot of TV-movies in Germany and it sure shows. This German slasher tries very hard to be stylish looking in a "gallic" way, but seldom succeeds. The look is distinctly like a German TV-movie with harsh lighting in the night scenes and a rather flat look in the daytime scenes. The plot however is very "giallo" with twists and turns. The screenwriters really try to fool the viewer, but since everything is telegraphed in advance in different ways, I was rarely surprised and saw the outcome miles away in advance.

Also hurtful is the way the characters are presented. We can feel no sympathy for these young spoiled brats as they meet their bloody ends. The awful dubbing on the DVD I saw was also a big drawback. At best it's amusing, for the most part it's irritating. However, everything is not bad. The scenery is awesome, we get some nice killings with a sickle and Elke Sommer does a quite nice turn as the stern housekeeper (it would have been nice if she had been the villain of this movie, but alas...), still looking quite good for her age.

This movie also contains quite a few comedic scenes, rarely found in American or Italian slashers. They mostly involve some bumbling cops and if you like that or not is a matter of taste. Quite a few scenes border on farce actually, even a few bloody ones. Especially as they are accompanied by some really strange and in-appropriate music.

So "Flashback" is a decent time waster, but I wouldn't pay too much to see it.

Ten years after witnessing the brutal murder of her parents by a sickle wielding maniac in a dress, Jeanette (Valerie Niehaus) is discharged from a mental institution to take up work as a French tutor for a trio of spoilt teenagers. However, her new life becomes a nightmare once again when a mysterious killer starts to bump off those around her using a sickle as a weapon…

A forgettable title and bland DVD cover did very little to get me worked up about this film, which I only ended up watching because I wanted to gain back some much needed shelf space. But what I imagined would be just another extremely tedious, crappily directed, shot-on-video American slasher turned out to be something slightly more interesting: a predictable but surprisingly polished German slasher, based on a screenplay by Hammer legend Jimmy Sangster and atrociously dubbed into English, which delivers both bloody violence and tongue-in-cheek silliness.

Slick direction, impressive cinematography (with great use of wonderful scenery), decent performances (despite the dubbing), juicy death scenes (including the demise of several cuddly pets) and fun visual references to other horror movies all add to the entertainment factor, but sadly the farcical humour—which comes to the fore in the final act—does detract from the overall effectiveness of the film.

5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for having the cojones to liquify a cat and bisect a pooch.

A woman spends 10 years in a mental institute after witnessing her parents' when she was a child being viciously murdered by a crazed man with a sickle and who's wearing a dress. After a whole lot of therapy her psychiatrist releases her and he gets her a job as a French tutor for some teenagers who are living in a lonely house in the Alps. Though, things aren't that peaceful as she finds out the past might be coming back to haunt her?

Germany's crack at the slasher market after the all-popular "Scream" (which started up the trend) isn't anything special, but it was fairly well made and enjoyable viewing. The look of it is rather glossy and the atmosphere is very imposing. The story doesn't really make that much sense, but it gives you what you expect from a slasher film. By sticking to the usual slasher formula, with clichés aplenty, high body count, sex crazed teenagers and a very routine story. You can see the influences and homage's towards other slashers such as "Halloween", "Scream", "Dress to kill", "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Black Christmas" throughout the film. It's filled with rather explicit violence and a special warning to pet lovers, as there are couple of graphic scenes towards dogs and a cat. Even the film gives us the usual opening death sequence to wet our appetite. You could say the two horny teenagers who got slashed to death on the train was rather pointless, but what do you expect in a film like this.

What made this film standout from the normal slashers was the morbid and incredibly gloomy atmosphere that was created. Very atmospheric during the night sequences with swirling mist and open grass fields. There was such an alienating feel because of the isolation of the surroundings. Eerie sound effects and visuals added to the uneasy element too. The elegantly lush scenery that surrounded the countryside estate was simply breathtaking and a tremendous sight to see. The setting is the real high point and you can add Elke Sommer's cameo too. The other performances were fair if over-the-top, but Elke Sommer's as a uptight housekeeper and Valerie Niehaus as the girl coming to grips with her past Jeanette Fielmann excel in their roles.

The cinematography is crisp and rather slickly done. With inventive and well established camera-work. There's the usual killers POV and don't forget the heavy breathing to go along with it. There are some well-staged death scenes with a lot of blood and spitefulness and some fairly creepy moments like figures lurking in the shadows. It totally goes for shocks and scenes that try to make you jump. The soundtrack was a real mixed bag, from Goth to rock to real cheesy romantic music. The direction is rather standard and keeps a solid pace throughout.

The tone and elements of the plot reminded me of "Scream" and a little of "Halloween" and "Dress to kill". The plot is filled with the usual hidden secrets, rowdy teens and a party, some added black humour, a cheesy romance, investigating strange occurrences, some deaths lacking meaning, moments of is she imagining or is it for real and a stunning revelation. There are some inconsistencies in the plot that are evident, so don't look too hard into it. Though, the peculiar twist that you get will totally throw you off. That's when it gets rather interesting indeed. The ending scene is a pretty good way to cap it off.

It's nothing great, but otherwise it's a not-so-bad slasher with excellent production valves and exquisite setting.

This film was an average slasher film that heavily copies other films already done in the genre. It isn't bad, but it's not great and there's really nothing new. The high point would have to be Elke Sommer playing the character of Frau Lust (that's pronounced Loost).

The visuals in the movie are outstanding, if it deserves some praise then it is for the above average cinematography. The audio, on the DVD at least, is presented in it's original German format or a dubbed English format. I watched a few minutes in the German audio and it just didn't do much for me, and i enjoy native language films with subtitles. I can understand German very well, but i switched over to the English dub and enjoyed it much more. It's almost comical at times in the English format and i would recommend viewing it that way...it's just a touch over the top and adds to the whole experience.

Another thing is...BLOOD, BLOOD, BLOOD. The annoying teenage idiots in the movie make you want to hate them and cheer for the killer hunting them down near the end.

The ending? In one word, dumb. Why is it that every movie these days has to have some lame "Sixth Sense" shocker ending that makes little sense. It seems to be the trend these days and it's getting old.

Conclusion: I give it a 5 out of 10. This is worth a single viewing for fans of the genre. I really don't have the urge to watch it again anytime soon, but i wasn't bored. People who are not fans of the genre will probably hate it...

I won't waste time repeating what many others here have already said; I just wanted to add my support for the film because I really enjoyed it. I think it's current 5.1 rating is criminally low.

If you like German Horror films, then you might like this one; it is no 'ANATOMIE' by any stretch of the imagination. I REALLY loved that film and thought it was quite sharp and brilliant! This one doesn't even come close to that level, but if you are in the mood for a simple but entertaining slasher film, then you'll probably enjoy this one, and the English dub isn't too bad.

Just one slight caution though... If you really love animals... well..., uh... let's just say that some beloved pets do meet their demise in rather grisly ways. But, the way it is done plays well into the dark humour of the film and doesn't go out of it's way to be overly cruel about it. However, if you are sensitive about animals (or you enjoy making nice protein shakes after your workout... heh heh...) then you might want to keep that in mind.

Not a masterpiece by any means, but entertaining and with some good twists that catch you by surprise...

But to be honest and pun aside: the movie is your average slasher. It is predictable to say the least. So no brownie points if you guess correct - not really an achievement to know what or who did what ... or when.

Still it is a decent effort. If you like the genre, you might like what you get served here. There is enough blood for sure for that. Though I reckon some might have liked this to have more skin/nudity. Just in case that is something you are looking for, be aware there won't be any in this movie right here.

Acting is ... well I guess you can call it ok. Again it is all things considered and if you see it in the constraints of the genre this plays within. The end twist is a bit much ... but maybe you like it, so who am I to judge?

Overall: B+ / 7 of 10 Jeanette is a young woman living in mental health facility since she was a girl. She is haunted by the nightmares of when her parents were brutally murdered by a serial killer with a fetish for killing his victims with a sickle while wearing women's clothing. When the doctor's release she is hired a French tutor for the children of a well-to-do business man. But her new found life out in the real world is short lived when the killer comes back for her. The direction is above average for a film of this nature with good visual flare that owes to several masters of the genre (Dario Argento). The script is a rehash of a lot films. Scream, Psycho and I Know What You Did Last Summer come to mind some of the deaths are lifts from other films but the humor injected into the story is grin inducing. The acting is par for a horror movie that never takes itself too seriously. The photography is excellent. There are many scenes that have cool lighting and camerawork with lots of cranes and big establishing shots. The editing is straight forward and doesn't get in the way. The music is fun and just as over the top as the rest of the film.The film has a decent amount of blood and will keep the gore hounds entertained with slashing, mutilated bodies and snowblown body parts (a really fun scene on its' own). Overall we have a standard horror script that borrows heavily from the genre but mixes in some fun comedy and an irreverence that's all its' own. An interesting and fun twist ending meet you at the end. The is a light hearted German film that is equal parts blood and comedy. Great fun!

Version: German audio, English subtitles (by SBS).

"Woah" I thought, reading the TV guide and discovering that a German slasher was about to start. The only other German movie I'd ever seen was 'Nosferatu', another movie that occasionally pops up on SBS. Having been exposed to 'Python' earlier in the day, I tuned into 'Flashback' hoping for a real horror movie, or at least a better attempt at horror.

When Jeanette Fielmann (Valerie Niehaus) was ten years old, she witnessed the murder of her parents by a dress-wearing, Norman Bates wannabe. Jeanette is locked up in a mental institution and released ten years later and is given a job as a French tutor for some rich, good-looking teenagers. However, someone knows what happened ten summers ago, and the killer is apparently back, best Sunday dress and all. Either way, those rich, good-looking teenagers are so dead.

As I am very unfamiliar with European horror movies - aside from this, 'Nosferatu', and a couple of Italian movies - I have nothing from Europe to compare it to. On the other hand, I would be surprised if it any had significant connection to European horror, as 'Flashback' seems to borrow ideas from forty years worth of Hollywood horror films, from 'Psycho' to 'Scream' and 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', and a few things in between. 'Friday the 13th', anyone?

Hey, I'm not having a go at 'Flashback' at all. I wasn't paying attention to all the - let's call them inspirations - as I was watching the film. I was however, practicing my Slasher-movie prediction skills, figuring out who would die and when. Predicting slasher movies is generally an easy thing to do, and I I was reasonably accurate earlier in the day with 'Python'. Reasonably accurate means I got only one wrong with 'Python'. Unfortunately, 'Flashback' managed to throw in a few plot-twists at me, leaving me with a broken pride and an entertaining film.

'Flashback' isn't scary. It is funny at times, and an entertaining film. Keeping 'Python' and these comments in mind, I have to give this - 7/10.

This is the german attempt to do a horror movie. Since the horror genre was very popular in the late ninety's (consider the scream series) they tried to copy the concept and changed the setting to a small village in the austrian alpes. First of all I think it's much too late for this. There are too much better horror movies. Everything in this movie is stereotype, a lonely village, some stupid cops etc... It's a bit boring, nothing new. It's just a film which was not necessary. The only plus is the good playing of the main actress (the nice and cute Valerie Niehaus) and that the film does not take itself too serious. Some funny scenes. And a unusual ending. I'll give 6/10. If you want some popcorn horror-cinema go out for the US Productions. They did it a lot better...

Ik like Horror movies very much. And I rented this movie because I liked the story. The movie is spoken in German, but that doesn´t mind me. I like story with big houses and this is one of them. The movie isn´t very scary but it is much fun to watch. 8 of 10

Just watched this movie a couple of hours back & i gotta say Valerie Niehaus who plays Jeanette has so much charisma that she keeps us intrigued & makes this movie into a decent German slasher. Also, i appreciated the gore but did not find the German humor to be funny. But what i really appreciated was the a lot of animals were killed in this movie - 3 to be exact! It leaves no prisoners untouched.....NO MERCY film making is what director Michael Karen intended for this film. Some real annoying characters such as Elle Some wasted characters such as Frau Luste and some underutilized characters such as Liesse made it a bit frustrating but as long as Valerie was on screen, it was cool

After the release of "Peeping Tom" and later "Psycho" no one imagined the success that the slasher subgenre would later create. After gaining a place in the 70's, the slasher achieved its golden age in the 80's, then came a time of oblivion and resurfaced with "Scream" (1996). Many countries had already made slashers since the 60's, but "Scream" caused many countries to want to venture back into the subgenre and one of those countries was Germany that brought "Flashback", a teenage slasher with a simple but effective script, we have cliché characters, absurd situations and a murderer with a sharp weapon. The identity of the murderer is evident but once discovered there is an interesting twist. The best thing about "Flashback" is its setting, which is gloomy and which, together with good cinematography with a video clip look from the late 90's and early 2000's, manages to capture attention. A simple but highly entertaining movie.

I did not have very high hopes for this one (a German slasher movie? "Anatomie" was quite good but I never heard of "Flashback" before...) But Flashback was actually a pleasant surprise! It is rather gory and has certainly earned its FSK 18 classification, but it is also quite clever, thrilling and has just the right small dose of humor. The story has some interesting twists and turns and I was glued to the screen throughout the whole movie. More of this, please!

The first German try to make a commercial horror film was "Anatomie". It was very successful at the cinemas (over 2 million visitors, I think...), but at least this movie was a disappointment: there was too much talk and less suspense in it. I always had the feeling, that it was much more suited for television then for the big screen. Some months later they released "Flashback" and my expectations were not too high. I finally saw it on video and I must say that it´s better then his predecessor. "Flashback" is according much more to its American examples like "Friday the 13th", "Scream" or "I know what you did last summer...": it´s a simple slasher movie were the protagonists get killed in order of disappearance. The most positive aspect is, that this film doesn´t take itself too serious. The scene with the dead body in the cable car for example is a plain sideswipe against the yellow press. Otherwise "Flashback" contains more action and suspense then "Anatomie", because it´s not trying so hard to tell a difficult (or demanding...) story. The film goes straight forward and there are also many gory scenes, so I´m sure that all splatter fans will really like this one. The script author seems to have a sense for very dark humor, because the body count is very high and there are also some innocent little pets dying (...what an animal lover like me naturally can´t tolerate! Grrr..!!!). Fortunately, the end is pretty surprising and macabre. It´s like the one in "Scream", something you really wouldn´t expect... Finally, I left this film with the good feeling, that the Germans are able to make good horror films yet. Watch out for the up coming "The Experiment" (starring Moritz Bleibtreu) which also got a lot of good reviews..! My IMDb rating for "Flashback": 8 out of 10 points.

In this slasher flick along the lines of Scream, centers on a young woman who is released from a mental hospital after witnessing the brutal murders of her parents as a child and blocking out what happened to the killer. She is hired for a live in position at a secluded estate to tutor three spoiled teen siblings French. As things quickly begin to get back to normal for her, she begins to sense her nightmare isnt truly over. Soon the three siblings and their friends and others begin to be picked off one by one by a familiar looking sickle wielding killer and the girl must try to prevent the past from repeating itself. This slasher is bloody and fierce. Great killings and an eerie setting. Look for the startling revelation towards the end!

Hell, what´s going on in Germany. A few months after the great movie Anatomie follows this Slasher-Movie about a killer in women-clothes. Horror in Germany is so called "in". But this movie isn´t one of those movies for teens from 12 to 16 years. You must be 18 to see this movie. Well it´s hard in Germany to get an 18 rating, remember: Sleepy Hollow was for children at the age of 12. The movie starts 15 years in the past. A little girl saw the deaths of her parents. A person in women-clothes killed her parents with a sickle. After that experience she went directly to a psycho medical care. Now in this summer she has to teach teenies french. The problem is, the teens live in the mountains, far from other neighbours and the killer with the sickle is right there. Looks like a normal slasher-movie, yeah and it´s like that, but who cares ? There are some bloody scenes (have you ever seen a sickle in a dick?) and the atmosphere is very scary. The acting is sometimes silly, but what are you expecting ? The actors are from local soap-operas... Finally I think you should watch the movie if you are into this genre. My girlfriend wasn´t so happy about that movie but I enjoyed it. I think 8 of 10 (but I like those silly slasher-movies, even I´ve seen this hundred times before).