Reviews

Betsy Connell's story starts simply enough with a job interview for a nursing position. She successfully lands the job, which will take her to St. Sebastian, an island in the Caribbean. She is charged with the care of Jessica, the wife of wealthy plantation owner Paul Holland. Betsy meets her new employer and they travel by ship to their destination. Paul is cold and curt, but the man nonetheless intrigues Betsy. After arriving at the well-appointed home she meets Paul's brother Wesley, and it is quickly established that there is animosity between the two brothers. She settles down for the evening but is awaken in the middle of the night by the crying of a woman. She investigates the source of the sound and follows it to another building on the property and is frightened by the gaunt and silent Jessica. Not the ideal first meeting with her new patient! Jessica is in a permanent non-responsive trance that resembles something close to sleepwalking. With only good intentions, Betsy sets out to care for Jessica any way she can, but becomes entangled in the local customs as well as the family's sordid past.

Jacques Tourneur directed a formidable trio of films for Val Lewton including Cat People and The Leopard Man. Due to the snug budgets; directors were expected to complete these projects in an efficient manner. If you're not able to do the job in the allotted time another director replaces you. Seems a bit harsh, but nobody said the film industry was all fun and games. Considering the time and money constraints it amazes me how polished these films are. There is not a minute of wasted celluloid. Although I Walked With A Zombie is only 69 minutes long, it doesn't feel like corners were cut. The character development is excellent and the simple, but engrossing story is very effective. I Walked With A Zombie is full to the brim with memorable scenes I couldn't possibly do justice, so I won't. But there is one particularly clever scene I loved, where we are given information about the Holland/Rand family history when a calypso singer plays a little number entitled Shame and Scandal In The Family, and it's pretty catchy too! The cherry on top is the superb surprise ending. It is also beautifully filmed. Black and white photography adds a great deal to mood and atmosphere but it is all the little flourishes that Tourneur adds that make this film special. The sound of ceremonial drums in the distance, wind rustling through fields, a dark shadow of a man passing over the wall as Betsy lies in bed and a late night voodoo ceremony. Imagery that is stunning, subtle and haunting. The sets, props, light and shadow are all used to great effect. Not to mention, I adore the fashion of the 40′s. The clothing was so elegant and chic, even their nightgowns are high fashion. I was completely hypnotized by I Walked With A Zombie from beginning to end.

The characters are interesting and the performances are top-notch. Particularly notable is the lovely Frances Dee who plays Betsy Connell and Tom Conway who plays Paul Holland. During their journey to the island Paul says to Besty "It's easy enough to read the thoughts of a newcomer. Everything seems beautiful because you don't understand. Those flying fish, they're not leaping for joy, they're jumping in terror. Bigger fish want to eat them. That luminous water, it takes its gleam from millions of tiny dead bodies. The glitter of putrescence. There is no beauty here, only death and decay. Everything good dies here, even the stars." Okay, he might be stating fact, but freaking hell buddy, Cheer up! What a charmer! Regardless, the chemistry between these two works well. Even the films two "zombies" who remain in a silent trance throughout are perfect with their long lanky frames and gaunt faces.

This film was made in the 40′s so obviously a gorefest is unlikely. These zombies lack malice and have no hunger for human flesh. The horror elements are not shocking or grotesque, but work extremely well and add much to the films mystery and perfect mood. There is so much to admire here, in fact there really isn't anything I would change. I thoroughly enjoyed I Walked With A Zombie. Highly recommended!

'THE RED SHOES' is a supernatural tale with its center revolving around a pretty typical plot involving a mother alone with her daughter, struggling in the world. The reoccurring images you see in far too many Korean ghost stories are present here. There are pale faced girls with long black hair hanging in their face and cursed artifacts that bring misfortune to those that possess them. But there are enough unique touches paired with an intriguing performance by the lead actress that helps to elevate its status.

Sun-Jae unexpectedly goes home in the middle of the day to find her husband banging some other woman. She moves out on her own with her young daughter Han Tae-su to an inexpensive apartment near Goksung Station. She meets handsome young architect, In-cheol who is designing her eye clinic and the two embark on a relationship. On the subway on her way home Sun-Jae sees a seemingly abandoned pair of shoes she cannot resist picking up. The shoes bring the worst out in people, including her daughter who becomes obsessed with them on sight. When a friend is found dead and her daughters behavior becomes more severe, Sun-Jae and In-cheol will need to solve the mystery behind the cursed footwear before it's too late.

Bloody death scenes filmed in sterile white environments can be extremely effective. The opening scene of 'THE RED SHOES' is an outstanding example of this. There are some cherry props also. The main character is obsessed with shoes. The depth of the obsession is shown with a massive glass store display prop. The stacked glass boxes showcases each individual pair of shoes. The visuals are strong throughout. There are some respectable moments of suspense, but not nearly enough of them. Violence and gore is slim but I enjoyed what there was of it. The performances were strong and there is some interesting character development. I found the lead actress, Hye-su Kim fascinating. The love interest, In-cheol is very easy on the eyes. The problem is, that I liked the films individual pieces more than the completed work. I had a serious issue with certain "spooky" images. One in particular stood out because it is a carbon copy of something I've seen in at least two other films and seemed completely irrelevant to the story. Obviously added in for mood, it was totally ineffective. There are some predictable plot twists that also bog it down. The story is uneven and trips over its own feet, but ultimately for a ghost story it just isn't very scary. That said, I still think this is a really nice looking film with strong performances and enough special touches that it's worth a watch.

The action revolves around the Japanese garage punk band Guitar Wolf. A trio of coiffed, leather-bound super cool rockers. Ace, our main character is a wannabe rocker and number one fan of Guitar Wolf. One fateful night he finds himself in the middle of a gunfight between Guitar Wolf and an evil hot pant wearing wigged club owner. Guitar Wolf recognizes the lad as having a heart dedicated to the true spirit of rock and roll and makes him a blood brother and furnishes him with a "wolf whistle" to blow if he is ever in trouble. Trouble comes quickly in the form of UFO's and the living dead. Along the way we meet an adorable transsexual desperate for love and a bad ass female weapons dealer. Featuring guitar picks used like ninja throwing stars, a naked woman blasting zombies in the shower, slicing a UFO in half with a Samurai sword, more exploding zombie heads then you can shake a stick at, and of course, plenty of rock and roll, guitar punk sensibility. To enjoy "Wild Zero" you really have to throw out any misconceptions you might have that a film that suffers from bad editing, bad continuity, and a lack of coherent story could possibly be anything but awful. Wild Zero proves that a film can suffer these slings and arrows and still shine brilliantly. It's all about the Rock and Roll! The music in this film kicks some serious ass! It's just a whole bunch of awesomeness. For some additional fun the DVD includes a drinking game you can play while watching the film. A drinking symbol appears sporadically throughout the film like each time a character drinks, says Rock 'n Roll, or a head explodes. I can only imagine that the addition of alcohol would enhance the experience.

Although this is definitely a balls out horror film it is also an excellent multi-layered story. There is just so much here to think about and digest. I went to bed thinking about it and woke up to the same. I had a hell of a time writing this review. I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to say about Martyrs. More accurately, I wasn't sure what I didn't want to say about it. There will be people who will absolutely hate the twist it takes and the grim final scenes. For me, the film comes full circle by the time the credits role. It all becomes one horrifying and tragic tale about love and friendship, trauma and revenge and power and religion. First and foremost, it is a horror film. It has wrapped it's messages up in a very gory, relentlessly bloody package. Make no mistake about it, this film's graphic images will be difficult to look at. Once again the French pull off another horror extravaganza that kicked my ass.

We start out with Lucie, physically beaten, emotionally distraught and running from an unseen predator. Lucie meets Anna in the hospital after the event. The two girls form a bond and a lifelong friendship. Most of the film takes place fifteen years later when the girls are adults. I had a ton of empathy for both of these characters. The emotionally destroyed Lucie is beyond aid. She is scarred, mind and body, and is tormented to the point of self destruction. No matter what Lucie does to herself, or others, Anna is there to tend to her wounds. Anna, for all intensive purposes is Lucie's guardian angel. Their bond is unbreakable and Anna never gives the impression that Lucie is a burden to her in any way. You might say that Anna is somewhat of a Martyr?! The performances by both these women are outstanding. The film twists and turns but the hard right it takes mid-way completely blindsided me. It starts out as a revenge picture and transforms into something very different. There were more than a few shocks and surprises. The ending is complete and utter insanity! The violence is extreme and graphic. The gore is through the roof. The effects are outstanding. I could not recommend more highly this unflinching, bloody brilliant and completely original horror film.

The films opening scene explains that aliens know only war. Their goal is to learn about and understand the human emotion of love. In attempt to do just that, they send a sphere that lands on a deserted chicken farm. They take over the body of a farmers wife who reports to work as a grade six school teacher. Paprika Steen who plays the teacher is fantastic. She plays the wickedly nasty teacher with over the top enthusiasm and absolutely nails it. It is one of the most amusing and entertaining characters I have seen in a horror film in some time. The kids figure out almost immediately that there is something not quite right about their new teacher. She taunts and humiliates the children with insults and appears to have the answer to every question. The more they learn about their new teacher the more horrified they become. The first half of this film is rock solid. A real masterpiece. Unfortunately the films conclusion is a complete and utter crap-out. The ending seemed hurried and the finale was anti-climatic to say the least. It is intended to be more amusing than horrifying but it would have been appropriate to add a little more suspense, particularly for the final scene. There is no gore in this film and no scares at all. There are only a few isolated moments of suspense. This being said this film is still extremely watchable and I think that people who aren't generally fans of the horror genre will also enjoy it. More "PG" than our regular fair but some really good clean fun!

When I was a kid I couldn't get enough of Sunday afternoon television. I loved the old creature feature's from the 50's and 60's they showed all day long. I was at the library, and there it was with that fabulous retro cover screaming at me to rent it. The copy we rented was from Criterion and was excellent; crisp and clear. There were some really fun extras on this disc including some great 1950's movie trailers, newspaper ads etc.

The story takes place on an American military base in Manitoba, Canada. In actuality it was filmed in London England. The base is not popular with the locals. They are concerned about radiation and the jets fly far too low to the ground and frighten the livestock. When some of the locals are found dead their first instinct is to point fingers at the military. When a major is assigned to investigate he quickly discovers that a scientist living in the area may know more about the incidents then he let's on.

It really offers you everything you could want in a Sci-Fi horror from the period. There is a hero, a lovely gal and a monster that sucks out peoples brain and spinal cord. The "fiends" in fact are gelatanis brains that push themselves along via their spinal cord. There is even some gore when the brains get shot. They were definitely the films main source of entertainment. In the extras they talk about some of the ways they promoted the film back then. In New York they actually had a "fiend" in a glass box on the sidewalk in front of the theatre. They hooked it up to some wires and the spine would move randomly. It garnered such huge crowds that the police asked them to remove it, citing it as a public nuisance. The cheesy dialog is delivered with conviction by the actors. Sometimes to the point of hilarity. The scene where the scientist explains how it is that the fiends came to be is not to be missed! One of the last lines of the film comes from the sergeant who slyly says to the major "Call me when you have the situation well under hand" with a wink wink and a nod nod towards the gal at his side. This is just good, campy, clean fun! It's not going to rock your world by any means but it sure as hell will entertain you. Absolutely worth a viewing!

This deliciously sacrilegious and surreal bit of insanity from 1978 is pure exploitative gold. They just don't make them like this anymore!

The sets are imaginative and quite impressive. The convent has the appearance of a cave and the multiple tiered Christs hanging from the ceiling is one of the most brilliant props I have ever seen! Instead of traditional habits, the nuns are clothed in what appears to be torn bloodied bandages. Tina Romero, who plays Alucarda gives a brooding and wonderfully wicked performance. When the action starts, it keeps a spirited pace right through to the end. There is more hysterical female screaming then I've ever witnessed in a single film! The dialog is over dramatic at times and there are a few moments that are bordering on cheesy but Moctezuma's strange, daunting and moody presentation keeps it from slipping into silliness. There is some great bonus material on the DVD, including a brief doc on the films director, Juan López Moctezuma and an interview with Guillermo Del Toro. You will be treated to bizarre images, flagellating nuns, satanic rituals, copious nudity, lesbianism, and bloody violence. It is all complimented nicely by some trippy organ music. This little gem from Mexico City is a must see for horror fans! Highly recommended!

This is one fractured little fairytale! More Grimm Brothers than Disney, it is a truly twisted tale that is definitely not for the kiddies. It is a live action feature with stop motion animation sequences scattered throughout. The characters, although actual actors almost seemed animated themselves. The way it was filmed gave me the impression I was a witness to someone's actual dream (or nightmare). The choice of cast could not have been better. The performances are excellent and even the secondary players are perfect in their roles. The wife is absolutely mad and the husband knows this but cannot quite bring himself to deal with it. He spends much of the picture ranting and raving at the lunacy of it all. The wacky couple are nicely complimented by a parade of strange supporting characters. Among them, a little girl obsessed with sex and babies and a pedophile senior citizen. The characters imagine seeing some truly bizarre images. The first scene is our husband looking down on a fishmonger from a gynecologists office window. Instead of taking fish from the tank he is scooping up babies in his net and wrapping them up in newspaper. And of course there is little Otik. He's a freaking tree stump. An ugly, crying gnarly tree stump. At one point the mother scolds her husband for not varnishing her son enough. There is a body count, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to hardcore horror fans. This is for anyone who tastes run towards the strange and unusual. I did feel that the film runs a little long and I would have liked to have seen more of the stop motion animation. The film isn't going to be for everyone as it is definitely odd. It is delightfully demented and at times even disturbing but absolutely entertaining. It is a feast for the eyes and an assault on the senses. Highly Recommended!

I love the vampire mythology in all of its many forms. I always enjoy a fresh take on the theme and independent cinema is usually the place that delivers the unique ideas. When a person is willing to put their own time, energy and money into a project you know that they are passionate about it. Independent cinema is all about Fierce passion and original ideas, devoid of star power and big bucks. 'Thicker Than Water' is one such independent film and it is a fun and bloody ride through vampire country straight into the Baxter's dysfunctional family home.

Lara resents her sister Helen's popularity and numerous achievements, and decides to cast a little spell on her. Things don't work out so well when Helen bleeds out of her nose so profusely that she dies. The family's mourning is cut short when Helen arrives at the door covered in blood.

The films strongest feature is its character development and performances. The characters are well drawn, and each one has something unique to offer. All the actors seemed very comfortable in their roles and brought just the right mix of quirky and seriousness. Much of the film is seen through Lara's perspective, the goth sister and Anne Rice fan. Her sister Helen is a vegetarian good girl who is pretty, popular and makes good grades. Brother Raymond is a mad scientist "in-the-closet" and rarely speaks. Mom's only real concern is her children, and she'll do what ever it takes to protect them. Helen's transformation and her unwillingness to feed brings the family closer together. Their interaction is often amusing, occasionally bizarre, and even touching at times. The film has a nice mix of moody atmosphere and camp that hits the right notes. The cinematography is decent and the sets are effective. The gore is a bit slim but what there is, works well. There is a little bit of fun poked at Anne Rice and there is even a Lestat-esquire character which I found quite entertaining. My one complaint about 'Thicker Than Water' would be the music. I wasn't crazy about the choice of music or how it was used in the film. There is an excellent family dinner scene, that almost gets completely washed out by the loud classical music played over it. 'Thicker Than Water' may be low on budget, but it's high on entertainment! Funny, smart, creepy and well acted. This independent vampire flick is definitely worth picking up. Recommended!

'Slugs' definitely qualifies for the so bad it's good category. If a film is going to be this bad, it better make me laugh and have some decent gore. Slugs delivers the bad-goods! It really is bad though. Painfully awful. Some of the worst dialog and acting I have ever come across. But damn if it didn't make me laugh so freaking hard my eyes were watering! In addition, it delivers some awesome scenes of gore and carnage that have to be seen to be believed. Slugs is classic shlocky, sleazy insanity that entertained me immensely.

I really summed it all up in my opening paragraph, but I cannot reiterate enough how often this film made me laugh. There is plenty of bad acting, but the character that gave me more laughs than anyone else was Sheriff Reese. He is an A-typical, too often portrayed, grizzled, hornery cop character, but is WAY over the top with it. I mean WAAAAAAAAAAAAY over the top! He pretty much shouts his entire dialog and what comes out of his mouth is so bloody funny, I am starting to giggle as I'm writing here. Honest to god, I don't laugh this hard at most comedies! It's not just the dialog, acting and story that are painfully bad, the music is also truly awful! The 'Slugs' theme is this cool screaming thing, but every other music choice is so bizarrely inappropriate it can't be ignored. You don't actually see the first couple of kills which had me petrified, but when the gore comes, it is nasty, exploitative 80's fun. At one point, a teenage girl slips and falls stark naked onto a floor teeming with slimy slugs and writhes about covered in the creatures, screaming on top of her lungs as they eat away at her, dislodging her eye from its socket. That is just one example of the fine slug-related deaths you will be treated to. Anyone who is familiar with Juan Piquer Simón's film 'Pieces' will already know the man loves his gore. If you liked that film, then you will surely get a kick out of 'Slugs'. Painfully bad dialog and acting that will have you howling, injected with a nice helping of gore, and copious shots of squirming, slimy, fat slugs! I think there is a very small section of the population that would enjoy this epic crapfest as much as I do. If that's you…enjoy the heck out of this one! Recommended!

I wasn't really expecting the humor and self-mocking way 'Sick Nurses' presents its material. I was expecting a more serious outing. This ain't Shakespeare! Don't come here for a deep, intricate story. This is a fun, light on plot flick with some creative death. The film gives each woman a bit of screen time, enough to learn her compulsion. And the women, of course are all young and attractive, mucking about in form fitting nurse uniforms. The film takes place inside a patient-less hospital with a disproportionate staff of nurses that seem to live on the premise. They spend their time kissing and giggling, trying on paper earrings, exercising and vomiting. You know, all the things us women do when we are alone. The characterizations are exaggerations of female behavior and the personalities are way over-the-top. There are a few humorous and self-mocking scenes between the various women I found entertaining, but at the same time, had me looking forward to their death. The ghost is the stereotypical long black haired ghost but has been given a comically sadistic attitude and takes great pleasure watching her victims die. The first half of this film is set-up and background, but the second half is all about the death. The wonderfully wicked and wacky way the gals die is definitely the highlight of this film. That poor bulimic girl! You can use your imagination on how she will die, but you would be unlikely to see this coming. I don't want to spoil all the fun, but each death is practically an art project. The effects are generally decent, although there is some unnecessary use of CGI that looked pretty damn cheesy. It may be light on plot but you can't deny 'Sick Nurses' its craftiness. 'Sick Nurses' is a silly, cheeky little film. Throw in some creatively nasty death scenes where the revenge is based on each woman's vice and you've got yourself a tasty Thai treat. Recommended.