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Reviews
The Blue Man (1985)
Not bad!....But not all that good, either....
I saw this little bootlegged DVD at the local mom and pop discount store for $1.99 and was attracted by the title. It was released under the title "Eternal Evil" and the distribution company that released this feature isn't even on the box, if that means anything (the back of the DVD only reads, "(c) 2005 Mircale Pictures a division of PMC Corp. De.") I read the synopsis and thought it would be rather interesting ... then i read the credits and find that this film was directed by none other than George Mihalka - - the director behind the cult fave & horror classic "My Bloody Valentine" (which is in my top five of all time, by the way). Well, the premise is great, but it doesn't quite deliver the way it should. There are loops in the plot and the story tends to d-r-a-g in places. Not to mention the forty minutes in the film where I was completely lost as to where the story was going. There are scenes that don't make sense and don't cohere with the story line, also. The final "twist" of the film was satisfying, if I can use the term loosely. I guessed it wrong though, even during the exact moment in the film where you can pretty much tell how it will end...lol. The opening sequence is very effective, and it's one of the few highlights of the film itself. I read somewhere that this was a made-for-TV movie, which would explain the lack of gore and the absence of any type of foul language for a film of this nature. Oh yes, the soundtrack wasn't all that great for the film, but there are one or two scenes where the music shifts in the direction that masters Goblin did with "Suspiria" back in '77 to get your attention. I was sorry that didn't last any longer than it did.
All in all, this isn't a bad film, but it's not as great as I was hoping from the director of a great classic like MBV.
Fear No Evil (1981)
Not too shabby...
Since the gentleman who reviewed this film told most of the story (thankfully, so I wouldn't have to), I will just cut to the main points of my review and hopefully, this will help you. After reading many many reviews about this being a "bad" horror film, I went into this one with the idea that I was going to be expecting too much and be let down. But, to my own surprise, I was VERY satisfied with this film. The story of the battle between good and evil is told extremely well and I was very astonished about how glued I was to this story. But I did find a few things wrong/strange with this film: 1) Why didn't we get a story as to HOW Andrew became/is the Devil? In this movie he just IS... 2) Did his parents really know? Why wasn't more explained about his past? Like in the scene where he sacrifices his dog...why wasn't his motivation for that explained? 2) The homo-erotic subtext in this film was unexpected. The whole scene in the shower was not what I was expecting. And yes, many of these underground 80's films get away with the whole male frontal nudity! I've noticed that it other films like "Basket Case" and "Pieces" (And to contradict the reviewer above, some of those men were actually *very* attractive). I was very spooked by the whole scene on the beach during the play - that was done very well. But for me, the whole thing falls apart during the last 15 minutes of the film. And only because of how it was executed. They went too far on the cheesy f/x and though I understood the meaning behind it that no matter what happens good will always triumph over evil...but c'mon! When a great story is being told and then it switches to a zombie flick....? Sorry, but no. And the ending disappointed me, as well. I won't give it away, but when you think there's an explanation for the resolution, then you don't find one, it leaves a lot to be desired. Overall, this was great if you love religious thrillers like "Stigmata", but i wouldn't consider this a "horror film". I honestly give this 8 out of 10, so that should mean something. Check it out, you might like it.
Unhinged (1982)
Don't Be Fooled!
I, too, was fooled by the packaging. I, too, fell for the gory packaging and the DVD casing that claims "grieved fans as every copy was pulled from shelves". Though it was inexpensive ($6.99), it wasn't really all that worth it - no scares, and very limited gore. The ending was very cheesy and didn't deliver the punch it should have. I really don't even know how it became a "Video Nasty" with how very tame it is. The story drags, the characters are obvious amateur actors...it doesn't live up to the promise. The DVD bonus feature (the "interview")is very strange as the director appears very incoherent and not all there. The lead actress talks like she's appearing in a Shakespearean production. It's a great laugh.
Intruder (1989)
Worth it
After reading the many posts regarding this film here, I decided to try and order it from one of the several horror sites that have also been discussed on these message boards. Needless to say, I was browsing at my local Blockbuster Video and poof! there stood "Intruder" in all it's glory calling out to me to take it home. I was reluctant because I've been a victim of many the "must see" obscure 80's slasher films of the era only to be disappointed, if not angered, by their lousy outcomes.
This one, though, is worth it. Make sure you get the uncut piece, because it has some really fantastic gore scenes that even surprised me, the 20+ year die hard horror fan who's pretty much seen it all. The story isn't that great, but the premise of "Friday the 13th" in a grocery store taps in to even my own worst horror-nightmares-come-true types of fear. You can sense the claustrophobia at times and it adds to the mood. The atmosphere is great and it from the first, rather tame, murder sequence, they build up and get better than the last up until the film's final scene - which...
***SPOILER ALERT*** ...pretty much stinks. But then again, most of the teen-slasher films to come from that time period had pretty bad, if not notoriously bad, endings. (Can anyone remember "The Prey"?) At any rate, if you can find this much-overlooked gem, get it and watch it. It's really worth checking out. And, um, what's with giving Bruce Campbell top billing on the DVD's cover when he doesn't appear until the final 2-minutes of the film? Go, Wizard's marketing department! A total 9 out of 10.
Erasure: Pop! The First Twenty Hits! (1992)
Great Stuff!
She used the word "Erasurehead"!!!! (referring to the above review) I thought I was the one who made up that word...but obviously not, LOL. This was Erasure's first hits compilation and for it being just a party mix tape for us die-hard fans, it was like "Erasure 101" for the rest of the world. The videos here are presented in chronological order in their awesome luxuriousness. Though the VHS presentation leaves a little to be desired, if you have a LaserDisc player, look for the out of print LaserDisc - it's totally SUPERB and SUPERIOR to the VHS copy. (And the packaging layout is absolutely gorgeous!) Still, if you're a fan, you should already have this. If you're curious, I do recommend this collection highly. Cheers!
Deliria (1987)
OMG I love this film!
I finally got my hands on this after 6+ years of wanting to see this film and wow, I was not disappointed. What a great piece of 80's horror. I love 80's-Italian horror like "Demons" and was hoping this would be about the same. WRONG! It was better! Some of the story had loopholes the size of Mars and some of the acting was sub-par (um, HELLO? Veteran horror actor John Morghen as a total flaming queer?) but it still wasn't enough to make me stop watching. The murder sequences in this film are some I wouldn't have expected and though the gore factor isn't all that much, the atmosphere is really great. If you're a horror fan, you need to add this one to your collection. You will not be sorry at all.
Ecologia del delitto (1971)
I agree
Every horror fan knows about this film (or at least several of its aliases) by name. Every horror fan knows this film was the film Friday the 13th part 2 ripped off complete with the machete-to-the-face and double impalement scene. Needless to say, for being a Mario Bava film, it was pretty thorough and gave some pretty good chills. I will agree with troy above that one of the creepier things about this film was the reactions of the victims once they were dead. If you pay attention to the guy who gets the machete in the face, when he falls onto the floor you can see his face moving. His eyes twitching. It's pretty disturbing but does the trick! All in all, if you like Italian horror, check this one out, you won't be disappointed. Beware of some of the earlier versions on DVD (like Simitar's version of BAY OF BLOOD), the sound sucks and the picture quality leaves much to be desired. Look for the far superior DVD version of TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE.
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1981)
Boring with a capital "B"
I remember seeing the TV trailer for this film when it was known back then as "Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker" and remembering how much I wanted to see it. The film disappeared into obscurity and resurfaced under the title "Night Warning". I got it off ebay (for a hefty price mind you) and was very disappointed. The movie stinks. Don't watch it. For being a piece of 80's horror.....well....just skip it. If you're gay like me, the only salvation the film has is a very young and very cute Jimmy McNichol who parades around in some scenes in tight shorts and/or without a shirt. That's pretty much it. The story's plot is putrid, the gore f/x aren't all that great and it's pretty much a waste of time. Go check out something else.