Diabolical_Shadow Blog

Doomed ~ Capsule review.

Diabolical_Shadow — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:55:39 GMT

DOOMED

2006 – NR – 76 Min.

D: Michael Su

S: Sarah Diaz – Drew Russell – Steve Cryen – Michael Kehoe

Maverick Entertainment DVD

Fullscreen / 5.1 Surround

Extras: Trailers

Ten people serving long sentences for myriad crimes are dropped on the Isola De Romero *cough* and divided into teams of two. These teams are instructed to try to make it to the other side of the island where millions of dollars and a complete pardon await them. Freedom, riches, everything they could want, with one catch… The island is overrun with the living dead. All this will be filmed and broadcast on the popular TV show Survival Island 2020. There’ll be alliances, betrayals, and many other staples of successful reality television. The kicker is that nobody has survived so far and the show is still looking for its first heroic victors. Will this episode finally find a winner? Will you even care? This feisty independent borrows from places too numerous to list here and attempts to come up with something a little different. They definitely achieved that, just not to any degree of satisfaction. Although a warning about graphic violence and gore is slapped on the case, you won’t find any in the movie. This is much more action than horror, that itself is not the problem. No depth, no staying power, no viewer involvement, these are the problems. The action choreography is well done and at 76 minutes the pace is brisk. Some clever touches are present, such as explaining the cameras at the outset, but none of it’s enough to keep interest piqued. These are all hardened criminals, mass-murderers in some cases. Who really cares if they end up as zombie-poop anyway? Sounds like they deserve it! So that’s Doomed. A valiant effort; it tries hard but is unable to achieve better than ‘average at best’. Worth a rent.

The Thirst ~ Capsule review.

Diabolical_Shadow — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:46:06 GMT

The Thirst (2006)

2006 – NR – 88 Min.

D: Jeremy Kasten

S: Matt Keeslar – Clare Kramer – Jeremy Sisto – Serena Scott Thomas – Adam Baldwin

Starz Home Entertainment / Anchor Bay DVD

Anamorphic widescreen / 5.1 Dolby Digital

Extras: Commentary – Deleted scenes – Photo Gallery

Kramer is Lisa, an ex-drug addict stripper with a terminal illness who manages to cheat death when a female vampire turns her because she likes the way Lisa dances. Keeslar is Maxx; the ex-drug addict boyfriend who meets up with his recently deceased love at a fetish club and is himself turned so that they can remain together. The vampire ‘family’ looks at the reunited couple as an experiment of sorts. Maxx responds to his new sanguinary cravings with the same obsessive recklessness that defined his previous addiction. Events quickly snowball out of control until Lisa and Maxx decide to seek help, a decision to which the original group is violently opposed. Much carnage ensues. Grimy, foul-mouthed movie meanders along reveling in its conceit while offering no sympathetic characters and attempts to make up for its shortcomings with an abundance of exaggerated splatter, nudity and sex. Inappropriate soundtrack consists of punk/goth/industrial/metal melange blaring obnoxiously while the kinetic flash cut editing style frustrates. The ridiculous ‘withdrawal’ scene shows the couple in their old apartment trying to kick the habit and ends with them eating their cats after sucking blood from a mattress doesn’t work. Brain Damage this ain’t. A friend commented that it was as if the filmmakers were trying to emulate Near Dark (FAIL!) with every bloodsucker acting the Bill Paxton part – this is certainly a valid observation. The running time is 88 minutes but it feels like 3 hours. Recommended only to the most indiscriminate splatter fiends.

The Day Time Ended ~ Capsule review.

Diabolical_Shadow — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:47:36 GMT

THE DAY TIME ENDED

1979/80 – R (Re-rating) – 80 Min.

D: John ‘Bud’ Cardos

S: Jim Davis – Christopher Mitchum – Dorothy Malone – Marcy Lafferty – Natasha Ryan – Scott Kolden

Full Moon Entertainment DVD / Cult Video Collection

Fullscreen / Stereo 2.0

Extras: Trailers

A family moves into a solar powered desert home wishing to leave the problems of the city behind and start a new life. Unsuspecting protagonists encounter strange things nearly upon arrival; glowing lights, pyramids that make animals disappear and reappear, and antagonistic laser-armed probes are early obstacles. Extraterrestrial occurrences gain momentum as the night wears on. Everybody tries to stay safe inside while spaceships and monsters run rampant outside. Eventually, a swirling vortex begins to move them through time. Abstract plot seems an afterthought; special effects (courtesy of talents such as Jim Danforth, Dave Allen, Lyle Conway, and others) are definitely the focus. The acting is fine, especially the little girl (Ryan), but some character reactions (or utter lack thereof) are bewildering. When it’s all over nothing much has been explained or resolved to any degree of satisfaction. The 80 minutes go by quickly; it’s all very entertaining in a quirky and strictly nonsensical way. Viewer reaction tends to play out as follows… If you enjoyed it years ago you’ll probably still enjoy it. If you didn’t care for it then, it’s a safe bet you won’t feel any different revisiting it now. Unfamiliar viewers who are fond of Laserblast, Starship Invasions, and later Charles Band (the producer) efforts can feel safer in approaching The Day Time Ended than most. A touch of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a hint of Lost in Space, and a couple of large stop motion creatures kicking the living crap out of each other in the front yard… your move. Notes: The newly applied R rating is perplexing (a theme with The Day Time Ended) since nothing has changed. With the exception of some profanity and a few suspenseful scenes this is relatively safe family fare. Lastly, the DVD reviewed is disappointing at best, unstable image, cropped from 2.35, and sound problems besides. It deserved better.

Final Exam ~ Capsule review.

Diabolical_Shadow — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:13:50 GMT

FINAL EXAM

1981 – R – 88 Min.

D: Jimmy Huston

S: Cecile Bagdadi – Timothy L. Raynor – Joel Rice

BCI DVD

Anamorphic Widescreen / Dolby Digital Stereo

Extras: Commentary – Cast Interviews – Trailers

Final Exam is a lesser-known slasher that’s taken heat over the years even though it has a lot going for it. The setting is a secluded college as a semester comes to an end. There are very few people left finishing up whatever needs finishing up when a maniacal madman (Raynor) decides to drop in. Courtney (Bagdadi) remains unaware of what’s happening on campus until it’s too late. She’ll have to fight hard if she wants to escape the blade of the seemingly unstoppable psychopath that only wants her dead. Among the most repeated complaints about Final Exam is that the motivations of the killer are not explained. It seems some people are missing the point. The movie sets up this very idea, mostly through the semi-paranoid ranting of local bookworm Radish (Rice), and the fear comes from that; how random it all seems to be, how it could happen any place, in any town, maybe even your town. Another common gripe is how long it takes before a victim is claimed (aside from the opening). This is no body count movie. There’s story and characterization… Is that really such a bad thing? Yes, the acting is a little sub-par, but the entire cast operates on the same level and that helps. You don’t have a singular performance that’s either so impressive or so horrible that it unbalances the rest. When it comes time for the killer to let somebody know he’s there, he does it with style. These are some of the coolest reveals in stalk and slash history, always fun to watch. Final Exam is an easy recommendation for die-hard ‘golden age’ slasher fans, no question. If that’s not you, a rental is definitely the way to go. Better safe than sorry. The tagline says it all… “Some may pass the test… God help the rest!”

Satanik ~ DVD Review.

Diabolical_Shadow — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:14:21 GMT

Satanik

1968 – NR – 84 Min.

D: Piero Vivarelli

S: Magda Konopka

Retromedia DVD – Now part of the Euro Fiends From Beyond The Grave collection. Version reviewed was original single release as pictured.

Fullscreen / Dolby Digital Mono

Extras: Photo Gallery

While looking over the text written on the back of the DVD case for this title, you notice some strange things. You see the same sentence repeated only a couple of lines later. You may even be drawn in by esoteric messages such as "Max needs." But, if those displays of professionalism don’t already have you digging into your pockets with gleeful enthusiasm, then lines like "Sleazy Chills… Italian Style!” are certain to push you over the edge. No? Ah, you’re a hard sell! Then take a glance at the front cover. "Euro Trash Horror" it screams; that beautiful, obviously naked, temptress should complete the seduction. You might now be thinking, "If that gorgeous vixen from the cover is in the flick, how bad can it be?” She is in the movie… right?” No, not really.

Some terrific, finger-snapping, lounge style tunes play while the credits roll by (the on-screen title says Satanic) over color tinted images in the background. An old woman, walking alone in the night rain, waves down a cab and tells him to hurry up; her trip is an urgent one. She is off to visit a medical colleague of hers who is working on a formula designed to achieve cell regeneration, potentially, the key to immortality. Up until now, the formula has only been tested on animals and the side effects have been worrisome. Yes, they get younger and healthier but they also become a bit vicious in the process. Well, the old woman, Dr. Marnie Bannister, is ready to try it out for her self. She is an ugly, haggard old woman with a large and nasty growth on her face resembling some sort of infection or disease. She isn’t worried about the potentially negative effects of the serum either. When her partner in all of this explains that it’s still too unstable to try on a human, she kills him with a scalpel and takes it anyway. (Gosh, I hope the potion doesn’t make her vicious!) After drinking it all down, she passes out. She awakens to find herself sexy, young, and wearing lots of eye shadow. (Must‘ve been the magical and ever-so-elusive makeover gnomes).

The police investigate the murder and instantly come to the correct conclusion (GASP!). However, they are now searching for a nasty looking old woman, not a hip young sex kitten making the rounds at a nice upscale drinking establishment. It’s here that the new Dr. Bannister meets George, a jet-setting playboy and lady-killer extraordinaire. After an evening of fine dining and dancing, the couple heads back to George’s place for a little late night champagne, an expensive strip tease and lusty sex. As it turns out, the potion is temporary and it’s not long until the good Doctor turns into a snarling old hag bent on murder. Unfortunately for him, our shady friend George is the closest when the potion wears off. Now it’s back to the laboratory for another fix; bad news for the watchman. Although young and pretty again, the cops are hot on Bannister’s trail. (Didn’t help matters any when she shot one of the cops,) It won’t be long now… as the police get closer to the horrifying truth we are treated to some general criminal activity, a hilarious cat-fight, more giggle inspiring fashion craziness than I could keep track of, and murder.

What a mess! The plot is shifty and ridiculous, there is virtually no characterization to speak of, the dubbed dialogue is monotonous in its best moments and the whole movie is a frustrating failure. Excruciatingly overlong at only eighty-four minutes, there is only one thing that I can say is truly enjoyable about Satanik: the soundtrack. Fans of lounge music are sure to be pleased by the Bossa-Nova-beats and Martini-shaking rhythms of most of the music heard throughout. It’s just not enough. Two brief moments of nudity don’t achieve the promised "sleazy chills" and a couple of mild, decidedly flat murders do not a "Euro Trash Horror" make. Director Piero Vivarelli directs in a rather lackluster manner and even if he had accomplished all of the stylish visuals you could have hoped for (make no mistake here, he didn’t), they would have been castrated by the full screen transfer on the DVD. I find it difficult even to recommend Satanik to bad-film fans because it isn’t bad in that sometimes-rewarding sort of way. It’s just frickin’ boring. That’s the worst kind of bad there is.

The DVD presentation itself doesn’t fare a whole lot better than the movie it contains. At the opening of the disc there is a disclaimer that says, "…some audio and video imperfections exist." Man, that’s an understatement. The cropped image often leaves you watching people talking to themselves. There are massive amounts of print damage. Don’t be surprised when someone is in the middle of a sentence and you find yourself instantly watching the next scene. There are many scratches, lines, dirt marks, and general deterioration caused by age and lack of care. The soundtrack contains a tremendous amount of popping, snapping and hiss. It also sounds high and a little tinny. The only extra is a gallery of pictures that mostly features the covers of the Italian photo novels. It’s short, but features yet another lively piece of lounge music playing in the background.

I can only recommend Satanik to those who carry on an unyielding quest for the relentlessly boring. Insomniacs take note…

Manhattan Melodrama ~ Capsule review.

Diabolical_Shadow — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:57:45 GMT

MANHATTAN MELODRAMA

1934 – NR – 90 Min.

D: W.S. Van Dyke

S: Clark Gable – William Powell – Myrna Loy

Warner Home Entertainment DVD – Released as part of the Myrna Loy And William Powell Collection

Fullscreen / Dolby Digital Mono

Extras: Comedy Short – Classic Cartoon – Theatrical Trailer

Though most notorious for being the film John Dillinger was gunned down after seeing, Manhattan Melodrama has more to offer than its notable connection with historical trivia. The now overly familiar plotline tells the story of two boyhood friends who helped each other navigate through some amazing hardships only to end up on opposite sides of the law in adulthood. Familiar though it may be, these particular plot conventions have rarely been used in quite this way. Blackie (Gable) has nothing but respect and admiration for his old buddy Jim (Powell) and wants only the greatest success for him. They remain fast friends, but that friendship becomes more complicated (and strained) as Jim’s political career begins to take off. Also, there is Eleanor (Loy). She begins with Blackie but soon finds herself in love with Jim and the happy, secure, life he can offer. Not even this turn of events can sour the friendship between the protagonists. When murder enters into the scenario Jim will find himself, and his relationship, nearly crushed beneath the weight of his moral quandaries. Excellent performances and tight direction save this from becoming silly and overwrought. The first section of the film, featuring Mickey Rooney as the young Blackie, seems to be heading down that very path, but as soon as the characters reach adulthood we are treated to a relentlessly engaging tale that is as powerful as it is satisfying. Loy is fantastic, as always, and this marked her first pairing with Powell. Also of interest; a musical number performed at a club, The Bad In Every Man, was the original incarnation of the song Blue Moon before it was rewritten to be more commercial friendly. Whether you are a classic movie fan or just love seeing Powell and Loy together on screen, Manhattan Melodrama comes highly recommended.

Royal Wedding ~ Capsule review.

Diabolical_Shadow — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:56:27 GMT

ROYAL WEDDING

1951 – NR – 93 Min.

D: Stanley Donen

S: Fred Astaire – Jane Powell – Keenan Wynn – Sarah Churchill – Peter Lawford

Warner Home Entertainment DVD – Released as a double feature with The Belle Of New York

Fullscreen / Dolby Digital Mono

Extras: Robert Osborne hosts TCM’s Private Screenings with Stanley Donen – Featurette – Song Outtake – Two Classic Cartoons – Promotional radio interview with Astaire and Powell – Trailer

Lively Techincolor musical showcases Astaire and Powell as brother and sister dancing team of Tom and Ellen Bowen. He’s a workaholic and she’s a bit of a get-around-girl. Offered the chance to put on a show in London around the time of the Royal Wedding, both their lives are eventually complicated by the fact that each finds romance. Or more appropriately, it finds them. Tom and Ellen are thrown off balance by this unexpected segue into such unfamiliar territory. And what effect will all of this have on the new and tremendously successful act? Donen crafts an endearing film that is happily concerned with more than just getting to the next number. All of which, by the way, are very well done and highly entertaining. That fantastic sequence featuring Mr. Astaire dancing on the walls and ceiling of his room is still a standout; he’s as effortlessly smooth as ever. Sarah Churchill, Tom’s love interest in the story, is the daughter of Winston Churchill. Powell is bright, energetic, and a pleasure to watch. If you’re an Astaire fan you’ve probably already picked this up. If you’re unfamiliar and have been wondering, lay those worries to rest, Royal Wedding is terrific entertainment.

Hit The Deck ~ Capsule review.

Diabolical_Shadow — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:23:43 GMT

HIT THE DECK

1955 – NR – 112 Min.

D: Roy Rowland

S: Walter Pidgeon – Ann Miller – Tony Martin – Debbie Reynolds – Vic Damone – Russ Tamblyn – Jane Powell – More.

Warner Home Entertainment DVD – Newly released as part of the Classic Musicals From The Dream Factory: Volume 3 collection.

Anamorphic Widescreen (Cinemascope) / Dolby Digital 5.1 And 5.0 / Dolby Digital 5.1 Music Only Track

Extras: Comedy Short – Classic Cartoon – Outtake Song – Theatrical Trailer

Three sailors on a 48-hour shore leave fall in love, get into trouble, and must sort out their relationships with family, embittered girlfriends and the Navy itself. Will it all work out in the end? What do you think!? Bright and attractive Cinemascope title features a lot more singing and dancing than plot. What there is to the story will bring a strong sensation of deja-vu to just about any fan of Hollywood musicals. Redundancy aside, Hit The Deck’s many catchy set-pieces are fun, though they feel somewhat reserved, and certainly offer less to take in than many of the more popular MGM musicals that preceded it. There are several bright spots as well; the fun house number and just about any of the comedy scenes that feature Kay Armen are notable standouts. This is the sort of movie that improves a little as it rolls along. A definite slow starter, it’s above average at best, mundane and predictable at worst, but never takes itself altogether too seriously and that’s a good thing. Though it would serve most fans of the genre better to revisit On The Town instead, Hit The Deck is still an agreeable way to pass a couple of hours as long as expectations aren’t very high to begin with.

Deep In My Heart ~ Capsule review.

Diabolical_Shadow — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:21:18 GMT

DEEP IN MY HEART

1954 – NR – 132 Min.

D: Stanley Donen

S: José Ferrer – Doe Avedon – Helen Traubel – Walter Pidgeon – Jim Backus – Merle Oberon – More.

Warner Home Entertainment DVD – Newly released as part of the Classic Musicals From The Dream Factory: Volume 3 collection.

Anamorphic Widescreen / Dolby Digital 5.1

Extras: Musical Short – Classic Cartoon – Two Outtake Musical Numbers – Audio Only Outtake – Trailer

Ferrer essays the role of Sigmund Romberg, a passionate and highly creative composer who was desperate to share his gift with the world even though the world, more often than not, just wanted something catchy that they could dance to. Romberg is constantly at odds with the very nature of the business. He wants, same as anybody, to be happy and therefore tries to get along as best he can writing music he is not proud of for plays he despises, but always waiting for his chance. Things move pretty fast in Romberg’s career and he quickly experiences great success, harsh failure, bankruptcy, wealth, and, despite an apparent desire to avoid it, love. Lillian (Avedon) is the woman that steals his heart and once married Romberg’s inspiration is unstoppable. Arguably among the most accessible and friendly of the many musical biographies of the era, Deep In My Heart still drags a bit. There are 22 songs crammed into the running time, perhaps at the cost of some narrative depth. Lots of star cameos are to be found in the many recreations of Romberg’s contributions to the musical stage and there are a couple of moments that truly stand out. For example, Gene Kelley and his real life brother Fred perform a lively song and dance. Also, you’ll get to see the surprisingly sexy number featuring the statuesque Cyd Charisse and James Mitchell; it’s a showstopper. Most of the rest passes by in a rushed blur of activity. Deep In My Heart is a marginal, undemanding affair that will be much more rewarding for dedicated fans of the music in question then it will be for most anyone else.

Strange Behavior ~ Review.

Diabolical_Shadow — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:51:03 GMT

STRANGE BEHAVIOR (1981)

Tangerine Dream’s evocative music gives way to opening moments that are shaped by silhouettes, dimly lit staircases, and dark corners. Not a bad way to be introduced to a horror movie. A young man, home alone, sits back in his room enjoying a cigarette he isn’t supposed to have while listening to the radio. When the power goes out, he heads downstairs for a candle, tobacco in hand; it’s the last one he’ll ever get to enjoy. He’s stabbed in the head several times, seemingly by one of his peers; we watch it happen on the wall, in shadows. We listen to his death throes while the wide-eyed psychopath extinguishes the candle’s flame. There now, how’s that for firmly establishing a mood? No doubt about it, it’s a grabber.

As the film gets underway, a picture of a happy, friendly, carefree town is clearly painted for us. Well, as all of us dedicated horror fans know things are very rarely as they appear in places like this. The Mayor’s son (kid at the beginning – Bill Condon) is missing and there’s some uproar around town about it. If they only knew, right? Elsewhere in town, Pete Brady (Dan Shor) is in need of some fast cash, though he isn’t having a lot of luck acquiring it. A close friend of his, Oliver (Marc McClure - remember the guy who played Jimmy Olsen in the Superman/Supergirl movies?), knows a way to make some quick cash. It seems that they are paying pretty well for volunteers over at Galesburg College. All you have to do is undergo two sessions and you get two hundred dollars. Pete accompanies his buddy to the college that day after school. He meets Dr. Gwen Parkinson (Fiona Lewis) who accepts him instantly; “We always welcome the chance for new blood.” She instructs him to come back the following afternoon and takes Oliver away for his second “treatment.”

A really bizarre scene comes out of nowhere to invade the movie here; Oli and Pete hit a party where nearly everybody is wearing costumes and all of these crazy party-animal teenagers do some synchronized early eighties-style dancing to the old Lightning Strikes song. Huh? Well, as inexplicable as that scene is, other more nefarious events are taking place elsewhere in the house. Fat Waldo (dressed up to look like Hoss from Bonanza) throws up into the sink while his thirteen year-old date, Lucy (“Lucy Brown gets around”), tells him to knock it off. A girl in a Flying Nun costume yearns for Pete’s affections and declares quite openly that she isn’t wearing any underwear. Man, I don’t remember going to any parties this out-there back in the day. I suppose I should be grateful! Enough of this; a little bit later in the evening Waldo is in his car trying to coerce his date into living down to her reputation. Outside, a masked party guest (a Tor Johnson mask yet) approaches the car, knife in hand. An especially brutal attack leaves Waldo very dead and Lucy injured. The disguised murderer runs away and after retreating to a safe distance removes the mask. The killer, it was… it was…

Well, this leaves me in a difficult situation in terms of the rest of this piece. The flow is calculated and intentionally paced. It’s a movie that builds with steady determination and gives you only a little bit at a time. I’ve decided to cut short the descriptive portion of this particular review in favor of a more standard plot overview. Let it never be said that I was the one who ruined a movie for potential fans! Now, what’s probably already a heavy suspicion for most viewers is exactly the case. Those experiments at the local college, they leave the participants changed, and not for the better. To the folks at large it appears as though there is a serial killer at work, one whose standard procedure seems to be mutilation and viciousness. The sheriff is a certain John Brady (Michael Murphy), yep, Pete’s dad. John has no clue that his own son has been drawn into his town’s horrific secret. The murders continue and Pete is now a part of it. Before things get really bad, there’s time for a little romance in the shape of Caroline (Dey Young), a receptionist for Doctor Parkinson. All of these scenes are intended to disarm the viewer; you fall into complacency and are then shaken out of it, hard. The murder scenes are jarring. Though Craig Reardon’s special effects are not extravagantly gory, they’re violent and very brutal. Some general investigating eventually leads John to Parkinson, but is it too late to stop that which has already been begun?

There is a voyeuristic quality about this one that helps to immerse you in the goings-on and keeps everything from ever getting too mundane. You feel like you are there and that’s one of the best things a movie can do for us. There is a disquieting edge to everything taking place, and it’s in this way that Strange Behavior succeeds in what it sets out to do. Atmosphere is the key to all the important elements on display – suspense, fear, horror, nervousness, etc. Without that you have very little, and fortunately director Michael Laughlin supplies plenty throughout. There are moments, particularly those scenes in the various medical chambers, that make you think you’ll find the name David Cronenberg somewhere in the credits. It might be more associative than visual, but it’s still present, and that’s definitely a compliment. In no way does that mean that Laughlin is lacking his own style, he isn’t, and I credit him for the restraint applied in the storytelling that helped to make Strange Behavior such a memorable movie. It’s on a perfectly even keel with itself and never once do you get the impression that Laughlin was even close to misjudging the balance that he needed to achieve what he did. The performances are all strong, though Louise Fletcher did seem a little flighty and it was difficult to tell if she was supposed to come across that way. Doesn’t matter, it worked and that’s what counts in the end. Fiona Lewis was the real standout and I wish she’d had a few more opportunities to be quietly sinister. I loved those moments.

Oh yeah, don't bother with the vapid remake, Disturbing Behavior.