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Reviews
Psycho-lettes (1996)
James Dean, steer clear of the Psycho-lettes
Man, a crazy short film that takes Easy Rider and turns it into one very "hard" ride. A band of roving butch women on mini scooters (the title Psycho-lettes) roam the European countryside tracking down male motorists. Once they catch them they have sex with them and then cut off their male members. Then they string the decapitated extremities and string them on necklaces. After a string of attacks they have a ceremony, drink a potion and fall asleep. There is a hallucination scene where a big (very fake) monster attacks. I'm not sure if this was actually happening or if it was supposed to be a dream. But the monster kills a lot people and then the movie ends on a close up of a very bad newspaper that was put together like a child's cut and paste project. Does it all sound bad? Maybe. But it is very entertaining and has that jaunty, psycho feel of the 1970s that I like so much. I only wish it had an English soundtrack so I could understand it better.
El día de la bestia (1995)
A Day of Confusion
I got to admit that I really could not follow this film. What I did follow and understand, I really liked. The special effects are admittedly very strong in some points and then stunningly simplistic and shoddy in others. The story centers around a fallen priest who learns about the coming of the anti-Christ and then, frankly, I lost track of things. Satan shows up as a goat. People hang from the side of a building. This is not for the general American audience. It's very Euro-horror-centric. I would recommend it highly for the audience it's intended for but all others should stand clear. This is the kind of film that is so quirky that if you are disappointed by it, it may not be the fault of the film maker -- it's just not necessarily your cup of tea.
Praey (2005)
Not bad
I was lucky enough to catch this one during a visit to Manhattan earlier this year. I sort of forgot about it but seeing it listed on the IMDb jogged my memory. This is in the spirit of those 1970s films with a wronged woman out for bloody revenge. In general you can tell that this is a low budget production all around but there is a genuine spark with the director/star and most of the acting. Since I don't have it on tape or DVD to check the character's names, I'm sure if I remember who was who. But the lead villain was kind of weak, there could have been a better casting choice there. He came across too soft to be real and like he was reading the script as he was going along and overall not very believable. It would of improved the overall quality if they had someone better in that role. The lead actress, Tiffany Sinclare is strong and gives a very interesting performance. When she is on the screen you are drawn like a magnet to watch. The Turkish guy who plays one of the bad guy's henchmen is also very good and you can tell he should have a good career ahead of him. The scenes with the police are also not too strong and could have been better done. There is a lot of violence, violence towards women especially, so steer clear if that bothers you. But there's a good tight story with a touch of the ghostly supernatural. This would make for a good Halloween night film showing.
The Rockville Slayer (2004)
Aged actors Unaware that their careers are spiraling down
Amazing that an unknown director could get actors with sizable cvs like Estevez, Quigley and Z'dar to appear in a non-film like this. See what you can do if you dangle some dollars in front of people without jobs. If their careers had not already jumped the shark from now on they call check off "Unaware" as the sure spot where the bottom was finally hit. The plot is not so much a story as it is a series of scenes that must of sounded good in the writer's mind but don't translate into anything interesting on the screen. In the beginning they lead you to think a certain character is definitely the murderer but then the plot changes arbitrarily and goes somewhere completely different. Maybe the writer/director thought this was going to be accepted as a plot twist but it is only a cheat because it happens only as one incredible coincidence. Considering the acting, only the no-name actors/actresses seem to care about earning their paychecks. The photography is the best thing about the movie because everything seems to be in focus but there's something unsettling about the sound quality. What story there is centers around some murders in a small town with obvious red herrings and an ending that you can't possibly see coming because its so removed from the story that its a cheat on the audience. Quigley appeared in some good "bad" films in the 80s and 90s exploiting her looks and talent but this is just a bad film in every possible way and its sad to see her slumming in this. Z'Dar's career has been in decline for a long while and this should put the sad exclamation point at the end. Estevez better scratch this one off his resume and stick as close as he can to his employable relatives.
Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004)
Solid if not spectacular
There have been many attempts to update or change the werewolf theme in movies. Only a scant few have been successful. The "Ginger Snaps" series has provided an interesting storyline with the two devoted sisters that always seem to be battling the hairy undead. However, the science or mythology that accompanies Bridget and Ginger through their battles is often convoluted and complicated and never develops strong enough to possibly elevate this series into the rare pantheon of horror classics. That's not to say that all three films in the series don't have a lot going for them. The acting and cinematography is pretty good all around and the two sisters make each of the films a worthwhile excursion for the viewer. This 3rd entry attempts to go back and establish a basis for the story and it succeeds sporadically. There's nary a boring moment in the entire series and things move along briskly enough to keep things entertaining. Don't hesitate to buy or rent this one. If you haven't seen any of this series you might be better off seeking out this 3rd installment first before you go back to numbers One and Two.