A Classic Horror Story

Classic Horror, with its meta title and meta trailer, which teased a sort of mash-up of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Midsommer, spiced up with the ambitions of Cabin in the Woods, raised expectations of a big twist that would turn everything on its head, so we definitely wouldn't be dealing with "classic horror". Ironically, if it were a classic horror film, I would have liked it at least one star more. The twist is conceptually nice, but it takes away all the previous charm. The beautiful summer atmosphere of southern Italy, the mystery around the forest, the abandoned cottage, the unexplained phenomena, the strange cult, it all made for a great horror film, just the way I like it, even if it was nothing original. In fact, for the first hour, I felt I was watching the best and scariest horror flick of the year. After the twist, it's slightly original (though not shockingly so, I'm sure I've seen something similar before), but all the previous atmosphere is gone. The idea is good, but the final shape doesn't really work as a whole. (24.07.2021)

You Feel like you have already seen it! Classic Horror Story had all the makings of being a great horror film, and, though it's certainly not a bad one, I'm a bit disappointed and will be more strict with my rating this time. The Italian touch is fine, the rural setting is beautiful (the forest is awesome), the music is great, the make-up effects are good, there is an impressive cottage (Hansel and Gretel?), and a quite unconventional story with a surprising twist, with sirens and dark red, and nice horror references. Not to confuse a rip-off with an homage, that's clearly the makers' intention. The film has a Texas Chainsaw Massacre feel from the start and slowly references various exploitation and hixploitation films, which is my favourite sub-genre, so logically I was really looking forward it. Itit switches into a sort of variation on Ari Aster's Midsommar, which is all fine and dandy, but it struck me that Leatherface left his chainsaw in the shed and I can't quite explain why a hixploitation from Italy is more afraid of gore than I am of spiders! If the makers are going to put torture in a film, why should everything be left to the viewer's imagination? Ok, bookworms may not mind, but I was looking forward to a proper some gore after five years (there should have been blood should have spurting from the screen to my living room! ), but it all remained somewhere in the hints. In this the film definitely doesn't fulfill its potential, and that it can't be said either that there is an intense or unpleasant horror atmosphere, which is a pity, because the film had a good start, a lot of other things (music, setting, visuals, plot) that work, but for me they are not enough. If I had to compare it to something, it's like going to a brothel and getting your balls tickled by a hooker, but without the blowjob. Story 3/5, Action 2/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 2/5, Fun 3/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 3/5, Suspense 3/5. 6/10. (14.07.2021)