J*A*S*M

Proper Hitchcock. Dial M for Murder is the typical entertaining Hitchcock thriller that I like, though this one is set in only one flat (or rather, one room), so it feels a little like theatre, but it doesn’t matter. BTW, Ray Milland is a very likeable villain.

Alright. But that’s due to the fact that it’s been long since I last saw an at least average hixploitation flick, or that I had blackout at home and The Watermen on my charged notebook was the only thing that could rescue me, but I actually had quite a bit of fun. The characters sometimes behave almost surprisingly stupid (especially close to the end), but whatever. As undemanding horror fun it’s okay.

Slate nite. #notcool

Oh, my friends! What can I tell you? Utter shock, disgust and trauma for the rest of my life :) A movie that will not let you catch a breath. It lasts a bit over an hour and reaches full speed after only forty minutes, so, quite a ride. It if was just a little faster, it would be almost unbearable, the onslaught!! What surprised me the most was how well the filmmakers pretend they are amateurs. A masterpiece, the kind you don’t see everyday. The impression of authentic snuff is only reduced, slightly, by the awful performances, but that’s a negligible problem. In every other aspect, the film leaves a disgustingly authentic impression, and that counts. When one of the characters utters the line ‘I am not interested in art’, all I could do was nod and shake my head simultaneously, while thinking: ‘I believe you, mate...’ The intensity of the psychological and physical torture in the end is so high and demanding, that I was unable to move. I was drooling and my eye developed an unpleasant tick. Utter madness!!! After the film ended, the ability to move my extremities returned, at least partially, and with the last of my strength, I crawled to the phone to call an ambulance. I spent three days in hospital and the doctor told me that I nearly didn’t make it, my heart almost burst open. I have it clear now, I will never ever have another go at The Last House on Dead End Street!!! Really, an onslaught, a mess, something you don’t see every day, fortunately.

Simply put, an above-par horror movie. Very good execution, very atmospheric, and I surprisingly enjoyed it, considering its age – just the silhouette of that central haunted house looks terrifying. But what the hell was that ending? It’s so insane that defies reason. It left me with that disappointed and confused feeling of “what/why”, as if my best friend had stabbed me in the heart. It’s not every day that you see such a beautifully atmospheric horror movie with such an insane ending…

A very pleasant surprise. Christopher Roth is a mix between psycho thriller and Giallo (due mainly to setting the plot in the Italian countryside and the looks of the killer) that in the final half hour dives almost into the hixploitation sub-genre. And that last half hour has quite some pace, something I wasn’t expecting after the slow start, and I liked it more as a result. Technically, the film is very good; the murder scenes are awesome (especially the one in the bathroom), I’ve always had a weakness of Southern European locations, there’s plenty of tension and blood… I can’t complain. A very likeable film in every sense, although the theme of creating a monster in real vs on paper didn’t feel as sophisticated as I think the creators believed. 3+

The third film by Carlos Taboada that I’ve had the honour of watching. Silvia is a little girl who finds a pretty powerful, not entirely imaginary friend and he’s evil. The Book of Stone doesn’t stand out for its very intensive scares, the kind that could compete with modern horror, but it’s great at building an atmosphere. A large Mexican mansion, a crazy little girl, a petrified crazy little boy, witchcraft… it just works :-)

For me, a neutral fifty percent. I’m not pissed off that I watched it, but nothing would’ve happened if I hadn’t. It’s a fairly well made exploitation flick that manages to generate tension here and there, sometimes it surprises with some insanity (ashes!), but in the end it’s very run-of-the-mill, the kind there are many (and better). The climax somewhat ruins it (what happens after escaping from the house), so, in the end, 2*.

It seems that gothic Italy works on me much better than gothic England. I really love the way Italian filmmakers play with colours. At times, the castle walls are red, then they are green… that helps a lot with the atmosphere. Add to that a demonic Christopher Lee and the result is very nicely above average – though weaker than, for instance, Kill, Baby, Kill, but still worth it.

Hammer meets Saw meets Vinnetou.