Twitch Of The Death Nerve - Lisa's Review

*** SPOILERS ***

My flabber is well and truely gast this week!  2 movies worthy of a 'Recommends' tag from me in 2 weeks!! What is the world coming to?  I really enjoyed this weeks movie, on pretty much every level.  I knew from the opening scene, it was very likely that this was a good 'un.   The cinematography in this movie is cracking! I loved how they used the camera, lighting and staging.  In the opening scene alone, the filming of our first victims home (from inside and outside) is just stunning.

The first person we see on screen is an elderly Countess who happens to be in a wheelchair.  After a view around her beautiful home and a staging of a peaceful if perhaps lonely evening, the peace is disturbed by our first murderer (you'll see why I say that later) as he drapes a noose around her neck and kicks her wheelchair away from under her.  Inevitably she chokes... what's it called when someone kills you by hanging?  Choking? Strangling? Hmmm I don't know.   The acting here is very believable, no need for over dramatics.  I also liked how they had her breathe her last at the same time the wheels on her wheelchair stopped spinning, everything stops.  The killer also leaves a fake suicide note.

So we're pretty shocked for a murder to happen so fast, even moreso when the camera pans up and shows us the murderer!! What is this I think?  While my brain in trying to comprehend what they may be trying to do, an unknown person sneaks in and stabs our murderer to death!  A whole can of worms spilleth forth!
So whats going on?  Well it seems our Countess has refused to sell her property which has put an end to plans for the bay on which her property sits to be redeveloped.  Very early on we are let in on the fact that the Countesses killer is in fact her husband (Donati), who is plotting along with a creepy, sleazy property developer (Frank Ventura) to bump her off so he can pocket the cash and Frank can go ahead with the redeveolpment.   He has no idea that Donati has been murdered, so our first whodunnit is presented.

We have numerous characters who have a motive, but as the movie progresses they all seem to be killing one other off narrowing down the possibilities.  The Countess has an illegitimate son, Simon who is a rough and ready sort who likes biting live Squid (Yick!),  she also has a daughter, Renata who has no knowledge of Simons existence, Renata has a weary willy of a husband Albert.  We also have Venturas partner Laura.  A local entomologist, Paolo who wants to protect the bay and his very odd wife Anna (who bears more than a passing resemlance to Marc Bolan).

Intermingled within the story 4 teenagers (2 couples) are thrown into the mix.  We don't get to know them and they seem to be there purely as murder victims as they all meet their end rather dramatically.  One skinny-dipping girl comes across the body of Donati in the bay (A special mention has to go to a later scene of the body with a live octopus squirming around it... HORRID!).  As she runs in terror, she is followed and killed rather impressively with a large machete type weapon.  This was the least impressive death however as when she was supposed to be dead, you can clearly see her breathing (I hate that).  Next her boyfriend is dispatched in the most impressive kill (imho) of the movie by way of the same machete to the face. Great effect here.  It even shows the removal of the machete.  One thing I was really impressed with in this movie was the quality of the effects and makeup for a movie make in 1971.  The blood was a bit off in its colour, but apart from that, the effects were pretty spot on.  Lastly for these 4, the other couple who have retired to a bedroom in a house they have broken into, they are victim to a double impaling while enjoying themselves.... Hmmm I wonder where Friday the 13th got the idea.  So pretty pointless really, but entertaining I suppose.

So the movie goes on twisting and turning through all the remaining characters doing away with them all and proving an amusing moment when one murderer gets all queasy because some blood splashes onto his hand from a victim who is being impaled on the end of a spear.

I liked how this movie had numerous killers and you knew what people were bound to be guilty but didn't know exactly who did what and who would be left.  As we are left with our survivor(s), we are even treated to a last twist (which I won't give away).  I'm not sure what I made to this, it seemed a bit daft, maybe it was poorly executed.  Interesting and ironic but not perhaps how I would have ended things.

In conclusion, superbly shot, great effects, good acting, solid storyline, held my attention.  One of my favourites on the list definately.

Gets my 'Recommended' rating.

---

Please use the comments bellow only to comment on this post - to write your own review, please comment on the main post for this movie.

The Toolbox Murders - Lisa's Review

*** BIG FAT SPOILERS ***

A VERY sleazy one this week.  I struggled with how to present my review and whether or not to give the movie a 'recommends' tag.  I decided since the aspects of the movie that I didn't enjoy are specific pet peeves of mine and perhaps aren't things that would irritate most viewers, I would go with a thumbs up.

The movie starts very abruptly and launches into several murders in an apartment block.  We don't know any of the victims nor the perpetrator.  The fact that I found the murders very disturbing and cringed numerous times, points towards the strength of the scenes, as we don't need prior knowledge nor a connection with the victims to feel an empathy.  The murders weren't dragged out (which for me can sometimes dilute the effect) and the methods, which included the sharp end of a claw hammer, a drill (with a very large drill bit), a nailgun and a knife were toe-curling (in a good way) and had me wincing and cringing.  The blood was realistic and the killer himself had an eerie madness about him.  The completely contrasting music the victims were listening to in their homes before their attacks, which end up accompanying their demise definately adds to the disturbing nature of the scenes.
One complaint I do have though (and the one thing that ruined these scenes for me) was the necessity to have 2 of the victims presented in a sexual manner when it wasn't required and is so obviously done for titillation.  We see a young woman in a bath (with a full face of makeup... bad for the skin that) masturbating.  The killer gains his entry unheard by the woman due to her loud music and he kindly waits for her to finish before dispatching her by way of a nail-gun.... the obvious pun would be something along the line of 'nailing her' but I'm not that crass.  Anyways.... I have nothing against nudity in movies, male or female, but put it in there when its required and is relevant, don't just make a murder victim nude because you can.  These scenes are meant to be disturbing, shocking and chilling, not titillating.   I did ask my husband his viewpoint on this, as a matter of interest and wanting a males perspective and his view is simply, they did this at the time because they wanted to push the boundaries as much as they could, by making the movie as controversial as they could (ie as much nudity, gore and distasteful scenes as possible).  The intention was never to titillate.   Hmmm I can see that angle, but I still reckon its distracting from the scene and for most viewers.  I mean how many naked men do we see murdered in movies?  Like I said before, its a personal pet peeve and not one which would apply to everyone, hence me giving the movie the 'Recommended' tag.

Anyways, after the first half hour, the movie takes a dramatic change of pace as we see the killer kidnap a 15 year old girl (Laurie).  Its a strange change of pace, but not a bad one and the remainder of the movie is more pyschological rather than a physical horror.  The acting is impressive, which is a big change for The Nasties List and you genuinely feel empathy with the characters.   The film is now pretty much split into 3.  A Whodunnit with a waste of time police investigation... there really was no point in even bothering with this side of things if they weren't going to do it properly.  I've seen more convincing crime solving in an episode of Scooby Doo.  Speaking of Scooby Doo,  the second part of our 3 part movie split follows our kidnapped girls brother and his friend (who just so happens to be our killers nephew) trying to solve the case themselves.  Lastly we follow the killer and kidnapper and his odd relationship with Laurie who spends the duration tied to a bed.  This was a bit uncomfortable, as although there are no sexual scenes between the killer and her, the general creepiness almost implies something is amiss.  Sadly the inevitable rape of 15 year old Laurie is factored in nearing the end of the movie, but not by our killer/kidnapper, but by his nephew.  Thankfully we are spared any gratuitous and unnecessary shots with almost everything happening off camera.  I liked the ending.  Simple and effective.  I won't give that away.  I've given away pretty much everything else.

The movie had flaws.  There are inconsistencies, there are lots of unbelievable bits, there are frustrating bits (like a victim who hides in a small room from the killer who is wielding a drill and chasing her... she leans AGAINST the door separating the 2 of them!  ARRRGGGGHH).  I will say however overall its one of the better nasties and one I could recommend to any lovers of horror who aren't too easilly offended.

Can we maintain positives movies for a few weeks???  Watch this space!

---

Please use the comments bellow only to comment on this post - to write your own review, please comment on the main post for this movie.

Night of the Bloody Apes - Lisa's Review

*** SPOILERS ***

I read the title of this one and thought 'oh gawd, here we go.  How can this possibly be any good?'.  I slightly shame myself however to admit that I enjoyed this one, BUT for all the wrong reasons.  For me, this one was a 'So bad its good' movie.  I found myself tittering all the way through.  Just when you were getting over the humor of the last cheesy line, terrible peace of acting, awful effect or desperately flawed storyline, lo and behold, something else happens to amuse you!

So where do I start?  The movie is dubbed and is originally spanish.  I speak a bit of spanish (not much admittedly, but the script would have made more sense to me in its original language).  The dubbing is awful and the actual translation itself seems to have no consideration for how it might sound in english, but is rather a crude literal translation of the original language.  That did just add to the fun for me though.

The storyline here follows a surgeon, Dr Kralman and his hapless, limping, gormless side-kick Goyo.  The Dr's son Julio has leukemia and for reasons I could not understand needed gorilla blood to cure him.  This blood however would have been too strong for the human heart, so the gorilla heart had to be transplanted as well.  Sooo what do they do?  They go to a zoo and get themselves an ape of course!!  This is where the only good piece of gore in the movie takes place and that would be because it was real.  Actual footage of real open heart surgery was spliced into the movie.  What perplexed me about it however is how shaky and incompetant the hands of the real surgeon appeared!  I certainly wouldn't want his hands in my chest cavity, thats for sure!
So, the son comes around, but he now has a ridiculous ape face, that looks like its been put on by that brown window putty you used to get years ago (can you still get that?).  He also has an insatiable need to attempt to rape women (I say attempt as he never actually manages that) and murder them.  I think the rape part was just as excuse for the movie to get as many pairs of tits and arse cheeks out as they could as there need be no hint of an excuse for a pair to pop out and Oooops, out they come.  'Oh dear!  I'm running.  I'm not wearing a bra, my boobs seem to have mysteriously popped out of my dress.. dearie me'.   Later followed by 'I've just taken a shower, someone has come to the door.  I won't do what a normal person would and ignore it, or pull a dressing gown on... no, I think I shall wander to the door with a towel wrapped around my front so my arse is hanging out.  Nice look that'.  I also learned that women like to make mundane calls to their boyfriends when completely nude, with NO ulterior motive, Hmmmmmm.

Anyways Nudity covered (mwahahahaha) the next humorous thing was the effects.  We had an eyeball gouging (which would usually have me cringing, I'm not good with eyeballs) but if a pile of fatty looking mash is what's behind an eyeball, I have a lot to learn.  A toupe is pulled off a bald mans painted head (I loved that bit!) and a sellotaped piece of latex is torn away from someones neck.

We also manage to return to the start of the movie where we had 2 women wrestling (although it was clearly big men in the wrestling scenes and not the slim women shown before the fight started).  One was very badly injured and ended up in hospital in a coma.  When our surgeon dad realises what has happened to his son due to the gorilla heart, he decides to remove the female wrestlers heart and transplant it into him.  Here we have another excuse for boobs to come out.  Goyo disposes of her in the hospital furnace but sadly Julio still resorts back to his monkey-boy self.

Nearing the end of the movie, Julio runs wild at the hospital and captures a little girl.  His dad manages to convince him to hand the little girl over and in true King Kong Style, he is gunned down where is stands on top of the roof.  Finally as with werewolves, he then turns back to his normal self as he lies dying, we have some 'Walton-like' music and hey presto, its all over.

Little about this movie is good in the sense that it is meant to, but I still found I enjoyed it and would watch it again with friends.

Watch if you like a good laugh at 'So bad its good' movies!

---

Please use the comments bellow only to comment on this post - to write your own review, please comment on the main post for this movie.