Twitch of the Death Nerve - Will's Review

Not quite a slasher (misses one of the essential ingredients) but defiantly an influence on the slashers that would follow (parts of this movie would be remade virtually shot for shot a decade later in 'Friday the 13th part II') Twitch of the Death Nerve is an important and interesting film, if only from a historical point of view.

Opening with 2 kills, and with a kill on average every 10 mins thereafter, I can't quite decide if I was entertained; but it was impossible to be board...

MILD-ISH SPOILERS FOLLOW
Like last week's movie, this one had a very short lived whodunit element, but this time, rather than changing MO and becoming a kidnapper, the killer is killed.

And then his killer is killed too.

And so fourth.

The plot focuses around an inheritance; it seems that a countess (the movies first kill) was all that stands between a beautiful bay, and a profitable commercialisation; and with her dead, the race is on to become heir to the bay.

Her stepdaughter shows up, it turns out she has a illegitimate son, the lawyer behind the proposed development wants his papers signed at any cost, some residents would do anything to protect the bay, and it seems that not one person in the movie is afraid to kill to get what they want.

This is the missing element that separates this movie from a slasher; a single, seemingly unstoppable, killer.

For all it's verity and frequency of kills, the number of killers, and complex (but thankfully comprehensible) plot keep this one firmly rooted in galio teretory.

And quite right too; they'll be plenty of time for slashers in the coming decade.

Body count: 13
Boob count: 2 pairs
Animal body Count: 1 bug
Most memorable Death: The semi-ironic 'twist'

---

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 - Will's Review

Maybe I was just in the right frame of mind, maybe I'd hate it on a re-watch, but I'm going to come right out and say it; I loved the hell out of this movie.

For that reason, I'm going to tell you why you should see it, then hang around after the jump, wielding spoilers and waiting for you to join me and shoot shit about a fun little movie.

The first 20 mins or so deliver everything you'd expect from a movie with this title and this poster - within the first 15 mins you'll have seen (or not seen - sadly most of the good stuff happens off screen) 4 women and girls, in various states of undress, killed by a dude with a toolbox (polite too, he lets one girl finish masturbating before he announces his presence; just because you're about to murder a sinner is no excuse to ruin their evening!)

Fun ride though that is, it could quickly have got dull. Thankfully, a girl is kidnapped, rather than killed, the police turn up and briefly, we have a whodunit.

This also could have got pretty dull, pretty fast; especially as it's quite obvious who did 'dunnit' - the murders are all in an apartment building, and the first victim explicitly says that she was expecting the (unseen by us) killer to come, as she had called him days ago to come fix a tap!

Fear not though; the film-makers have got you covered; confirming our suspicion quickly and becoming a 'captured girl and psychotic captor' price.

Brilliant!

Now go away and watch it, then come back here.

SPOILERS FOLLOW:

Okay, so it would have been nice to SEE some of the gore, and a couple of permanences could have been better, script wise though; I'd change 2 things:

The farcical police investigation: a little more investigating and a little less trying to hook-up with the missing girls mum would have been a good start, and I don't think the real police encourage teenagers to solve murders and kidnappings themselves.

The ending... in fact screw it; I'm going to go fan-edit that, right now:...

Okay, for those who haven't seen the movie, but have decided to read this review anyway, you need to know that the young man is the nephew of the killer / kidnapper; he had (unbeknownst to the hostage) killed her brother (to protect his uncle; her brother had figured everything out by now) and then his uncle.

Then (in my head) this happens:

There!

Yes it's bleak, but in my head, that where the movie ended; this isn't HappilyEverAfterAWeek.co.uk you know! I also got rid of the "true story" blurb - I don't buy that for one second! "Based on a true story" in a horror movie means "Something bad once happened", and little else. (the real ending is after the review for anyone who wants to see it)

We have a remake of this one to watch this coming Shocktober, but from what I understand all that's been kept is the apartment complex, the title and the toolbox, which is a shame, as an update of THIS film could kick ass!

Body Count: 7 (6 in the version in my head)
Boob Count: 2 pairs
Most Memorable Death: he nailed her good!

Original ending:

---

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.

Terror Eyes - Lisa's Review

So another slasher whodunnit movie this week... well I say this week, but as I'm late with this weeks movie, I'm playing catchup from last week.  Was it worth the wait?  Ummmm no.

It wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen by a long shot.  It was watchable, but was it enjoyable?  Ummmm no.  

We follow a motorcycle-helmet wearing, leather-clad murderer with a penchant for decapitating young ladies.  The murder scenes themselves are not very graphic and in all cases cut away at the point of decapitation.  All to be seen is a pretty poor head prop and not a lot of blood given the injury sustained.  In one case a poor turtle is clonked over the head with a severed head which was thrown into a swimming pool (The murderer always puts his aquired heads in water).

I found the movie quite misogynistic and voyeuristic in its presentation.  It had a seedy air to it and the murder scenes did not seem as disturbing as the method of presentation by the director, who I thought more than once must have some odd sexual perversions.  A shower scene with the movies main actress and her prat of a boyfriend (college professor with a penchant for sleeping with his students) pointed towards a love of the look of a female 'blooded-up' body when the professor smeared her body in red paint of some description as part of their lovemaking.  Seemed a bit odd to me..

What else can I say about the movie.  It wasn't shocking.  The acting was pretty poor.  The script and dialogue didn't come across as real in any respect and distracted from the story when you were forced to address in your head how crap it actually was.  I found scenes very much to be filmed and presented from a very male viewpoint and a bit of a perv at that.  This in itself made the discovery of the helmet wearing freak all the more ridiculous.  It was kind of obvious, but I found myself hoping (in vain) through most of the movie that the killer wasn't who I thought it was.  Sadly it was, which is downright ridiculous.  There are copious reasons why this makes no sense at all, but I could only be bothered to argue these had the movie got any other kind of relevance or made any other kind of impression.  Sadly it failed on all counts.

Like I said, not the worst thing I've ever seen but definately far from one of the best.  Bog standard average slasher movie with an undertone of voyeuristic pervert.

---

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.