Tourist Trap (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)One of the best horror films of the 1970's has finally been given a long overdue home video makeover. TOURIST TRAP is the most frightening movie ever made about mannequins, and a classic example that a low budget can be a horror film's greatest asset. In today's predictable, estrogen-driven MTV style of filmmaking wherein the writers believe that blood, gore, and throwaway lines are the ingredients necessary to make a horror film, TOURIST TRAP blows that notion out of the water. The film possesses an air of originality thanks to Nicholas Von Sternberg's beautiful visual style and superb editing by Ted Nicolaou. The story itself is similar to PSYCHO, but it's done with such pinache that one might not initially realize it. Brian DePalma's SISTERS (1973) is another great PSYCHO inspiration that you should check out if you already have not.
I first saw this movie one Saturday afternoon on TV in the mid-80's and it left one hell of an impression on me. It begins with what is unquestionably one of the most bizarre and frightening openings ever done in a horror film. A group of friends are on vacation when one of their tires blows out. Woody, the driver, walks to a gas station to get some help, but he finds himself in a situation that would give just about anyone a heart attack.
Enter Chuck Connors. He gives a wonderful and ultimately surprisingly sympathetic performance as Mr. Slausen, a congenial and charming gentleman who owns a now-defunct roadside souvenir shop/wax museum. When he meets up with Woody's friends who are concerned about Woody's whereabouts, Mr. Slausen comes to the rescue, but a series of horrendously bizarre events begin to transpire. As the story progresses, the natural inclination on the part of the viewer is to refute the plausibility of the bizarre set pieces that slowly mount. I find that if you watch it from the standpoint of falling asleep and having a nightmare about mannequins that come to life, this film is much more frightening and enjoyable.
When I was seven, I used to play in my grandmother's basement that was populated by some truly horrific dolls. One of them had outstretched hands with no hair that walked when you wound it up, and let me tell you - they were frightening. This film has that kind of effect.
This film inexplicably received a PG rating during its theatrical release which, the director states, killed it at the box office. I would have demanded an R rating if I were him! While the film contains no overt bloodshed, one of the murders is particularly gruesome and cruel (that's not counting the opening scene!)
The DVD transfer of this film is a revelation. Colors that were originally muted on the old 16mm faded prints that made the rounds on late night cable are now rich and vibrant. Pino Donaggio's score, which is one of the best elements in the film, comes through in full force. As a bonus, director David Schmoeller gives a running commentary throughout the film, though I wish he divulged more information than he actually does. Although he mentions TOURIST TRAP's origins - a film school thesis project called THE SPIDER WILL KILL YOU - he fails to disclose the film's budget. Disappointingly, why wasn't this thesis film included on the DVD? Why does the DVD state that it contains 40 trailers to other horror films when I can only access seven?
Despite my carpings, the DVD is well worth the asking price. The trailer for TOURIST TRAP is included.
For those of you who love gaffes, check out the left side of the screen at the 72:52 point during Tanya Robert's death scene. A stage hand can be seen behind a pane of glass.
Forget SCREAM and I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER. If you don't have a DVD player yet, this is one reason to purchase one. The film is currently out of print on VHS, but VHS stinks anyway!
Thank you, David Schmoeller, for making one of the best horror films EVER.
TOURIST TRAP is superb.

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The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology (The Exorcist/ The Exorcist- Unrated/ The Exorcist II: The Heretic/ The Exorcist III/ The Exorcist: The Beginning/ The Exorcist: Dominion) (1977) Review

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(More customer reviews)You can find this set for around $25 and for that price it's definitely worth it. True, the first one is the best (I prefer the original over the "Version You've Never Seen", but they're still both very good), but the third one isn't that bad (in fact, I think it's pretty good) And neither version of the prequel is good, but it is sort of neat to have two VERY different versions of the same film, and in this context, for comparing the power of editing and the how the perspective of a director can affect a movie, these discs are interesting. True, the second one has no merit, but what can you do? But I won't complain. It's good for a laugh.
Just so people know, this set does contain all the extras the other releases had. So that even sweetens the deal more!
Disc 1: The Exorcist
This is the same flipper disc from the original Special Edition release
Side A:
Intro and commentary by William Friedkin
Commentary by William Peter Blatty and Special Sound Effects Tests
Side B:
The Fear of God: The Making of the Exorcist
Interviews, Storyboards, Production Sketches
Original Ending
Theatrical Trailer
TV Spots
Disc 2: The Exorcist "The Version You've Never Seen"
Commentary by William Peter Blatty
Trailer, TV Spots and Raidio Spots
Disc 3: Exorcist II: The Heretic
Alternate Opening Sequence
Theatrical Trailer
Disc 4: Exorcist III
Theatrical Trailer
Disc 5: Exorcist: The Beginning
Commentary by Renny Harlin
Behind-the-scenes Featurette
Theatrical Trailer
Disc 6: Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist
Commentary by Paul Schrader
Additional Scenes
Stills Gallery
And there you have it. Everything is there. True, you could get just get the original for cheaper, but I still think this is a solid set and a great deal at that!

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The Exorcist III (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)From the eerie opening dream sequence, I was drawn into this film by William Peter Blatty's great screenplay (based on his book, Legion) and confident directing. He deftly blends elements of mystery and horror together to create an atmosphere of evil that is both subtle at times and shocking at others. And just as William Friedkin did in the orginal Exorcist, the employment of auditory stimuli are used in a way that get under your skin and stay there.
The plot revolves around Detective Bill Kinderman--played this time by the great George C. Scott--trying to solve a series of gruesome murders that seem to somehow be related to the exorcism of Regan MacNeil 17 years ago. The story is allowed to develop at a relaxed pace, and will keep you guessing as to what's happening and why. But as it continues to unfold, Kinderman's faith in God, which he admits that he doesn't have much of, and his own sanity are tested by an ungodly force that he can't begin to comprehend. Blatty takes all the things we believe in and comfort us--faith in God, religious symbols, and Good over Evil--and tries to eradicate them right in front of our eyes and make us question our own comfortable reality.
Overall, there are many scenes that will bring you right out of your seat because they are so damn scary. The few parts with Kinderman interrogating the Gemini killer (Brad Dourif) are also very intense, and are a rare glimpse into the mind of a sick killer. One problem I had with the film is that the ending seemed a little too predictable and rushed, but in conclusion does not detract from the overall strength of the film that much. If you appreciate intelligent horror films (yes, there are some of them around), you should see this well-made film.

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The Human Centipede (Unrated Director's Cut) (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)Most of us loony horror fans have sat around and had that conversation where we come up with some of the most deranged and gruesome ideas we can just for the fun of doing it. Well, Todd Six has had this conversation, and then he went ahead and made a movie out of it.
So, here we have Human Centipede, a movie generating a cult film buzz based solely on it's gimmicky and oddball premise.......and what a premise it is! I do have to give it full points for originality. However, the gimmick is where all originality ceases. The gimmick is really all it has going for it. Otherwise this movie plays out pretty much like any other recent torture porn flick. Remove the Cronenbergism from the film and you could easily have this wacko doctor running a basement torture chamber where he hacks off victims' limbs to create artwork or forces people to listen to Nickelback, or whatever the hell they like to do in torture porn films anymore. Basically it's on par with the standard straight-to-video type horror, but with a bit of an edge. That's really all I can say about it.
I really do have to give kudos to the three principal actors who make up the "centipede". They're really not required to do much heavy acting per se, but they have to spend the bulk of the film dirt smeared,(mostly)naked, crying, and in an all around degrading position. They're definitely troopers.
All in all, I wouldn't let the hype get your hopes up. It's got a bit of entertainment value, but it's not nearly as disturbing, frightening , violent or gory as you're lead to believe. To the average Iron Man 2 goer, maybe. But aside from the "centipede", there's nothing here that horror fans haven't seen done before.....and better.

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100% Medically accurate. The compelling simplicity of Saw. The stylish dread of Eraserhead. The black humor of A Nightmare On Elm Street. Those are the benchmarks of horror that the outrageous Dutch film The Human Centipede matches. The plot is diabolically simple: two stranded American tourists are given shelter by a famed German doctor (a maniacally intense Dieter Laser) who made his fortune surgically separating conjoined twins. Now his mad genius is pushing the doctor to do the reverse. He tells the women that they will be surgically attached to a Japanese businessman mouth to buttocks, one after the other and thus will be born a new creature: the human centipede! Compellingly perverse, hilarious, and shockingly straightforward, Dutch director Tom Six s new film is hands-down the most memorable horror film of the year.

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Martyrs (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I freely admit I had dangerously high expectations going into this film, having read SO many positive reviews (and some rabidly negative ones as well -- as this is one of those love-it-or-loathe-it experiences), but I'm happy to say that, for me, 'Martyrs' lived up to every bit of the hype, and then some.
The problem is that, for most people, they are simply NOT going to be anticipating what this film actually IS, as opposed to what they've been led to BELIEVE it is. Namely, though it contains many ASPECTS typical of the genre, 'Martyrs' is NOT really a "horror film" in the usual sense.
Don't get me wrong, though -- the film certainly IS horrifying at times, on a number of different levels. And it has a kind of nightmare poetry which continues to haunt me.
'Martyrs' also manages to convey an overwhelming sense of cumulative dread and a hellishly pervasive sense of cold, heartless, systematically calculating evil. But it actually has a lot more in common with Gaspar Noe's uncompromising 'Irreversible' and the dark lyricism of Franju's 'Eyes Without A Face' than it does with films like 'Saw' or 'Hostel'.
For, while it does have some extremely disturbing violence and gore, it's somewhat less extreme in that respect than either 'High Tension' or 'Inside' -- two other notable examples of the new wave of French horror cinema.
But 'Martyrs' affected me far more than any of the above-named films (excepting 'Irreversible' and 'Eyes...' ), because of the IDEAS being dealt with and because of Pascal Laugier's remarkably artful handling of his material, aided tremendously by the harrowing, raw-nerved excellence of the acting, as well as the superb cinematography, editing, music, and make-up effects.
Indeed, 'Martyrs' is an "art film" in many ways. In fact, at a couple points it actually elicited tears from me -- not my typical response to most horror films -- as well as a few genuinely appalled exclamations of "Oh my God... Oh my God...", such was the level of my empathy and identification with the main characters and their ordeal.
In fact, it was this aspect of the film which enabled me to get past what would otherwise have been a big stumbling block for me, in terms of conventional movie logic -- i.e. the critical caveat of illogical behavior on the part of the characters when faced with a dangerous or potentially dangerous situation and NOT getting the hell OUT of there! In fact, at a very key point in the narrative, not only do the two main characters refuse to extricate themselves from a very risky and potentially dangerous locale, they positively LINGER there for what seems like DAYS!
Now, normally this would have had me crazy and screaming in frustration at the seeming stupidity or obtuseness of the characters. But, miraculously, in the case of 'Martyrs' I hardly even registered any of this because of the particular relationship dynamic of Lucie and Anna and their unique personal/psychological histories. In other words, given the very particular qualities of these two women, a specific case could be made for what would otherwise have seemed infuriatingly inappropriate behavior.
I find it both apt and reassuring that Laugier has referred to his film as the "anti-'Funny Games'", referencing Michael Haneke's deeply unpleasant, repellently grueling exercise in audience participation/endurance. For while 'Funny Games' was also not a horror film in the exploitative/commercial sense, neither did it have, for me, the inherent spiritual aspects or, dare I say, compassion, which make me willing to return to 'Martyrs', whereas I never feel myself eager to play more 'Funny Games'.
But, more than anything, 'Martyrs' lingers in my mind as a deeply sad, disturbing, and ultimately moving meditation on the theme of pain and transcendence. And though I can see many viewers recoiling from the experience, disgusted by its brutal savagery and depressed and offended by its seeming nihilism (with the emphasis on "seeming"), I find that the film's intriguing ambiguities and moral questions make for a rich cinematic tapestry, reflective of both heaven and hell. And yet, paradoxically, it is perhaps the film's unnerving ability to convey a world of bottomless evil and merciless cruelty that kept me from giving 'Martyrs' a full five stars. Almost as though a part of me would feel guilty in doing this -- as if that would be akin to giving my implicit endorsement or tacit approval of the film's pitch-black heart of darkness.
Perhaps, Mr. Laugier, you did your job a bit TOO well!
Be that as it may, clearly this film has a lot more on its mind than simply grossing out or traumatizing its audiences, though it certainly managed that, as well, during some of its controversial festival screenings. Yet I would still hesitate to recommend it to most people I know. 'Martyrs' is, decidedly and emphatically, NOT a film for everyone.
But, for those looking to be challenged as well as shaken -- for those willing to be taken to deeply uncomfortable places and shown terrible things in new and unexpected ways -- for those yearning to FEEL a visceral response again after years of mindless, numbing "movie-violence"... For all these people 'Martyrs' will be a welcome, if not necessarily pleasant experience, leaving them with something to actually THINK about once the end credits have rolled. A very sad postscript to a very sad film:
Benoit Lestang, a close friend of the director, and the man who contributed the film's jaw-droppingly powerful special make-up effects, committed suicide shortly after the film's completion. He did get to see the film prior to his death and apparently was proud of his work and moved to tears by the film. As to the specific reasons for his tragic decision, little has been spoken or written about that. And, given the film's specific subject matter, one could all too easily be drawn into the temptation of making inappropriate connections and drawing conclusions, which I shall assiduously avoid.
Laugier himself has been very candid about his own personal feelings, both in regard to the emotional devastation of losing his friend, as well as the fact that the creative genesis of 'Martyrs' sprang from a long period of Laugier's own depression. And he has indicated that, in some ways, the film was perhaps his response to that depression -- partially expiating it through channeling his own darkness and pain into that of the film's theme and characters.
Suffice it to say, 'Martyrs' will provide a lasting and worthy final monument to Mr. Lestang's extraordinary gifts as a supremely talented artist and craftsman. And it is precisely that artistry, in conjunction with that of Laugier and the rest of his remarkable team, that resulted in startling images of strange and terrible beauty. Images which, like the film itself, continue to linger in the mind long after the final curtain.
Peace be with you, Benoit.


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Lucie, a 10 year old girl, is found wandering in the streets, bruised and bloodied. Unable to say who did this to her, or why, she is placed in a hospital where she meets Anna, another young girl who had been abused. Fifteen years later, with Anna s help, Lucie sets out to get revenge on her attackers. When she believes she has found the couple who abused her, she confronts them ...and that is when the terror truly begins.

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