BY CATEGORY
BY DECADE
BY AUTHOR
TUMBLR
RSS
Category Archives: Occult/Witchcraft
Lost Souls (2000)
Lost Souls (2000)
Review by: Erin Page
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A man is confronted by a secretive sect of renegade Catholics who inform him that he will soon become a vessel for the Antichrist.
REVIEW: Put on your helmet, strap yourself in, and get ready to go nowhere in a hurry! I rarely condemn a film outright solely due to poor pacing. After a few marathons of ’70s giallo films, you eventually become numb to the fact that nothing is really happening, and you just sort of let your eyes glaze over while waiting for the technicolor violence. I don’t mind a movie that relies exclusively on atmosphere to lure you along, in fact I tend to absurdly enjoy that sort of shit. So bear in mind, when I start off a review by warning that it’s going to be a wee bit tedious, try to gauge that appropriately. Rest assured, this film is not without scares. As the credits roll, we are brutally accosted by the words “Producer: Meg Ryan.”
I’m terrified already.
Blood Creek (2009)
Blood Creek (2009)
Review by: Erin Page
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: A man and his brother on a mission of revenge become trapped in a harrowing occult experiment dating back to the Third Reich.
REVIEW: Joel Schumacher is a sadist of the highest order. Don’t believe me? Watch Batman & Robin. It is a relentless technicolor onslaught of latex and shame, designed with malice aforethought to make your soul cry. And if that wasn’t cruel enough, he made TWO of those stinkers. Still, for all of his crimes against humanity, every once in a while Joel shits out a gem. 1993′s Falling Down is nothing short of genius, and there’s not a horror film fan alive who doesn’t worship at the alter of The Lost Boys. While his latest film — Blood Creek — is no masterpiece, it’s one hell of decent effort. So perhaps Joel Shumacher isn’t the Devil after all. But at the very least, he’s a man with a gift for creating human misery.
Bring on the pain!
The Demoniacs (1974)
The Demoniacs (1974)
Review by: Erin Page
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: When a gang of pirates cause a shipwreck, there are two survivors — a pair of innocent, twin girls. After attacking the women, the gang’s leader slowly goes mad, convinced that the twins are coming back from the dead to seek their unholy revenge.
REVIEW: Let it be known that “Redemption Films” and “Jean Rollin” are two things that should never be confused with the word “quality.” While some of his films have morbid appeal, I’m coming around to the conclusion that Rollin’s body of work consists of filming shit first and figuring out a plot second. That’s not to say that his movies don’t occasionally have glimmers of awesomeness, just that I believe whatever awesomeness he captures on film might be purely coincidental. Then again, maybe I just hate clowns.
Our story begins as a foursome of pirates known as “wreckers” prance around on the beach, lanterns in tow, gleefully trying to cause a shipwreck by misleading vessels close to the shore. Sure enough, a ship smashes into the rocks (one of those events too exciting to show on camera) and some treasure washes up on the beach. A single necklace and a few bolts of cloth later, the movie’s villains couldn’t be more pleased with themselves. Unfortunately, their well-thought-out scheme of murdering dozens of people for what amounts to a garage sale haul is brought to a screeching halt when two survivors stagger ashore.
Two sexy twin survivors!