Reviews (11)

beautiful and inteligent
The only thing I can only say is that this movie is one of the best things that could ever had happened to the mexican movie society(I rather call it that, cause there is no such a thing like a movie industry in Mexico), and to the world horror movies.
The script is brilliant, inteligent, and the characters are like normal people, they arent stereotypes(something very intelligent and brave)the gag of perlman wanting to fix his nose its an example of that, that helps the movie a lot to achieve that scary mood.
What is better is that Guillermo dignifies the horror genre, he gives also a quality to the film, that even the so called intellectual people must accept that this is a great movie.
The movie moves forward thanks to the story, and uses sfx only when is needed, doesnt need to rely on sfx to be scary, like many recent horror pictures,that cant even do that.
The movie is full of metaphores, and retoric forms for those who like the stylish movies, actually most of the images are poems in themselves.

To finish, if you are a adult with a young spirit you would like it, and if you are a so called intellectual or sofisticated person you would like it as well.

Congratulations Guillermo, you make us Proud!!!!

Cronos dvd version has been raped !!!
Buyers Warming
five stars for a very interesting and intriguing independent film. Now my complain:
Lions Gate got the rights for the distribution Cronos...but I don't believe that they also got the rights for editing and dubbing the introduction of the film. For those of you that aren't familiar with this flick, this is a Mexican film, there after the original language is spanish. The original movie started with a beautiful monologue in spanish that introduced an old enigmatic and important character. Like I said...the original monologue was in spanish, and now has been dubbed in english!!! then as the monologue finishes, the movie continues in its original spanish language. Can somebody explain me why??? This is completely insulting!!!!
This is my only complaint for the Dvd and the movie.
I won't write a review because everybody else have so it would be repetitive....but this movie is a must see for anymore interested in intelligent, visualistic and thought-provoking horror with unique and diferent twists in the Vampirism genre!

Are you sure the DVD is not subtitled?
That'd be a major mistake.
Anyway, the ONLY scary 'vampire' film I've ever seen and a great
addition to the 'horror' genre.
Ron 'The Hulk' Perlman in a pivotal role as the "...beast?" LOLS!
Truly not to be missed.
Hopefully it will be recognized again now that director Toro has released 'HELLBOY'.
***
(three stars) for the film. If the DVD is w/out subtitles know the stars are for the film only. The original acting shouldn't be ignored. Check the video stores for a subtitled version instead.

Del Toro's Gothic Tale of Love, Compassion and Vampirism!!!
When I first watch Cronos, I was sitting in my comfortable chair placed exactly in front of my TV set surrounded by that security feeling only my house can bring me. That feeling disappeared soon. I couldn't believe what I was being witness of.

I'll have to tell you the context I was in when I watched it, for you to understand. I'm Mexican. When I watched this movie I was 15 yrs. old and the Mexican movie "industry" (if you can call it that way) hadn't a reputation for its excellent horror movies.

Cronos is a movie that was released back in a time in which mexican movies were usually flops because of the lack of support from producers, distributors and audiences alike. The movie was released in 10 movie theaters only and only in Mexico City and it was retired because movie owners considered it a failure!!! (How couldn't it be a failure with only 10 theaters showing it? Hello?)

When the movie went to Cannes and won the Critics Week Award, this event didn't change a lot the movie's fortune. I, being an avid film fan and being from a small town called Coatzacoalcos (I dare you to spell it right!)and having read a lot from it in magazines and newspapers had to wait until it's release on VHS to rent it.

It instantly became one of my all time favorites.

You have to understand... Our mexican HORROR movies were of the likes of Ed Wood movies, until Cronos arrived. Ok, I have to admit that there were three other HORROR movies on the seventies ("Even the Wind is Frightened", "The Stone Book" and "As Black as Night" all from the same director, named Carlos Enrique Taboada), but if you watch them today they have lost their FRIGHT FACTOR.

So in a Mexico with a lot of legends and folklore, the complete abssence of HOORROR movies was a curse broken by Guillermo Del Toro a young, fat man from Guadalajara that was an avid comic reader and makeup artist.

If you could read the script (which you can buy here in Mexico), you could read the pretty images that become poetic and that Guillermo handles in a way no one else can.

Poetry and horror mixed? It may sound odd, but it works...

There's a part in which the lead character looks his reflection in the mirror and asks: How do I look? And the writer (Del Toro) answers him:
Horribly.

A great literary scene that you can only appreciate by reading it and then watching the movie again. I swear you can almost hear the writer answering him on film!

The story follows the life of a Jesús Gris (Translated as Gray Jesus... nice game of words, ain't it?) and his discovering of an odd goldlike aparatus. How will it affect his life? Will it bring joy or misfortune? That is for you to find out.

Now... Let me explain something... A lot of people know Del Toro for movies like "Mimic" and "Blade", which I think he directed brilliantly, and I read that an Amazon client complained because on the DVD case of "The Devil's Backbone" (Another Guillermo Del Toro's preciosist film, just number two after Cronos of course, in my list of his movies)there's written:

"Vastly more stylish and frightening than "The Others""

So, he bought it and was dissapointed, because the movie didn't frighten him as much as "The Others" did!!!

Let me say this:

The HORROR genre is not necessarily a genre that will frighten you. You mean HORROR when a film has something, anything involving the paranormal... So, under this parameter, Ghost is a HORROR film. It doesn't scare you but its main premise touches the paranormal aspect. Get it?

So... All this being said...
Buy it! Sit back! And Enjoy!

Feel the security of yous house being torn to shreds...

Interesting and intriguing take on the vampire genre
Before Guillermo del Toro came to Hollywood to make big budget thrillers such as Mimic and Blade II, he was in Mexico making movies that are truly unique and filled with tension. His directorial debut, Cronos, is a hugely original movie and take on the vampire theme. Guillermo also wrote the screenplay.

The movie opens up with a narrator telling the story of an alchemist who made a metallic, beetle like device (the Cronos) that when placed against skin, has a scorpion like stinger that stabs the person and injects a tiny amount of bloody fluid. The injections cause the alchemist to live for centuries and only dies when he is in line at a bank in Vera Cruz during an earthquake and is crushed by falling debris.

Some time later, an antique dealer, Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi), discovers the Cronos device in the base of an old statue he has acquired. After wondering what the device might be for, he inadvertently sets it off and is pricked by it's stinger. The whole process of watching this happen is fascinating, and you are never quite sure if there is some sort of living insect inside the enclosure, thanks to Guillermo's David Lynch like photography and editing of the scene.

Jesus soon discovers that he has more energy and feels more youthful than he has in ages. But unbeknownst to him, there is an evil and rich old man, Dieter de la Guardia (Claudio Brook) who has been searching for years for the device. He has tracked it down to Jesus' shop and sends his simple minded nephew, Angel de la Guardia (brilliantly portrayed by Ron Perlman), to get the statue that has stored in it, the Cronos device. When the statue turns up empty, Dieter instructs Angel to get the device at any cost.

In the meantime, Jesus has become addicted to using the device. His young granddaughter has noticed him using it and decides for his own good to hide it from him. After spending time with her he realizes that maybe the sacrifices of the device, such as his wife not feeling as youthful as him, or his greedy and manic need to posses and have control of the device, are not worth the benefits.

The story is not fast paced by any means, but the development of the characters is superb. There are also slow moving scenes with huge amounts of tension, in particular a scene where Jesus is at a party where someone had cut himself and cleaned up in the bathroom. Jesus finds himself drawn to the blood that had dripped on the floor and after slowly considering it and getting his face closer to it, he has his cheek against the floor and extends his tongue and licks up the drops!

I have seen the video a couple times, but it is on DVD in region 2 PAL format only. The video is available in both subtitled and dubbed versions. I highly recalled the subtitles, because much of the dialogue is already in English. Ron Perlmans' character for example does not speak almost any Spanish.

Perhaps now that Guillrmo del Toro is more well known in the US, we will get a region 1 NTSC release on dvd. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Amityville.....the saga continues
I enjoyed this movie, though I think the writers have gotton away from the possibility that the original film was supossedly based on a true story. This movie is not realistic, which I like horror to be. Nonetheless, it's a good watch, and not too scary at all.

GOD BLESS YOU!

The Horror is that this was ever released
It can be stated that none of the Amityville movies have too much to offer in terms of story lines and building characters that we can ever grow to care anything about. This one follows in the formers' footsteps, though the story has nothing to do with the original. Nobody can remember what the hell the original story is anymore anyway. Down to the nitty gritty: this movie is plain dumb, unentertaining, and not scary in the least. The acting from a bunch of who-knows players is truly Z-movie level material. The writing and effects are not any better. Every horror cliche is ripped off with checkmate proficiency throughout this film. I'm embarrassed that I watched the whole thing, but like a trainwreck just after it occurred, I couldn't look away. I guess my intent here is to steer everyone clear of wasting an hour and a half, or whatever it is. It's hard to believe that 23 years on, the DeFeo murders are still being milked and the product is this claptrap.

creepy and true
The objects that left the original Amityville house were cursed.
This film is often not exactlty accurate to the true details of the real events, but it is entertaining and the idea of cursed obects from the Amityville house is a reality.

The box even has a cover.. -Effects look fake..
I've expected more from this tired series. -Though.
when I've rented this twice. -I really like the cover on
the box. -I thought ho ever created it. -Must have some
quite an imagination. -"Amityville: -Dollhouse.." -1996.

Once again. -Left with nothing but emptyness and regret.
it has nothing in common with the previous. -Such as the
curse items from the imfamous house. -Their is not even
mention of the word. -Amityville. -In someones phrase.
I've guest that the writers where looking for something
new here. -Something don't half two do with all
the current amityville films. -I've guest the

writers. -Joshua Michael Stern. -Wanted two create a
new look for the series. -I've never got tired of the
series. -I don't know; -why; -people are so bored with the
title. -Now. -I guest the writers don't care the
lack of the two previous. -80's. -Sequels. -But
this one came as close. -Tried. -And; -failed down
hill. -The ending where the dollhouse; -explodes.

Reminds me; -of; -Amityville 3-D. -I wonder any one
guest that. -The kids looks like the ones from.
The Amityville Horror. -And; -Amityville II; -The
Possession.." -Their so sweat; -and; -loving. -You
want a go play with them. -Talk with them about kids
things in life. -But. -The house they live in is in

possession with the dollhouse. -I even like the scene
from the girls birthday party. -Where. -Todd. -Smashes
the thing. -As full of candy falls out. -And a
Spider drops. -Which is really creepy. -I do like
the special Effect; -threw the movie. -Where Todd
and the girl kiss in the barn. -She goes in the
house two get some wine. -Todd looks at some weird

spiders. -Collection. -But some spider drops on him
and goes into his ear as his body possess. -I don't
know if I'm write on that.. -I remember seeing this
flick. -It really ambiant. -"The Amityville Horror.."
the film looks cheesy. -The make up on the zombie dad
looks like from. -"An American Werewolf in London.."

I even in love with that hot chick. -Starr Andriff.
she is a lot better hot looking then all the other
Amityville previous babes.. -But. -This movie sure
feels like. -"The Amityville Horror.." -Even if it's
not. -I wish their was some explination as where in
the hell the dollhouse came from. -The pig under the
bed is a resemblence two; -The Amityville Horror..

I hope when they make another sequel.. -It won't be as
lame and stupid as this.. -But it is not like any
other horror sequel of this genera.

Ho cares..

Rediculously stupid...thank God it's the last one!
This question keeps hammering away at the back of my mind: Why, oh wy, did they have to make sequels to the classic AMITYVILLE HORROR? They really have milked this whole franchise over the years! This one is just so incredibly rediculous...all I have to say is just don't see it! ... Read more

Reviews (31)

HYGIENE HORRORS
Anyone who has always harbored a fear of the dentist will certainly cringe at the goings on in this over the top, but effective, horror thriller. Corbin Bernsen sinks his teeth (no pun intended?) into the role of Dr. Alan Feinstone, a dentist who seemingly has it all, including a beautiful wife messing around with the hunky poolboy; an IRS man on his tail; and a history of some kind of mental distress. Once he discovers his wife's cheating (on their anniversary, no less), Feinstone goes off his bean, and takes revenge not only on his wife, but on anyone who happens to cross his path, including his staff.
Brian Yuzna directs with a keen eye on the gore, punctuating it with the sound of drills and teeth crashing, etc., etc. Bernsen is perfect for the role, and so good it spawned a sequel which I've yet to see. Notice talented actor Mark Ruffalo (You Can Count on Me) as the studly advertising man paired with the delightfully inane April Reign.
Although a low budget film, it carries itself with dignity and a fine sense of tongue in cheek. It is bloody and disturbing, so be warned. And get out the Ipana now!!!

One of the BEST (and scariest!) horror movies of the 90s...
WOW! I remember the first time I saw this movie back in the 8th grade. It was on network television and CUT! (Therefore meaning that some of the gore may have been left out of the T.V. version) Nevertheless, it STILL scared the hell out of me! Two years later, I watched it again on HBO as a midnight cinema event. It was UNCUT and scared me even more!

Corbin Bernsen ("Major League") plays Dr. Allan Finestone, a man who's got it all; a beautiful wife (Linda Hoffman), a luxurious estate, and a fine practice as the Beverly Hills Dentist. However, after catching his wife cheating on him, Finestone goes over the edge and begins a day treating (or should I say TORTURING?) his patients in numerous bloody ways. Eventually, he gets even with his love as well, by pulling out all her teeth WITHOUT NOVACAINE! (Here's where things REALLY get freaky!) Next in line for an appointment... a snobbish IRS agent, two picky dental assistants, and the poolman! Each one met with their own unique ways of demise for a horror flick. Low-budget has never been THIS good!

(WARNING: This movie contains shocking material of blood and gore involving dentistry and may be too scary for minors. Do NOT see this movie before you go to the Dentist or you may be diagnosed with dentaphobia! However, if you are a gore hound, this is definately the one to own in your horror library! But remember, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!)

All actors (especially Bernsen) and actresses did an excellent job with their roles and it all almost seems and feels so realistic as if this could really happen! The music is also very stylish and creepy and fits quite well with this very rare gem. Every time I watch that one scene with the little boy though, I start to shudder by the experience of how even a normal appointment can be a nightmare! That's why I thought it was good and original that the filmakers chose the dental category in order to make a horror movie, considering that most of us are afraid to go to the Dentist as it already is!

OVERALL: I GIVE IT A 10/10 FOR THE NIGHTMARISH AND GROSTESQUE ATMOSPHERE SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUR EVERYDAY DENTIST. (Not to mention the clever plot) You want a movie that will frighten you and keep you up all night trembling in fear, watch this film alone! (I DARE you!) I also reccomend it's sequel, "The Dentist 2: Brace Yourself" while not being as good as the first, it makes a fine addition for a good sequel. And remember, "Brush three times a day and no candy!"

Gonna make an appointment anytime soon?
OMG! This has got to be the most disturbing movie I have seen in a LONG time. I love it!

Alan Phinestone is teetering on the edge of insanity. But after he catches his gorgeous wife Brooke messing around with the pool guy, it pushes him over the edge. He cuts his wife's tongue out, yanks out all of her teeth (with no painkillers, OUCH) and then starts in on his regular patients, in particular the cute little preteen who has been waiting for a long time to get her braces taken off.

I refused to even THINK about going to a dentist for about 7 years after seeing this and there is still a few parts of it that I cannot watch to this day.

Excellent!

Fairly decent
This is a mediocre, low-grade attempt at a horror flick, but it does pretty well. Perhaps worth the rent.
But the acting and plot are both very thin, weak and poor.

You haven't been brushing, have you?
Out of all the horror movies made in the last twenty to thirty years, I suspect that "The Dentist" is one of the few films capable of hitting a viewer where it hurts. Think about it for a second. How many horror films go completely over the top, completely into the realms of bizarre fantasy, to deliver the shocks? Quite a few. Let's face it; the chances that a killer in a hockey mask will bury a hatchet in your head are probably significantly worse than winning the lottery. When was the last time a pack of bloodthirsty demons from the netherworld accosted you and yours? Or a fairy tale creature-a leprechaun, for the sake of argument-appeared on your doorstep to wreak havoc because he thinks you stole his gold? There's nothing wrong with fantastical horror movies; fans of the genre eagerly suspend disbelief as a matter of course. Unfortunately, you'll have a tougher time getting the unpleasant "The Dentist" out of your head. Here's a horror movie that hits too close to home. Everyone goes to the dentist, or at least has once in their life, so the idea of a practitioner in the fine art of arresting tooth decay going completely insane should scare the bejeezus out of anyone. And it will. "The Dentist" comes from the wonderfully warped minds of Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna, they of such classics as "The Re-Animator" and "From Beyond."

Dr. Feinstone (Corbin Bernsen) appears to have the perfect life. He owns a thriving practice in the suburbs, drives a nice car, is married to a beautiful woman named Brooke (Linda Hoffman), and works hard to earn the respect of his many patients. You couldn't ask for a better existence, yet sinister seeds of discontent begin building in the mind of Dr. Feinstone. Little things, like a lost pair of cufflinks, send him into a dither. Too, the threat of an impending IRS audit conducted by the seedy Marvin Goldblum (Earl Boen) weighs on the dentist's mind like an anvil. What's worse, Feinstone concludes that his wife is cheating on him with Matt (Michael Stadvec), the guy who comes around to clean the pool. Any two of these problems could easily send the most even keeled amongst us shrieking into the abyss, but Feinstone has another problem, a problem that he thinks about aloud only when alone in the car or safely ensconced in his plush office. Apparently, the idea of decay is starting to assume a sublime importance in the mind of our fair dentist. He's beginning to understand that plaque often clings to every aspect of the human condition, that cavities can affect the soul as often as it does teeth. Feinstone, as a trained dentist and healer, soon believes he must do whatever is necessary to remove the decay afflicting the people around him.

Healing is often a painful process. When the dentist confirms that his wife is indeed cheating on him, he takes steps to insure that such acts will never happen again. When Agent Goldblum insists on receiving a free checkup as part of a far-reaching bribe, Feinstone teaches a lesson the G-man will not soon forget. And for all those employees with the temerity to question the boss's directives, well, there are ways to deal permanently with such insolence. What Feinstone doesn't seem to realize, much to the everlasting chagrin of those individuals around him, is that the decay he so fears has effectively sunk its wormy tendrils deep into his mind. Take the case of April Reign (Christa Sauls), a beauty queen seeking advice on how to brighten her smile. Feinstone's actions towards this ravishing woman are so despicable, so outside the boundaries of what comprises a healer, that we immediately recognize the dentist has lost his battle against decay before the war has even started. In a way, we should pity Dr. Feinstone even as the police uncover the bloody horrors in his office and his house. Very few of us appreciate the role dentists play in society. We fear them or make fun of them instead of lauding the brave men and women who undertake such a taxing occupation.

"The Dentist" is a remarkably fun film as well as an effective horror picture. Corbin Bernsen, never a personal favorite of mine, does an amazing turn as the deranged dentist. Even better are the grotesqueries parading across the screen, the reckless drillings, scrapings, extractions, and other assorted dental skills employed to gory effect by Feinstone as he attempts to stem the spread of decay. What he does to Agent Goldblum is downright horrific. "The Dentist" succeeds in many respects, none more so than in writer Gordon's and director Yuzna's brilliant maneuver to extend the idea of tooth decay to society at large. Isn't every nasty attribute of the human race really in essence a form of decay? And if it is, how does a healer go about eradicating the tartar of immorality? It must drive physicians, dentists, and other health care specialists utterly bonkers when they see patients refuse to follow advice that keeps a body and mind fit. Feinstone is obviously insane, but it's to the film's credit that we see why he loses his mind.

Don't expect to see much in the way of extras on the DVD of "The Dentist." Two trailers, for Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive" and one for this movie, and cast filmographies are the only things you get. Too bad. A commentary track from Yuzna, Gordon, and Bernsen might have been a nice touch. If you fear the dentist, this movie will probably give you the sweats. Personally, I'm thinking of giving the film to my dentist as a Christmas present. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

BEST SICK WIERD PSYCHO HORROR FILM EVER!!
"BAPHOMET!! SATAN!! BEELZEBUB!!" shrieks ALUCARDA (in quite an over the top way) while spinning around in circles in a black floor length dress. She is like a demon possessed STEVIE NICKS crossed with DIAMANDA GALAS!!

This film is truly MY personal favorite movie I have seen in years just because it is the most INSANE thing I have ever watched. Just the ridiculousness of ALUCARDA running around screaming "SATAN!!" at all the nuns and seeing them all burst into flames is something I will always remember fondly.
This movie is in a class all by itself and is TRULY AMAZING.

I am not making a case that this is in the category of gripping horror like THE EXORCIST, but for arty campy horror that leaves the mold at the door...ALUCARDA is the HOLY GRAIL!!

Great DVD of a neglected Classic
Alucarda is an erotic, psychedelic horror masterpiece from mexican director Juan Moctezuma. It's both a work of art and a luridly entertaining exploitation shocker. Moctezuma was a collaborator of Jodorowsky's and fans of that filmmaker's work will likely enjoy this. You can also sense the influence of Mario Bava and Jean Rollin on Alucarda, the former in the rich use of color and the latter in the stylized erotic images. The Mondo Macabro DVD looks fantastic and comes with some nice extras including a british doc about the director and an interview with filmmaker and Alucarda fan Guillermo Del Toro. Some might recognize bits of dialogue from this film, which have been sampled by the Electric Hellfire Club and My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult.

"Satan Satan Satan! Our lord and master..."
Since this film is most likely going to be noticed and picked up by those who are also into other foreign "horror"/skin flicks, I shall use Jean Rollin and Jess Franco as the comparison references.
Actually, there really IS no comparison. Alucarda is much more of a 'film' than anything those directors have put out, and really makes their cinematic incompetence stand out in sharp relief.
As a "skin" flick it's about on par with Franco's film roster or Rollin's vampire films: no "sex scene" per se, but fabulous full frontals (fairly lengthy) from a couple of beautiful actresses.
Story wise, it's much more coherent than theirs, as well. Even though it probably had about the same budget as an exploitation flick, it uses the money wisely and doesn't come off as being
cheaply made.
Overall, that is. The blood and effects are by current standards primitive, but quite effective nonetheless.
This is definitely not a vampire movie, but rather a film about your typical rebellious girl stuck in a convent who makes a pact with the devil and brings her innocent, wayward friend into it.
She then proceeds to "raise hell" so to speak within the convent. A witch hunt ensues within its walls, and the apocalyptic ending is very much in the vein of "Carrie".
It's only moderately heavy on skin and blood, so the storyline doesn't suffer as a result of flesh overkill. Alucarda's strongest point is the atmosphere which pervades it--an obscure, generic thing to say and hardly explanatory, I know, but you'll understand it when you see it.
I give it four stars based on the genre, comparing it to similar films. I'm not saying it's four stars on an "Oscar" level by any means. It's definitely worth a watch if you like foreign 70s vampire/horror films. Not scary, but great nudity and decent plot. Another plus is that it's in ENGLISH!!! No subtitles needed!

THE DEVIL IN MISS ALUCARDA
Ok i have seen these packaged moives before with there BANNED and the most blood in any movie horse crap. But is it me or do you feel compelled to buy it just cause your afraid of missin somthin?
I was kinda hesitant about buyin this movie cause i shelled out 20$ for Unhinged witch was just the worst damn movie I think I have ever seen and that had the "shocking banned out sold poltergiest before banned" and all sorts of crap, so I seen alucarda and it said "the most blood and screeming in a moive i have ever seen" as the qoute on the cover..now the first thing i thougt of was Unhinged...but me afraid of missin out on a horror classic I bought it
Anyhow..I got it home and soon relized it was gonna be better than unhinged..i hate to even say what happens cause the moive its self is only an 1hr and 15 mins and the polt is rushed very very quickly in the movie and i get into what happens i will tell you the whole movie so i will give you the basics. These two girls live in a convent with strict nuns and they basically join a cult to make it short and become possesed..you know what comes next all hell breaks loose...typical but good none the less...the only thing holding this moive back is this movie could have been a classic if it had more time on the screen do i think you should own it of course i do.. as far as the most blood and screamin in a movie that guy qouted on the cover he must have been raised in a convent himself cause this movie didn't shock me at all.. Was it good yes was i shocked nope..I think the ending of this movie witch i will not give away was pretty cool they couldn't have gotten a more sinister lookin girl to play Alucarda but then again she looks like one of my ex's from highschool so maybe thats why... i dunno this movie is not for anyone but true horror fans and if you like to be the one to show off somthin not alot of people heard about or seen this would be a good one.

Interesting entry in "devil flick" genre.
Alucarda was obviously made to cash in on the success of the Exorcist. And on many levels, it succeeds. The film is about a young girl who lives in a convent, and takes a fellow young nymph into the woods, where they encounter some strange gypsies. These gypsies are, well, basically devil worshippers, and they seem to possess poor Alucarda, who wants nothing more than to have some fun in the woods, and escape the sin obsessed nuns of the convent, who seem to be wearing bloody bandages as habits. Well, from there the film gets very crazy, with lots of blood, screaming, and blasphemies, as Alucarda uses her new found power much the way Sissy Spacek did in Carrie. And from there, it's nuns vs. devil-chicks, and sheer lunacy. There is a disturbing scene towards the end with a crucufix, that worked well in the "anything goes" seventies, but would never work today. The film is erotic, disturbing, and just plain old fun, but certainly not for everybody. Very eerie, and atmospheric, and on a stormy October night I cant think of a better way to spend it than by watchin a film with as much guts as "Alucarda". ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great chiller
Lou Diamond Phillips plays an LAPD detective who pursues a serial killer who has somehow obtained "The First Power". Though Phillip's character has nabbed the guy and ensured his execution, a string of brutal murders suggests the perp has come back from the dead. With the help of a psychic and a nun with an agenda of her own, Phillips comes to realize that the killer has obtained the power to become anybody, go anywhere, and scariest of all - attained immortality. (The flick tosses in an added chilling detail - the killer communed with the powers of darkness, but it was his execution that sealed his link with the ultimate power. Phillips tracks the killer with an anonymous tip, one that refuses to cooperate unless he can guarantee that the killer won't face execution.)

This flick is much better than it has the right to be. The plot tosses in the indestructible annihilator, yet doesn't do much with him - he'll just keep on killing, keeping the heroes alive long enough for them to appreciate his brutality. The flick tosses in a mystical icon with the power to destroy the first power, but doesn't define what it can do, and spend little time with it.

Still, "Power" was a lot of fun. Good use of mood music and heavy atmospherics create true tension, even in scenes when there shouldn't be any. (One excellent scene has Phillips visiting the home the killer shared with his elderly mother, one in which he learned the secret root of the killer's evil). If you want something that will keep you up for a long night, the "First Power" can't be beat.

Unforgettable
This film is one that I'd never forget. The story is very intriguing and really gives you the creeps. The idea of having these kinds of powers is really creepy. A classic must have DVD for horror and suspense lovers!

THE FIRST POWER
I LOVED THIS MOVIE, AS A MATTER OF FACT I JUST WATCHED IT YESTURDAY. LOU IS A GREAT ACTOR AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT I HAVE ENJOYED ALL OF THE MOVIES I'VE EVER SEEN HIM IN. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME REVIEWING A MOVIE BUT NOT MY LAST!!

sEE yOu aroUnd buDdy Boy
this movie is with out a doubt one of the most unique films i ever seen..well at that time. its about a detective on the hunt after the pentigram killer. after the detective ruins the killers ritual before killing the victim they capture him and later on he gets the gas chamber..after that his demented soul lurks around jumping through bodys basicly making the detectives life a living hell..now thats all im going to say on that. but the thing that i really like about this movie is the fact that it was orignal at the time.. and its wicked..

see you around buddy boy

The perfect killer is one who cannot be stopped
Writer director Robert Resnikoff's action thriller is about the battle between Lou Diamond Phillips as a LA cop and a serial killer who's mark is the inverted pentagram, which he knives into the flesh of his victims. LDP thinks he has the upper hand when the killer is captured and executed in the gas chamber, not knowing that he will return as an entity with "the first power" ie the ability to inhabit the body of others. Therefore the problem arises - how do you stop something that is techically dead? The killer feels a personal connection between LDP and himself and chooses his future victims as people associated with LDP, that is when others with a "lesser sense of reality" like the homeless, junkies and drunks, aren't available. Resnikoff gets his biggest laughs when a baglady is possessed and taunts LDP with "Give us a kiss" and "It's not nice to hit a lady". Resnikoff makes good use of the atmospheric Stewart Copeland music score (nearly as effective as the one he did for Frances Coppola's Rumble Fish) and moves things along pleasingly, taking great satisfaction in the stuntwork, since the killer is remarkeably agile, and adding more of the supernatural in the form of LDP's helper Tracy Griffith as a smarmy red-headed psychic, with partly overcomes the general silliness of the concept. Resnikoff also scores laughs from the killer's grandmother, with Julianna McCarthy giving lines like "He was not illegitimate" and "You're that cop" a comic hiss. There is also much hissing of cats, optical and aural hallucinations, a demonstration of Griffith's predictive vision and then the playing out of it, an unsafe abandoned water sewer with an available waterslide, and a nun brought in to explain the differences between the first and subsequent powers which hold the key to the destruction of the demon. One might question the logic of running from a being that is able to transport itself to your destination before you can get there, a kind of anti-chase joke, and also firing into a fan when the bullets ricochet off the spinning blades, and Resnikoff overplays the animosity with matching eye closeups. LDP is said to be "surrounded by a shell", cynical and nihilistic after the death of his father and perhaps rather burnt out from his third serial killer. However that still doesn't excuse LDP's pugnacious attitude or flat acting. He's the kind of protagonist that you enjoy seeing hurt, and I was grateful that Resnikoff cut his romanctic scene short. However the ending is left unresolved, as if a setup for the sequel. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Title sounds very fifties, doesn't it?
With a title called Humanoids from the Deep, you'd probably be pretty dumb to expect anything more than a schlocky B-movie. And since I'm always game for a schlocky B-movie, I actually had decent expectations from this movie (even Leonard Maltin gave it 3 stars out of 4). Maybe not so unsurprisingly, Humanoids turns out to be a pretty lame, but also rather watchable, "monsters run amok" flick.

The fishing village of Noyo has a few problems on its hands, actually rather a LOT, in the form of mutated salmon that want to kill all the men and rape the women. We see this cycle play itself out for, well, the entire movie, so that's pretty much all there is plot-wise, excepting the Native American who has trouble from a bigot (played by Vic Morrow).

I've always said that it's entirely possible to make a truly entertaining film (for all the right reasons) from a fun premise. So Humanoids from the Deep probably could have made for one wild little horror flick if not for the stilted pacing and second-rate creature effects. The movie certainly has its heart set in the right place. We've got all the ingredients we expect from a movie like this: lots of gore and gratuitous nudity. Now only if the director could have crafted this with more competence and fun.

Humanoids feels almost two hours in length, even though it runs barely over eighty minutes. The monotony is occasionally punctuated by the nudity and the kill scenes, but it's a shame all the moments in-between don't hold much interest. This is probably because of the lack of atmosphere; director Barbara Peters doesn't give the film the much-needed creepy edge and look it demands. The movie looks and sometimes feels a little bland.

Not helping matters much are the special effects, which are rather poor. These mutated salmon are obviously just men in shoddy suits covered in seaweed. The gore effects, while nothing great, are adequate enough, particularly in the extremely violent climax, which must have made the R-rating a close call. Hard to believe the effects were done by Rob Bottin, who did such a masterful job on the visuals in The Thing.

Humanoids' pacing does get better in the last half hour, when all hell breaks loose, and we get a pretty nifty massacre at the end. Peters even throws in some gunplay, which I imagine would have been more exciting with better direction and editing. As far as script and acting goes, the former isn't quite as stupid as I'd expected it (don't get me wrong, the science is idiotic, though plot holes are sort of kept to a minimum) to be and the latter is actually not that bad for a Roger Corman production.

The score is done by none other than James Horner(!), who must have been in the budding stages of his career. To his credit, he doesn't rip off John Williams, though the music does have a Bernard Herrman-esque sound to it.

The Classic - very few come close
It is an honor to review this movie. 20 years ago my girlfriend and I were walking in Times Square past the movie house where Humanoids was playing. She saw a poster of the monster and wanted to know if such creatures really existed. At that point I knew I had to marry her.
I would like to give this movie 8 stars ********
Half of the movie is directed by Barbara Peters. This half stars Vic Morrow, Ann Turkel, and Doug McClure. They are solid as they seek to save their seaside community and understand the reptilo-humano-Jaws with gonads menace which threatens them. However, this part of the film is not exciting and not original, so it only gets two stars. The other half of the movie, the secret existence of which these actors and the director herself were unaware of (!!), consists of lovely young women at the beach being impregnated by a giant seaweed-covered sponge. There is a very hot sex-scene-threesome in a tent between a geeky puppeteer, his randy woodie, and a very alluring young thing who tries to seduce the marionette. In the midst of this scene, the puppeteer is disemboweled and the lovely young woman runs out of the tent without her clothes, down the beach, but is caught and impregnated by the seaweed-covered sponge. The scene is not explicit enough that you would have been able to explain his reproduction technique to your biology class, but it offers hints. This secret half of the movie deserves 5 stars because I have never seen anything like it before or since.
Finally, the art on the video box is sublime and deserves a star, too. 2 + 5 + 1 = 8

Whoh mama.
Pretty horrible, but bad in the Burial Ground or Pieces kind of way. The story here centers on a fishing town where the financial hub is evidently salmon. The fish have been thinning out, and all of the fishermen, morose beer-swilling lowlifes for the most part, are bitter. But there is one ray of hope in the form of the cannery that's supposed to revitalize the whole town. Add to this powder keg the Billy Jack-esque Indian guy that wants to preserve the land.

Apparently, a scientist working for the cannery has been tampering with salmon, I guess on some genetic level, to make better salmon or something. What this actually does is create a race of humanoid salmon, buck-toothed monsters with bulging brain sacks and gigantic rubber flippers. The monsters are coming ashore and mauling people, but they are particularly driven towards the chicks. You see, salmon monsters need love too, especially when it comes in the the form of bikini-clad or outright naked beach girls. There isn't much romanace involved. The girls just sort of scream and run, then make sure they fall once or twice so the rubber flipper tread can keep up with them. Now, when the girls aren't entertaining the salmon monsters, they're busy getting it on with land-based degenerates (who just want to drink some beer and have a good time.) More to the point, one girl, tenting on the beach near the tide line for some bizarre reason, is actually coaxed out of her clothes by a puppet with only slightly more finesse than the salmon monsters. There is one blonde girl, voluptuous, milky-skinned, that's kind of pretty, and the salmon monsters really take a liking to her. They take her to their lair, which is above ground, and this is okay, since the salmon monsters just randomly venture miles inland and take to the water only when it's convenient.

Eventually, one of the salmon monsters is killed, giving the salmon scientist a chance to study it and make a round of profound observations. Evidently these humanoid salmon are in fact humanoid, and their amphibious attack patterns suggest the fact that they might be turning amphibious! There's never really any satisfactory explanation as to why they chase girls. Probably it's just an ego thing. Or maybe they ARE just diehard romantics---personally I think that is the true reason. The Creature from the Black Lagoon needed love too, and his defense, they threw a super hot babe into each one of his movies, and that was because the Creature, unlike the salmon monsters, had panache and that quiet kind of cool.

This movie is great if you just want to watch mindless crap, as I very often do. I only got this movie a few days ago, and I've already watched it like five times. It's inexpensive, and for what it is it fits the bill.

IF YOU GOT A TRILL FROM CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON!!
I SAW THIS MOVIE WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT AND I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE A SICK JOKE-ROTTEN FANTISY.THESE CREATURES ARE ON THE HOT SIDE .AND THEY DON'T WASTE ANY TIME TRYING TO MATE THE GIRLS& KILL EVERYTHING ELES.I REALLY WISHED THE MOVIE WAS ALOT LONGER.BUT I HAD TO ADD IT TO MY OLD MOVIE COLLECTION ANYWAY.IT IS ALWAYS A REAL PLEASURE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE.!!YOU WILL LOVE IT TOO.

great fun
Hugely enjoyable B movie from the Corman stable. This is certainly the best looking version I've seen of the film - though it does suffer a little from being transferred at the incorrect 4:3 ratio.
Rob Bottin's creatures of the title still hold up surprisingly well today and the film rattles along at a breakneck pace clocking in at a tight 80 minutes. Excellent. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Vincent Price as Dr. Phibes plagues his victims to death
Not since Dante came up with appropriate eternal punishments for those sent to the Inferno has there been such a macabre genius for taking vengeance as "The Abominable Dr. Phibes." The title character, played to the hilt and beyond by Vincent Price, seeks revenge upon the nine doctors he feels are responsible for the death of his beloved wife, Victoria. As inspiration, Anton Phibes uses the Plagues of Egypt, knocking off victims (including Terry-Thomas) with frogs, locusts and the like with the help of his silent assistant Vulnavia (Virginia North), while playing his grand pipe organ. Poor Inspector Trout (Peter Jeffrey) tries to get one step ahead of the Good Doctor, but he cannot even keep up as the murders progress. Phibes saves the best for last: Dr. Vesalius (Joseph Cotten), the man who botched the operation, at least in Phibes twisted view. By this point Phibes is up to the Death of the First Born and Dr. Vesalius has to operate on his son to the boy from suffering the same fate as Phibes.

"The Abominable Dr. Phibes" is like "Richard III" and "Silence of the Lambs" in that you find yourself rooting for the villain. This might be camp but it is done with such style and flair, not to mention a macabre (if not sick) humor. I love the fact that Vincent Price does all of his lines as a sort of disembodied voice. His lips never move, a result of having his character's mouth currently being in the side of his neck (what did you expect in a film that is so tongue in cheek?). This 1971 film, directed by Robert Fuest, was scripted by James Whiton and William Goldstein, a pair of decidedly sick human beings. Followed the next year by "Dr. Phibes Rises Again," Price did another camp revenge film, "Theater of Blood" in 1973. But be warned: most women do not consider these films appropriate for dates.

One of Price's best baddies!!
I remember "discovering" this movie as a teenager; I came across it one night on Channel 7 in NYC, at around 3 in the morning.

It was love at first sight.

Vincent Price plays Dr. Anton Phibes, an organ-playing Super-Genius, who seeks revenge on the 9 people he holds responsible for the death of his Wife: The 8 Doctors and the Nurse who failed to save her after an accident. Phibes and his lovely assistant, Vulnavia, operate out of a secret lair, complete with a ballroom and clockwork orchestra of Phibes' own creation, and as the film begins, their plan is already well underway: they will kill the "responsible" parties using the 10 Biblical plagues of The Pharoes- Boils, Bats, Blood, Frogs, Beasts, The Death of the First-Born, Locusts, Rats, Hail, and Darkness.....Let the fun begin....

What is so great about this movie is that, in my opinion, there ARE no other movies like this one. It's a surreal period-piece (The film takes place in the 1920's), that deals with grusome murders, has a wicked sense of humor, and a villain straight out of a comic-book (Comic readers will find Phibes to be a cross between Doctor Doom and The Joker). The sets and locations are great, and Vincent Price is superb, as usual. You can tell he had a great time playing the good Doctor. The ending is weirdly satisfying, and again, is one-of-a-kind. The cast is superb, and Joseph Cotten is a great foil for Price. Their scene in the operating theater is phenomenal.

The DVD is short on extras, just a Theatrical trailer, which is a hoot. And anyone who has had to suffer through awful-looking Television airings will love the crisp look of the film in Widescreen.

Anyone who is a fan of either Horror movies or Vincent Price MUST add this film to their collection. As the Policeman says early in the film, "There are a lot of strange people practicing medicine these days!"

DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS DVD
MGM Midnite Movies, not to put too fine a point on it, stink! I bought this DVD at Best Buy and it didn't play. I returned it and got another one - and it didn't play. I tried a third time - and it didn't play. They actually had to give me my money back. So, then I see it at Amazon.Com. I bought it. It didn't play. I exchanged it, it didn't play. I finally had to send it back to get a refund. Is anyone awake at the quality control at MGM?

I have not problems with the movie - I think they are great (incidentally, the Dr. Phibes Rises Again has the same problem), it's the DVD's that are bad.

I thought it might be my DVD player - nope - nothing wrong with it. None of them played on any DVD player (we even tried ones at Best Buy).

grand guignol busby berkely style
from the beginning shot to somewhere over the rainbow,
this highly enjoyable film can be described as witty, beautiful, hip, and perverse.
it is also the very much missed vincent price's most original and stylish work.
a great midnight movie indeed

Malpractice Insurance...
Vincent Price is devilishly cool as Dr. Phibes, a brilliant man driven to insanity by the death of his wife, Victoria. You see, she died on the operating table under the collective knife of a nine person surgical team. Her grieving, enraged husband soon "died" in a fiery auto accident. Now, years later, the very same doctors and nurse are turning up dead in odd yet ingenius ways. Who could be responsible for this? Who else?! With the aid of his beautiful, mute, and mysterious assistant, Vulnavia, Phibes has set out to exact his vengeance through biblical means. Using the ten plagues of ancient Egypt, he knocks off his victims with bats, rats, locusts, a strangulating frog mask, and other gleefully ghoulish methods. Scotland Yard is on the case, with a befuddled inspector Trout doing the leg-work and getting the grief whenever a new body pops up. The head doctor, and main target of Phibes' twisted medicine is played by none other than Joseph Cotten (Gaslight). TADP is a macabre masterpiece of horrific humor and spooky surprises. One of Price's best characters. Highly recommended... ... Read more

Reviews (41)

THE REAL WORLD
Clive Barker's books have always mystified me...he is definitely one imaginative soul, but at the same time so "soulless." In this movie, which he wrote, produced and directed, is soulless. Filled with campy gore effects, MTV style direction, and uneven performances, LORD OF ILLUSIONS is not a fully satisfying horror film. Daniel van Bergen's Nix is well done, but where did he get his powers and why did he lay dormant for thirteen years, and who is responsible for all the bad stuff going on now? And Kevin J. O'Connor, flat as a pancake, seems to be just as bad but why? And HOW did he escape the swords? And why does Scott Bakula act so bored (looking quite buff, though), and Famke Janssen in her pre X-men days looks like a refugee from the Great Gatsby.
Nonsensical fun, but Barker continues to be overhyped.

Disjointed and senseless
OK. "I was born to murder the world."

Why? Are we expected to simply accept that statement? Of course it comes at the very end of the movie, so we're left wondering just who the heck this Nix character is, and what his nature is through the entire film. The problem is, if that was supposed to create dramatic tension, it didn't.

Ambitious? Sure. Did it succeed? No. There was unquestionably a story here, but telling the story mainly through the eyes of a private detective wasn't the right way to go about it. This is a problem, sometimes, with writers. They find a story, but then can't find the vessel. I think that's what happened here.

One of his best!
I have seen the first clive barker film Hellraiser and I have to say that I wasn't impressed much.
I was pretty hesitant to see this one but being a huge Diamanda galas fan, I decided to check it out.
Overall, I think it's one of his best films as the storyline was good and the effects were not corny at all.
The only complaint is that the acting was a bit underachieved in certain parts of the film. It seemed like madonna could've done a lot better. And that's not a good thing!
All in all a good film.

An overlooked gem from Clive Barker.
New York detective Harry D'Amour ( Scott Bakula) who has an interest in black magic heads to Los Angeles for a special job. He gets involved with Dorthea ( Fame Jannsen from " X-Men") who is the widow of a late magician ( Kevin J. O'Connor)and finds out the terrifying secrets of a mysterious cult who wants to resurrect a powerful dark magician.

Way much overlooked but great supernatural horror thriller from famed horror novelist Clive Barker ( Creator of "Candyman" and " Hellraiser"), Bakula does a fine performance as teh detective who tracks down the cult. Great special effects and gore by Steve Johnson also help the movie's scariness and gruesomeness but worth watching only in the unrated Director's Cut which is on this DVD.

Also recommended: End of Days, Freddy Vs. Jason, Hellraiser, Candyman, Making Contact ( a.k.a Joey), City of the Living Dead ( a.k.a. The Gates of Hell), Evil Dead II, Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, Sleepless, Suspiria, Phenomena, Tenebre, Vampire Hunter D, The Mummy ( 1999), Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, Sleepy Hollow, From Hell, Fallen, House By The Cemetery, Burial Ground, From Dusk Till Dawn, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Ninja Scroll, Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend, Demons, Cemetery Man, Silence of the Lambs and The Beyond.

Barker's most ambitious
Private detective Harry D'Amour (Bakula) who is unwillingly drawn to the supernatural travels to LA to investigate an insurance fraud, but finds himself battling an evil cult leader in the Mojave desert after he gets involved with the death of a stage "illusionist". Barker's most ambitious and engaging film to date (based on his short story "The Last Illusion"). Well photographed and a masterful music score, let down by an over-long script and uneven plotting. Barker's attempted horror/detective film noir blend is far too shaky at times. Still, a winner well above genre standards. Be sure to stear clear of the shorter "theatrical cut". ... Read more

Description

A dark, gothic, one-of-a-kind macabre comedy. Directed by James Whale, subject of the acclaimed "Gods and Monsters," "The Old Dark House" tells the story of three weary travelers who find shelter in a mysterious Welsh manor, soon find themselves in the unwelcoming company of the psychotic Femm family--and never will they be the same! ... Read more

Reviews (34)

James Whale has a stellar cast but a second rate horror film
"The Old Dark House" is a bit disappointing simply because with all the talent collected on both sides of the camera you would expect an absolute classic horror film. This 1932 film is directed by James Whale based on the novel by J. B. Priestley. In front of the camera are Boris Karloff, Melyvn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Gloria Stuart, Lilian Bond, Ernest Thesiger and Raymond Massey. During a raging storm in the Welsh mountains, Philip Waverton (Massey), his wife Margaret (Stuart) and Roger Penderel (Douglas) seek refuge in an old house. Inside are Horace Femm (Thesiger), an eccentric atheist; his sister Rebecca (Eva Moore), a religious fanatic; and Morgan (Karloff), their mute hulking butler, who has a tendency to get homicidal when he becomes drunk. Two other weary travelers, Sir William Porterhouse (Laughton) and Gladys DuCane (Bond) are stuck for the night as well. Morgan gets drunk and attacks Margaret and things continue to escalate until the butler frees Saul (Brember Wills), a pyromaniac locked up in a remote wing of the house. The set up is a bit forced, as this is probably the oddest group of people thrown together during a storm you will ever see in a film and while the second half is suspenseful as things get out of hand the finale is rather unsatisfying. "The Old Dark House" is the first film in which Karloff gets top billing and it was the first American film for both Laughton and Massey.

Have A Potato !
Out of the four classic 'horror' films James Whale directed for Universal ('Frankenstein', 'The Invisble Man', and 'Bride of Frankenstein' being the others) this movie is certainly the odd one out. There are no monsters and no mad scientists, just a collection of extremely strange characters. For once Boris Karloff is upstaged not by one, but two of his fellow cast members. Ernest Thesiger gives a wonderfully weird performance throughout and larger than life Charles Laughton dominates every scene he appears in. Because of the lack of any 'monster' and the fact that virtually the whole film takes place inside the house, it is the dialogue and characters that make this film so truly memorable. If you've heard that 'The Old Dark House' was a 'lost' film then you needn't worry about picture or sound quality. The film's restoration work has produced a very good quality print. Unusually for me, I watched this film 3 or 4 times within a week of receiving it, not least because of the great commentaries provided by James Curtis and especially Gloria Stuart. 'The Old Dark House' certainly demands multiple viewings, which is the best praise I can give it.

Perfect for a late-night movie fest
This movie reminds me of all the fun movies that were on the local Chiller Theater when I was growing up. Terrific thrills and chills in an old-fashioned manner. James Whales, best known for Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, directed and his touches are visible, from intelligent dialogue to the chaotic action scenes.

A wind-blown Gloria Stuart is awesome to behold as a damsel in distress. Well cast and well acted, this is one of the classics.

Nice!
This was an interesting film to watch, although I admit, a bit campy at times; nevertheless, the acting is quite good, and I especially liked the character of "Saul," at the end, he's a riot! (Especially when he laughs uncontrollably like a madman.)

Boris Karloff was excellent in this film as well.

thesiger's oscar worthy performance.
thesiger steals everything but the sets (as he also did in bride). he should have at least gotten an acadamy nomination for one of the two films.
whale's delightfully sardonic humour shines throughout the film.
a masterpiece all the way through. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

In the fall of 1979, Sam Raimi and his merry band headed into the woods of rural Tennessee to make a movie. They emerged with a roller coaster of a film packed with shocks, gore, and wild humor, a film that remains a benchmark for the genre. Ash (cult favorite Bruce Campbell) and four friends arrive at a backwoods cabin for a vacation, where they find a tape recorder containing incantations from an ancient book of the dead. When they play the tape, evil forces are unleashed, and one by one the friends are possessed. Wouldn't you know it, the only way to kill a "deadite" is by total bodily dismemberment, and soon the blood starts to fly. Raimi injects tremendous energy into this simple plot, using the claustrophobic set, disorienting camera angles, and even the graininess of the film stock itself to create an atmosphere of dread, punctuated by a relentless series of jump-out-of-your-seat shocks. The Evil Dead lacks the more highly developed sense of the absurd that distinguish later entries in the series--Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness--but it is still much more than a gore movie. It marks the appearance of one of the most original and visually exciting directors of his generation, and it stands as a monument to the triumph of imagination over budget. --Simon Leake ... Read more

Reviews (473)

The Ultimate Cult Horror Film!
The first of the Evil Dead Trilogy this cult horror classic is the most fun you'll have watching a horror movie. This Special Edition DVD from Elite is top-notch. Evil Dead has been released on DVD in 800 or so different versions but if you're looking for a great one, look no further.

This disc presents the film in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio with an extremely sharp transfer with strong color definition. Audio is presented in a great 5.1 surround mix or 2.0 original mix.

The disc includes an impressive list of bonus features including:
- commentary from director Sam Raimi & producer Bruce Tappert
- commentary from start Bruce Campbell (which, incidentally is one of the best and funniest DVD commentaries you'll ever come across!
- alternate takes/outtakes
- still gallery
- theatrical trailer

For the price, this is a great version of the flick. Pick it up!

An excellent film for it's day.
The film, "Evil Dead" is one notch above the usual horror-slasher-zombie films. Set in a desolate cabin in the dark woods, this movie sets out with a typical premise; a group of four young people are being stalked by an ancient evil force in the woods. This evil was awakened by a scientist in the cabin who was reading from an ancient Sumerian text of the dead, the "Necronomicon ex Mortis". A book written in blood, and bound in human flesh. The evil returns and slowly traps the frightened people there in the woods, takes over their bodies, turns them into Zombies, and kills them. The lone survivor, Ash, is forced to do battle with the forces of evil. Overall a good time, and for a film made on a shoestring budget, (less than 50,000 dollars I hear), it was a fun time. Director Sam Raimi did a fantaboulous job of making this film one of the New American Cult Classics. I would definitely see it, and would highly recommend the follow-ups, "Evil Dead II: Dead Before Dawn", and "Army of Darkness". Horror purists may groan at these, as they incorporate more humor, but overall, a worthwhile few hours. Buy the ticket, take the ride!

the ultimate horror movie!
This film is the ultimate horror movie. Great sneaky gore with a good storyline (unlike most horror movies) and not-so-bad acting or directing to be such a low budget film.

Very gruesome and gory, but it's really great !
Evil dead it's a very entertaining movie to watch, but it really impacts to you how bloody and how too much gore does it has, anyway you can't miss this frightening movie which makes you jump out of your sit and forces you to don't sleepp.

Okay, but soooooo over-rated...
I watched this movie tonight not expecting to like it. Why did I watch it in the first place then? Becasue I thought maybe I would end up liking it. Well, I did and I didn't. I love slasher flicks, but im not really into zombie movies. The two other zombie movies I have seen were "Dawn of the Dead" and "Day of the Dead", which I didn't like, and thought were WAY over-rated. This one was to, and certainly is NOT worth all the hye, but is still okay. The thing I liked about was that is was simple, sort of in the way "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was, but it's hard to explain HOW it was simple. It mostly takes place in the living room and cellar of a cabin, not in a big gothic mansion, so it's some-what realistic, and, like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", it's hard to explain HOW it's realistic. There were also a few cool scenes worth the rental alone. What I didn't like about it was it was some-what boring. It was also just felt a *bit* too short. So I wouldi't reccomend fully, unless you really like zombie flicks, or you just feel like you have to see every popular horror flick as I do... ... Read more

Description

The sexy Nadina, a vampire with an insatiable thirst for female blood, lures women to her isolated island to love--then kill--her victims. Recently resurfacing as a cult classic after over 25 years, Jess Franco's "Vampyros Lesbos" has re-started a dance craze phenomenon across the globe with its amazing musical score, recently heard in Quentin Tarantino's "Jackie Brown." ... Read more

Reviews (473)

The Ultimate Cult Horror Film!
The first of the Evil Dead Trilogy this cult horror classic is the most fun you'll have watching a horror movie. This Special Edition DVD from Elite is top-notch. Evil Dead has been released on DVD in 800 or so different versions but if you're looking for a great one, look no further.

This disc presents the film in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio with an extremely sharp transfer with strong color definition. Audio is presented in a great 5.1 surround mix or 2.0 original mix.

The disc includes an impressive list of bonus features including:
- commentary from director Sam Raimi & producer Bruce Tappert
- commentary from start Bruce Campbell (which, incidentally is one of the best and funniest DVD commentaries you'll ever come across!
- alternate takes/outtakes
- still gallery
- theatrical trailer

For the price, this is a great version of the flick. Pick it up!

An excellent film for it's day.
The film, "Evil Dead" is one notch above the usual horror-slasher-zombie films. Set in a desolate cabin in the dark woods, this movie sets out with a typical premise; a group of four young people are being stalked by an ancient evil force in the woods. This evil was awakened by a scientist in the cabin who was reading from an ancient Sumerian text of the dead, the "Necronomicon ex Mortis". A book written in blood, and bound in human flesh. The evil returns and slowly traps the frightened people there in the woods, takes over their bodies, turns them into Zombies, and kills them. The lone survivor, Ash, is forced to do battle with the forces of evil. Overall a good time, and for a film made on a shoestring budget, (less than 50,000 dollars I hear), it was a fun time. Director Sam Raimi did a fantaboulous job of making this film one of the New American Cult Classics. I would definitely see it, and would highly recommend the follow-ups, "Evil Dead II: Dead Before Dawn", and "Army of Darkness". Horror purists may groan at these, as they incorporate more humor, but overall, a worthwhile few hours. Buy the ticket, take the ride!

the ultimate horror movie!
This film is the ultimate horror movie. Great sneaky gore with a good storyline (unlike most horror movies) and not-so-bad acting or directing to be such a low budget film.

Very gruesome and gory, but it's really great !
Evil dead it's a very entertaining movie to watch, but it really impacts to you how bloody and how too much gore does it has, anyway you can't miss this frightening movie which makes you jump out of your sit and forces you to don't sleepp.

Okay, but soooooo over-rated...
I watched this movie tonight not expecting to like it. Why did I watch it in the first place then? Becasue I thought maybe I would end up liking it. Well, I did and I didn't. I love slasher flicks, but im not really into zombie movies. The two other zombie movies I have seen were "Dawn of the Dead" and "Day of the Dead", which I didn't like, and thought were WAY over-rated. This one was to, and certainly is NOT worth all the hye, but is still okay. The thing I liked about was that is was simple, sort of in the way "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was, but it's hard to explain HOW it was simple. It mostly takes place in the living room and cellar of a cabin, not in a big gothic mansion, so it's some-what realistic, and, like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", it's hard to explain HOW it's realistic. There were also a few cool scenes worth the rental alone. What I didn't like about it was it was some-what boring. It was also just felt a *bit* too short. So I wouldi't reccomend fully, unless you really like zombie flicks, or you just feel like you have to see every popular horror flick as I do... ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Price's Best
House on Haunted Hill is a classic movie about eccentric millionare named Frederick Lauren and his wife, Annabelle. They rent an old, creepy, gloomy house on a desolate hill and throw a party, "a haunted house party." The party only has has 7 guests, 4 men and 3 women (the same amout of people that have died in the house). If each guest stays all night in the house they each recieve $10,000, "or they're next of ki[n] just in case they don't survive." Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart and Elisha Cook star in this wonderful terrifying classic directed by William Castle. This movie is great because its origional, & they use props like fake heads in suitcases, and organs playing music with no player, instead of computers like the awful remake from 1999. See this movie you'll really enjoy it.

Scary, Campy, Old Horror Fun
HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is one of my favorite movies. It has everything. A haunted house, a dark and stormy night, ghosts, a bloodstain that won't wash out, severed heads, an acid vat, organ music...It's just so atmospheric. The plot: Millionaire Vincent Price and his scheming wife invite five strangers to the house on Haunted Hill. He'll pay them 10,000 dollars each if they spend the night there. One of them dies, and a murder mystery also evolves. This movie from William Castle and Robb White is so much fun, and the set and acting is fantastic. If you love this, check out 13 GHOSTS, which I have also reviewed.

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The classic that's fun and scary.
This movie is over all scary, the opening scene sets the stage for a film that was way ahead of it's time. It was fun moments, and moments that wil send you acrost the theater, The scene with the old house ceeper is one of the most effective jumps in all of horror, a must see for any horror fan, and beable for those who aren't that big of horror fans, see if you can solve the myster before the films done.

FOR 10,000 DOLLARS WOULD YOU SPEND A NIGHT WITH VINCENTPRICE
I absolutley loved this movie. The script writting is wonderful,the acting is treamendous and the surprises you will see in this movie keep you at the end of your seat. This is trueley Vincent Price at his best. The ghost in the basement, the hanged body in the stairwell and the skeleton which appears at the end of the film. Also stars Carol O'Mart,Richard Long, Alan Marshall and Carolyn Craig. This film never has a dull part. So, If you you don't have this movie,you need to buy it.

a Vincent Price classic
what we seem to have is a battle between the unknown. this is classic horror, done in a melodramatic way, much like the Universal horror classics of the early '30s where all you needed was mystery, atmosphere, and an outrageous plot. now, sadly, everything apparently has to be realistic and not fantastic? that's a shame. This 1958 classic is about a man who allows several people the chance to compete against one another: the game is that the people have to survive a night's stay at the house and whoever does wins a fortune. Vincent is his suave best in this, appearing the way he would become stereotyped: tall, wearing a suit, having a thin mustache, and those beady eyes ready to pierce into someone's soul with that classic Vincent stare. William Castle directed this movie. It's campy, of course. 1958 horror, and nearly every horror film afterward was geared toward teenagers at drive-in's and this film is one of Price's best. His icy dialogue to his nagging, arrogant wife is great and she gets what she has coming to her...by way of a hilariously campy skeleton who's coming toward her with a gun. the senseless remake was un-called for. even though it brought some publicity for this 1958 original, the remake didn't have Vincent's heart and soul nor did it have much camp value. this 1958 version is the one you should look for...a must-have for ALL Vincent Price fans. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A ridiculously cheesy, almost laughable horror film
Stephen King's Sleepwalkers is significant for a number of reasons (all of which added together fail to make this anything more than an average film). For one thing, it is the first story King wrote expressly for a movie (his earlier movies all being based on previously published work). Second, there is a wonderful cameo appearance by K