The Devil Fish (1984) – MST3K Review

Summary:

In a plot that would be ripped off by countless made for SyFy Channel movies the screen explodes with Italians trying to be Floridians. It all starts with an old couple on a boat, as they are devoured by something with sharp teeth and tentacles. After the credits we meet Dr. Bob Hogan (Dino Conti) who drinks lots of beer and uses microphones to listen to fish. But he ends up hearing something very different from your typical clown fish. He gets so excited he spills his beer.

He compares notes with Dr. Stella Dickens (Valentine Monnier) who hangs out with dolphins all day. It turns out that just when he was recording his goofy sounds, the dolphins freaked out. Because we need more characters, Stella visit’s her old pal Peter (Michael Sopkiw) who is an expert at making electronic gizmos. With his help they hope to find this rare fish and maybe even catch it. Little do they know that this beast may be more than a simple living fossil, but an honest to goodness Devil Fish.

Movie Review:

Also called Monster Shark, this little movie is obviously inspired by Jaws. Granted there were a lot of flicks after 1975 that revolved around folks devoured by sea creatures. Heck Jaws had several sequels that followed it up to 1987 with Jaws the Revenge. Still this movie has more in common with Sharktopus than anything else.

The first thing you’ll notice is that everyone is vaguely European and most of the cast is dubbed. Next thing you’ll notice is that the film appears to be shot on location in Florida. This makes for a bizarre experience of watching a bunch of imported actors attempting to behave in a way that appears American. The result is that everyone drinks a lot of beer and looks vaguely windswept. Going by this film, my beer intake is bordering on un-American! Still not sure if the dubbing is better than everyone having bizarre accents like in Werewolf, but it makes it differently goofy.

Speaking of goofy, the devilfish itself is a pretty silly looking creature. Most of the time the camera doesn’t get too close, so you can’t see much more than a vague shape in the cloudy water. This could be used to a creepy advantage but director Lomberto Bava just can’t manage it. Instead, you end up squinting at the screen trying to make out just what he hell the devilfish is, a squid crossed with a piranha? Maybe a stingray and a crocodile? Possibly a guppy and an oarfish. When you do get an extreme close-up of the creature, it’s too close. You can see it obviously made of foam and rubber and wouldn’t do more and annoy your skin with its silly looking teeth.

But who cares about that! We want to know if the movie has enough carnage and gals in bikinis to make it worth our while, right? Well the carnage is on the light side. Some fishermen get chomped on, there’s the old couple at the beginning and even a couple of our heroes buy the farm. There is also a hulking murderer that is tied to a subplot who kills a few folks too, and while he’s as ugly as the devilfish, he’s not as interesting. Yes you do get some bikini action and a couple love scenes, but since this a television edit of the film, don’t get too excited.

Maybe we can also blame the television edit for the fact that the movie is hacked and slashed and stuck together in the most random of ways. I haven’t seen such a set of abrupt edits since the last time I watched Red Zone Cuba. While Devil Fish never gets as confusing as the Coleman Francis epic, it is still very jarring with its cuts. Maybe it was an effort to keep the story moving, or maybe it was just a lazy editor who knows.

The final result is a movie that filled to the brim with elements that make it a ton of fun. So grab a few American friends and lots of American beer, and sit on your American sofa and make sure your American dubbers are hanging out nearby so you can do your own American riffing (put an American flag somewhere nearby so everyone knows you’re in America).

Or just have Mike and the bots do the riffing for you. They’ve got plenty to work with.

Episode Review:  

There’s a lot of killer shark movies out there, even before SyFy Channel started making one a week. So it’s a bit surprising that Mystery Science Theater 3000 didn’t tackle on until its 9^th season. Maybe they were too bloody or had too much nudity, or maybe they just didn’t find the right one. Well Devil Fish was a perfect fit.

Most killer shark movies are pretty much Jaws with more teens and more skin. But Devil Fish has a bit more going on, and it all adds up to a movie full of oddities. I mentioned Werewolf earlier and this movie has a lot in common with that one. It’s just a mess, but the perfect mess for riffing.

Most of the jokes are leveled at the fact that the cast is trying way too hard to be American when they are obviously not. But a lot of riffs also come in on the editing. One of my favorites comes from Tom who says after a series of quick nonsensical edits, “Its as if the editor is saying, you don’t need to concern yourself with any of this.”

Dr. Bob is relentless in his beer drinking and this offers up all kinds of alcohol related humor. His buddy Peter is supposed to be some kind of brilliant lothario, but looks more like a beach bum out for a good time. Mike and the bots make much of his reputation and how it applies to all electricians, but also witness the horror of a badly placed camera as Peter descends a ladder, and we get to see way to much of him. A handy MST3K logo protects us viewers from seeing little Peter, but the boys aren’t so lucky.

As for the gals in the movie, the main focus is on how disturbingly skinny Dr. Stella is. Seriously, she’s a bit on the scary side of skinny. She’s also almost attractive, but there is something just off about her. And it’s not just the dubbing. There are some great scenes with her and the dolphins at the beginning that provides plenty of riffing fodder as the dolphins mock her mercilessly (with some help from Mike and bots). My favorite character was the brainy Dr. Janet Bates (Darla Warner) who actually seems to be the smartest person on the boat. She actually does battle with the devilfish and survives! Too bad she is later killed off screen by the annoying ugly faced thug. She would have been a much more interesting character.

There are a few slow spots here and there riff wise. This is mostly when the subplot involving the government project and the ugly thug come up. When the devil fish is attacking boats the jokes come fast and furious, and with the abrupt editing you never know when a scene might end – makes things kind of exciting.

For host segments Pearl tries to turn Castle Forrester into a cruise ship. It’s as bizarre as it sounds. I did like Brain Guy attempting to be Isaac from the Love Boat, but mostly those scenes are kinda limp. On the Satellite most of the skits are inspired by the movie. At the first break, Mike and bots are not impressed by the dolphins in the movie and start dissing them – the result is a huge Dolphin starship arriving to take pot shots at our boys. They apologize. At the next break Mike and the bots are not impressed by electrician Peter. So they start dissing an electrician that Pearl sends up. Guess who ends up apologizing again.

The best segment occurs when Pearl reveals that her passengers on the cruise ship are confused by Mike and the bots. You see the passengers have been watching Devil Fish too and when Mike and the bots show up they just aren’t Italian enough. So Pearl puts on a filter to make the crew of the SOL more Italian. It goes horribly wrong and you have to see it to believe it.

This is a fun episode, not top tier material, but still a good summer viewing, maybe with a double feature of Jaws or one of its lesser sequels. The movie is goofy and the riffing is solid.

I give it four cans of AMERICAN beer out of five.

This episode is available on the Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIX.

Paranoia Agent (2004)

Introduction:

While I tend to focus on movies on this blog, I do like to point out anime television series and Original Animated Videos (OAVs) I think are worthwhile. Well this series comes from one of my favorite directors Satoshi Kon. With 13 half hour episodes to unleash his imagination in, we get a wonderfully disturbing explosion of creativity. But is Paranoia Agent too inventive for its own good?

Summary:

A new urban legend is creeping around the city and terrifying folks. It’s name is Lil’ Slugger, a young man on rollerblades who clobbers people with a golden baseball bat. His first victim is the shy Tsukiko Sagi (Michelle Ruff), the creator of the popular character Maromi (think a pink dog as popular as Hello Kitty). Sagi is beaten badly but not killed. Many of Lil’ Sluggers other victims aren’t as lucky.

As the attacks increase a couple of detectives are hot on the case, trying to piece together clues from the various attacks. But the deeper they dig, the more random the attacks seem to be. Is there a copycat? Is something supernatural at work? Or is everyone in the city going collectively crazy? The series twists through 13 episodes until it delivers a conclusion that my render you the next victim of the Paranoia Agent.

Good Points:

• Visually tricky and disturbing, using Kon’s trademark skill with dream logic
• An excellent musical score by Susumu Hirasawa
• Mixes horror, thrills and dark humor

Bad Points:

• The series breaks down a bit after the halfway point
• Anyone looking for logic is going to be disappointed
• Some of the humor is a bit too over the top

Overall:

If you love Kon’s approach to dream worlds and warped fantasy this series is a goldmine. He creates some memorable characters and fills his setting with tension and darkness. But there are plenty of laughs to be had, with gallows humor being the order of the day. In the end the series doesn’t quite come together, losing its focus a bit in the final third. The last episode is a solid finish, but still leaves you wanting a bit more closure.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 5

Sound: 5

Acting: 4

Script: 4

Music: 4

Direction: 4

Entertainment: 4

Total:  4

In Depth Review

After tackling a story rooted in real life with Tokyo Godfathers Satoshi Kon decided to come back to the dream worlds he was so successful with in Millennium Actress and Perfect Blue. According to Kon, many of the elements in Paranoia Agent came from concepts, brainstorms and one offs created during the previous three films. He grabbed these elements and created a story around them, revolving around Lil’ Slugger and the themes of reality and perception.

Kon’s approach is similar to another series from 2000 called Boogiepop Phantom. Both series approach each episode as a separate story, but provide you with insight into the larger story at work. By the time the series is over, the final piece of the puzzle is laid and you see the whole work. Both series don’t answer all the questions they lay out, but do some clever working of elements. Sometimes you’ll see the same event from three or four points of view, each very different and each providing a little more meat to the overarching story.

Paranoia Agent focuses on those characters attacked by Lil’ Slugger or those hunting him down. The viewers are invited to play detective on their own, watching the victims I their daily routines up to the attack by Lil’ Slugger. This gives us an advantage over the detectives in the show who aren’t able to see all the angles. As a result we feel that we’ve got it over those two dopes – until the show throws a couple curveballs at us.

That becomes the name of the game here, pulling the rug out from under the viewers. Kon has done it before, especially in Perfect Blue. But here he really goes to town, twisting logic, perception and storytelling back on itself. An event we saw with one character plays out very differently in the eyes of someone else. Motivations we thought we understood become very twisted a couple episodes later. Even the character of Lil’ Slugger isn’t immune to the warping, going from a malevolent killer, to a pathetic loser, and into a supernatural horror over the progress of the series.

Kon appears to have carefully structured the first half of the series, to constantly keep viewers riveted and off balance. Each new episode is a new revelation and with the end of episode seven, we’re hopelessly lost in Kon’s web of dark fantasy. Then come two episodes that break the spell and end up feeling like Kon just wacked us upside the head.

In some ways episode eight and nine could work as stand alone elements, and were probably some fun ideas Kon generated at some point down the line. But in the scope of the rest of the story they are too silly, and kind of pointless. The humor of episode eight is way over the top. It deals with three people who want to kill themselves but are afraid to do it. One is a little cheerful girl! There is some hilarious dialogue done in a pitch-black manner, but some of the humor is so broad and moronic that it just sticks out like a sore thumb. Episode nine at least connects with Lil’ Slugger in a way, but is mostly about how people glom on to urban legends and end up warping them into something very different. Its an interesting concept, but one that Kon is already exploring in the wider scope of the series. Why this episode focuses only on that and not the overarching plot is beyond me.

Episode 10 brings us back into the main story. The final two episodes are well worth the effort of surviving episodes 8 and 9, as they answer several key questions and Kon gets to go bananas with his concepts. The finale is a precursor to some of the visuals he’d use in Paprika. In fact, viewers will notice plenty of little nods to Kon’s previous work including one of the most infamous lines from Perfect Blue giving a disturbing new context, a reference to some of the movies from Millennium Actress and even some of the same settings from Tokyo Godfathers.

Animation-wise, the series looks pretty good. The backgrounds are very detailed, giving us a gritty look to the city, but nothing as dark or grimy as Tokyo Godfathers. The character design is typical of Kon with characters spanning the range from cute to outrageous. The animation quality certainly dips a bit here and there, with detail being lost in longer shots. Strangely the eighth episode looks particularly bad, with a lot of flat looking characters and settings. Maybe Kon was saving some money for the final episodes.

Kon uses his old tricks of switching up animation styles, depending on who is telling what story. He combines dreams, stories and reality into one scene, always keeping the viewer wondering what they are really seeing. He does some great stuff generating tension and horror. In many cases this series has a lot of horror elements in it, giving it a closer relation to Perfect Blue than most of his other work.

Kon also reunites with the composer Hirasawa who provided the very unique score from Millennium Actress. This time he also fashions the opening and ending themes, and uses them with great effect in the final score. The opening theme is insanely catchy and cheerful even if the images during these credits are sinister or bizarre. The end credits music is soothing and light, and yet Hirasawa turns it very sinister in places during the show, putting a whole new spin on it. The score is mostly electronic, but very creative and effectively used in all the scenes. Kon would return to Hirasawa for his final feature Paprika.

I could go on writing about Paranoia Agent and talk in depth about its themes of reality and perception of reality. I could talk about its exploration of the human need to tie a story to everything. I could write about the way it paints our modern society as a group of people looking for excuses for everything – especially our most tragic faults. But I think I’ll stop here and let those of you who are curious about it check it out.

For me this is Kon at his most unleashed. He lets go with Paranoia Agent and the results are both fascinating and frustrating. At times it feels a bit too self indulgent, like he’s having a joke at the viewer’s expense. At other times, his themes and messages are crystal clear and the series is a blast to watch. His visual style and creative voice are very strong and threaten to overpower the need to have logic in our entertainment. In this way he reminds me of David Lynch at his more obtuse (see Lost Highway or Inland Empire). But I’d rather have a mixed bag that is interesting to watch than something boring and safe. So as long as you know that the trip is fun if not a bit bumpy, I think you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.

Kon would take many of the elements here and refine them to a sharp point, taking direct aim at human dreams and jumping in. Paprika just maybe this director’s masterpiece.

Hellraiser (1987)

Introduction:

This is one of those films that slipped by my radar over the years. Sure all my horror-fiend pals told me how great and gory this movie was, but I was never too interested. Since I do enjoy Clive Barker’s short stories, especially his Books of Blood I finally decided to give Pinhead and his cronies a shot.

Summary:

It all starts with a man named Frank (Sean Chapman) buying a mysterious puzzle box. He takes it to a secluded location and attempts to unravel its secrets. The next thing we see is Frank screaming as hooks plunge into his skin.

Then we meet Larry (Andrew Robinson) and Julia (Clare Higgins) as they explore Larry’s old family house. Sure it’s a fixer up, what with the maggots crawling all over the kitchen, but its got lots of space and is the perfect place for them to get their marriage back on track.

A freak accident causes Larry to cut his hand. As his blood drips onto the floor of an unused room, it is absorbed into something beneath the floor. The creature that emerges has a history with Julia, and its sights set on Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) Larry’s daughter. What is the sinister force waiting to tear this family apart from within?

Good Points:

• A creative and sinister story
• Great practical gore and monster effects
• Never explains everything, keeping the mystery intriguing

Bad Points:

• A few things make little or no sense
• Pretty gross, not for the squeamish
• The clothes and hair are super ‘80s 

Overall:

A nice surprise. The heart of the story is a tale of dark desires, screwed up relationships and of course a dimensional door leading into depravity. Sure it goes over the top with the gore, but in the end it’s a solid horror fantasy, well worth seeking out if you are looking for something a bit more creative in the horror realm.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 4

Acting: 3

Script: 4

Music: 4

Direction: 4

Entertainment: 4

Total:  4

In Depth Review

It’s pretty rare that a popular author is given a chance to helm their own feature film. It can yield some good movies. Michael Crichton had some luck with Westworld and Coma. But the less said about Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive the better. So when I heard Clive Barker directed Hellraiser I was leery. I’d seen Nightbreed and Lord of Illusions, both had their moments, but were missing something that really made them click.

While it is rough in a few places, overall Hellraiser works because it was put together so well. The basic dynamics of the story are fairly simple. You’ve got a dysfunctional family that completely unravels. Larry and Frank are as different as brothers can be. Larry is a dangerous, domineering womanizer looking for the latest thrill in everything he does. Frank is weak in many ways, not able to satisfy his wife, understand his daughter and even measure up to his brother. Sure Larry is more stable, but we see anger and frustration boiling under his eyes.

Julia has become a slave to her desires. Once Frank seduces her, she is completely in his power, unable to even stand being around Larry. I wish we could have seen a bit more of Julia before Frank changes her. It would have made the evolution of her character more interesting. As the movie progresses Julia keeps inching further and further down the path of depravity.

Then there is Kirsty, the most normal of the family. She obviously doesn’t like Julia much. There are hints that Frank has done something to her in her past that was traumatic. She cares for her father, but seems to have drifted away from him, probably because of her dislike of Julia. At first she seems to be a supporting character, but begins to take a larger role as Frank and Julia’s plot is revealed and the puzzle box falls into Kirsty’s hands.

That brings us to the supernatural part of the story. So far, this is sounding a bit like an over-soapy opera. But rest assured there is plenty of gore and darkness in the film. Frank’s twisted desires lead him to find the puzzle box, a device that can open dimensional doors. In one of those worlds are creatures called the Cenobites. These beings believe in providing maximum pain to achieve ultimate pleasures. This sounds right up Frank’s alley and so he descends with them, and becomes their plaything.

At least that’s what appears to be the case. We are never given all of Franks story, or a reason for what the Cenobites want, or even a reason for why the puzzle box works the way it does. That is all for the good. The supernatural mystery is what drives the film, adding a layer of horror that is both creative and exciting. While Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and his minions are the face of the film, they spend very little time in it. But what we do get to see is fairly disturbing and eerie. It’s actually a great use of a sinister force, creating enough dread in the viewers and yet not over exposing them.

The true monsters are actually the humans, Frank and Julia. This is typical of Barker’s fiction, but he makes it work so well. He loves his monsters and loves to make his humans the more horrific creatures. You can reason with the Cenobites, but not with Frank or Julia, both slaves to passions and desires that will overcome morals they may have once had.

Barker’s effects team does a stand out job in this movie. The Cenobites are wonderful creations, personifying pain in very visual ways. But more impressive to me was the work with the creature that Frank becomes. This is one gory, oozy, drippy creature, one that manages to be disturbing not just because of his physical appearance, but because of the ability for actor Oliver Smith to convey the emotions through the makeup. It’s really a wonderful creation, and sells the most unsettling scenes in the film. I also have to comment on the inter-dimensional horror, a creature so deranged looking that H.P. Lovecraft would have approved. Back in 1987 not a drop of CG was used. This is seriously an impressive bit of practical effects work.

I also want to mention the top-notch musical score by Christopher Young. The man is now one of the writers for horror movie music and Hellraiser launched that career. He saturates scenes with gothic themes, lots of orchestral color and builds suspense with great skill. He is able to match the visuals with appropriate music and actually makes the movie even more engaging. He really is one of the best at this type of music and while I enjoy his wonderful score to Drag Me To Hell a bit more than this, his work on Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II are top-notch.

I really appreciated that this movie went beyond the typical slasher conventions that had pretty much saturated the horror film scene in the ‘80s. Sure it keeps the element of the Final Girl in the form of Kirsty. But I think her bond to this family drama makes it feel less cliché than it could have been. The movie is really about adults self destructing because of their desires. These days, most horror films focus on teens and their world, so its nice to see something fantastically terrifying aimed at adults.

The movie isn’t perfect. Near the end, there are a few things that happen without any explanation that stretch willing suspension of disbelief a bit. A couple of connective scenes could have easily helped this minor issue. But I did find myself asking questions like “Wait a sec, how did she end up in that room?” and other basic questions, pulling me out of the story. This movie has a bunch of different edits and its quite possible the version I saw had a few scenes removed.

The other minor issue is the supreme ‘80s-ness of the clothing and hair. One look at the gelled hair of Frank and its kind of hard to take him seriously as a hardcore pleasure seeker. Julia’s fetish for power suits with huge shoulder pads is amazing to behold. And then there’s Kirsty’s boyfriend and his entire “look”. Wow. Yes it dates the movie almost immediately, but at the same time it adds a nostalgic charm that I appreciated. Still it’s hard to be really frightened when you are to busy chuckling at the amazing amount of florescent colors on someone’s shirt.

All in all, I really enjoyed the film. It was a nice twisted tale with plenty of gore, plenty of great music, and an entertainingly demented story. I’ve heard the series pretty much went down hill after this first film, but I have to say if you are a fan of horror film and you’ve been putting this one off, give it a shot. I think you’ll find a lot to enjoy.

The Craft (1996)

Introduction:

Turns out that 1996 was a good year for Neve Campbell, not only did she star in the horror classic Scream, but she was also in this witchy little movie. It was around this time that teen based horror flicks came back into vogue. But The Craft adds that extra touch of Girl Power!

Summary:

Sarah (Robin Tunney) has just moved to California with her dad and step mom. She’s a little nervous starting at new school, but attracts the attention of the handsome Chris (Skeet Ulrich). She also becomes friends with the school outcasts, Nancy (Fairuza Balk), Bonnie (Neve Campbell) and Rochelle (Rachel True). Turns out these three gals are witches and Sarah has enough innate powers to become the final member of their coven.

At first it’s all fun and games as the girls cast spells to avenge wrongs done against them. But when they invoke the spirit, Nancy seems to go a bit more kuku for Cocoa Puffs than she usually is. Now Nancy is convinced Sarah is out to get her and she’s got Bonnie and Rochelle on her side. Will Sarah be able to use The Craft to save herself?

Good Points:

• Some clever use and modernization of witch powers
• Has a positive message about peer pressure
• Fairuza Balk is chewing the scenery like you wouldn’t believe!

Bad Points:

• Never quite scary, mostly goofy
• Did we need grunge remakes of classic 80s tunes?
• Fairuza Balk is not just chewing the scenery but ingesting whole chunks!

Overall:


As a scary horror film, you could do a lot better. But for me this is a classic piece of 1990s cheese. It manages to capture so many elements of 1996 that it’s almost painful. 

But Fairuza’s over the top acting makes it extra special. So while I can’t recommend it too highly, for a bit of fun Halloween viewing The Craft takes the cake. If you don’t agree, make sure you tell Fairuza you’re sorry… or else.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 3

Sound: 4

Acting: 3

Script: 3

Music: 3

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 4

Total:  3

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.    

Trick R Treat (2007)

Introduction:

Here’s another movie I heard about because the score was getting a lot of attention by film music fans. I checked out a few reviews and it sounded like it could be a lot of fun. Let’s see if those film music fans know what they’re talking about.

Summary:

Halloween has come to this small town and it’s going to be full of blood, candy and scares. Is the school principal Steven (Dylan Baker) covered in blood, or is that part of his costume? Is grumpy neighbor Mr. Kreeg (Brian Cox) being tormented by a demonic force or just stupid kids in costumes? Is Laurie (Anna Paquin) going to find the perfect date for a wild party or is she going to be the prey? And are a group of friends collecting jack o’ lanterns for a ghostly ritual or something more sinister? All these questions and a few twists are going to make this film a bit of a trick and a treat.

Good Points:

• A great mix of various stories
• Good jump scares and humor
• A very entertaining score by Douglas Pipes

Bad Points:

• May feel a bit too familiar
• Horror scenes involving kids may offend some viewers
• Some of the humor may overpower the scares

Overall:

I ended up having a good time with this movie. Sure it’s a lot like Creepshow with its smiling at the audience while tearing people apart, but that’s part of it’s charm. It mixes the best about Halloween into a good gooey mix of blood, candy, and thrills. It’s a good time and makes for a fun treat around the Halloween season.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 4

Acting: 4

Script: 4

Music: 4

Direction: 4

Entertainment: 4

Total: 4

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.

The Resurrected (1992)

Introduction:

Adapting H.P. Lovecraft’s brand of horror fiction into a movie has always been difficult. Most of the time, the filmmakers go for a short story to base the film and try to keep Lovecraftian elements. But this time, director Dan O’Bannon went for one of Lovecraft’s lengthier works and set it in the modern era (the 1990s in this case). Did it work?

Summary:

Private detective John March (John Terry) is approached by the lovely Claire Ward (Jane Sibbett) to find out what her husband has been up to. At first March assumes this is another case of a cheating spouse, but things take a turn for the sinister when he discovers that Charles Ward (Christ Sarandon) may be involved with the occult.

As he starts digging he finds himself in mortal peril as the mysterious Joseph Curwen and his minions try to block his work. Ward himself seems conflicted and it all boils down to an ancient curse, hellish alchemical rites and the fate of The Resurrected.

Good Points:

• Stays fairly true to the novella The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward
• The adaption into a noir detective story works well
• Keeps some of the surprising gruesome details

Bad Points:

• Purists will be enraged by the changes
• Has a bit of a cheesy direct to video vibe
• A bit clunky in places

Overall:

For a fan of Lovecraft’s work, I actually enjoyed the film. It’s a neat adaptation and it keeps the general feel of the supernatural elements that the writer wove into the story. The budget constraints to show at times, but Chris Sarandon does a solid job as Charles Ward, and really gives the movie its momentum. Good for a scare or two on movie night.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 3

Acting: 3

Script: 3

Music: 3

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 4

Total:  3

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.