CANNIBAL TERROR Movie and DVD Review

CANNIBAL TERROR (1981)

When two bumbling crooks and their prostitute friend hatch a plan to kidnap the young daughter of a car manufacturer, they think their money troubles are all over. But, these crooks can’t even get a simple kidnapping right, and when their plan falls through, the trio pull a few favors and quickly cross over into the next country to hide out, taking the little girl with them. There’s only one problem - the cottage they’re hiding out in is right on the border of cannibal territory!

Though the crooks think they’re safe, tension mounts no doubt due to the fact that Mario rapes Manuela, the wife of the cottage’s owner. Manuela’s husband deals with Mario in his own special way, while the other two race into the jungle. On their trail though, are the parents of the little girl and the tribe of cannibals who have picked up their scent. As the chase turns into free-for-all battle for survival, the only question remains is who will be lucky enough to simply die and who will become the next sacrificial meal of the cannibals?

For bottom-of-the-barrel EuroTrash sleaze looking to cash in on a horror fad, look no further than this Alain Deruelle (directing under the pseudonym Allan W Steeve) French/Spanish co-production from 1981, as he tries to ride the coattails of Italian directors like Ruggero Deodato and his infamous CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. However, Deruelle proves that his abilities to mimic a genre to make a few bucks are even worse than Jess Franco at his worst. Interestingly enough, Franco was thought to be the true director of this movie for years.

The cannibal sub-genre is a particularly nasty offshoot in the realm of horror, and lends its perverse violence, often times demeaning stereotyping and lurid acts of sexual depravity to those with an acquired taste. And that is when the genre is done right. When done as a poorly cobbled together cash-in such as CANNIBAL TERROR, the results are a mixture of unintentional humor and boredom, interrupted ever so briefly with moments of stomach-turning disgust.

Here, the laughter starts from the first scene with abysmal acting from everyone involved, magnetized by the canned and nearly-emotionless English dubbing, but really gets the guffaws rolling with the introduction of perhaps the worst depiction of cannibals the screen has ever seen. These cannibals, who for the most part are pasty white Europeans with sideburns, flowing locks of hair, and beerbellies who have painted their faces and can barely contain their giggles as they hoot and holler and dance around endlessly. Rather than try to exploit their “savage rituals” a la MONDO CANE, here it amounts to nothing more than a ridiculous updating of white guys pretending to be Indians in old Hollywood westerns.

Now the highlight, if one can call it that, of any good cannibal films is of course the visceral display of flesh eating. Derulle’s version of that is to substitute a pig’s body for that of human, drape some clothes over it, and let a few extras tear it apart. We get two scenes of this grotesque barbarity, as a few fellows pull at and pretend to eat the organs of some piggy. Its a bit revolting, until you notice their smiles, as if it say, “look at us, we’re cannibals!” It is impossible to take anything even remotely serious after that.

The rest of the film amounts to a few brief glimpses of nudity thanks to exploitation mainstay Pamela Stanford (BLUE RITA, GIRL SLAVES) in one of her final roles, lots and lots of walking, a few clips of jungle stock footage, and a rollicking African beat inspired soundtrack. In fact, there’s just enough footage of interesting and exciting scenes to be able to cut together a trailer that (as is often the case) promises much more than is ever delivered.

It is a sure bet that if CANNIBAL TERROR had not been labeled a Video Nasty and briefly banned in the UK during the mid-’80s, the film would have long ago disappeared into obscurity. But now, thanks mostly to this infamous list it has lived on, and now the movie has finally been restored to all its uncut “glory” by Severin Films for its US DVD debut, where it will surely continue to provide laughs for a whole new generation of gut-munching fanatics.

The DVD provides an anamorphic widescreen transfer of an uncut print, and has been remastered in Hi-Definition, though the quality varies from one scene to the next, and even one cut to the next. The sound retains glaringly obvious of its dubbed roots. The special features include a deleted scene, which is just a short clip of Pamela Stanford dancing around topless that should have been reinstated into the film and the theatrical trailer featuring a priceless voice-over, especially when the announcer exclaims “Cannibal Terror!”

For genre enthusiasts this is worth a precursory glance just for the sake of curiosity and mocking, and for those that absolutely positively have to own every Video Nasty. For the rest, there is nothing to see here.

BAY OF BLOOD (1971) Movie Review

BAY OF BLOOD (1971)

On a grand estate on the shore of a bay, an elderly woman clings desperately to the land so that it will not be bought and turned into a resort. However, her murder sets off a chain reaction that brings all of the potential heirs to the estate out of the woodwork, and more disturbing, an unknown killer who begins to systematically murder each of these heirs. The situation takes another turn for the worse when a group of teenagers decide to trespass on the estate, and are quickly targeted by a killer who knows no remorse, sympathy, or limits to their cruel imagination for slaughtering their next victim.

In 1970s Italy the murder-mystery, also known as a giallo, was coming into its golden age soaking the screen in blood, filling it with red herrings and sleazy sexuality and generally confusing the hell out of the audiences with complicated plots. But when famed director and writer Mario Bava brought BAY OF BLOOD to the screen, it was like nothing anyone had seen before. Starting off from a generic storyline that could be found in any run-of-the-mill giallo, Bava quickly amps everything up from the almost insane weaving of all the characters' relationships, to the one-after-another murders that are each committed in a more horrific way, to the gratuitous and graphic sex and nudity.

This film has become known as the very first official slasher film, and is (or at least should be) the water mark to compare all other films that compete for the slasher subgenre label. In America, it can be debated whether BLACK CHRISTMAS or HALLOWEEN was really the first US slasher film, though both owe all their screen credit to Bava's masterpiece. The early FRIDAY THE 13TH films in particular also borrow heavily from this film, right down to the first-person POV and some of the signature murders in the series. For better or worse (and for most fans it is probably the better), due to BAY OF BLOOD, sex and violence will always be married in the slasher genre.

It is not just that the film is the very first slasher, it is a great slasher and can still to this day hold up against any would be film adversary. The groundbreaking murder sequences within the film alone make the film worth seeking out, even if you are passive fan of the genre. The make-up special effects, helmed by Carlo Rambaldi (who would later work on E.T. and ALIEN among others) can still hold up almost forty years later, which is testament to their realism. It is truly a crime that as the years passed this film has become more obscure, fallen off the "must see" lists of some horror stalwarts, and may even be unknown to younger and newer faces to the horror scene.

This was one of the last films that Mario Bava would make, and it is a culmination of a lifetime of work. Even though the movie's essence can be boiled down to a horror shocker, each of the film's individual parts are given the respect and professionalism that would be seen in a high art or dramatic picture. Bava has always been known as one who uses color to manipulate and enhance his films, and it is no exception here. The music plays a critical part in setting moods and building up suspense. Bava's camerawork pulls from the well established "unknown killer" motifs and makes them his own, which set the stage for future directors and cinematographers to mutate to their own needs.

Any horror fan owes it to themselves to give this film, and Mario Bava, the full credit and respect that it deserves, and that even if it doesn't become a permanent part of your home collection, that it is seen at least once for historical purposes. When watching this, try to keep in mind when it was made practically no one had done anything like this before. And guaranteed, no one will see the ending coming, nor has anyone had the balls since to make an ending quite like BAY OF BLOOD. The couple being double-impaled on the bed while having sex is just icing on the bloody cake.

KILL BABY KILL (1966) Movie Review

KILL BABY KILL (1966)

After the death of a young woman in an isolated village in the early 20th Century, coroner Dr. Iswai is brought in by the inspector to do an autopsy to try and determine if the death was suicide, accident, or homicide. Circumstantial evidence rules out suicide, but the townsfolk are terrified to speak about what has happened. The town's burgomeister intones that the supernatural is involved, and that there is a conspiracy surrounded the local Villa Graps. After Dr. Iswai performs his autopsy, much to the town's disapproval, he returns to the inn he is staying at and witnesses a magical protection ritual performed on a young woman, who claims to have seen the ghost of the dead girl that haunts the village.

After seeing the sorcery performed, Dr. Iswai becomes obsessed with bringing logic and reason to a town he believes is merely being crippled by poverty, ignorance and superstition. Meanwhile, the inspector has gone missing after taking a trip to Villa Graps, and Dr. Iswai follows in his footsteps to the crumbling mansion. It is there that he crosses paths with Melissa, a little blonde girl who seems to disappear before his very eyes. When he once again returns to the village, the story about the little girl is finally revealed. And as the night slowly slips by, with death floating through the foggy air, Dr. Iswai soon discovers that not all things can be explained with science and reason.

Filled with classic imagery of gothic horror, from cobwebs and candelabras to shadows and yellow light, KILL BABY KILL (originally released as OPERAZIONE PAURA which translates to Operation Fear) is made unique by director Mario Bava's use of color schemes and a perpetually moving camera, which swirls, pans and dollies through the scenes like an ghost. Bava also filmed mostly on location in several small Italian villages, which adds a level of creepy authenticity to the period piece, in that such places do exist, and such events could very well take place within the cracked and crumbling buildings.

Beyond the set piece atmosphere, subtle practical effects play an important part generating and maintaining the uneasy mood that drifts along in the picture. It should be noted that Mario Bava's father, Eugenio Bava, was a cinematographer and the father of Italian special effects. Mario, who worked for Eugenio before making a name for himself, uses the many secrets of the trade he learned as a cameraman to create the full array of effects that seep into all of the viewer's senses, from reverse photography to swinging cameras, and colored gels to warped glass. They are inexpensive, yet effective tricks that create a very unnerving feeling.

Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, whose long and lustrous career has taken him across all of Italy's trademark genres from spaghetti westerns to gialli, is right at home here in the lead role. His crisp and striking features, coupled with the character's modern suits, fits the bill perfectly as the supernatural skeptic as he is set against his co-stars dirty peasant-like appearance. As the film goes on, he subtly brings out a spectrum of emotional nuances as his logic begins to lose out, before going for broke in the final sequences.

Much like SLEEPY HOLLOW would do almost thirty-five years later, the story here pits a man whose heels are firmly dug into science and logic against a town where curses and the supernatural do exist, and it is hard to deny that this film had an effect on Tim Burton. Likewise, it is hard to deny that the story here, which was co-written by Bava, was influenced by 1963's THE HAUNTING. Indeed the first half of the film here is set-up with masterful ambiguity, so that it is quite unclear whether there is anything supernatural happening at all.

For those unfamiliar with Bava's work, KILL BABY KILL may be an ill-advised place to start. Despite the title, there is very little killing in the film, and despite the fantastic and grisly opening murder, almost no gore. Bava's more accessible BAY OF BLOOD or BLOOD AND BLACK LACE would be a good place to start, before returning to and appreciating this one. What this film does offer, however, is pure atmosphere that will have fans of ghost stories and slowly-unwinding plots sleeping with their lights on. Bava himself was a firm believer in ghosts, and his love of the supernatural permeates each oddly-angled scene and multi-layered image.

Whatever title you may know this film as, with the film featuring several name including CURSE OF THE LIVING DEAD, it is an important piece of cinematic history and an influence of filmmakers over the last quarter century. Much of Bava's work was steeped in the supernatural and the unexplained, and among them this can easily be ranked as one of the highest. Bava made films that he would personally enjoy as a viewer, and thus was able to turn his movies into personal art pieces, regardless of the finance gain or loss. For that, he is truly to be respected and remembered as a filmmaker.

ATTACK OF THE BLIND DEAD (1973) Movie Review

ATTACK OF THE BLIND DEAD (1973)

500 years ago, the Templar Knights were finally captured by a small village, and had their eyes burned out so they couldn't find their way back from Hell before being put the stake. Every year since then, the village has held a festival celebrating their victory and have let the Templars' pledge to return from the grave to seek revenge fad into myth and legend, save for the village idiot, Murdo. On the evening of the latest festivities, Murdo sacrifices a virgin, and uses her blood to finally bring the Templars back to life.

The Templars, shrouded in decaying cloaks and riding a herd of dead horses with their swords brandished, hunt only by the sound of their soon-to-be victims' screams. As the village is slaughtered by the dozens, a small group escapes and barricades themselves in a church. But instead of fighting together, they individually try to escape, in hopes of leaving the others for the Templars, only to find themselves surrounded by the bloodthirsty knights. With daylight still hours away, who will stay alive long enough to see the sun rise again? The Mayor? The mother and child? Murdo? Or will each find fall before the night is through.

This is the second film in Spanish director/writer Amando de Ossorio's Blind Dead cycle, which are each stand alone films and not interlinked save for the main antagonists. This film is known by several alternate titles, including RETURN OF THE BLIND DEAD and RETURN OF THE EVIL DEAD, both capitalizing on the first movie, 1971's TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD. De Ossorio's dead are different from the then newly-founded flesh-eating zombies that were the rage in America and the UK thanks to George A Romero. Here, the victims are not eaten and do not return to life, and the Templars are dry and brittle skeletal corpses with limited commuting skill and strategic plotting. Their main goal is either revenge or to collect virgin's blood in order to resurrect, depending on the movie being watched.

In this film, de Ossorio blends a mixture of gothic ghost-like atmosphere, using plenty of fog, shadows and a dream quality slow-motion when focusing on the horse-riding corpses, with brutal violence and exposed flesh that were becoming the staples of 70's horror. Most characters meet their end through close-up impalements that does not hold back the red. There is also a familiarity here for zombie enthusiasts, as the final third of the film feels very reminiscent to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and it is probably no coincidence that many of the characters here have a striking resemblance to the barricaded septet in Romero's masterpiece.

ATTACK OF THE BLIND DEAD (which is the original title translated to English) has been plagued by cuts and edits for all of its home releases here in the United States. Even the claimed "uncut" laserdisc and original DVD releases did not contain the full Spanish version, but merely the uncut English language version, which omitted practically all of the gore and even crucial plot points including the scene where Murdo sacrifices the virgin, leaving the viewers to make guesses as to why the Templars finally rise from the grave. Fortunately, sleaze aficionados Blue Underground finally put all that behind for zombie lovers everywhere in 2005 with their DVD release. It features both the Spanish and English versions, and showcases a fantastic print of the film considering the age of the movie and the mistreatment it has received over the years.

De Ossorio's Blind Dead films, and this one in particular, while an interesting take on the living dead genre, still fall a little short to their American and Italian cousins. The film takes a little time to get moving, and even then plods along until the final third of the movie. Horror fans of all things "zombie" and those sentimental for 1970s exploitation should not miss out on watching at least one of these films though for archival purposes at the very least. For casual fans this is not essential viewing, but having one of these movies under your belt will definitely your horizons and is worth at least a rental come the next Dia De Los Muertos.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DORKS (2004) Movie Review

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DORKS (2004)

Best friends, Philip, Wurst, and Konrad are three unpopular seniors just trying to make it through high school in one piece. One night, when they visit a Satanic ritual being performed by the school's goth crowd, which includes Philip's next door neighbor Rebecca, the three friends are accidentally covered in the ashes of a Haitian zombie. While driving home, Wurst crashes his van, and the three wake up in the morgue. Unsure if they are stoned or if the medics just made a huge mistake, the three sneak back to Philip's house.

It is only when watching Day Of The Dead that evening that the trio put two and two together and realize they are zombies. They take their new powers in stride, putting them to good use on the rugby field to finally win a game against the jocks. But when Konrad begins to use his undead status to get back at all those that picked on them, Philip knows that they have to find an antidote and turns to Rebecca and her copy of the Necronomicon. If they can not finish the spell within thirty-six hours, they'll be stuck as zombies forever!

Writer and Director Mathias Dinter gives us Germany's entry into the rom-com-zom subgenre with this outing that focuses much more on the comedy aspect than the horror. Mathias' inspiration and dedication seems to come almost exclusively from the worlds of REVENGE OF THE NERDS, AMERICAN PIE and CAN'T HARDLY WAIT, rather than the universe that George Romero created. Dinter leaves all of the undead references and homages to SHAUN OF THE DEAD, save for one quickie, which is a highlight of the film. Instead, Dinter focuses his efforts on the lives of his clueless and horny dorks as they try to cope with their new abilities and the troubles they bring. The zombie aspect of the film could almost be any interchangeable variable that would have allowed Philip to gain sudden popularity.

Dinter completely drops any feeling of suspense or horror, and hardly dabbles in the gore department. Sure, there is a bit of neck biting and some severed limbs, but it is approached in a gross-out comedy way rather than blood-n-guts gross-out. Instead, Dinter drinks deep of the gross-out teen comedy cup that has already been poured and generously borrows from his predecessors while adding a decidedly "German" touch. While there are plenty of solid laugh out loud moments, and several good set-ups and pay-offs, the standard plot remains easily predictable and has been done before in half a dozen languages.

The main acting crew here, consisting of German versions of twenty-something WB actors pretending to be teenagers, do a decent job with the material, but no one here is winning any awards. Manuel Cortez, who plays the teacher-chasing perpetually-stoned Wurst, takes top prize in the comedy department, while Collien Fernandes, a former member of the bands Yam Yam and Suco E Sol, gives the movie its eye candy with her shy yet sexy role as Rebecca.

All rolled up, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DORKS is an easy to digest comedy that yucks it up rather than yucks you out. The film is even more approachable due to its complete lack of undead mythos built in, or jokes that will only play for a target audience, and works better as a companion piece to the oft-forgotten MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK, instead of trying to vie for attention against SHAUN OF THE DEAD. In the end, it becomes a by-the-numbers John Hughes film, house party scene and all. Just with zombies.

PAPAYA: LOVE GODDESS OF THE CANNIBALS Movie Review

PAPAYA:
LOVE GODDESS OF THE CANNIBALS (1978)

In the Caribbean, Vincent, the designer for a nuclear power plant that is being built on a small island, along with a reporter named Sara who is on vacation, cross paths, and their past desires for each other are rekindled. This passion is doubled when a local native named Papaya takes them on a journey of uninhibited sexuality as she tries to persuade Vincent not to build the power plant, and becomes filled with lust for Sara. Vincent and Sara also become witnesses to a secret yearly voodoo ceremony in Papaya’s village. While Sara becomes a strong believer in Papaya’s cause, Vincent holds steady on his determination to build the plant, and the villagers have to make a decision as to what will become of the unwelcome presence of the white man.

Read my full review at The DVD Lounge!

WEREWOLF SHADOW Movie and DVD Review

WEREWOLF SHADOW (1970)

The legacy of the Countess Wandesa, a woman who drank the blood of young women to stay alive, brings Elvira and her friend Genevieve out to a secluded part of Spain where it is said that Wandesa was buried. Though their search has a bad start when they become lost and their car runs out of gas, they are greeted by Waldemar (Paul Naschy), a man who has been living in a nearby mansion for several months now. Waldemar is aware of Wandesa’s grave, and takes the two women to uncover it. But their curiosity and desecration has unforeseen consequences and the Countess returns to life as a Vampire.

Genevieve is quickly overcome by the power of Wandesa, and becomes her vampire slave. Even worse is that Elvira, who has fallen in love with Waldemar, learns that he is cursed to turn into a werewolf whenever there is a full moon! As a man, Waldemar knows of Wandesa’s ultimate plan to bring Satan into the physical world and plague the Earth with darkness, but as a werewolf he is an uncontrollable beast! As the next full moon cycles closer, Waldemar along with Elvira prepare to stop Wandesa from completing her diabolical task, But with the werewolf growing restless inside him, will Waldemar be able to keep his murderous rage reigned in long enough to stop the vampire queen?

Read my full review at The DVD Lounge!

SCHIZO Movie & DVD Review

SCHIZO (1976)

When professional ice skater Samantha’s wedding plans are splashed across the newspaper, a grizzled-looking man sees the announcement and makes a trek to from northern England down into London. Once there, he begins to torment Samantha, starting with the placement of a bloody knife at her wedding reception. He continues his psychological games with phone calls and even places an old photo of Samantha’s mother in her house where she will see it. Samantha tries to explain to her new husband that she is being followed, but hesitates to give him any real details.

Worried for her safety, Samantha finally turns to her friend Leonard for advise. She admits to him that she knows the man, who went to jail for murdering her mother and now Samantha thinks he is after her. Leonard is skeptical, and brushes it off as purely an over-active imagination. But when people close to Samantha start showing up murdered in a most gruesome fashion, she knows that it is only a matter of time before she will again have to come face-to-face with her past, and that this time she may not survive.

Read my full review at The DVD Lounge!

THE BACKWOODS Movie & DVD Review

THE BACKWOODS (2006)

In the summer of 1978, two English couples head off into the forests of Spain to spend their holiday. At the head is Paul, whose family home is where the four will be staying, and who is all to eager to soak up nature and begin hunting again. Following his lead is Paul’s wife, Paul’s business partner Norman, and Norman’s wife. After being sized up by the locals in the town’s pub, the group finally makes it to the house and begins setting up the gear.

At first light the next morning, Paul and Norman head off for their first hunting expedition. But on their way home, they discover what appears to be an abandoned house. However, inside is a little girl who has been locked inside a room. Paul and Norman bring the child back to their house, and devise a plan to get her into police custody. When the locals show up at the door, armed with shotguns and looking for the child, Paul makes a risky move by joining their party to look for her, and instructs Norman to sneak the child off to the police. But will Paul’s diversion give his friend enough time to make it through the forest undetected, or are the locals already well aware of where the girl really is?

Read my full review at The DVD Lounge!

THE TORTURE CHAMBER OF DR. SADISM Movie Review

THE TORTURE CHAMBER OF
DR. SADISM (1967)

Thirty-five years after the wicked Count Regula (Christopher Lee) was put to death for the murder of twelve virgins in his castle, a young man named Roger receives a mysterious letter from someone purporting to be the count and invites him to the castle to learn of his heritage. Together with a gun-totting priest and a young woman named Lilian who received a similar letter, the three make their way through inhospitable terrain until they reach the abandoned castle. But when they make their way inside, they discover a temporarily resurrected Regula and his faithful undead servant awaiting them! It is then that Regula unleashes the details of his horrendous plan - the execution of Roger for his familial ties to Regula’s past and the draining of Lilian’s blood so that Regula may live for all eternity!

Read my full review at The DVD Lounge!

DEATH SMILES ON A MURDERER Movie Review

DEATH SMILES ON A MURDERER (1973)

When a beautiful woman named Greta (Ewa Aulin), who suffers from amnesia after a horrific carriage crash, comes to stay at a nearby estate, she puts a spell of lust and obsession on any who crosses her path. After catching the attention of the doctor (Klaus Kinski) who comes to see her, she moves on to her gracious hosts, Walter and Eva. Greta begins an affair with both Walter and Eva, which creates a growing jealously between them, and when Greta mysteriously vanishes events take a sinister turn. Soon people begin to see Greta’s ghastly visage, and all those who witness her are not long for this word! Meanwhile, a local inspector who was trying to uncover Greta’s origin, turns his attention to the growing number of mysterious deaths.

Read my full review at The DVD Lounge!

BAD BLOOD Movie & DVD Review

BAD BLOOD (2006)

When Xavier Monteiro inherits his an estate deep in the countryside of Portugal, he decides to move his family, including his three children and grandchild, out of the city that they have known all of their lives to the rural village to start a new. Although his family is less than thrilled about the prospect of country living, they go with Xavier without a struggle. When they arrive at their new home, they find a town that is still deeply beholden to Catholicism and rooted in superstitious beliefs, who are not accustomed to change, further dissuaded by Xavier's lack of faith and devotion to scientific thinking.

Not soon after the family gets settled into their new home, they all begin to feel a strange presence and begin to hear voices when no one else is in the house. Xavier's students, who invite him to a seance as a form of entertainment and to try and lighten the mood, get the opposite effect when the psychic mentions a moment from Xavier's past that no one else is aware of. But the real shock comes when Xavier and his wife speak to one of the town's elderly priests, who divulge to them the history and truth of their new home, and the curse the seemingly haunts it.

Read my full review at Gorezone!

Available now on Amazon

MAN BITES DOG Movie Review

MAN BITES DOG (1992)

A small film crew, consisting of a director/interviewer, a cameraman, and a sound engineer have been chronicling the exploits of a serial killer, Ben, in Belgium. Ben is well-groomed, well-spoken (even if quite misled), poetic, and above all charming. He works his way from town-to-town, killing and choosing his victims at random, waxing on how to properly dispose of a body, speaking about the de-evolution of towns, and always funding the film crew with the money he takes from his victims.

There is a catch though. As Ben's murders progress, he involves the film crew more and more in first the body disposals, and then the murders themselves. At first, the crew is excited to be a part of the murders even begin to like what they are doing, but as Ben's ambitious slayings, which have no boundary or reason, begin to pile up, the crew realize that they have become part of a horrible experiment of their own creation, and only their footage may survive to tell the tale.

This pseudo-documentary, which is shot in black and white on grainy film using handheld cameras (the fictional crew is also the film's actual crew) can in retrospect be seen as a harbinger for the clout of reality television shows and increasingly exploitative news programs and stories that started plaguing the airwaves only a few years after the film's release. For that, the writing and character arc here is borderline genius.

Ben (played with panache by Benoît Poelvoorde, who eerily resembles comedian Ryan Stiles in a bizarro world kind of way), much like the reality TV stars who would follow, believes that the world revolves around him, and expects those around him to hang on his every word, whether he be eloquently speaking poetry about pigeons, or going on and on with quite misinformed racist remarks. But as with all short-lived, brightly burning stars, his very remarks and actions that lead him to where he is ultimately become his downfall.

Both the English re-name MAN BITES DOG, and its original title C'EST ARRIVE PRES DE CHEZ VOUS (roughly It Happened in Your Neighborhood or It Took Place Close To Your Home) call to mind the shocking and eye-grabbing headlines of newspapers vying for attention. The film, which takes itself quite seriously, subtly leans toward parody and exaggeration of what at the time was being sold as newsworthy stories, and the spectacle given to evil. At one point in the film, Ben and his crew cross paths with another serial killer who is being followed by a film crew, which can be taken as a mockery of the copycat and bandwagon mentality of entertainment.

As a whole, MAN BITES DOG plays out as a pitch-black comedy. This can be attributed mostly to Ben's performance and fantastic monologues. One of the many highlights involves Ben explaining to the crew the proper ballast ratios to keep a body underneath water, depending on if they are man, woman, child or midget (their bones are denser, and thus need less rocks) and speaks as if it were the most normal thing in the world. The cut-aways between ultra-violence and conversations also serves as a shocking jump that one can not help but laugh at.

Originally released on VHS in the states by Miramax, which cut out two of the more gruesome scenes, it has since been released uncut on DVD by Criterion. These two controversial scenes involve Ben murdering a child, and Ben and the crew following a woman home and raping her. These scenes are obviously difficult to watch, but they are important to the overall insanity that dwells in his mind, and his complete influence over the film crew. More importantly, they are shown as the brutal and unforgivable acts that they are, and not glamorize in the least.

Since the film's release, news stories, television "documentaries", and the horrible plague of reality television shows which continue to pour out, have since far surpassed the extremes of entertainment that MAN BITES DOG was trying to bring attention to, and watched with fresh eyes today, MAN BITES DOG is almost quaint in how it documents and portrays its subject. Still, this is an important piece of cinema which deserves to be seen, and can still be effectively used as a warning about just how far someone can go when the camera is on them.

DEMONS (1985) Movie Review

DEMONS (1985)

The Metropol movie theatre has just reopened, and in order to drum up business passes out free tickets to its first screening all over the city. No one knows just what is to be shown, but everyone likes something for free. Many couples and friends, eager for a night out arrive at the theatre, arrive and are treated to a horror movie about demons. But something is not quite what it appears to be, and when one of the movie patrons turns into a real demon after touching a mysterious mask, it sets off a chain reaction that causes the theatre to erupt into an orgy of violence and death.

While many of the theatre goers panic and become victims of the growing demon numbers, a few are able to keep their wits, fend for themselves, and cause enough commotion to hopefully grab the attention of someone out side the theatre. Unfortunately, all they catch the ear of is a car full of punks high on cocaine. Will these cranked-out delinquents be the theatre’s saviors, or merely more fodder for the fangs and claws of the green-oozing monsters?

After having tasted some American success with his attachment to DAWN OF THE DEAD, Dario Argento wanted to serve up a full meal to the American audiences who were eating up everything horror related in the early eighties. Together with co-writer and director Lamberto Bava, they dreamed up a lavish and nightmarish tale that was short on plot and development, and high on excitement, thrills, and gore. And with the added element of a rocking soundtrack featuring Billy Idol and Saxon, as well as original score work by former Goblin member Claudio Simonetti, the final product was as much a blood-drenched music video as anything else.

By now, if you haven’t seen DEMONS, there is one main reason to - and that is relentless blood drenching, shocking horror effects, and make-up wizardry from Sergio Stivaletti (who also worked on OPERA and PHENOMENA). His ability to bend latex and oddly colored liquids to his will is simply stunning, and with everything of course being done practically on camera, makes it just that more impressive. It would be a shame to spoil too much, suffice it to say that the transformation sequence of one of the humans to demon form should be ranked alongside the tranformation in AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. But without suspense, gore is merely make-up, and to that end Bava does his father proud while continuing to create a name and unique style for himself as he builds up each terrifying sequence.

Bava keeps his character development to an absolute minimum, and instead focuses on filling the theatre with an wild assortment of archetypes and eye candy that are given just enough screen time before the demons begin their murderous rampage so that you feel a bit sorry when they die, and then gasp with fear when you see them reborn as monsters. Bava keeps the tempo of movie going at breakneck speed, often trying to match the beat of double-bass drums of the heavy metal music accompanying the terror. It is a blend of elements that works exceedingly well on screen, and much more so when you take into context the time the movie was made, when gore and rock were an inseparable couple.

Just in time for Halloween, DEMONS has been re-released on DVD by Anchor Bay/Starz with a re-mastered and completely uncut print of the movie. Their anamorphic widescreen transfer is pristine, and offer both Dolby 5.1 and Dolby Stereo mixes in English (there is no Italian track). The main extra feature is the audio commentary by Lamberto Bava, effects creator Stivaletti and journalist Loris Curci. Rounding out the extras are a short behind-the-scenes clip and the trailer.

Lamberto Bava follows in the footsteps of Italian contemporaries like Argento and Lucio Fulci, who are much more interested in setting up atmosphere and nightmare vision instead of answering even the most rudimentary of common sense questions that the audience must be thinking, and wondering why the characters aren’t. No real reason is ever given as to how exactly the demons even come into existence, nor who is even running the movie theatre. And quite frankly, the answers are pointless. Like countless Italian zombie movies and slasher films before and after this, there is only one thing to be concerned with - and that is merely to survive to the final freeze frame and end credits.

PHANTOM OF DEATH Review

PHANTOM OF DEATH (1988)

A brilliant pianist in his mid-thirties and at the peak of his career is diagnosed with a disease that is quickly eroding his mind and degenerating his body at a rapid rate. Spurned by this disease, the ever maddening Robert lashes out at those who know his secret and are too close to his heart. His murders attract the attention of Inspector Datti, who become obsessed with catching a man whose appearance changes every week. Robert, who knows deep within that he must be stopped, but can not bring himself to merely surrender, eggs Datti on in an cat and mouse in which both the lives of Datti's daughter and Robert's pregnant lover at stake.

To many, the name Ruggero Deodato means only two words - CANNIBAL and HOLOCAUST, with a few less knowing his JUNGLE HOLOCAUST and THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK. But the director has marched on through the eighties and into the millennium churning out lesser quality works as he distanced himself from his landmark pictures. This is one of those flicks, as Deodato works from a trio of screen writers whose work had been previously brought to the screen by Deodato and Lucio Fulci among others.

This psychological slasher is a bit uneven, as the first half hour starts out in strong giallo fashion with two brutally graphic and impressive murder sequences and what appears to be camera tricks to not only keep the killer's identity a secret, but gives several side characters that will serve as false leads for the audience. This is all disposed of though as Robert is revealed to be the killer, and the film switches gears into a tragedy that watches Robert deteriorate, with some quite convincing make up effects. Robert gets several chances to turn back to his killing stylings, and after several false starts and some hammy silloquies about death and savoring life, the film switches gears back into a thriller, as Robert closes in on his final victim.

Deodato unfortunately blows the gore load pretty early on. The first is an jugular gushing sucker punch as a woman's throat is gashed open by a sword. Another woman is then impaled before being shoved through a pane of glass. The two shocking kills should promise of even greater grue to splash across the screen later in the film, but unfortunately never does, despite Robert's menacing threats to kill the young because they have the lives ahead of them and the elderly for having lived a full life.

Michael York, who you'll recognize as Basil Exposition from the AUSTIN POWERS series, stars as Robert. His physical acting here is far better than the cheesy dialogue he has to chew through, as he easily musters up the proper movements and vocalization to match the always aging make up. Donald Pleasance, who returned to the role of Dr. Loomis the same year in HALLOWEEN 4, essentially is Loomis here. His intensity and great character traits that he created with Loomis is alive and well in Datti. He may not have the much of a range, but he is a master of the range he possesses. Also of note to Italian cinema fanatics, this movie marks what is basically Edwige Fenech's final screen performance. She would return in a few television mini-series and HOSTEL 2, but this is where her career basically ends. Her talents are mostly wasted here as well, with little to do but sit on the couch and wait for Robert to come and try to kill her. But in a throwback to many of her pervious roles and the giallo genre, her character does work in fashion.

This hard-to-find title is now available from Bloodwave DVD. As with most rare films, this is a full-screen transfer with the English soundtrack (of which York and Pleasance voices are included) and is VHS quality. Fortunately, to get over the lackluster quality, this is the even harder to find uncut print, with the complete two opening murder sequences in all their blood-spraying and shocking glory.

THE RED QUEEN KILLS SEVEN TIMES Review

RED QUEEN KILLS SEVEN TIMES (1972) As little girls, sisters Kitty and Evelyn learned from their grandfather about their family legend - that every 100 years one sister would murder six innocent people before finally killing the other sister. Now an adult, Kitty has become a popular photographer, while it is believed that Evelyn has disappeared to America and her third sister Franziska cares for grandfather. It is now the anniversary of the legend, and in the dead of a January night, a woman dressed as the Red Queen materializes from the shadows, and murders the grandfather. Everyone immediately suspects that it is Evelyn, but Kitty knows that is impossible, for Evelyn has been dead for months, accidentally killed by Kitty's hands.

When Kitty's boss becomes the next victim of the red-cloaked killer the suspects list opens up, including Martin, Kitty's lover and next in line to become head of the fashion corporation. More importantly, the covered-up death of Evelyn may be threatened, as both Evelyn's boyfriend has been desperately searching for her, and eyewitnesses to the murders have described the killer have features that resemble Evelyn. As the bodies start piling up, Kitty becomes frantic to figure out who is using her family's past to eliminate those around her before she finds herself on impaled on the vengeful killer's knife.

From director Emilio Miraglia, who is best known for his other mystery film, The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave (1971), this lesser-known, but wonderfully suspenseful Italian mystery-thriller (these are also referred to as giallo films) features all the necessary trademarks of the genre - brutally violent deaths, copious amounts of nudity, a swaying musical score and more red herrings than a fish market. The murder sequences in Red Queen are some of the more graphic examples in genre, including one that involves a wrought-iron spiked fence, and pushes the boundary of acceptable violence in 1970s Italy. Red Queen also adds some gothic imagery into its overall feel, which helps the film standout in comparison to its contemporary brethren.

Red Queen gives needed clues throughout the film, as well as offers several fake suspects to throw off the mystery film watching sleuth that will try to figure it out before the end. But as with many well-written giallo films, the story line here will have you guessing until the inevitable final scenes where the mastermind explains the entire scheme. Unfortunately, when everything is explained at the end, it brings in too many elements and is spoken far too quickly to fully comprehend. This is the movies greatest flaw, so viewing this on DVD will allow for the added benefit of rewinding and listening again to the explanation.

On a whole, this is a really good place to start for the introduction into the giallo genre, which has been receiving a well-deserved renaissance over the past few years on DVD here in America. Other easily accessible films to keep an eye out for include The Case of The Scorpions Tail, Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have The Key and What Have You Done To Solange?

RENAISSANCE Review

RENAISSANCE (2006)

It is the year 2054. Mega-corporation Avalon, whose primary products promise "youth and beauty", has permeated themselves into most aspects of modern life. When one of their star researchers, Ilona, is kidnapped, Karas is put on the case to find her. His rough and gruff means of data extraction and detective skills are both a contrast to the beauty that the city of Paris wants to show, and a mirror reflection the city's underbelly. As Karas interviews those that are associated with Ilona, and the hidden truths that her very worried older sister Bislane finally reveal to Karas, he comes to the suspicion that Avalon may in fact be behind Ilona's kidnapping, or even one of her closest friends. He also becomes acutely aware of just what Ilona was researching, and what it could mean for civilization's future.

From debut director Christian Volckman, who spent seven years bringing his creation to the screen using rotoscoping animation (the process in which live actors and actions is animated; think the recent A SCANNER DARKLY or A-Ha's classic "Take On Me" music video), comes this highly-stylized black and white sci-fi noir. Taking many of its visual cues and technology inspirations from the reigning champion of sci-fi nor, BLADE RUNNER, as well as inspiration from Frank Miller's high-contrast artwork in his Sin City graphic novels, Volckman has set out to create an animated feature film for adults with a love of near future envisioning and speculation.

Volckman and his animation designers have set out to imagine what will happen to the visual appearance of Paris over the next fifty years. The result is a lovingly rendered vision of a sleek, clean, and beautiful cityscape, with walkways and entire rooms made completely of glass, giving the city and open and welcoming atmosphere, while still retaining a sense of history, as the Eiffel Tower is still a center piece of the city . Technology gets a huge bump in this vision of the future as well, as computers, cars, police equipment, and medical instruments get a very realistic advancement from today. We can see the technology that they are using as a distant descendant of what is in use in our modern world. Surveillance and video recording also gets a massive future imagining here. Taking cues from the already Big Brother-esque camera installations all over many major around the world, in Volckman's future Paris, cameras and microphones are everywhere, with huge control rooms overseeing all of the information being taken in.

This is one of the truest examples of a "black and white" film, in that there is absolutely no grey scale in use to bring the vision of the future to life. White rain falls against a black sky, characters disappear within the inky abyss of shadows, pure white light cuts through otherwise pitch black dance clubs in throbbing blasts. Extraordinary attention is given to the human characters, and though the expressions were originally made by a real person, you forget on multiple occasions that you are watching an animated version of those emotions. The artistic talent that is backing up Volckman's world here is breathtaking, and at many times the movie almost does appear to still retain its live action origins. Backing up the visualization is an equally impressive audio accompaniment.

The soundtrack assists most of the scenes quite well, enhancing the mood and atmosphere. The blips of the technology, as well as the ambient background hum of the city, provide a layered dull hive buzzing of a very real and living city. Also along for the ride in the English language dub of the film are several prominent names. Daniel Craig provides the lead voice of Karas. Jonathan Pryce and Ian Holm are also on hand in smaller supporting roles. And unlike some celebrity-voiced films that have been seeping into the theatres recently, these actors take a cue from real voice actors, and create characters with their voices. Their names are there for a bit of publicity, but if you didn't know it was them, you wouldn't be able to guess who was speaking.

The story narrative itself takes a backseat to the visual flair rocketing across the screen, and at many times Karas' investigations seems to exist solely to bring the viewer into the multi-layered social spectrum of this future Paris. There has been a lot of time and effort put into creating a very realistic and operating city, and Volckman intends to show it off. His "camera" swoops and sways through the city as it follows Karas, pulling off otherwise impossible angles, zooms, and crane shots, and bleeding through solid objects in continuous motion. An exhilarating car chase, which zips through most of the city over the course of a few minutes, is a highlight of the movie. The story is nothing groundbreaking, with many aspects of the classic detective motif merely updated and adapted to reflect the future world, but it is at least engaging, and seems quite plausible given the future setting, and has just enough mystery and subtle clues that will have any armchair sleuth trying to keep up or figure out the riddle.

Once again, an animator has taken a bold step is bringing down the concrete wall that separates animation as a genre (read "kids entertainment") and as a medium to tell a story. And here it is used perfectly as a medium to tell the story and bring a future Paris to life. Japan has long known the full range and potential that animation holds as a medium to bring compelling and entertaining cinema to the screen. And with recent works such as RENNAISSANCE and the ever advancing CGI getting closer and closer to photo realistic rendering, that wall is slowly chipping away both here in America and Europe. There will be a day, sooner than later, where these films will be seen not in festivals, art houses, and home theatres but in a multiplex. And that will be a day worth going to the movies.

SOUNDLESS (2004) Movie Review

SOUNDLESS (2004)

Viktor is a perfectionist hitman, who is on his current job. After killing his target, he sees a young woman sleeping in the target's bed. Viktor becomes instantly smitten with her, and uses his skills as an assassin to watch and learn about her. When the young woman tries to kill herself, he saves her from drowning. Viktor and the woman, Nina, begin to see each other, and though Viktor believes he has found a way to win his soul back, and find happiness in retirement with her, he is hesitant to divulge too much. Meanwhile, an obsessive and expert profiler named Lang has been assigned to track down Viktor, and as Viktor's last target was an undercover officer, Lang becomes increasingly bent on discovering his identity.

From THIS GUN FOR HIRE to LE SAMOURAI, from THE KILLER to LEON, and even GROSSE POINTE BLANK, women offer a way for professional killers to find redemption for their criminal action, and that by saving their new found "love", they can in essence save themselves. German director Mennan Yapo, who came up with the story for SOUNDLESS, continues that thematic arc here, with assistance from the team behind THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR to give the story a soft and personal edge.

Yapo who makes his feature-length directorial debut here, opts not for wild shoot 'em up set pieces here, but instead a precise and calculating patience on both the parts of Viktor and Lang. He takes a slow and detailed look at the methods and time devoted to both Viktor's accumulation of information on his targets, and then waiting for that perfect and clean shot. Lang spends just as much time using his expertise to whittle down a list of potential killers that Viktor could be, before choosing the only man who could possibly be the man he is looking for, and concentrating solely on that individual. It is these laborious scenes that provide a key look at the make up of each man. Such scenes would most likely become cutting room fodder in an American version, but here they are the engaging scenes that make the film so interesting.

Joachim Krol, who takes on the role of Viktor, has just the right screen presence for this non-descript assassin. Krol, who normally is cast as next door neighbor types or in comedy, uses these roles to his advantage. He does not operate like your typical Hollywood assassin. He blends right into the crowd, moving steadily, confidently, and silently, much like Jef Costello. Nadja Uhl, who plays Nina, while quite beautiful, does not seem unapproachable or even unreal. Yapo goes to great lengths to make sure she seems like a real person, fragile and unsure of herself. It is this vulnerability that allows her character to remain grounded in reality. And though there are several key plot devices to move along their relationship, Viktor and Nina never seem forced in their growing connection. They are merely two people unsure if they can love, or even deserve to be loved.

During few tense action sequences, Yapo keeps the film at mid-tempo, and firmly based in a proper and procedure following reality. This is perfectly exemplified in the final showdown, as the cool as ice SEK (German SWAT) stick to trained tactics to keep control of the situation, and never reduce themselves to cannon fodder.

Yapo and company have set up an introspective tale of an assassin on the verge of retirement and a cop out to catch him. And though Viktor may be the protagonist of the tale, as we follow around, but Lang easily avoids the pitfalls of the classic antagonists. He is just doing his job, with no secret ties to Viktor or grudges to settle or personal vendetta to get him. He is simply a cop, and a very good one at that, doing his job. And that is what makes this film work in the way that Yapo wants it to - these are just characters doing their job. No more, and no less.

DOG SOLDIERS (2002) Movie Review

DOG SOLDIERS (2002)

In the highlands of Scotland, a small group of soldiers are on a routine training mission. During their excursion through the woods, they come across a destroyed military camp, and only one man, Ryan, still barely alive. As they begin to make their way through the woods, they are attacked by monstrous creatures, and only survive the ordeal when they come across a car driving on a nearby road. They make it to a nearby farmhouse, and there they make their stand. Megan, the woman who was driving, explains that what they are facing are indeed werewolves. Although the men at first do not believe her, least of all Cooper (Kevin McKidd, best known as Tommy from TRAINSPOTTING), once the werewolves catch up and begin their systematic attack, they soon discover the truth of what they are facing. And with six hours left till sunrise, no one may be live long enough to bring news that myth is indeed reality to the outside world.

Here in the debut from Neil Marshall (who would go on to bring us THE DESCENT), werewolves get a very much needed vault into the 21st century, and British horror gets another notch on the damn cool branch. Marshall's natural writing ability is on fine display here, and through the small talk and quips the soldiers have early in the film, their relationships are quickly set up, and you instantly care for them. These are just regular blokes, who would rather be watching football (that's soccer to you Yankee wankers) than defending the Queen. As the film transgresses into the claustrophobic horror and supernatural terror, they stay rooted firmly in reality, and react just as anyone probably would in their situation. And if you've been using English slang ever since watching the aforementioned TRAINSPOTTING, you'll probably pick up a few new words for your arsenal after seeing this.

Marshall's direction is also spot on. He uses wide and full shots while outside, and then brings the camera closer in as the action becomes cramped and contained, which emphasizes the closed in feeling the characters are dealing with. Even as the pace starts pumping, and the editing gets quicker, Marshall does not let the action become muddled. The characters' whereabouts in the house, and what is happening, is always under control and you can keep track of everything that is going on. Unlike many directors, he uses the editing to his advantage, and does not let it devolve into the flashy, shaky, one-cut-after-another style that is all too common now a days.

Another breath of fresh air, and a sigh of relief, is that the werewolves are all physical special effects, and there are barely any CGI enhancement in the entire film. Through a masterful combination of costumes and animatronics, the monstrous abominations are brought to life, and look just like what a real wolfman would probably be. They are vicious, remorseless, hungry, and tear their victims to pieces, and the gore that follows is unapologetic, with the blood and guts literally pouring out and arterial sprays staining the walls red. They also act as a pack (like real wolves), which is rarely used as an element in werewolf movies. Here it gives a fresh new element to what is arguably a limited subgenre of horror, and creates new difficulties in dispatching them.

Neil Marshall has easily marked himself as a new name in horror that should be closely watched, and any projects that he becomes attached to should be savored as a delicacy served to the world of the silver screen. On the cover of DOG SOLDIERS, JAWS, ALIENS and PREDATOR are used to entice the viewer to rent or buy a film that they otherwise might pass over. The comparisons are justified, though the film stands without needing the crutch of another film. Perhaps in a few years, and if the horror community is lucky enough, Marshall's efforts will be added to the elite list of cover blurbs, and future debut films will use the likes of DOG SOLDIERS and THE DESCENT to promote them.

DJANGO (1966) Movie Review

DJANGO (1966)

When Django, a lone gunslinger who drags a coffin behind him, rescues a woman from being attacked by bandits, he sets himself up at odds with the merciless desperados. After the encounter, he wanders into a desolate, dirty, and muddy town that can only be describe as physically looking like Hell on earth. He soon discovers that the bandits he previously encountered also have the town under their thumb, and Django acts in the only way he can - with a gravely-voiced wit and violence. The townspeople, in a strange turn of events, try to stop Django from saving them, but his mind has been made up, and even if it means killing every bandit and allowing innocents to die in the crossfire, he will accomplish his goal.

In the wake of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, the European movie market became a monster with an insatiable appetite for spaghetti westerns. Production companies were spitting out rip-offs of Sergio Leone's work as fast as they could get the film negatives processed. Then, a director named Sergio Corbucci set off to Spain with a young actor named Franco Nero who would play the title character, and brought back to his homeland of Italy a spaghetti western that would completely change the expectations of the sub-genre.

At its heart, DJANGO is nothing more than another rip-off of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (and thus a remake/rip-off of Kurosawa's YOJIMBO), as a lone wanderer happens into a corrupted town, through trickery and bloodshed kills the oppressors, and then wanders off again. However, what makes DJANGO stand out is its much darker tone, a gritty style that is as much a product of the film stock as it is the actual sets and characters, and the shocking graphic violence for the time. Innocents are brutally gunned down, a hapless ear is sliced off, and in a grueling sequence Django's hands are trampled and crushed by horses.

Franco Nero, whose performance would create an iconic character symbolic of spaghetti westerns, may just be rehashing the stoic and squinting Man With No Name previously brought to the screen by Clint Eastwood, but there is something about the way he does rehash it that makes him a more "dangerous" character. While the Man With No Name may have tried to act hard, he was a hero and just at heart. Here, Django's vision of good deeds, heroics, and bravado are twisted and skewed, and even cowardly. Perhaps it is these elements that caught the public's eye, and caused what can only be described as an insane amount of unofficial sequels featuring the character of Django (none actually played by Franco Nero) and even more spaghetti westerns being rechristened with the Django moniker depending on where they would be exported, even if Django wasn't even in the movie! Nero would make one official sequel, 1987's DJANGO STRIKES AGAIN, which also starred Donald Pleasence.

Corbucci, who also wrote the story and screenplay, brings several crucial, genre defining sequences to the screen in DJANGO, which have been stolen, reused countless times since. Those include the sequence in which Django faces off against the entire group of bandits armed with a machine gun, a heartwrenching sequence featuring quicksand, and the all-important final shoot-out, where Django coaxes the bandit leader into a graveyard. This scene in particular is symbolic of where Django feels most comfortable, and his acceptance of death as both an ally and enemy. This downbeat embrace of death is also an element that would make DJANGO stand out against its cookie-cutter competition.

In America, save for the die-hard and dedicated fans, spaghetti westerns basically begin with and end with Sergio Leone's output. And agreeably, for the casual fan this is enough as Leone's work morphed the sub-genre to what we know it and remember it as today, and has unequivocally defined it major themes, character arcs and storylines. For the adventurous and curious western fan though, DJANGO is an excellent place to start diving into the rich and abundant amount of films that were churned out in the heyday of the spaghetti western.