It’s tough to remember a time when a plot twist like this would be surprising. Without it you’ve got piecemeal sequences from the book that don’t coalesce very well. Uta Hagen is great fun to watch, at least.
I read the book a long time ago but I remember it being pretty decent. Not as good as Harvest Home by the same author, which I read last year & really dug. I think there’s a movie of that, too, but I haven’t seen it yet.
It was cute, but I don’t really like my horror cute. This would be a good entry scary movie for kids, & I’m sure if I had caught this on cable as a kid I would’ve been all about it. The Vietnam subject matter made me wonder how many 70s & 80s horror films were influenced by the war. I’ve read about Tom Savini being an army photographer there during the war, & how that affected his sfx creations, but other than that I don’t know much.
This is a fairly straightforward man vs nature thriller, & Benjamin accomplishes what she set out to do. Though my horror tastes run a little weirder than hers, I like Roxanne Benjamin & how she approaches her films. I also like the idea that female leads don’t always have to be strong, capable superwomen. It’s refreshing to see a movie based around a normal woman, flaws & all. I would’ve liked a bit more suspense, but that’s my only complaint.
Edit: That’s actually not my only complaint. I wish they hadn’t used a real bear. Using wild animals in movies is mean.
This review may contain spoilers.
I had the same problem with this as I had with The Descent - we’re introduced to these strong, capable women only to watch them destroy themselves in competition with another woman over a man. It’s disappointing; even moreso when the writer & director are both women.
I’m a sucker for a good anthology, & this one has a great premise - folklore from around the world. It’s uneven, but what anthology isn’t? The Twilight Zone movie, maybe? Or is that one disqualified because of what happened during filming? Anyway, this doesn’t approach Twilight Zone movie quality, but you could find worse ways to spend your time. Plus, we’re talking about the filmmakers who brought you Goodnight Mommy, The Lure & Baskin here. That should be more than enough to sell you.
The first & last segments are my favorites. The first one is like if Thomasin from The VVitch was extra weird & a lesbian. The last one is a silent film that features a large amount of semen, I think? The only one that’s outright shitty is the Melonheads segment. You can just skip that one. I know you won’t, but you’re going to wish you had. The creature design is so lame it ruins the whole thing. I’m annoyed just thinking about it.
It wasn’t what I was hoping it would be, but was serviceable for what it was. I wanted something with a distinct feel, like Starry Eyes had, but there was nothing that made me think “yeah, this is totally Kölsch & Widmeyer.” Anyone could’ve made it. About the only way this improves on the 89 version is the acting, which was really the only problem with that one.
The plot changes they made were fine with me (it’s their adaptation, they can do what they want imo), but the production design lacked any of the surreality that made the original so creepy, & the way the resurrected people moved came off a bit silly. One of the most effective things about the novel & the original film is the way the returned characters seemed to be unaccustomed to getting around in their bodies. This helped give us the feeling that they were animated by something else & that force was using them as a puppet. In this iteration, though I liked that they brought in some of the scary knowledge the dead had in the novel, they spoiled the mood by making them super strong & dexterous.
It’ll be a perfectly fine companion to the current spate of bigger budget horror films that have been making studios so much money, but I doubt I’ll watch it again.
How do you make a boring lesbian vampire movie? Here’s how. There were a few lovely shots, & the leads were nice to look at. Otherwise, there’s not much to recommend. The acting is awful, but not funny awful. The music IS funny awful. I’m pretty sure a kazoo is used in one of the songs, in fact.
It makes me so happy that a movie this weird is playing on multiple screens in theaters across the country. God bless Jordan Peele for bringing weird to the masses. Plus, this horror movie that’s going to break all kinds of box office records has a black woman as it’s central character. AND she’s a mother! How neat is that? Honestly, I’m so glad people like Jordan Peele & Julia Ducournau & Jennifer Kent exist. It’s wonderful to have smart horror films that have something to say again. I feel like horror hasn’t been this interesting since the 70s.
The scary parts are still really scary, but the last act is substantially cheesier than I remember it. The dialogue between Kindermann & his priest buddy is wonderful, as are the performances. It’s really a shame about that ending.
