J*A*S*M

Slightly undercooked, but edible nonetheless. Even though I liked it, it’s a pity that it’s not nearly as good and interesting as it could be. That originally conceived world could be the setting for a far more untraditional story. The directorial duo did a good job, but there are a few weak spots (e.g. the chained anaemic, that was a wasted scene) and the inexperience of the creators is evident especially in the dialogues, which consist solely of schematic rejoinders, and are the only thing that I felt was truly bad. I reckon it deserves 70%.

For a few minutes, the film manages to hold the illusion that it will be decent low-budget horror, but alas! In the behind the scenes video, the director tells how he tried to hide the low budget. He quite managed to do it in certain scenes, but as a whole, Growth feels very spasmodic (there’s an aerial shot, there’s an underwater shot, but when it comes to close combat, the direction can’t hide its semi-amateur origin). Besides, I don’t think the attempt to look more expensive was a very good idea, I believe it’s a lot better when creators use the low budget to their advantage – or, if you don’t have much money, don’t shoot sci-fi horror about parasites, but students lost in the woods.

An average and not very entertaining adventure thriller.

Seven Notes In Black has a very good plot, breathtakingly good for 1970s Italy, and Fulci in particular. At a certain point it’s clear how the story will end, but it still holds the attention of the viewer thanks to its brilliant crescendo. However, I have the feeling that this film has so little horror that it can’t be called a proper Giallo. It’s only a detective movie, but I don’t see it as a problem.

It’s not as heart attack inducing as Torso, but has a better plot and a resolution that is hard to guess in advance.

What can I say about this… pure exploitation with all the good and bad things that come with it. A brutal, violent, unrewarding, repulsive amateur piece of work, but I’m not going to watch it again.

I’m well aware of how tragic the script of Town Creek is, that the performances, Purcell’s included, are wooden, that some of the dialogues feel as if they didn’t make any sense, and that the special effects are not particularly good, but I really don’t care about any of that, because I had one hour and a half of solid fun. The topic of Nazi occultism is very interesting and almost tailor-made for horror, so it’s amazing that nobody has managed to fully exploit it so far. Schumacher, thus, neither surprises, nor disappoints. As a viewer, Town Creek left me with a positive feeling, but the critics will have a field day with it. BTW: This film works with the viewer (at least in the first half) in a similar way as last year’s Martyrs, and if the creators had left out the beginning (the black and white part), it would have been even closer to Martyrs, and also better. I don’t understand why they didn’t do it.

Proper insanity. Such an utterly unpredictable and absurd script is not something you see very often. Adam’s Apples can’t be classified into any genre, there are moments that are easygoing and funny, followed by sadness and rage. Regardless, it’s a brilliant film in every aspect. PS: It’s impossible not to be reminded of Trier’s The Kingdom.

Perfectly made and acted, but it could have worked better. And one purely personal (and also spoilery) complaint: I don’t like it very much when the ending of a film about a psycho killer reveals that the murders were the plan of a powerful organisation, it ruins the emotions.

The first half is unbearably slow and empty, but the second half (starting at the crypt scene) is excellent. I’m really surprised that I didn’t fall asleep during that protracted introduction, and I’m very happy for that. In a time when we are used to zombie apocalypses with hordes of undead, this film is a great example that only a couple of them can be enough.