Cheese filled and stupid, but not totally lacking in charms.
This is a stupid film. It's acting is wooden, it's plot nonsensical and it expects you to be scared of a small prop skull and some peacocks. However its not entirely witless, and has a creepy element here and there.
Firstly, actor/director Alex Nicol rises above the other mediocre performances in the film and offers something fairly compelling and a touch creepy. Despite this little glimmer however, the acting is mostly bland and amateurish, worsened by a horrible script of horrendous dialogue.
Next, the atmosphere of the film is still strong. It has that unique blend of camp and creep that only the 50's could offer. Some of the skull's POV shots are also fairly suspenseful, a precursor to the techniques used in later slasher films. The suspense is ruined by the source of the fear (a skull and a few peacocks) and a weird immersion breaking break in the film (also evident in the MST3K version).
Overall the film's charms are outdone by its leaden dialogue, weak acting and silly 'scares'. The final nail in the coffin is the overtly complicated plot, which ruins the 'dumb-fun' vibe and makes it more infuriating than entertaining. However, it may still have use as a slice of stinky 50's cheese.
Firstly, actor/director Alex Nicol rises above the other mediocre performances in the film and offers something fairly compelling and a touch creepy. Despite this little glimmer however, the acting is mostly bland and amateurish, worsened by a horrible script of horrendous dialogue.
Next, the atmosphere of the film is still strong. It has that unique blend of camp and creep that only the 50's could offer. Some of the skull's POV shots are also fairly suspenseful, a precursor to the techniques used in later slasher films. The suspense is ruined by the source of the fear (a skull and a few peacocks) and a weird immersion breaking break in the film (also evident in the MST3K version).
Overall the film's charms are outdone by its leaden dialogue, weak acting and silly 'scares'. The final nail in the coffin is the overtly complicated plot, which ruins the 'dumb-fun' vibe and makes it more infuriating than entertaining. However, it may still have use as a slice of stinky 50's cheese.
Originally posted 17/10/14, as part of HALLOWEEN HORROR REVIEWS 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment