Strangeness, The (1980/85)

THE STRANGENESS

Though I gravitate towards the low budget, independent side of cinema, there comes a point when a film can actually become too low budget for me to truly enjoy. As a general rule when a film starts to dip below the $100,000 mark, the enjoyability factor really starts to bottom out for my taste and "The Strangeness", with its meager $25,000 budget, sadly falls in this category. Still "The Strangeness" still isn't without some well earned respect for what the filmmakers were able to accomplish with in reality no money to work with.

The plot is simple monster movie material with a group of geologists and miners exploring an abandoned mine with a dark history to see if it's worth re-opening. The story is that the mine was closed due to miners getting killed by a monster, and guess what, the monster really exists and now our explorers have to find their way out before the stop-motion beast or the mountain itself makes them permanent residents.

Unlike "Underworld", the budget was too low to hire a person whose sole job was to make sure the leading actress didn't have 'camel toe'

Due to the film having no real budget to speak of it means that the cast had to work for little or no payment... and it shows. Some of the performances are stomachable but most is deplorable, with the worst being the stereo typical asshole boss of the expedition who is willing to sacrifice his whole crew in order to get the mine re-opened. This low budget also rears its ugly head in the production design as many of the interior locations looking like nothing more than plaster of paris tunnels made in a darkly lit garage, though to its benefit the graininess of the 16mm helps hide much of this (god forbid "The Strangeness" ever gets a blu-ray release!).

"Hey, how much are you getting paid?"

The low budget hits the hilarity point when our monster is finally revealed and all looks good intitially as it is done in glorious stop motion. Amateurish stop motion but bad ass stop motion none-the-less. It's not the stop motion work that got me (I am a fan of the this dead art) but the actual design of the monster, which literally looks like a vagina with tentacles. Seriously who thought it was a good idea to design our monster's head after a woman's most holy of places?

Attack of the vagina monster!

Even with all these flaws I mentioned it's still amazing that the filmmakers were able to make a movie that somewhat worked and had any flow to its structure with such a low budget. The John Carpenter-esque synthesizer score, eye catching title sequence (done by the guy who did "The Terminator" and "Night of the Creeps") and atmosphere help but overall "The Strangeness" is just too damn low budget to make it truly entertaining thanks to none-existent production design, dull pace and all the non-acting. Distributors must have felt the same way as the film was completed in 1980, but only ended up appearing on VHS in 1985 without the luxury of having a theatrical release.

 Written By Eric Reifschneider

Transporter 2 (2005)

Director: Louis Leterrier
Notable Cast: Jason Statham, Jason Flemying, cameo by Keith David

After Jason Statham kicked some heads in with the surprisingly effective "The Transporter", it wasn't hard to see that there was something here. Something to the character and the actor that played him. Thusly, it wasn't long to franchise it out with a sequel under the basic moniker "Transporter 2". What worked in the first one (charm and action mostly) is out done with this second entry as the glory team that is producer/writer Luc Besson, director Leterrier, actor Jason Statham, and fight choreographer Corey Yuen bring bigger set pieces and even more outrageous stunts into the film. This is at the sacrifice of adding a whole lot of character development and logic in the plot, but then again...it's Frank Martin kicking more ass.

Frank Martin (Statham) has had to change a few things. He now lives in Miami and as a favor to a friend he has been the driver for a very rich family for about a week. His relationship with the son has bloomed quickly and Frank finds himself becoming somewhat attached. When a terrorist group decide to target the family by kidnapping the son, Frank takes it personally and takes charge of the situation to get him back. What he discovers might be much bigger than just a kidnapping...

"Hello Jason. What's your favorite scary movie?"

I could rant and rave about the abysmal logic of this film and how its plot of virus warfare and kidnapping for terrorist financing makes no sense, but at the end of the road and when all is said and done: this movie is fucking entertaining as hell. As a film critic, its easy to point out its poor aspects like the lacking character development even for our hero or any of the secondary cast. The poor CGI used in many of the action sequences. The logic that's seemingly forgotten to give us what's needed for plot progression like flipping a car to lose a car bomb attached to the under carriage. This is all true and very much prevents this from becoming a great movie. Luckily, it's quite easy to overlook its many, many faults.

New entry on my bucket list: back flip someone with a fire hose.

Just like with the first film, "Transporter 2" is carried by it's charismatic and ass kicking hero and the amazing action set pieces it utilizes. This role was born for Statham and he was born to be Frank Martin. It's hard not to cheer him on as he goes to the ends of the earth to push forward and save the day despite being somewhat of an anti-hero. He basically runs around and beats the shit out of everyone until something goes right. Might not work in the real world that way, but its entertaining to watch Statham do it and do it with very little to say about it outside of his rules.

Statham's work and the ridiculousness of its plot are only heightened by Corey Yuen's ability to craft some of the most ridiculously cool action set pieces known to man. Outside of a few high octane car chases, its the choreographed fight sequences that steal this movie. A boxing match inside of a boat on risers, a fire hose stunt extravaganza, and a finale on board of a falling plane make this film eclipse the first one in every way imaginable. Although most of it seems beyond ridiculous (the henchwoman is always in her underwear, Frank Martin can jump over two crashing cars below him, and the previously mentioned car flip bomb removal come to mind), it's hard to deny that "Transporter 2" doesn't pack it all in here to keep the adrenaline up and the action flowing.

Ridiculous doesn't even begin to explain some elements of "Transporter 2".

"Transporter 2" is far from a great film. It's silly, plot hole riddled, and has little to no depth. It's also one of the most exciting and best choreographed modern action films to come out of the Western side of the planet...which in my book makes up for a lot. Statham kicks it once again with charm and ferocity and any one who's willing to set aside their logic for an hour and a half is simply going to have a riot with this movie.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Swordsman And Enchantress (1978)

Director: Chor Yuen
Notable Cast: Ti Lung, Ching Li, Liu Yung, Candy Wen Hsueh-erh

Although I'm fairly new to the Chor Yuen films in the Shaw Brothers collection (mostly thanks to Well Go USA for finally getting them releases in the U.S. in those beautiful Celestial remasters), the epic swordplay and twisting plots are starting to grab me...or rather the more straightforward and character driven "Swordsman And Enchantress" clicks more with my preferences. Either way, I simply enjoyed the hell out of this film. Despite some flaws in flow and storytelling, the charisma of Ti Lung really catches the film and sends it moving into tons of fantastic fight sequences and perhaps one of the most bizarre third act twists known to film history.

 The illustrious Deer Cutting Sword. Rumor has it that the weapon can cut through anything and that all fighters would bow to whomever carried the fabled weapon. It's creator, Tian, has decided to bestow the sword to the fighting world's best swordsman Lian (Liu Yung). That is until it is stolen in transit by a vicious young woman (Candy Wen Hsueh-erh) claiming to be the master fighting hermit Xiao. In an attempt to clear his name, Xiao (Ti Lung) takes his might beard and spear out into the fighting world...

"Concerned? Why should I be with such a mighty beard?"

"Swordsman And Enchantress" has just enough cliche martial arts elements to keep fans happy, but it likes to push further into character development and interactions then most Shaw films. Not that it always works (we'll get to that), but it's an admirable choice that lends itself to some unique moments in the film. Chor Yuen has the film start off like most martial arts films of this era, focusing on themes of betrayal, misunderstanding, and honor as we see shit hit the fan. He sets up this wonderful look to the film (he loves those over the shoulder or under the armpit shots doesn't he?) with these massive sets and beautiful woodsy colors and then does something fairly unusual...he takes the romantic subplot and pushes it to the forefront. With this delightful little 'love diddy' that plays in these moments, he takes the charming Ti Lung and Ching Li and really builds them together. Focusing on their character development (some of which is through some good solid fight sequences with particular nod to Lung and his spear work), he takes this film to some deeper levels than expected.

Chor Yuen always did build epic set pieces.

Although the storytelling here seems to leap forward and sometimes rush the romantic plot a bit to get all the details one needs for later on, Yuen does an admirable job making it feel more fulfilling than it probably is. Unfortunately, this is for the first two-thirds of the film.

At the final act, "Swordsman And Enchantress" takes one of the strangest plot twists ever. Upon escaping more assassins (which they do quite often in this film) our two love birds stumble upon an odd house in the woods. Not to give too much away, but let's just say it takes a wicked 180 into some fantasy elements, throws in a plethora of new characters, and then caps it off with so many double agent spins that your head might aptly explode. Although the finale fight is one to be remember with all of its twists and turns, it certainly comes straight out of the blue to give one a punch in the jacobs. It almost feels like a completely separate film at this point and really disturbs the flow and storytelling of the film.

This is where the film goes bat shit crazy with fantasy elements.

"Swordsman And Enchantress" is still a strong film at it's core. It's romantic plot and strong leads help earn merit in the first portions when the film gets a bit too cheesy, but the oddity of its third act makes this film hard to claim as one of Chor Yuen's best. Shaw fans will find all the elements they love: sword battles, epic characters, a plot of honor and revenge...but the fantasy elements that end the film with wicked bright colors and odd settings (an ice room? Really?!) undermine the experience as a whole.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Goth (2008)

Although taking a trip into the psyche of two misunderstood Japanese youth was not quite what I expected from "Goth", the journey there on film was a well executed and often intriguing experience. Perhaps it wasn't the horrific serial killer thriller I was expecting, but the end result was an almost dream like spiral into the interactions and connections of two fascinating characters whose own lives feel unfulfilled. "Goth" is more like a dramatic character study set to the background of a serial killer investigation, rather than a true thriller. Thusly, don't get your expectations for one to only find something else.

Kamiyama (Kanata) and Morino (Rin) are two high school kids obsessed with death. When a serial killer comes to town leaving his young female victims with only one hand and sitting in public places, they instantly form a connection to each other as they try to follow the crimes. When Morino happens upon the killer's diary, they decide to try and get close to the killer...perhaps too close.

As I stated above, I certainly did not expect "Goth" to take the subtle character driven route to tell this story. That doesn't mean that director Takahashi doesn't execute it in a fantastic and deep manner. The two leads own the massively subtle script (which is based on a book/manga that's divided into short stories) and their often unapproachable characters with an artist's touch. The execution of this highly detail oriented tale and the strength of its leads definitely lifts the artistic balance of this film to a very high level. A level where my initial reactions to the film greatly differed from those after thinking about the film for a few hours and sitting on what I just witnessed.

Not exactly the Scooby Doo team I imagined...

This artistic flair is also forced to the forefront with the visual style of the film. "Goth" contains an almost dream like quality to how it goes about creating its shots and its color distortions. Although the dreary muted colors often became an annoyance of style, the way that it ignites the whites on screen (including Kamiyama's shirt which is, at times, like staring into the sun) gives the film a very unique look. Matched with the subtlety of its script and quietness of the characters, "Goth" is like watching someone else's disturbed dream at times.

The larger issue that is presented by this stylistic choice for the film is the fact that it rarely feels like the film is going to go anywhere. The premise of the serial killer cooks the film off to a start where it ceases to really move all that much (beyond character work) until Morino finds the diary. Even then it feels as though the true plot of the film seems to be secondary to our character study. This makes for a film of significant slow burn, one where I found myself craving it to kick it up a notch to really push the audience there...and the film never really does. Even when the two discover the killer's identity and make their presences known to him/her (no spoilers here!), there seems to be a lack of urgency in the film's pacing. A price that leaves its ending almost too lackluster for my tastes.

"Goth" was a surprising path for a serial killer thriller film to take. It's focus on the leads' relationship and their psychological growth makes for a wonderful and artistic drama that hones in on its visual flair and subtle moments. It also makes for a somewhat boring thriller that rarely gives us the punch we so desperately need by the end of the film. Mostly for fans of good solid artistic thrillers...which we are here at Blood Brothers.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Clint the Nevada's Loner (1967)

CLINT THE NEVADA'S LONER

AKA "Clint the Stranger"

The title is an obvious reference to Clint Eastwood's infamous character in the "Man with No Name" trilogy but oddly enough "Clint the Stranger" (also known by its more awkward alternate moniker "Clint the Nevada's Loner") is as about as far removed from the stylistic approach of the of the Leone films as a Spaghetti Western can get. It may not take place in the sun blasted Almería deserts or contain scraggly anti-heroes but that alone doesn't make it a bad entry into the genre. On the contrary, "Clint the Stranger" is rather good but is sadly overlooked due to its drastically different style.

Clint (George Martin) is a gunslinger wanting to regain the love of his wife and child. After tracking them down to a secluded ranch, his wife says she will take him back only if he gives up his guns and violent ways for good. The problem is a local cattle ranch is threatening the lives of the local sod-busters so Clint will soon have to renege on his promise in order to save his family and neighbors.

"Just because I'm not Clint Eastwood doesn't mean I'm not worthy!"

Unlike Leone's blue-print for the genre, "Clint the Stranger" takes place in a lush green valley making for a truly beautiful location that contrasts Leone's hot, deadly deserts. The plot is also far less violent, obviously influenced by "Shane" with George Martin's Clint character being the polar opposite of Eastwood's 'no name' character by being an all around nice guy that goes out of his way to help others, even gritting his teeth while being branded a 'coward' in order to regain the love of his family.

This Clint can defy gravity when leaping hell's fire

Don't let all that detour you as there is still plenty for Spaghetti Western aficionados to love here. There is a well staged bar fight as well as some tense shootouts with great stunts. The villains are also egregious and are completely despicable thanks to the script delving more into their characterizations. These guys are true douche bags!

... we're not in the Almería anymore

"Clint the Stranger" will not appeal to some Spaghetti Western fans due to its more traditional western approach and for the fact the plot is just an Italian version of "Shane". Hell I wasn't that big of a fan at first since it was so different than what I was used to from films in the genre. On second viewing it impressed me far more with its solid characters and acting as well as an immersing plot. I say give it a shot and the Wild East DVD is completely uncut for fans that are willing to try it. A sequel titled "The Return of Clint the Stranger" (confusingly titled "There's a Noose Waiting for You... Trinity" for American release) did follow a few years later with George Martin returning but it is essentially a remake and far less of a film.

 Written By Eric Reifschneider

Darkest Hour, The (2011)

Director: Chris Gorak
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella, Rachael Taylor

Truly artistic films rise above their genres to become something more. More mainstream entertaining films will try to blend genres instead, mashing together various elements in a desperate attempt to get as many people into the seats as possible. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. "The Darkest Hour" doesn't work. I really really doesn't work. In another attempt to bring a science fiction film mainstream, this collaborated American/Russian film rarely embraces its very cool concept and instead tries to spread it across a few other genres like action, horror, post apocalyptic drama...damn, it tries to be most things except comedy (at which it does try but fails). It spreads itself too thin and comes off as a two dimensional film tacked together with a thin script and thinner characters.

When on a business trip to Moscow, two friends and co-workers (Hirsch and Minghella) find themselves at a loss after being screwed over on their internet idea. They end up at a bar with two other American girls (Thirlby and Taylor) trying to move on from their smashed dreams. Turns out that their dreams are not the only thing smashed when a massive alien invasion rains down onto the city. Barely escaping the initial attack from invisible and electronically based life-forms, they have to figure a way to get out of the city alive...or risk dying in hiding.

It's like the Northern Lights...but you know, crappier.

As if two young American males happening to find two young American girls randomly in Russia seems far fetched to get us our cliche four heroes for the film, then don't even bother with the rest. Even though the idea of invisible and electronic life forms bringing some chaos and destruction down on any cool setting like Moscow strikes a note with me, "The Darkest Hour" pretty much does nothing to make that concept truly worth the watch. Beyond that, this film is about as by the numbers and poorly written as possible. It over explains some of its elements (the aliens are digging for nickel and conductive metals? How did you jump to that fucking conclusion from giant laser lights of twirling matter?!) and at other times it seems to throw things into the mix just to seem smarter than it is. The entire bus sequence seems stupidly long and the idea of microwave guns as a weapon against their armor (?!?) is about has half baked as possible. It's irritating at how it over explains some things and makes you make massive assumptions on others.

It's like "Ghostbusters"...but you know, crappier.

Also our characters are basic formulas of your basic heroes. The two guys are smart kids that have to find their tough men mentalities to protect our helpless and often irrational female leads. The jackass friend is predictably a dick and stupid and even the military folk later on seem to be caricatures of what might pass for real people. Half the time I felt offended by how unrelatable the cast was and some of the odd choices they make seem rash and only dominated by plot progression. The poor actors seem desperately intent on making the script and characters work and they simply can't keep up with the dreadful writing. It's like people racing each other on treadmills to the other side of the room. No matter how hard you work, you're going no where.

The one thing this had going for it was it's special effects. Seeing people evaporate into ash was awesome (silly, but awesome), but by the end of the film the effects seemed to be overabundant for its budget. The exploding aliens and their "vision" shots are generally kind of shoddy considering how cool the effects were to begin with. For a film that really needs cool visuals, "The Darkest Hour" is a mixed bag that doesn't work.

It's kind of like "Predator"...but you know, crappier.

"The Darkest Hour" is far from being a truly atrocious film as it still has a fun concept and some of the special effects are pretty effective to begin with. Beyond that though, its a botched effort. Forced visual charisma can't save its abysmally written script and poor character handling. Even its attempts at blending action, drama, and science fiction feels completely fake. There are plenty of great movies that blend genres. It just so happens that "The Darkest Hour" is not one of them. In fact, I would easily compare it to "The Langoliers"...if not worse than that.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Brute and the Beast, The (1966)

THE BRUTE AND THE BEAST

AKA "Massacre Time"

How could a Spaghetti Western combining the keen eye of iconic cult film director Lucio Fulci and the star talents Franco Nero and George Hilton not be good? As I predicted this unbeatable trinity of cult icons is an Italian film fan's wet dream making "The Brute and the Beast" (aka "Massacre Time") one of the all time best Spaghetti Westerns a fan can get his hands on.

Nero plays a very Django-like character that arrives home to find that a land baron and his sadistic son are bullying their way into buying up all the land in the area. Nero, with the help of his alcoholic brother (George Hilton) are hell-bent on seeking revenge, but Nero discovers he has more ties to the land baron and his son then he ever thought possible.

This Lucio Fulci is a real slave driver

I have seen dozens of Fulci films with "The Brute and the Beast" being the oldest film I have yet to see in his lengthy filmography and even early in his career he had an amazing eye for gritty style and atmosphere. As a matter of fact it makes me almost sad to see how good he was back in the glory days as most his films in the latter half of his career are just down-right terrible. Hell his style here is on par with the Leone films to come prior with catchy camera angles and a plethora of violent action scenes. There's no gore to hint of his horror films to come but he still liked to shock audiences shown here with a graphic dog attack, a violent whipping and even the brutal murdering of a woman and child.

One of the many stylistic shots provided by Fulci

Franco Nero, hot off his debut in Sergio Corbucci's "Django", plays a similar stoic role. Compared to more lively roles he would play later, his character here is a little more stale but he still has plenty of screen presence. Nero is actually out shined by new-comer George Hilton who gives a tour-De-force performance as his alcoholic brother. Unlike Nero's stoic, emotionless character, Hitlon's has a cynical, almost goofy outlook on life and his stage play training shows through with his magnificent performance. Hilton was so good that he would rightly earn his own place in Spaghetti Western history matching Franco Nero's star power and thus became a star of uncountable Italian films in varying genres to come.

Nero and Hilton... two icons together on screen for the first and only time

"The Brute and the Beast" is well deserving of its reputation in the Spaghetti Western genre as it is not only one of the best films in Lucio Fulci's filmography, but one of the best Spaghetti Westerns in general with a violent, gritty tone and an unbeatable cast. The film was only previously released in muddy Full Frame VHS transfers until Wild East unleashed their beautiful anamorphic widescreen release with a copious amount of extras, including a rare audio interview with Lucio Fulci further proving what an utter jackass he was. He may have been an ass, but damn did he make some great cult movies with "The Brute and the Beast" being one of best.

 Written By Eric Reifschneider

Don't Turn the Other Cheek! (1971)

DON'T TURN THE OTHER CHEEK!

AKA "Long Live Your Death"

The politically charged and the comedy western are two of the most popular subgenres under the Spaghetti Western umbrella and one would think the two would mix like oil and water but on a few occasions they worked wonderfully mixed in the same film. Examples include Sergio Corbucci's "Companeros"  and of course Duccio Tessari's  "Don't Turn the Other Cheek!" (also known by it's much more serious European title "Long Live Your Death"). Tessari' s film may not mix the genres as well as Corbucci's "Companeros" but the equally strong powerhouse cast and solid directing still makes this a must see.

What we have here is three strangers, similar to the relationships in "The Good the Bad and the Ugly, coming together in order to find a cache of gold. One is a Russian prince (Franco Nero), the other a mexican Bandit (Eli Wallach) and the third is an Irish extreme Journalist (Lynn Redgrave, Nero's future sister-in-law). Can they avoid killing each other while escaping the noose and bullets to find the cache of gold and start a revolution in the process?

"I'm in the same room as Franco Nero and Eli Wallach! I think I'm having a heart attack!"

The main draw of this western is the cast with  Franco Nero and Elli Wallach having a wonderful chemestery that got me laughing hard on many occasions. Nero's Prince is similar to his character in "Companeros" and Wallach's bandit seems like a take-off of Tuco in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" so if you enjoyed their performances in those two films then you are going to eat this up.  Redgrave gives ag ood performance but her character for the most part isn't given much to do and seems mostly thrown in to give the audience eye candy and a famine presence.

"There are two types of politically charged Spaghetti Westerns my friend, those with comedy overtones and those without."

Director Duccio Tessari is no stranger to the Spaghetti Western genre penning scripts for Leone's "Fistful of Dollars" as well as directing the popular "Ringo" duology with Guillano Gemma. By this time in his career he had a more light hearted approach to his films injecting plenty of comedy, such as the silly "Alive Preferably Dead" and the Bond spoof "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang". Even with his light touch some of the humor in "Don't Turn the Other Cheek" is forced, like it's saying "look at me, I'm funny". For the most part the humor does work well and is well balanced throughout the film.

The Good, the Bad... and the Hot?

"Don't Turn the Other Cheek!" may not work as well as Corbucci's more solid comedy politically charged "Companeros" or  Damiano Damiani's serious "A Bullet for the General" but was still a rollicking good time. The humor and the fantastic cast made "Don't Turn the Cheek" an entertaining watch and a must see for fans of the genre. The original American cut of the film butchered the final results by cutting out nearly 17 minutes of footage and creating plot holes big enough to drive a truck through.  Wild East Productions was gracious enough to release the film on DVD completely uncut with all the cut footage restored with English subtitles.

 Written By Eric Reifschneider

Yoga (2009)

Director: Yoon Jae-yeon
Notable Cast: Eugene, Cha Soo-yeon
Also known as: "Yoga Hakwon", "Yoga School", "Yoga Academy", "Yoga Class", "Yoga Academy", and "Yoga: Mind, Body, And Tortured Souls".

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my expectations for a horror film about yoga were pretty low. The trendy and spiritual exercise didn't seem to have a strong case of "great horror film concept" from my knowledge and having a ghostly film about it seemed even less inspired. Guess I was corrected because as it would turn out, "Yoga" was actually a fairly well executed film. This film never feels all that unique (Asian ghost films have become something of their own genre at this point), but it's crafty visual prowess and strong atmosphere eventually won me over.

Hyo-jeung (Eugene) had her entire life dumped on in a matter of days. Her relationship with her film obsessed boyfriend is on the rocks, her friends are all garnering more success than her in life, and she just lost her TV hosting job to a more beautiful woman. Her self esteem is rock bottom, but an old friend lets her in on a little secret. There is a week long and very intense yoga class that only a few know about and she is the perfect candidate for it. She enrolls with a handful of other desperate women who all seem as torn as her. When the other classmates begin to disappear from breaking the "rules" of the school, its Hyo-jeung who has to face a more sinister plan behind the class...

There is something distinctly satisfying about finding that one awkward face for a person in a film to post a picture on.

What was so surprising about "Yoga" was how similar it came in comparison in themes and general approaches to the long time Italian classic "Suspiria". Group of young women gathered for an artistic body shaping class who eventually discover that its a cover for witchcraft? Well "Yoga" isn't necessarily 'witchcraft' by any means as it never uses that term, but the ghostly apparitions are created by 'supernatural' elements. Just the general plot seemingly follows the basic formula too.

"Yes, this is the PERFECT place to take a yoga class!"

The film also happens to be similar it how it goes about crafting the plot. Director Yoon Jae-yeon boils it down to give the film a very distinct aesthetic look and coats it all in some insanely thick atmosphere. Does a lot of the things that happen or details to create this atmosphere make sense? Hell no. Themes of snakes (including a very creepy hissing/slithery sound effect used repeatedly) and ghostly horror/death scenes rarely make sense in style or in how the movie progresses, but damn if they aren't great for the atmosphere! The setting, the actresses, the sound effects, and lighting all create a visual feast of horrific intent.

Yoga leads to levitation. Had I known this I would have done yoga.

The film does not make a lot of sense though. For those who actually cared to try and really piece together the puzzle of the yoga class and how the flashbacks to an old film set correlated, the film ended up being quite a jumbled narrative. The ending definitely left logic at the door with its "trick" ending and atmosphere coated final showdown between our heroin and the head yoga hauncho, but that's expected by the time we get there despite its well crafted characters in the first act. The lacking originality for the death sequences was a little odd coming off as a combination between "Ju-On" and "A Nightmare On Elm Street" with its dream like qualities. They were more run of the mill for what the film could offer even if the special effects were spectacular.

For a horror film about yoga, "Yoga" was definitely a pleasant surprise in quality. Not all that original with lacking sense and death sequences, the actual horror of the film is created by the vicious visual work and intense atmosphere that's slathered on in massive doses. Fans of the J-horror genre or the Asian Ghost film will certainly find plenty of great elements to latch into.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1994)

PUMPKINHEAD II: BLOOD WINGS

"Pumpkinhead" is one of the finest unsung horror films of the late 80s that I constantly find myself defending against people that judge it by solely by it's peculiar title. It was a tremendous horror concept that was ripe for a sequel but one didn't arrive right away. It took six fucking years for a sequel to emerge, direct-to-video no less, and the final results show that all involved weren't particularly interested in making a worthy sequel, only riding the coattails of an established horror title to line their pockets.

The plot totally disregards the first film and basically rehashes it by loosely remaking the story. The film begins in 1958, shot in classy black and white, where a group of young studs kill a backwoods deformed boy. Flash forward and a new sheriff arrives in a small southern town (which is again obviously southern California) only to have his work become a living hell as grisly murders start springing up all over the area. It seems the local legend of a vengeful demon nicknamed Pumpkinhead are true and it has risen to take revenge and somehow he sheriff's daughter is involved in the bloodshed.

Pumpkinhead makes a house call

The producers had no intention of making anything more than a run of the mill direct-to-video sequel and who better to direct a lackluster sequel than Jeff Burr, the man who give us such mundane sequels as "Stepfather 2: Make Room for Daddy" and "Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III". His direction is on complete autopilot and the dark atmosphere and tone that  Stan Winston so brilliantly displayed in the original is absent. In its place is lazy cheapness with an emphasis on fucking strobe lights to add to so-called "terror".

Lower budget shows in the shoddy make-up effects

The production values also leave a lot to be desired, such as the make-up on the old hag that has the ability to summon Pumpkinhead. The graveyard that is Pumpkinhead's resting place is also hastily put together and pales in comparison to the grim  pumpkin patch of the original. The Pumpkinhead design, though good from reputable company KNB effects, also isn't near as impressive as Stan Winston's grand original design but it's not helped by poor lighting making the beast look more fake.

Heads are gonna roll...

The cast is made up of some respectable members but the real humdinger is Andrew Robinson, best known for playing the Zodiac killer in the original "Dirty Harry" and the father in Clive Barker's "Hellraiser", helps make this weary sequel better than it really is. However it is embarrassing to see him in such tripe as he is far too good of an actor to appear in direct-to-video drivel as this. It still makes me wonder why he would turn down a respectable sequel like "Hellbound: Hellraiser II" only later to appear in a film like "Pumpkinhead II".

"Tell me again why I turned down 'Hellraiser II' ?"

I have come to the conclusion that producers with money to burn wanted to make a sequel to a popular horror film to guarantee a good profit and thus the original "Pumpkinhead"  became their target. Not only does this passable sequel disregard all the events of the first film, it also waters down all the admirable aspects like the score, the dark tone and even the make-up effects. Skippable and only for the most die hard, and forgiving, horror fan.

Written By Eric Reifschneider