I really wish I would have seen this before Midsomar, because this is basically the original blueprint. I can't believe how heavily that borrowed from this, even down to the psychedelics. I was fooled into praising its originality.

Would have been great to see this in the theater in '73 when it came out just to see the audience's reaction. A very twisting and winding road of a film that genuinely surprised me at the end when the mystery finally unfolds.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Basically a master class in photography by director Wong Kar Wai. Every single fucking shot could be framed and hung in some rich twat's house. The plot itself is an understated and subtle slice-of-life tale of romantic longing which is very competently depicted of course, but the real star is the eye behind the lens. The color palette and shot selection are truly a sight to behold. I can see these images staying with me for a long time to come.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Details:

Get ready for a night of chilling excitement as Texas Horror Cult proudly presents:

🎬 The Texas Horror Cult Film Festival 🎬

🏛️ Historic Texas Theatre

📅 Monday, October 23rd

Prepare to be captivated by the eerie and thrilling world of horror as talented film teams from across Texas unveil their spine-tingling creations. They've toiled relentlessly for 6 weeks, crafting their very own bone-chilling short films, and now, it's time to witness their horrors on the BIG screen!

🌟 What to Expect:

👻 16 Different Short Films (5-8 minutes each)

🕯️ An unforgettable night of Halloween Terror

🧟‍♂️ Reindeer Manor Haunted House's ghouls haunting the premises

You could have given me a thousand tries and I never would have guessed this was a Friedkin movie. There's nothing here that distinguishes it from any other creature horror. The only tip off is the synth score. The premise itself is unique though, as a killer tree must be fed babies by some kind of driad to keep her alive. There's a few pretty insane kills here, and the ending is intense, but not a lot else going on that holds your interest.

⭐ ⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

It's pretty crazy to me that during the 70s and 80s retarded and deformed people were made to be monsters in so many horror movies. I can only imagine being a kid and horror fan back then seeing a retarded person in real life probably scared the shit out of you. Directors would just get a dumpy guy, make him stumble around in a pair of dirty underwear, tell him to grunt a lot and voilà, a living inbred nightmare. It's lazy and pretty cruel and I really don't care for this trope. Having said that, this film is pretty PG for the first 3/4s of its runtime, outside of a brief peeping tom nude scene. The last quarter though delivers the goods, and I was surprised at the genuine emotion it conveyed at the end. Both Lassick and Goldoni give performances better than this film deserves, and though there's barely any fx work to speak of, the atmosphere and tension make up for the budgetary constraints.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I really enjoyed the gulf coast island scenery, it's not often you see it featured in a film, especially a horror. Other than that, it's pretty slow going, with the first kill taking place pretty late and the others being unremarkable. Otherwise it's just walking around the island but I didn't mind too much as it was nice to look at and shot well. To be honest I would rather be killed by a nightmare creature than be married to the protagonist who is the biggest downer sourpuss ever caught on film. Absolutely miserable. Speaking of nightmares, it's interesting that she believes if she falls asleep the nightmares she has will kill her and the ones she loves. From coffee to cigarettes to burning her hand to stay awake, a lot of this would be replicated a couple of years later in Nightmare on Elm Street. Seems a bit much to just chalk up to coincidence. There's an unusual ending that I won't spoil, and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Clever or contrived? You decide.

⭐ ⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

NB has a little bit of everything thrown together that makes for an entertaining watch. Usually I would come down on a movie that doesn't know what it wants to be; a spring break sex comedy? a slasher? a romantic drama? a biker flick? a mystery? But I have a feeling it's actually purposeful here, something for everyone, and it works. The shocking (literally) kills are impressive for the budget, and it keeps you on your toes as to who is the actual murderer without insulting your intelligence with the final reveal. I quite enjoyed it, it's definitely not boring, and I'll always tune in for John Saxon.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

First let me say I was supposed to be pirating Painkiller Jane. I had no idea this wasn't that till halfway through the movie and still no super soldier appeared. Also I couldn't figure out why SyFy would play this movie. It was just an old man in a purge mask murdering pharma execs. Turns I out it was a completely different movie. This movie is so DUMB, literally on par with a Neil Breen movie. Acting is awful and the writing is absolutely juvenile, a 15 year old's wet dream of vigilante justice. Nothing adds up or makes sense, plot holes out the ass, but I can't say it's not entertaining. Maybe because it is so dumb, I don't know, I guess I am dumb. I'm dumb enough to watch the wrong movie.

⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Very straightforward and simple plot without any setup or backstory which works well for this film. No metaphors about life or hidden subtext, just Bronson jumping off a train car in New Orleans and being a quiet badass who says hardly anything but knocks the ever-loving shit out of poor chumps for money during the depression. Managed by Coburn who plays the brash fast talking gambling addict Speed, both men are perfect in their roles. Films like this are where Walter Hill really shines; minimum dialogue, tight and tense action and fight sequences, and authentic scenery and backdrops.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

In the deep south it's good to kiss your hot niece on the mouth and call her baby.

Wings Hauser pretty much makes this film, along with support from the sheriff played by Bo Hopkins. Wings and his little brother go on vacation but end up in a backwoods town and run into the living dead who are the spawn of toxic waste. Nothing really shocking gore or violence wise, and the fx are so-so, but it's entertaining. As an aside there's a genuinely tense unplanned scene where Wings accidentally slips on a roofing shingle after jumping out a window and damn near falls off the roof of a house which could have easily broken his neck. I had to rewind it several times and it's the real deal.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I do like the fact that despite some comedic moments, this isn't as goofy and joke driven as part 2. The original Deathstalker is still the best, a no nonsense son of a bitch who killed a bunch of would be rapists not to save the girl, but just because he didn't want sloppy seconds. He had no sense of humor and just liked to fuck and kill. The gradual pussification of Deathstalker through the sequels really takes away from what made the original so fun in the first place. Having said that, this is a perfectly serviceable high fantasy film and doesn't really deserve the hate it gets. I've seen much worse, especially from the Italian side of sword and sandal flicks. I wouldn't want to sit through it again, but could have it on in the background while doing other things.

⭐ ⭐ out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This is my introduction to Indonesian horror and I like what I see so far. This is the definition of doing the best with what you have. Although gruesome in parts, it's more of a traditional Shakespearean tragedy than a horror flick. The fx are creative and include stuff I've never seen before. There's a self-decapitation scene that's a sight to behold. Besides that it's actually shot very well. The shots of Mumi (the protagonist who is awesome by the way) training in black magic in front of a full moon are beautiful to look at and have an ethereal quality that's hard to describe. There's some really cool sets, a traditional Indo wedding with all of the accoutrements and dancing demons that that entails, a killer shaman cave full of snakes and magic fetishes, and the jungle and waterfalls make for a feast for the eyes. I'm really glad this got an HD transfer because it looks great.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐