Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Directed by Troy Nixey
2010
Starring Bailee Madison, Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Jack Thompson, Julia Blake
99 minutes

Even though I wasn't very impressed by the trailers for Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, something told me to get up early enough on Sunday to catch the matinee. I guess what worked was the moment where Katie Holmes rips down a dusty sheet to reveal a mural of some rather demonic-looking creatures with arms outstretched, hands clutching and promising perpetual torment. So yeah, that was enough to make me go 'Oh snap, that's in theaters already? I'm on my way, bitches!' I probably didn't say that in my head or aloud but still, I did go to the movies. As usual, I went to AMC Veterans out on Anderson to catch the show with a small, not very enthusiastic crowd. Shit, at least they were quiet. There was a redneck lady with a baby that came in and I keep thinking that she was dragging it around by the leg like a sack of potatoes. But I might be imagining that...

This film, co-written and co-produced by Guillermo del Toro*, is about a girl named Sally (played by Bailee Madison) who is sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend. Her dad Alex (Guy Pearce) is an architect restoring and living in a place called Blackwood Mansion. His girlfriend Kim (Katie Holmes) is an interior designer helping him out and, you know, having SEX with him. Alex isn't exactly the most attentive father in the world and after being dumped by her prescription-drugs-cure-everything mom at the doorstep of a creepy mansion, Sally isn't exactly the happiest kid in the world. She ignores her father, despises Kim, and retreats into the grounds and the dark corners of the Blackwood Estate.

Almost immediately, Sally begins to hear voices that claim that they want to be her friend. These voices belong to tiny creatures living in the walls of the house. And though they sound benevolent, these diminutive beasts are ancient monsters who must feed every couple of centuries to survive. Oh and they like to eat children's teeth! As more and more strange incidents occur, Alex reacts the way any parent would act and calls in a psychologist to analyze Sally and prescribe something very strong to calm her down. After a trip to the special collections department of the local library**, Kim discovers that Sally may not be going through her tiny-monster-phase at all. Heck y'all, there might just be something to that little whipper snapper's story!

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is no throwaway summer horror flick. This is NOT some found footage gimmick flick or a Saw clone. It's an old school horror film that is surprisingly well made. The score by Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders stands out as some of the best horror film music in recent memory. The sets are phenomenal as are the Australian(?!?!) locations which look a lot like freakin' New England to me. The cast is solid with even Katie Holmes in a likeable role (I understand that she is an acquired taste to most movie lovers' fickle palates). And the sense of dread established in a horrifying prologue is balanced with enough childlike wonder to keep the viewer on their toes.

The only things I don't like about this movie are the shrill screams of the little creatures. I know that a small army of evil little gnomes (or whatever they are) could be a little silly as a threat but I wish there had been another way to make them intimidating other than giving them a high-pitched screech. Or perhaps the filmmakers could have used that sound sparingly or in a different way. Keep in mind that this is a coming from me, a guy who digs loud, abrasive experimental music; so you'd think I'd just be snapping my fingers and grooving along every time that sound ripped through the theater. Well, I wasn't! Despite the auditory annoyance, I did really like the design of the creatures.

I am going to go ahead and call this a 'must see' because the thing about Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is that it made me proud to be a horror fan. It is a classy production with excellent atmosphere, a dark fairy tale vibe, and is a film that I predict will age very well. The story is not exactly new (this is a remake after all) but it is told with confidence and for people unlike me, who haven't seen a thousand friggin' horror films, will eat this one up. What was that sentence anyway? Look, go and see Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. It's good, smart stuff and it will very likely give you the heebee-jeebees though I'm not sure that it earns its R rating.

*I read some debate about how much the horror/fantasy director had to do with this film but after seeing it, I have to say that the stamp of del Toro is pretty obvious.

**High fives to my librarian homies.

Guest Blog: El Hombre Lobo 1968-1980

My good friend Brad Hogue watched a whole mess of Naschy. Here's what he had to say about it:



I recently watched Paul Naschy's Waldemar Daninsky El Hombre Lobo series of wolfman films from 1968-1980. Friday night we watched Mark Of The Wolfman, Assignment Terror, and Fury Of The Wolfman. Saturday we wrapped up with Werewolf Shadow, Dr. Jekyll And The Wolfman, Curse Of The Devil, Night Of The Howling Beast, and Night Of The Werewolf. We watched them in chronological order according to Wikipedia (dates differ on different sites.) PLEASE NOTE: There are some minor spoilers ahead.

Seeing these films back to back for the first time has led me to a conclusion that I hadn't really formulated before. Naschy never told a simple werewolf-on-the-rampage story. He didn't remake The Wolfman over and over. In fact, he never remade The Wolfman at all. Naschy's interest was with Frankenstein Versus The Wolfman and a love of the monster rally films from the 40's. There is plenty to say about these films but I want to focus on some of the different 'monsters' in the films.

In 1968's Mark of The Wolfman (also known as Frankenstein's Bloody Terror) you have him being bitten by another werewolf but it's not the story of him trying to be cured by itself; you have the introduction of two vampires. 1969's Assignment Terror has aliens, a vampire, a mummy, and a Frankenstein's monster variant. 1970's Fury Of The Wolfman includes suspect pseudoscience, a female werewolf, plant people, insane hippies, and a Phantom Of The Opera-style masked madman. Later the same year Werewolf Shadow showcased Daninsky vs. Countess De Nadasady, a vampire stand in for Countess Bathory, and a zombie monk. 1971's Dr. Jekyll And The Wolfman features not a showdown between Daninsky and Mr. Hyde but Daninsky being a wolfman AND Mr. Hyde. 1972's Curse Of The Devil, perhaps the closest Naschy comes in this period to a wolfman-on-the-rampage film, still manages to include a gypsy curse and an axe murderer. 1975's Night Of The Howling Beast folds two cannibalistic, vampirish sisters, a fradulent witch in the employ of a bandit warlord, and a yeti. 1980's Night Of The Werewolf is a remake of sorts of Werewolf Shadow with Daninsky facing off once again with Countess De Nadasady and a bevy of vampires.

The Daninsky series is both reflective of the times and contain throwbacks to earlier styles and genre filmmaking. Mark Of The Wolfman could be seen as a Hammer style horror film while Night Of The Howling Beast is a pulpy, serial style film. Werewolf Shadow is a fun, fast paced film whereas Curse Of The Devil is a more somber period piece. It is a testament to Naschy that he was able to write screenplays that fit into many different sub genres. Perhaps that versatility, his love of the genre, and his strong screen presence were major factors in the longevity of the series.

My wife and I compiled a list of our favorites based on only this viewing of the films.

Elizabeth
1. Curse Of The Devil
2. Night Of The Werewolf
3. Mark of The Wolfman
4. Werewolf Shadow
5. Night Of The Howling Beast
6. Dr. Jekyll And The Wolfman
7. Fury Of The Wolfman
8. Assignment Terror

Brad
1. Night Of The Werewolf
2. Assignment Terror
3. Curse Of The Devil
4. Mark Of The Wolfman
5. Dr. Jekyll And The Wolfman
6. Werewolf Shadow
7. Night Of The Howling Beast
8. Fury Of The Wolfman

Franco Friday #31: She Killed in Ecstasy

Franco Friday #31

Wow. After this, there are only two more Franco Fridays. I, for one, am excited. Granted, I still have to wrap this business up. I promised you a list of my 10 favorite Francos which I will deliver. And I might even have something to say about the crazy bastard too. I also promise that Franco Friday #33 will not be the last one ever. There will be more. But y'all, I need a break from this sicko freak mother fucker who has been ruining and enriching my life for over half a year.



She Killed in Ecstasy
Directed by Jess Franco
1971
Starring Soledad Miranda, Fred Williams, Paul Muller, Howard Vernon, Ewa Stromberg
73 minutes

When Dr. Johnson (played by Fred Williams) reveals to the medical council that he has been using human embryos for his experiments in genetic research, he gets ousted from the medical community and all of his research is destroyed. The medical council takes things just a wee bit too far and drive the poor guy to madness and suicide. Mrs. Johnson (Soledad Miranda) decides to target the four doctors who are the head of the medical council and make them pay for what they did to her hubby. She seduces and kills them one by one while an ineffectual cop (Horst Tappert) manages to stay one step behind her vicious acts of vengeance.



This eroti-tragedy (I just made that term up) by Jess Franco could very well be the director's best film. This isn't my own personal favorite but I was stunned by just how much this film gets under my skin and stays there, happily festering away. This just goes to show you that whenever Franco and Soledad Miranda got together, the results were phenomenal. And like every other person who appreciates their collaborations, I can't help but feel fucked up about her untimely death in August of 1970, over a year before this film was even released.



I gotta say that the score for She Killed in Ecstasy is very, very good. It is also very dynamic with its freaky funky jazzy bits, tense experimental bits, and moody bittersweet bits. That's a lot of bits. Composers Manfred Hubler and Sigi Schwab (holy friggin' wow, what a great name!) give this film a dynamic and bold soundtrack that could have only happened (and worked) in the early 70s.



Two more amazing things about this film are the locations and the cinematography. Some of the ultra modern buildings where key scenes of this film are shot look like the future. Well, the future according to people in 1971 anyway. It's all stark and rather appealing if you like things that looks like spaceships or alien civilizations (which I know for a fact that you do). The camerawork is credited to the always reliable Manuel Merino. Sure, there are some out of focus and shaky moments but I bet you big money that Franco yelled 'action' while the poor guy was still setting up a shot. Reshoots? Ha! Franco laughs in the face of the poor SOB who asks about reshoots. Merino will make you weep with his framing, that much I promise you.



The cast does not disappoint with the alluring Soledad Miranda, not too surprisingly, giving her all and stealing the entire movie. She gives an excellent performance that is painfully sad and insanely raging in equal measure. Mrs. Johnson is also a well written character with her obsession with revenge, potentially supernatural powers, and predilection for cutting off dudes' wangs. When she is in the arms of her enemies, she dreams of making love to her man. Now that's a real woman!



Like I said before, this isn't my favorite Franco film* of all time but She Killed in Ecstasy would be a great starting point for folks looking to see what Jess Franco is all about. It's a little repetitive and slow at the beginning but fear not, this film gets to the dreamy goodness and wacky weirdness before you know it. If nothing else, see this for Soledad. She is so hot in this movie that it hurts me in my pants area. Also, this film contains the best suffocation-by-inflatable-zebra-pillow ever!

*The top spot is still held by Eugenie de Sade.

Hello! This is the Doomed Show Ep. 5: Eyeball

The duders (Brad and me) are back with our 5th episode. Check it out!

Listen/download here at Podomatic.

Our just download it here.



Those are two options.

Free.

Tell your buds.

Franco Friday #30: A Virgin Among the Living Dead

Franco Friday #30

It's getting more and more difficult for me to sit through a Franco film, even one as good as A Virgin Among the Living Dead. I like this movie a whole, whole lot but I am beyond the maximum lifetime intake of Jess Franco. Every step I take feels like I'm sinking. This whole psychosexual movie mess I've got myself into is like a crack addled whirling dervish on the back of a bull in China shop. I humbly bow before you, dear reader, secretly hoping hoping you'll bring down the axe.


(Save for the naked chick, none of this poster is even remotely accurate.)

A Virgin Among the Living Dead
AKA Christina Chez les Morts Vivants
Directed by Jess Franco
1973
Christina von Blanc, Britt Nichols, Rosa Palomar, Anne Libert, Howard Vernon, Paul Muller, Jess Franco
79 minutes

Christina Benson (played by Christina von Blanc) travels to her family estate to hear the reading of her father's will. The moment Christina arrives, she senses that all is not right with her bizarre family. More and more she begins to suspect that these aren't just a bunch of greedy douchebagels but undead servants of "The Queen of the Night" (Anne Libert).

This film is odd even by Jess Franco standards. This is a super simple idea with painfully obvious metaphors laid out in confusing layers. The whole film relies completely on the ultra-freaky performances of its actors. A Virgin Among the Living Dead is told with beauty, the sexy bodies of its female leads, bizarre menace, and dark comedy. If you revel in the absurd and the painfully sad then this film is for you.

Bruno Nicolai, you magical son of a bitch! Hot fucking damn! Whenever Franco and Nicolai get together, the results are always astounding. This score starts off super weird with a tricked out synthesizer and bass guitar making some unsettling and yet funky sounds. Then the music gets jagged and even more dangerous in a fuzzed out and crazy way. And what would a Bruno Nicolai score be without those lovely vocal pieces? It just wouldn't!

Jess Franco pulls double duty on this picture by stepping in front of the camera to do some of his finest acting. Sure Basilio is an idiotic murderous mute freak manservant but Franco is actually rather lively in this role. He is just one of the kooks in this flick. One of my favorites, Anne Libert, plays "The Queen of the Night". Nuff said. Rosa Palomar and Howard Vernon play Christina's bonkers aunt and uncle and they do so with a fiendish delight that I want to bottle and deal out on the streets.

So Christina rejects the phallus, thus condemning herself to death? Really, Franco? That is like Sleazy Cinema Symbolism 101, duder. I think I'm going to call you Jeff from now on. Jeff Frakno. That is your new name. Yo, don't let any of the DVD covers or posters for this film fool you, this ain't no zombie fest. I'm sure all the Franco fanatics have already seen this one. It's pretty much classic Franco with some excellent moments that demonstrate the guy was ahead of his time back in the day. As usual, he is so sex-obsessed that he looks like a fucking buffoon even when he's getting everything else right. A Virgin Among the Living Dead is definitely worth a look.


I am the fog machine, you dick.


D's for never dirty, MC for mostly clean.


I am so rejecting your phallus right now.


Grave-robbing, it's a gateway drug.


Does this lip gloss make me look taller?


I'm here for the -URK!- Macumba Sexual screening.


I uh... lost my grip on the thermometer.


A virgin among the Tupperware hostess.

Franco Friday #29: Faceless

Franco Friday #29

I have to tell you, I feel liberated. Knowing that after this, there are only four more Franco Fridays is just awesome. Imagine me dressed up like Prince (Under the Cherry Moon era) and screaming at myself in the mirror: "The countdown has begun, beyatch!" Okay, don't imagine that. Anyway, I was going to watch Eugenie... The Story of Her Journey into Perversion this week but I bumped it from the final five since I had not one but two requests for Faceless and I (almost) always (never) give people what they want on CinSom. Y'all ever been to Miami? I HAVE!



Faceless
AKA Las Predateurs de la Nuit
Directed by Jess Franco
1987
Starring Helmut Berger, Brigitte Lahaie, Telly Savalas, Christopher Mitchum, Stephane Audran, Caroline Munro
98 minutes

After his sister’s face is melted off by an unsatisfied customer, plastic surgeon Dr. Flamand (played by Helmut Berger) conducts illegal experiments in order to restore her beauty. He and his assistant (Brigitte Lahaie) pick up models, hookers, and actresses so that Dr. Moser (Anton Diffring), a former Nazi surgeon, can cut their faces off and use them for possible transplant candidates. When they take a model (Caroline Munro) with a rich father (Telly Savalas), they draw the attention of private eye Sam Morgan (Christopher Mitchum). Faces and other human parts are gonna fly!



If you take all the elements of Faceless separately, nothing adds up. Let’s start with the music. While I admit that it is very catchy, the songs are some putrid sub-basement level pop garbage. The score during the horror scenes peps up a bit. The acting is all over the place and the actors are either dubbed or should have been dubbed. But I’ll talk more about that in a moment. The editing gets real impatient during the dialog scenes but that is totally forgivable with this script. The sleazy elements of this movie are very awkward. You can almost feel the pent up frustration of horny old Franco as his actors paw at each other like teenagers in a darkened theater while Jaws: The Revenge plays unwatched up on the screen.



I’ve got to hand it to Jacques Gastineau, the guy can make some splatter happen. His gore effects are quite satisfying here. Maybe his faux heads look a little weak but most of the other parts are solid. Or squishy. Thanks to Gastineau, Faceless has eye violence, severed hands, a nasty rotting head, and, as promised in the title, facelessness. If you’re not at least a little shocked by a certain scene where a face transplant goes awry and some wicked face shredding takes place then my friend, you need to take a break from horror for a while. Go watch some Murder She Wrote until gore means something to you again.



The more I think about this cast, the more my brain aches. Brigitte Lahaie (Grapes of Death), who has never disappointed me EVER is great as the loyal, evil, and insanely greedy Nathalie. Helmut frickin’ Berger (The Bloodstained Butterfly) is in this one and the only way his character could have been any more awesome is if his name had been Dr. Fromage. The great Anton Diffring is totally awesome as the hilariously evil Dr. Moser. Keep your face peeled for a sweet cameo from Lina Romay as the wife of Dr. Orloff. Oh that’s right, there is a Dr. Orloff in this movie and he is played by Howard Vernon. I think I will call him Ho-Vern from now on. You like that?



I will admit that these are some very stiff performances but who cares? This is Euro horror, my friends. Deal with it. Telly Savalas probably wasn’t the only person who didn’t give a shit on the set of Faceless but he’s the only one letting it show. And just for the record, I am softening on the issue of Christopher Mitchum. I used to really dislike this guy but then it dawned on me: He is a B movie actor, so chill, dawg! Those are words from my actual brain. To be fair, he’s actually okay in Faceless. His fight scenes are good and when he meets up face to face with a very dark twist in the plot, the guy gets it together. I wanted to see more of him and Caroline Munro. Their brief scenes together are pretty promising but whaddayagonnado?



I don’t know why but I dig Faceless as much as I do. It might have something to do with the fact that Howard Vernon has more makeup on than Brigitte Lahaie and Caroline Munro combined. It might be the garish lighting and the French cinematographers. Heck, it might even be the presence of one of the worst gay stereotypes ever: the bitchy fashion photographer. I think someone actual told this guy to out-sass the one in The Case of the Bloody Iris. Damn. Anyway, there is just something irresistible about Franco’s adventures in splatter. This and Bloody Moon are good time films and are sure to garner him some fans that will be totally confused when they get to something like Women Without Innocence. Yeah right, I'm the only one dumb enough to watch that!



“You dirty bitch! When I get outta here, I’ll tear your heart out!”

Franco Friday #28: Marquis de Sade's Justine

Franco Friday #28

Once again, I return to the Franco fray but not for much longer. After 28 weeks, I have come to a decision about my quest. I have handpicked 5 Franco films for the next 5 weeks and they will be the last of the Franco Friday series. You see, I simply cannot continue with this. Every time I reach for a Franco film, it's more softcore porn garbage that I don't want to watch, much less review. This revelation came to me during an aborted attempt at watching The Sexual Story of O. I am so friggin' done with dry-humping and gooch zooms and I refuse to attempt to appreciate this nonsense on my blog anymore. So, instead of 52 films, I am going to pull the plug on this fucker at 33. Don't worry, the last 5 films are going to be good ones. That is one thing I know for certain. I just want to be myself again. Jess Franco is the most evil man in the history of the world. I'm not being melodramatic. You're being melodramatic!



Marqui de Sade: Justine
Directed by Jess Franco
1969
Starring Klaus Kinski, Romina Power, Maria Rohm, Rosemary Dexter, Carmen de Lirio, Jack Palance, Sylvia Koscina, Howard Vernon
124 minutes

"This is the story of Justine and the misfortunes of virtue."

In a prison cell, the Marquis de Sade (played by Klaus Kinsi) is tormented by visions and thus writes the story of Justine. Two girls, Juliette and Justine (Maria Rohm and Romina Power), find out that their father has fled the country in shame with creditors nipping at his heels, leaving them alone in the world. They get kicked out of the convent and sent along their way. Juliette takes up living a life of crime that includes but is not limited to working in a brothel and drowning people. Justine attempts to stay virtuous, ends up losing what little money she has, and goes on all kinds of terrible adventures.



Jess Franco knocks another one out of the park with Justine. This film is full of ribaldry, silliness, beauty and tragedy. It is also a visual spectacle. The lighting is very colorful and the camerawork by Manuel Merino is fantastic. The musical score by the always brilliant Bruno Nicolai is sometimes bombastic, always lush, simply amazing. Yes, my friends, this is very, very classy smut. And it's not all poisoned puppies and thorny roses either because the world is populated by lecherous creeps, whores, crooks, and murderers.



Horst Frank! Sylvia Koscina! Jack Palance! Rosalba Neri! Howard Vernon! (I don't know why I put an exclamation point after Howard Vernon's name.) This is a star-studded affair and everyone is good. Mercedes McCambridge is awesome as Madame Dubois an escaped convict and leader of a pack of ruffians. Klaus Kinski is like a caged animal, tormented by visions of women in chains and spectres. Romina Power is very good as the virtuous and tragic Justine even though, according to trivia, Franco was forced to cast her in the role and hated her performance. Maria Rohm is perfectly devilish as her naughty sister who is more than willing to follow her own wicked excesses to the bitter end. Palance is particularly unhinged in this movie. He gives me the fuckin' creeps, man. Jeez!



My only complaint about this sumptuous production is the running time is 124 minutes! I'm sorry but all the fish eye lenses in the world can't help a film like this stay interesting for that long. I thought Justine was supposed to be 90 minutes so when that came and went, I was kind of let down that this thing kept going. Even with it's bloated running time and meandering plot, I still think that Jess Franco fans will find plenty to enjoy here. According to IMDB, this was Franco's most expensive film and it really shows with it's lavish sets, huge cast, and decadent... um... everything.



"Now remember what I told you, virtue must be avoided. It is sure disaster. And poverty must be avoided at all costs."

1976 Double Feature: The Sexy Killer & Death Weekend

It seems that every year that I am alive, I get a year older. And every year my birthday is always today, the 4th of August. Weird, right? Anyway, I am here to celebrate with y'all, my internet budz, by checking out a couple more films from my birth year, 1976. Enjoy!



The Sexy Killer
AKA The Drug Connection
Directed by Chung Sun
1976
Starring Ping Chen, Hua Yueh, Wei Szu, Ching Tien, Yang Chiang, Shen Chan
88 minutes

When her sister goes insane after a heroin overdose, Wan Fei (played by Ping Chen) wages her own war against drugs, going undercover as a junkie/hooker and then shaking down (and killing) mofos for information. Her friend Wei-ping (Hua Yueh) is the only uncorrupted cop in the city but his hands are tied. Things get even more complicated when Wen Fei sets her sights on taking down Lung Tou (Shen Chan), a ruthless drug lord and S&M freakazoid, who has his hand in every pot of corruption in the city.



This Shaw Brothers' remake of Coffy is a freakin' riot. It has all the cynicism, sleaze, and melodrama of the original Pam Grier vehicle plus the gratuitous and gleeful slow motion ultra-violence of They Call Her One Eye. And oh my, it all works! The camerawork is perfect and the colors are vibrant and even occasionally searing. From the bombastic opening credit sequence to it's awesome finale, The Sexy Killer's pacing is exceptional with tons of action, over-the-top acting, and disco fabulousness. This might just be my new favorite Shaw Brothers movie. All that's missing is Sid Haig. Highly recommended if you like movies containing hookers, strippers, pimps, drug dealers, and crooked cops.



"Drugs! Drugs! I hate it so much!"



Death Weekend
AKA The House by the Lake
Directed by William Fruet
1976
Starring Brenda Vaccaro, Don Stroud, Chuck Shamata, Richard Ayres, Kyle Edwards
87 minutes

A dentist named Harry (palyed by Chuck Shamata) brings a model named Diane (Brenda Vaccaro) out to his vacation home out in the boonies. He claims that he is having a big get together but this sleazy duder only has one thing on his mind: banging Diane. On the way out to the house, Harry and Diane run afoul of a quartet of violent scumbags led by a guy named Lep (Don Stroud). Thanks to the help of some local yokels, the creeps manage to follow them to the house and they immediately start making trouble. You know this isn’t going to end well. At least, not for Harry.



Home invasion horror meets rape-revenge thriller in Death Weekend, a nasty little piece of 70s insanity that I like more than I should. Director William Fruet would go on to direct some other genre oddities like Funeral Home, Spasms, Killer Party, and Blue Monkey. I can’t find who composed the music for this film but they did a fine job. The music is eerie, pretty, and very good.



I really like Brenda Vaccaro in this film but the script has some pretty terrible moments of “I will speak my thoughts out loud now” and even worse: "ooh am I enjoying this rape?" As usual, her voice is so husky and breathy that it begs parody (not even SCTV could resist) but I really like her character when she gets pushed too far and starts mopping the floor with the baddies. The always dependable Don Stroud steals the film as Lep, a terrifying psycho fuckwad out looking for trouble with his horrible crew of shitpiles. I like how Harry is not only a wimp but also a terrible pervert loser as well. I’m glad the script adds an extra sleazy vibe to the guy but Chuck Shamata barely holds his own and could have gone farther with his role.



While it turned out to be an engrossing and nail-biting film, I wouldn’t call Death Weekend an essential piece of trash cinema. The menace, tension, and mayhem are all delivered successfully but there is little to elevate this above its place among other similar pieces of pointlessly offensive garbage. That being said, I found myself enjoying the film against my will. So if you’re gonna watch this thing, trust me, the end is worth sticking around for. The finale makes up for the uber-unpleasant setup. I’m sure super-producer Ivan Reitman is very proud of this film to this day.



"Jesus, that broad can drive! That pisses me off!"

Hello! This is the Doomed Show #4: Tourist Trap

Oh snizzap! We're back with another episode. This time we talk about Tourist Trap. Check it out at Podomatic or you can download it right here.