I love Lenzi's gialli offerings, or at least the one's I have experiences! I still need to see KNIFE OF ICE and A QUIET PLACE TO KILL. SPASMO and EYEBALL are some of my more favorite gialli viewings. Two very stylish yet, odd in nature but still very effective in the payoff!
It's been a long time since I first seen his SO SWEET... SO PERVERSE (1969), was that not just recently issued on DVD again??
I absolutely loved Freda's brilliant I VAMPRI! Now, what was the deal with Bava being uncredited for with this again? I know he had something to do with the overall direction, but what's the full story on that again?
Any opinions about this more recent giallo? I've heard some bad things but when I found it dirt cheap on eBay, I couldn't resist the temptation of picking it up. Figured I need to give some of the more recent horrer/thriller stuff a chance too. Still waiting for it to arrive and I'm not quite sure what to expect of it but at least it has a pretty good cast that includes famous transsexual Eva Robins from TENEBRAE (1982) and the good-looking Elisabetta Rocchietti, who has been cropping up in a lot of horror stuff like THE THREE FACES OF TERROR (2004), DO YOU LIKE HITCHCOCK? (2005) and THE LAST HOUSE IN THE WOODS (2006). Not to mention supporting roles by Florinda Bolkan and Franco Nero! Anyone here seen it?
Interesting looking film out of Italy with Irish/Spanish co-financiers. Directed by Italian SFX man Stefano Bessoni.
In the 1600s, long before the invention of photography, a scientist named Girolamo Fumagalli was obsessed with the idea of reproducing images. He discovered that by killing a victim and removing the victim's eyeballs, it was possible to reproduce on paper the last image imprinted on that person's retinas. He named this technique 'thanatography'. Today, the same kind of gruesome ritual and abominable crime recurs within the walls of an international school of cinema. -imdb.com
Also stars the daughter of Charlie Chapman, Geraldine Chaplin as well as her daughter Oona.
Well, it seems this is yet another Argento flick that is taking a beating in the review department. Even die hard fans are not too pleased with this outing. Anyhow, the PAL R2 DVD is now out via a Polish company that found it important to force the Polish subs!
Looks like this will be getting a UK release first via Arrow Films! I still haven't seen this, it was on my radar during last year's Midnight Madness during the Toronto Film Fest. The disc will be released March 15th..
I'd love to grab this, but for now I'm holding off on the Blu-Ray player for now, too unstable industry right now. Plus, the multi-region player are way too expensive!
(2007/SPAIN)DIRECTED BY-JAUME BALAGUERO and PACO PLAZA/ STARRING-MANUELA VELASCO, JAVIER BOTET, MANUEL BRONCHUD, MARTHA CARBONELL and PABLO ROSSO/SOURCE-FILMAX HOME VIDEO DVD (PAL R2 / 75MINS / 2008)
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(2007/SPAIN) REVIEW BY-STEVE GENIER DIRECTED BY-JAUME BALAGUERO and PACO PLAZA STARRING-MANUELA VELASCO, JAVIER BOTET, MANUEL BRONCHUD, MARTHA CARBONELL and PABLO ROSSO. SOURCE-FILMAX HOME VIDEO DVD (PAL R2 / 75MINS / 2008)
While following the daily route of a local fire department for a nightly TV show, Angela it's host and her camerman Pablo find themselves in luck when a call of distress comes into the station. Only needing to deploy a handful of firemen to the scene, they document the events in which are about to unfold. Seemingly a route call turns into a nightmare, when a stange woman becomes violent and bites one of the policemen on the scene. As the scene becomes frantic, the rest of the crew try to get the injured cop out of the building when without warning, they are quarentined without reason. Trapped in the building, they quickly learn why they are locked in, as some dark secrets awaits to unfold it's blood thrusty craving. Scenes quickly or more like franticly unfold in a series of total chaos. There is no room for rest while watching this teamed effort from two of Spain's most exciting horror directors, Jaume Balaguero (DARKNESS) and Paco Plaza (SECOND NAME). Built on the POV/interview platform, the viewer is treated to a transition into hell with no escape. From a seemingly reality like TV drama to a nightmarish thrill ride. REC brings a fresh take on an often used formula, molding several horror cliches into one huge melting pot of total madness.
He vehicle being the camera within the camera. This is like the BLAIR WITCH meets the DAWN OF THE DEAD, though unlike many zombie films, this one is spurn upon you very unexpectly. Throwing red herrons at you like there is no tomorrow as to what is going on. From demon possession to some strange like virus. Like those in the film running around aimlessly throughout the building trying to escape, the viewer is trapped much the same way, trying to explain the unknown unfolding before their eyes. Essentially using the POV style camera work, the viewer is treated to a series of totally unexpected visuals to inhense the already creepy atmosphere. Incredible make-up, gore and scare tatics weave through REC creating a superb and very effective storyline and feel. Transistions that are as quick as a whip, giving a sense of uneasiness and despair. Of course that all leads to the constant chaos that is completely hand fed to you on a platter. This added with acting that is completely convincing and beyond. All roles, even though many treating us to a scattered frenzy, are very believiable and certainly give REC the added touch. Several scenes especially throughout the second half of the film really pitch the pace up a crap load of notches. One in particular, when Angela and Pablo are trapped in an appartment by themselves, in complete darkness only the camera light shining. They are both in total confusion feeling their way through the rooms and discovering the secrets as to what is going on around them. When the attic door comes crashing down, revealing that they are in fact not along. When the camera's light is smashed and Pablo switches to the night vision, this is where the fun really begins. That and the unfolding of one of the most creepiest scenes in a horror film for quite sometime.
This farily new DVD release from Filmax is certainly a great offering, though for those who understand Spanish, you may want to get the limited edition 2 disc offering they also have made available. For now, this single disc edition in which I viewed is great. Both audio and visually stunning. Audio is wide ranging in terms of subtitles and general audio avaiablities. Spanish audio is either in regular Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS. There is also an English audio as well, though it's best to watch this in Spanish with English subtitles for ful effects. Even though all the extras presented on the disc are in Spanish only, they are still interesting to watch. From the making of, to the trailer and more. If you have a multi-region player, this is not only a disc to grab, but a must see for all you horror fans. Hell, you don't even have to be a horror fan to enjoy this jolt galore ride!
REC
While following the daily route of a local fire department for a nightly TV show, Angela it's host and her camerman Pablo find themselves in luck when a call of distress comes into the station. Only needing to deploy a handful of firemen to the scene, they document the events in which are about to unfold. Seemingly a route call turns into a nightmare, when a stange woman becomes violent and bites one of the policemen on the scene. As the scene becomes frantic, the rest of the crew try to get the injured cop out of the building when without warning, they are quarentined without reason. Trapped in the building, they quickly learn why they are locked in, as some dark secrets awaits to unfold it's blood thrusty craving. Scenes quickly or more like franticly unfold in a series of total chaos. There is no room for rest while watching this teamed effort from two of Spain's most exciting horror directors, Jaume Balaguero (DARKNESS) and Paco Plaza (SECOND NAME). Built on the POV/interview platform, the viewer is treated to a transition into hell with no escape. From a seemingly reality like TV drama to a nightmarish thrill ride. REC brings a fresh take on an often used formula, molding several horror cliches into one huge melting pot of total madness. 
even though many treating us to a scattered frenzy, are very believiable and certainly give REC the added touch. Several scenes especially throughout the second half of the film really pitch the pace up a crap load of notches. One in particular, when Angela and Pablo are trapped in an appartment by themselves, in complete darkness only the camera light shining. They are both in total confusion feeling their way through the rooms and discovering the secrets as to what is going on around them. When the attic door comes crashing down, revealing that they are in fact not along. When the camera's light is smashed and Pablo switches to the night vision, this is where the fun really begins. That and the unfolding of one of the most creepiest scenes in a horror film for quite sometime.
