Change Your Image
videodead2000
Reviews
Onna dorei-sen (1960)
Tame, but fun
In WWII, our hero is sent on a vital mission: to steal the secret of radar! He doesn't get very far, as he is almost immediately shot out of the air and finds himself on the FEMALE SLAVE SHIP! While the title implies some hot and heavy sex slave action, the film is actually much closer to an American serial from the 40's. At least every eight minutes, there is either a fist fight, a gun fight, or both. The characters are all laughably stereotypical: The deceptive, opportunistic slave woman who will stop at nothing to get ahead, the virginal, "let's all get along" girl who was tricked into prostitution, the manly-man hero who insists on jeopardizing his vital radar mission to save the slave girls...they're all here. As for the sex part, well, there isn't much. Being from 1960, this movie is tame enough to be on the 700 Club. There is a cat fight. There is a slave auction. A woman does have her dress ripped off (only to reveal a full length slip. D'oh!). Mostly, though, this is just too tame for even the most sheltered twelve-year-old. That's not to say that I thought the film was a total bust (despite the lack of bust); I found it to be a pleasant enough time waster. It moved along at a brisk clip, and has an enjoyable girls-with-guns finish (and I'm a sucker for girls with guns). It's not a bad way to spend 90 minutes, but you might not want to break the bank picking it up, either.
Iki-jigoku (2000)
A sick one not to be missed
I've been around the horror block a few hundred times. I've literally seen a few thousand horror films from every corner of the world. I actively seek out the sickest films on earth, and had thought myself hopelessly jaded. Now, for the first time in years, I find myself genuinely shocked. Of the thousands of horror films I've seen, Iki-jigoku ranks in the 10 sickest of them all.
An excruciating examination of cruelty and insanity, this film makes Make Them Die Slowly look like The Jungle Book. A very cringe inducing mother and daughter team, with amazingly reserved glee, torture a wheelchair bound young man in his own (apparently very well soundproofed) home. With each new scene, I would grind my teeth in dread and anticipation as new and more wretched horrors were visited upon our long suffering (and suffering and suffering) hero.
About an hour into the movie, things take a completely insane turn. Humor darker than a cosmic black hole permeates the films decent into total madness.
If this were a lousy film (and lets face it, most horror films are), I would have still been pleasantly appalled. However, this movie was actually GREAT! The cinematography was creative without drawing too much attention to itself, the lighting was damned perfect, and the performances were absolutely believable.
Those who are not truly horror film junkies will undoubtedly not understand, but if you are among the converted, SEE THIS FILM, even if you have to watch some third generation dub like I did (far be it from Americans to release something this bold).
I have just one question: are the Japanese the only people on the face of the earth who can create REAL horror movies anymore?
Lo spettro (1963)
Eerie, Atmospheric Italian Horrors
Barbara Steele is great as the conniving wife of Dr. Hitchcock in this, Freda's sequel to The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock. She conspires with Dr. Hitchcock's physician (who is also her lover) to do away with her old, sick and wealthy husband, which leads to the old revenge-from-beyond-the-grave storyline. While clichéd and (mostly) predictable, this film remains a must-see for fans of atmospheric horror and, in particular, Italian horror films of the 1960's. Riccardo Freda's excellent work combining lighting, sound and camera movement creates an eerie and foreboding atmosphere which overcomes the films weaknesses and gives healthy punctuation to the films shocks. This movie is well worth tracking down, and is certainly deserving of wider recognition than it has thus far received.