Horror Movie Empire.com Reviews

    Film student Giulio (Elio Germano) becomes suspicious of his beautiful neighbor Sasha (Elisabetta Roccetti) of being involved in her mother’s death when he realizes how closely the whole situation resembles the plot of the Hitchcock film Strangers On A Train, and his curiosity may be the death of him.

    This isn’t Dario Argento’s worst film but it isn’t his best either. In fact it’s not even a film it’s a made for TV movie.There are definitely problems with the screenplay as to why certain characters behave the way they do since it can defy all logic at times and certain parts of the film, such as the very beginning, really make no sense at all. You can figure out pretty early on who is the murderer so there really is no surprise at the end despite Argento trying to make us take a different path. So, if you are looking fo a mystery in which you can’t guess the ending at all then this probably won’t be the film for you to watch.

    Dario Argento and Franco Ferrini, who have collaborated many times before in such films as The Church and Opera, direct this. Unlike those two films though this one falls a bit flat in the originality department. it’s quite obvious that this film is a tribute to Hitchcock and it contains elements from Strangers On A Train, Dial M For Murder and Rear Window. Some of those elements though made the lead character Giulio seem kind of creepy. Not only does he spy on his neighbors with binoculars he likes to stare at his half naked female neighbors quite diligently. Do Italian women like to parade half naked in front of their open windows or is this just something that happens in this movie? Anyway, instead of Giulio being sympathetic he really comes across as a stalker because he is spying on and following about the two women who he suspects of the mother’s murder. The other main problem I have with this film is that certain actions of the characters don’t make sense at all. Arianna (Cristina Brondo) puts her life in danger in order to catch the murderess in the act? I realise that it’s a homage to Grace Kelly in Rear Window, but I don’t think the Kelly’s character in that film would have done something so stupid. Then there is the whole first scene. I understand that it connects Giulio’s present behaviour to that of when he was a child, but what he witnesses makes no damn sense! After watching Mother Of Tears, and seeing Argento’s portrayal of witches in that film, I’m guessing that’s what the women he see’s slaughtering a chicken are supposed to be. Who the hell knows though!

    Do You like Hitchcock is of course directed by Dario Argento and while it is not in the style of his best films it looks perfectly acceptable. I sense from watching this though that Argento’s directorial style has become more and more lazy throughout the years, so if you are looking for something totally original when it comes to that in this film you aren’t going to see it. For some reason he has a real fixation on door locks in this. I mean seriously, he shows us closeups of lock mechanisms locking and unlocking several times. I think the best filmed scene in this is when Giulio is making a quick getaway from being caught spying on some people and he stumbles about with his scooter in the rain. Even though it looks really nice, with all the rain and thunder, just the fact that he is trying to start his scooter while dragging his broken leg behind him is kind of funny I’ll admit. It might have to do with the dubbing though because the moans and groans sound really fake and almost sexual. I also like that the building where the murder occurs has an outside staircase that it surrounded bya glass structure. Seeing various characters go up and down them is kind of voyeuristic. Since there is only one murder, and another death, in this film it really doesn’t have that much blood and guts in it.

    Elio Germano is okay as Giulio but I feel that his performance can be a bit over dramatic at times, especially when the character interacts with the mother played by Elena Maria Bellini. My goodness is that woman annoying! If I had a mother like that I would move to the other side of the country and lose her phone number! There is no way in hell that an actress could think that such over reaction type acting can be a good thing so I am partially blaming Argento for this performance. I think he wants her to act like a loving mother but she comes across like a smothering ‘helicopter’ type parent. Then there is Giulio’s girlfriend, Arianna (Cristina Brondo), who is also annoying as all hell. Do you see a pattern here? Almost every single character in this film is annoying and the actors pretty much all overact except for Chiara Conti who plays Federica. I really like her because she plays the role calmly and more believably, which actually makes you feel quite sorry for her and the awful situation she finds herself in.

    If you love Argento’s earlier films you’ll be disappointed by this, but on the other hand if you think that The Card Player and Mother Of Tears are awful then you’ll probably like this. Bloofer Lady thinks it’s okay but is still disappointed that Argento has become complacent with just being average.

You can buy Do You Like Hitchcock?

Bloofer Lady
Horror Crypt

    Gioia (Serena Grandi) is an ex-model turned girlie magazine owner who seems to be the focus of attention when it comes to some gruesome murders happening to those around her. Is she going to be next or will the sadist be killed and stopped in time?

    Delirium is a pretty gosh darn good giallo and has plenty of boobies and gore to keep the attention of people with some really bad cases of ADD. The screenplay itself isn’t bad and I while watching it I couldn’t quite guess who the murderer was until towards the very end. I generally like Lamberto Bava’s films and this one is no different.

    The screenplay is written by Gianfranco Clerico and Daniele Stroppa and it has enough twists and turns to make it interesting, plus some really oddball characters. Gioia has this really strange neighbor in a wheelchair named Mark (Karl Zinny) who witnesses the first murder, and it’s shades of Rear Window, except that he’s really creepy and keeps calling her on the phone. Why she puts up with him, I have no idea because in my opinion the guy needs to jack off to some porn videos or something. Then there is Flora (Capucine) who discovered Gioia when she first become a model. She’s a really bitter lesbian who wants to buy Pussycat, Gioia’s girlie mag, from her and who has her assistant walking around her house half naked. I guess that’s what makes the story realy interesting are these weirdos because I don’t think that the story would be as interesting without them. The reasoning behind the killer’s motive is pretty damn twisted, but perhaps a little understandable at the end once you learn more about the background of Gioia. I can appreciate the fact that they actually give some reasoning to it rather than just some random masked person going around offing people. Interestingly, Clerico also wrote New York Ripper and the Cannibal Holocaust. The second one I don’t recommend at all so don’t even go there!

    Lamberto Bava shot some very interesting and very strange scenes in this film. Every single time the killer is stalking a victim everything turns red, as if his anger is clouding his judgement. Not only that but two of the victims also have strange faces only seen by the killer right before they go after them. I think it’s some sort of symbolism for the killer and what they represent according to them. I suppose it reflects their neurosis pretty well, but it’s quite strange seeing somebody walking about with a giant eye for a face. There is one dream sequence involving Gioia, Mark, and what I think is a magic wand. If you don’t know what one is look it up and get back to me. Found out? Good! I must say that I have never seen one used in a horror film before and the whole scene being filmed in the blue light of the wand is kind of hot I must admit. Yes, Bloofer Lady has some issues! The effects are pretty good and there is a good amount of gore, my favorite scene including it is when some blood from a certain injured ‘private part’ pumps onto poor Gioia. If I was a guy I might now like that scene as much I suppose!

    Make no mistake Serena Grandi has a nice pair of tits but she can actually act, so that makes feeling sorry for Gioia rather easy. That’s really important because if the poor dear had a case of the Keanu Reeves then the whole plot wouldn’t work at all. There are quite a few familiar faces in this if you watch a lot of Italian gialli or horror films. David Brandon, who plays gay photographer Roberto, is also in Stage Fright. His character is a pretty likable guy but I didn’t guess that he is supposed to be gay at all until we are told he is. I really shouldn’t have to tell you what the hell else Daria Nicolodi has been in besides playing Evelyn in this. This character isn’t really any different from all of the other characters she has played and I have begun to notice that she uses the same gestures in every single role. No, really she does! Do I have too much time on my hands to be noticing such a thing? Quite possibly! Karl Zinny, who plays the pervy Mark, is also in Demons, which of course is yet another Lamberto Bava film. He really looks like he is enjoying himself playing Mark, perhaps a bit too much. He’s really heavy handed with the smirk and attitude and by the end of the film so I really want to kick him in the nuts for being an obnoxious twat.

    Well, Bloofer Lady thinks that Delirium is a lot of fun despite, or because, of the wacky characters and boobies. It makes me want to get a new bra and second guess the perversity of adolescent males in wheelchairs.

You can buy Delirium at Horror Movie Empire.

Bloofer Lady
Horror Crypt

1931 Universal

    Conde Dracula (Carlos Villarias) travels to England and has poor innocent Eva (Lupita Tovar) under his evil spell. Will Professor Van Helsing (Eduardo Arozamena) stop Dracula in time to save Eva and the worls from an unspeakable force?

    Bloofer Lady can’t help but compare this story of Dracula to the English version, and I have to say that this film is a far superior production of the same tale. There are more imaginative shots, and added scenes which explain things much better than in the other film.

    The Spanish adaptation of the screenplay is done by Baltasar Fernandez Cue and he really put some sexuality to it that was previously missing. This really adds a lot to the movie, because after all Conde Dracula isn’t after Eva for purely innocent reasons. One scene that really surprised the heck out of me is the one in which Renfield (Pablo Alvaez Rubio) is actually shown being attacked by the three brides of Dracula instead of Dracula ordering them away from him. Just the suggestion of them attacking Renfield was good enough for the American version, but I think that actually showing of this event tells the audience that Renfield is in big trouble, and that he goes crazy for a very good reason. In other words it helps the character arc of Renfield immensely. The inclusion of a tiny scene showing Van Helsing and Harker (Barry Norton) exiting a graveyard after staking Lucy ends the problem of wondering what the heck happened to her in the other film. There is also more of an explanation in this film as to what vampires are and what they do, which makes sense since the average person back then probably didn’t know what the heck one was.

    Dracula is skillfully directed by George Melford, and instead of looking static like the other film he actually uses different angles and allows the camera to move and follow the characters. One very good scene is when the camera sweeps up the stairs during Dracula’s entrance when he first greets Renfield. It makes Dracula seem more omnipotent and gives his evil more of a presence. Every single time Dracula exits his coffin a bunch of fog streams out of his coffin and he is lit from below. I actually like this effect much more than Dracula being lit right in the eyes as in the other version, because it doesn’t look as melodramatic. The sexuality of Eva is shown in part by her more revealing wardrobe. Instead of being covered up she has cleavage and bobbies. I guess the Spanish speaking audience was thought to be able to handle this without fainting from the shock of it all. Also, during the scenes in which Eva is being ‘taken’ by Dracula, and in any scene discussing him, her hair is down around her shoulders. The symbolism in this is that she is becoming more wanton and sexual because Dracula has her in his grasp.

    Carlos Villarias looks like he is suffering from the effects of rigor mortis every single time he smiles or grimaces in this and like Lugosi’s turn as Dracula, the effect can be quite comical. It’s like he tries so hard to be menacing that it just comes across as anything but. Renfield, as played by Pablo Alvarez Rubio, is out of control with his madness in this. The character doesn’t seem like he is in control at all, which makes him a bit unbelievable. I think that there is a method to the madness of the character of Renfield in the book that can be hard to translate to the screen. My favorite performance is by Lupita Tovar as Eva Seward. She comes across as very innocent which really fits the role of the character well. Eva’s descent into a wanton hussy is much more believable because of this. If she started out more worldly, like in the other version of Dracula, I don’t think Tovar’s performance would come across quite so well. The look in her eyes every single time she looks at Conde Dracula really screams abandonment of the character’s pure past. I don’t think American censors would have stood by and let her performance stand as it does in this film.

    Bloofer Lady thinks that the Spanish version of Dracula is a far superior to it’s English counterpart. If you haven’t seen it I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the use of sexuality in it.

You can buy Dracula here

Bloofer Lady
Horror Crypt

    Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) travels to England to spread his evil, and while there he becomes attracted to Mina Seward (Helen Chandler). Soon her eternal soul is in peril, and the famous metaphysical professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) must use all of his power to save her.

    Dracula looks very dated and hasn’t aged very well at all. This is due to a combination of things such as the film being adapted from a play and it being an early talkie film. I realise that I may be shooting the sacred cow by saying this, but all in all I find this version of Dracula to be sadly lacking.

    This film is based upon the play Dracula, which was written by Hamilton Deane and John Balderston. Garrett Fort adapted the play into a screenplay, and in my opinion, was only partially successful at it. Because of the stilted dialogue it feels like a play instead of a movie, which really dates the film badly. The characters in this are named differently than in the novel and there are many questions which are left unanswered. Mina’s father is Dr. Seward (Herbert Bunston) in this and Renfield (Dwight Frye) travels to Drcaula’s castle to get him to sign the papers for purchasing Carfax Abbey instead of Harker (David Manners). It can be a bit confusing at times and I have to stop and think once in a while while watching this about exactly who is who. For some odd reason Renfield keeps escaping from his cell and interrupting the other characters telling them certain things that move the plot forward. It seems rather convenient and just a little contrived. Then there is the question of what the hell happened to Lucy exactly? The last that we hear of her she is wandering about sucking the blood of little children and is called by them ‘The Bloofer Lady’. If she is still wandering about then that would be quite the thing, wouldn’t it?

    Todd Browning is given the credit for directing this film, even though it is pretty widely known that Karl Freund did the camerawork. I feel that the best looking scenes in this movie are in Dracula’s castle and in Carfax Abbey. These particular scenes are very atmospheric and quit spooky. My favorite is when Renfield approaches a giant spiderweb that looks undamaged even though Dracula had just somehow walked through it. The web is made with rubber cement that was sprayed from a rotary gun, but my goodness it looks very well done! However, there are certain things in this film that look pretty terrible. Every single time the bat of Dracula flies around I can see the string moving it quite visibly and there are armadillos crawling about Dracula’s castle in the beginning of the film. Then there is the whole problem of there being barely any music in this. this is due in part to Browning having directed silent films before he made Dracula. Since this is the case there are huge gaps in this film in which there is no sound at all, which diminishes the creepiness factor quite a bit for me.

    Bela Lugosi is so incredibly stiff in his role as Dracula that I just can’t take his performance completely seriously. He is only one of two stars in this who was also in the play and that could be part of the problem right there. His voice in itself isn’t the problem, it’s the way that he delivers his lines. It’s like he’s performing for an audience in a theater and being very over dramatic while doing so. The best actor in this is Dwight Frye who plays Renfield brilliantly. In fact I would have to say his version of the mad character is probably the best ever on film. The moment you hear his laughter you have no doubts that Renfield has gone totally insane! Edward Van Sloan is the other actor who originally starred in the play and he’s pretty good as Van Helsing. Also, Helen Chandler plays Mina pretty well. She in fact has one of the best scenes in the film, the one in which she describes her dream of being attacked in the night. It’s very effective and she comes across perfectly as a damsel in distress who needs to be rescued. Everybody else is adequate enough, but I have a huge problem with the accents, or lack of, in this film. The majority of it takes place in England yet most of the people in it either sound completely American or slip in and out of English accents. I actually find this to be really annoying, and it took me out of the film quite a few times.

    This version of Dracula may be considered a classic by many but Bloofer Lady finds it to be very flawed and not as great as it is hyped to be. Even though that is the case I feel that it is an important film in the history of horror cinema and should be watched by everybody.

You can buy Dracula here

Bloofer Lady
Horror Crypt