The Love Witch

"The Love Witch" (2016, Anna Biller, Oscilloscope Laboratories) is an homage to the 60s technicolor era.

Elaine (Samantha Robinson) is a beautiful young witch turned femme fatale, who uses witchcraft in her bid to find a lover. Unfortunately, her charms and potions never quite strike the balance leaving a trail of lovesick corpses in her wake...

A beautifully crafted film that merges the style, fashions and feel of the 60s era films with a more modern setting. The film also enjoys the randomness of 60s horror with a ridiculous plot and set of characters. The colour palette is very pleasing to the eye. Stylistically this film is outstanding.

Elaine is used as a metaphor for womanhood and man's fear of the powerful woman, but conversely, Elaine is also a weak character; completely narcissistic, self involved and obsessed with finding someone to fawn over her. Her sudden disinterest in any man she wins over and her ongoing thirst for more affection  drives her to enchant and enslave more and more men. But it's a thirst that may never be sated...

Although the plot veers a little too into the obscure style of technicolor/pulp era with a large diversion to a medieval fayre and with a run-time of 120 minutes the shlockiness and purposefully stilted acting do begin to outstay their welcome. However, the style and humour make up for any short comings, and the film overall creates a very memorable impact.

Definitely something different to try this Valentine's Day.

[Image: Oscilloscope Laboratories]

Hani 

Ginger Snaps

"Ginger Snaps" (2000, John Fawcett, Motion International) is a teen werewolf movie.

Death obsessed, misfit sisters, Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins) are terrified of growing up, joining in with normal society and of getting their periods. They much prefer to pose as the recently, horrifically deceased for their school art project and rebel against society's norms (and bullies). Their lives are turned upside down, however, when Ginger is bitten by a werewolf on the first night of her first menstruation. Unfortunately for everyone else, this unlikely happenstance results in Ginger beginning to transform into a rather voracious and sex mad werewolf creature. Firstly she begins to find her sex vixen side by going to class looking like she's going to a goth nightclub, then she begins growing a tale and hungering for fresh meat.

Yep, this movie is not very classy but it has all the hallmarks of a great werewolf movie and is a fun film in general. Firstly, it's about two entertainingly misfit teens. These girls are just weird; creative and weird. Their relationship is something different from most siblings (they have a suicide pact for a start!). We also get to enjoy Katharine Isabelle (one of today's most diverse and entertaining horror honeys, in my opinion) doing what she does best; funny dialogue and gore. Thirdly, the effects are admirable and the plot is nice and quick and interesting.

There's little nods to American Werewolf, the Howling and other sub-genre favourites and the soundtrack caters right into my tastes: Hatebreed, Machine Head, Killswitch Engage and yes, I'm even fond of a bit of Cradle of Filth now and again.

The characters are good. I care about them. They're real. Even the whacky mum is adorable.

So while, yes, it's not classy horror fare and it's definitely catered more to the teen gore shelf, "Ginger Snaps" is a gory, violent and sassy lycanthrope film that captures some of the anxieties of the teen girl going through "changes" in a tongue-in-cheek, blood spattered way.

[Image: Motion International]

Hani

Nymph

"Nymph" aka "Killer Mermaid" aka "Mamula" aka "Dark Sea" (2014, Viktorija Film, Talking Wolf Productions) is a film from Serbia about, you guessed it - a killer mermaid!

Many thanks to fellow Blogger, Christopher Zisi who drew my attention to this film with his glorious review (which can be found here: http://zisiemporium.blogspot.cz/2014/12/killer-mermaid-montenegro-nights.html) <- Check it out!

Not a film to disappoint, our first scenes are of a very beautiful couple having a road trip; smooching here, there and everywhere and then getting a bit frisky by the sea. Beautiful people, toplessness and bikinis are consistent themes in this film.

Then we meet our villains: a *sometimes beautiful* man-eating mermaid and her accomplice... with his fishhook.

The actual plot follows two women, Kelly (Kristina Klebe) and Lucy (Natalie Burn) who are old college mates on holiday in Montenegro to meet up with old flame and college mate, Alex (Slobodan Stefanovic) and his (much to their disappointment) fiance, Yasmin (Sofija Rajovic).

While out and about they also happen upon Yasmin's hot pal, Boban (Dragan Micanovic), who convinces the crowd to check out an old abandoned prison, located on its own island just out of distance of the mainland. Despite being warned to steer clear of the place by a local the crew head on out there anyway, intent on taking photos and having a good time.

Much to their horror, they find that they are not the only ones visiting the island that day and are dismayed and intrigued to find a man emptying buckets filled with human remains into a well that appears to house a beautiful young girl. The gang decide to save her.... Big mistake.

A very beautiful film, the scenery is glorious and the actors are all very pretty as well as being actually able to act - which is unusual in a straight to DVD film.

The special effects are surprisingly impressive. Despite being clearly CGI, the mermaid's tail is very sleekly done and the movement of her in the water is enough to rival some much bigger budget films.

While the plot is pretty standard B-movie fayre, the story keeps going and has a few gory bits to keep you intrigued. I also enjoyed the mermaid's 'true face' and her siren-abilities to sing and draw only the menfolk to their grisly deaths.

A good ol' bitch fight at the end also acts as a good pay off.

Giving you exactly what it says on the box "Nymph" is just what I wanted out of a killer mermaid flick!

[Image: Viktorija Film]

 

Hani

 

Frankenstein Created Woman

"Frankenstein Created Woman" (1967, Hammer Film Productions, Warner-Pathé, 20th Century Fox, Optimum Releasing, Terence Fisher) is the fourth Hammer Horror Frankenstein feature and it is one of my favourite Peter Cushing films. I'm watching it today to celebrate what would have been his 100th Birthday. Happy Birthday, Peter Cushing you were an excellent actor and a gentleman!

The film opens to a guillotine and the beheading of a father while his young son, Hans looks on.

Fast forward several years and Hans (Robert Morris) is now a young man working for Dr. Hertz (Thorley Walters) and assistant to Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing).

Frankenstein has developed his work of 'giving life' much further than his previous patchwork creations and is now dabbling with the more spiritual theories of the soul. He has found that the soul remains intact after death and can be restored after life. Yep, ol' Frankie's outdone himself with his new bolt-free creations!

After a series of unfortunate events and general mishandling of situations, feisty young Hans is sentenced to the guillotine for a murder he did not commit. Facing the same fate as his father, Hans cannot explain that he has an alibi because he was making love to the local barmaid, the disfigured but kind Christina (Susan Denberg), a love interest he has been barred from pursuing by Christina's father. Plus who would believe a murderer's son over the word of three snobby young toffs with lots of cash?

Christina is too late to save Hans from his fate and, in despair, she commits suicide inadvertently providing Frankenstein with two fresh bodies to experiment on! But, perhaps the Baron's scientific theory is not fully correct...! Could his beautiful new scar-free creation be just as much a monster as his last attempts?!

Cushing delivers a cold and calculating Dr. Frankenstein who is witty, clever and driven. His Dr. Frankenstein character is always the best in my opinion!

Susan Denberg also excels in her role switching from sweet and innocent bar wench to sultry vixen to crazed lady.

A fun little Hammer Horror with a nice alteration to the usual Frankenstein story and some really lovely decapitation scenes filmed in characteristic Hammer fashion; showing little while letting your imagination fill in the gaps with some dripping blood here and there.

If you haven't seen this film yet, I recommend giving it a try from some old school Hammer viewing.

[Image: Hammer Film Productions]

Hani