VIDEO REVIEW: Godzilla vs Gigan

VIDEO REVIEW: Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things

VIDEO REVIEW: All the Colors of the Dark

VIDEO REVIEW: Blacula

VIDEO REVIEW: Fist of Fury

VIDEO REVIEW: The Harder They Come

VIDEO REVIEW: Solaris

VIDEO REVIEW: The Way of the Dragon

VIDEO REVIEW: Santo vs Frankenstein's Daughter

VIDEO REVIEW: The Case of the Bloody Iris

VIDEO REVIEW: The Red Queen Kills Seven Times

VIDEO REVIEW: Eolomea

VIDEO REVIEW: Night Of The Devils

VIDEO REVIEW: Death Walks At Midnight

VIDEO REVIEW: Tombs Of The Blind Dead

REVIEW: Z.P.G.

Z.P.G.

Director: Michael Campus

Year 1972

Z.P.G., AKA Zero Population Growth, is a wonderfully depressing science fiction film that depicts a future world where birthing children is illegal and punishable by death. Placed in a bizarre society for which population control is the main focus of the government, this film is cloaked in a claustrophobic atmosphere that will literally choke the life out of you as you witness this strained and subdued civilization, which is emotionally repressed beyond belief, struggle to push on amidst such dire of environments. Knee deep in futuristic retro imagery and drowning in despair, Z.P.G. is a science fiction film that is heavy on contemplative themes as it spins a tale so heart wrenching and disturbing, that you’ll want to hug your loved ones after viewing it.

On a distant future Earth filled with pollution and overpopulation, a married couple, Russ and Carol McNeil, struggle to come to terms with the fact that their government has placed a ban on all procreation in order to rein in the overwhelming numbers of the populace. Going against their better judgment, they decide to defy the order and have a child. After the baby is born the real challenge comes into play, for this defiant couple must do everything in their power in order to keep the child a secret or they will all be put to death for their heinous actions against the state. Swimming in paranoia and riddled with mistrust, the McNeil’s catch the attention of their neighbors, the Borden’s, who stumble in on their little secret, complicating an already difficult situation. As the McNeil’s and the Borden’s come to a truce, which results in them sharing the baby and not reporting its existence, the happy union soon turns to jealousy and hate, forcing the McNeil’s to do the unthinkable in order to save their newfound family.

Oliver Reed and Geraldine Chaplin take on the roles of Russ and Carol McNeil, the emotionally desperate couple who long for a child in a child restricted world. Their plight is heartbreaking and Reed and Chaplin do everything in their power to make us feel the desperation that they are going through. With brooding delivery and melancholy disposition, their combined performances replicate perfectly the effects of living in a repressed society in which the powers that be have refused such a natural thing as life itself. The stakes rise considerably after they go through with bringing a child into this oppressed world, and the anxiety escalates to an unbearable pitch as they frantically try to keep their new bundle of joy a secret. During these moments the two actors really soar as they portray their fears of being discovered with fervent realism and unabashed severity. The heightened sense of paranoia in this film is astounding and you really feel the weight of the world on their shoulders, thanks to the genuinely sincere performances of both Reed and Chaplin.

Things quickly come to a head in the storyline when George and Edna Borden come into the picture after discovering the McNeil’s little secret. Don Gordon and Diane Cilento take on the role of the Borden’s and damn do they really ratchet up the tension of the film. Once introduced, the repercussions of what the McNeil’s have done really comes to light and you can feel the movie teeter on the brink as Russ and Carol McNeil plead and bargain with the Borden’s to keep the secret to themselves. The reason this particular moment is so damn effective is because all the actors involved really give it their all in establishing the harshness of the society and the situation they are in. This is a world void of something so natural as the act of birthing and raising a child, and you can feel the longing for this humanistic act in every actor’s performance. In the context of the storyline, the Borden’s are the vilest of villains to ever grace the screen, because we truly come to despise them for what they are putting the main characters through. In retrospect though, you come to sympathize with them somewhat because you can understand the situation that they are in. They want a child of their own and they are desperate to fill the void that not having one has formed within them. When it’s all said and done, the complexities of this horrifying situation is portrayed perfectly by all the actors involved, both good and bad, and I commend them all for bringing such a genuine feel to their roles, which really resulted in me giving a damn on how the story would end.

As for the world depicted in Z.P.G., it is an absolute nightmare brought to life. The Earth as we once knew it is long dead and gone, along with all animal and plant life. The only memories that remain of these now extinct forms of life are housed inside museums and old records, leaving mankind to ponder over what once was. The very atmosphere of this future world is thick with pollution, forcing any being still alive to wear gas masks when venturing outside into the smog filled air. Cities are packed to the gills with throngs of people, all desperately trying to find a place in this savage world, yet living out their lives in loveless abandon. If there was ever a more perfect word to describe the status of this future nightmare it would be, Ghostly. The human race is in shambles and they trudge through life like soulless shells, hoping for a better future but seeing nothing to brighten their spirits on the horizon. It’s a sad state of affairs and the filmmakers have spared no expense in emphasizing the sad truth of this society.

With no punches being pulled, director Michael Campus and crew display a future society where mankind has spent every last natural resource, leaving the Earth a crippled and dying mess. With overpopulation and pollution reaching maximum capacity levels, the filmmakers effectively capture these thematic concepts through spellbinding visuals that literally define the hopelessness of this decaying world. The fog shrouded city streets massed with gas mask wearing citizens, the empty museums filled with artifacts from the once thriving modern age, and the constant feeling of paranoia and despair all add to the overwhelming tone of the movie. As with the visuals, the general story is equally depressing and void of warmth. Even in the most happiest of moments, when the baby is born, we are left with a horrifying feeling that if the McNeil’s are discovered they will be put to death. The film bears a rather heavy burden as it takes all of these depressing aspects in, attempting to tell a humorless story that is destined to end badly for its main protagonists. For that I applaud it. You won’t find a more succinct science fiction tale in which vividly displays a dying earth in the sincerest of ways as this one.

Z.P.G. is an ominous masterpiece that is as fascinating as it is depressing. Forged by the sensibilities of its fellow early 70’s brooding science fiction brethren, this engaging entry is quite a tension filled tour de force. Relying on an expertly crafted world and a no nonsense approach to storytelling in order to establish the mood, this film is an emotionally exhausting experience that absorbs you into the story and makes you care for the lives of the main characters.

Oliver Reed and Geraldine Chaplin are outstanding as Russ and Carol McNeil and their constant struggles to have a child of their own in this devastated civilization are engrossing to say the least. Add on top of that the stupendous efforts by Don Gordon and Diane Cilento as George and Edna Borden and you have yourself a tension driven narrative that never ceases to push the envelope and super-charge the direness of it all. Admittedly this movie is hard to swallow. It is so adamant and effective at realizing its nightmarish world that you might find yourself taken aback by how raw it is, but for a film that truly succeeds in weaving its sordid tale of mankind and its dying years, I would say that it is a definite winner. Zero Population Growth is a devastating science fiction flick that everyone must see. This shit is…..

This is what nightmares are made of my friends.

What a shithole!

Grandpa! Did you poop your pants again!

One of the few happy moments in this film.

I know that face. Get your ass to a bathroom now Oliver!

You disgust me.

Does this futuristic jump suit make me look fat?

What kind of mad man would give a baby a titty twister?

Oh how I hate my robot baby. Shit.... he's right behind me isn't he?

You can take my baby from me, but I'll be damned if you take my turtleneck!

I said leave the turtleneck sweater alone mister!

Dear god.... Nooooooo!

Don't go into the Mist!

Shit! Here comes the Five-O!

We are family. My wife, our illegal baby, and me!

REVIEW: Eolomea

Eolomea
Director: Herrmann Zschoche
Year 1972
 
Eolomea is a wonderful little sci-fi gem that presents its audience with an intriguing mystery set in a society in the far flung future. The film enables the filmmakers to tell an intimate story centered on the notion of love, the mysteries of the unknown, and the sacrifices humankind makes in order to obtain their dreams and conquer the great beyond. With a heavy emphasis on space exploration and the toll that it takes on the brave souls that leave the Earth behind to live amongst the stars, Eolomea is a dreamlike cinematic experience that has a great deal to say, that is if you’re willing to listen and watch it all unfold in surreal and abundant splendor.
 
The film begins with the strange disappearance of eight cargo-spaceships within the vicinity of the orbital space station “Margot”, which has also stopped transmitting. The head of the space council, Maria Scholl, orders for all flights to be grounded until they are able to confirm where the ships have gone and why they’ve vanished without a trace within the range of this sector of space.  With the majority of the space council stumped, one man named Prof. Oli Tal seems to have secret knowledge of the occurrences, and Prof. Scholl makes it her sole mission to get to the bottom of it. What follows is a twisting tale that plunges the narrative back and forth through time, mixing romance, mystery, and futuristic elements to tell an intriguing story about mankind’s sacrifices in their combined pursuit for knowledge. Eolomea is outstandingly obscure, but wholly satisfying in its cerebral approach.

Cox Habbema plays the role of Prof. Maria Scholl, the head of the space council and centerpiece to the film’s narrative. Cox does a tremendous job in this interesting space yarn, and she looks absolutely fabulous as she takes the mystery of the missing spaceships head on. Her character is smart, sexy, and highly capable, yet Habbema injects a great deal of vulnerability into her with the help of some memorable flashbacks that include her interacting with another character of the piece, Capt. Daniel Lagny. Lagny is played by Ivan Andonov and he gives the role a free-spirited edge that not only catches the eye of the viewer’s but attracts the starry gaze of Maria as well. Those moments in which we are allowed to participate in their budding relationship are wonderfully constructed, giving the film an intimate feel that really hits home and leaves a lasting impression. These flashbacks also enable us to feel a sense of disconnection later on in the film, when the two characters are far apart from each other, assigned to their own sections of space and longing to be together again. It’s moments like these that the filmmakers really hit the mark with and it perfectly captures the sense of sacrifice that each space explorer runs up against when taking to the stars.
 
This concept is emphasized even more in the case of Capt. Lagny’s partner and friend, Kun, played by Vsevolod Sanayev. Kun’s back-story tells of a young son named Sima that he left back on Earth. We see in the flashback, Kun fishing with a boy around the age of five and the sequence is shot in a hazy fashion that distills a haunting feeling of lost memories and nostalgic longing. We come to find later on in the film that the boy in the flashbacks, is at present, a man and Kun has missed out on seeing his son grow up because of his duties on the space station. It’s a sad little side story, but one that emphasizes the sacrifice that comes into play when humanity moves out into space and into a new frontier. Sanayev does a stupendous job with the role of the fore longed father, and even though he isn’t the centerpiece of the film, these heart wrenching moments really pack a punch.

Another memorable storyline features a man named Prof. Oli Tal, played by Rolf Hoppe, who presented a project named Eolomea years ago that proposed a mission to an Earth-like planet, but unfortunately never found approval by the space council and therefore was never funded. We are given a look back into this event, not through the use of a flashback like in the other instances, but through the character’s painful recollection of lost opportunities and stagnated progress by result of the political process. If there is an underlying theme to the film, then Rolf Hoppe’s saddened character of Oli Tal would be the poster child of it. His speech, during the closing moments of the film, is very inspirational and heartfelt as they are painfully presented by Rolf in a melancholy overtone that really captures the direness of the moment. Hoppe does an exceptional job in bringing some of the more serious tones of the film to the light of day.
 
With all of these random moments and various characters in the mix, you’d think that the film would feel a little disjointed or convoluted. Surprisingly the filmmakers are able to tie all of these jumbled masses into one cohesive story, one that overlaps an excessive amount, but never gets lost from its end goal. What you have to understand about this film is that it has a great deal to say about the desire of humankind for knowledge, and it sprinkles this heavy dialogue over its entire production in a rather unorthodox way. We jump from different time periods and locations, often within a single sequence, making it rather jolting for those out there that are not prepared or patient enough to see it through, but the underlining theme can be felt throughout these moments and it holds the concept together quite firmly when viewing in hindsight. The best way to describe Eolomea would be that it is an experience. It often at times feels as lost as its characters amongst an overwhelming span of stars, but when fully experienced you begin to see how all of the affected characters played a role in representing the sacrifices that space travel and exploration entail. The film is a lovely rendition of some of science fictions most enduring and intriguing concepts, and it really is a special gem worth tracking down and delving into.

Eolomea, though obscure in presentation and execution, is a rewarding film that sheds some light onto what effects space exploration has on mankind and the sacrifices that come with the territory. The intimate approach that the film has towards its material is refreshing and highly infectious. I couldn’t help but be swept up in the mystery of it all and the interactions that the characters have between each other is magical in the cinematic sense.
 
The overall tone of the film is quite sad, but there is such an abundance of hope throughout the picture that you can’t help but be inspired by the events within the narrative. The heart and soul of the film is to showcase the desire that human beings have in expanding their knowledge while throwing caution to the wind. Eolomea does this in such a memorable way that you can’t help but applaud the unorthodox approach and stupendous result. With a film that tackles love, loss, and the hardships that come with sacrifice and the obtainment of knowledge, you really can’t go wrong with this obscure and surreal flick. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Eolomea is a thinking man’s science fiction film, be that a strange one. Personally, I loved it and I can’t wait to revisit this……

I thought this was a nudist beach? Where the hell are all the chicks?!?!

This retro room is too cool for school.

This tea party sucks.

You wanna play king of the mountain?

Being in space isn't so fun when you have to go to the bathroom.

Man do I hate your space beard.

Lets see if the old hand in the glass of water trick works.
Get ready to pee your pants Danny boy.

God... Thank you for my cool space suit. It RULES!

God... Thank you for my sexy dress. It's SEXY!

Maria is seriously sexy..... seriously.

Shit! I think we took a wrong turn. We're at the Star Wars set!

It's just a paper cut you pansy.

Well it's settled. You're the shittiest robot in cinema history.

Damn man, cheer up.

Come back here with my bike asshole!

We're going to draw a happy little turtle next to this happy little sun.

By God! I think she's getting jiggy with it!

REVIEW: Death Walks at Midnight

Death Walks at Midnight
Director: Luciano Ercoli
Year 1972
 
Death Walks at Midnight is a highly entertaining Giallo film with enough style and substance to entertain any fan of the genre. Directed by Luciano Ercoli, an underappreciated auteur of Italian cinema, the movie tells a thrilling story about drugs, hallucinations, deception, and murder. With an interesting premise and an enthralling cast, Death Walks at Midnight is anything but an average, run of the mill Giallo.
 
The film follows a beautiful young fashion model by the name of Valentina, after she volunteers to test out an experimental drug for some quick cash. While under the effects of the drug, she witnesses a grizzly murder being committed, where the killer pummels a woman in the face with a spiked metallic glove. Fearing for her life, she goes to the police, but unfortunately no one, including the inspector (Carlo Gentili), seems to believe her wild story. To make matters even worse, Valentina begins seeing the killer everywhere she goes, forcing her to come to realize that she is next on his hit list. Will she be able to convince the police before it’s too late or is there a greater scheme at work that not even Valentina can fathom? Be prepared for a Giallo that isn’t afraid to punch the viewer right in the face, with a spiked glove no less.

Nieves Navarro plays the role of Valentina, the hunted fashion model who desperately tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together in this entertaining little thriller. Having recently been introduced to Navarro’s work in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, I knew I was in for a treat. She has that cinematic beauty that literally forces you to take notice and in Death Walks at Midnight, she’s given ample opportunity to show us what she can do with that undivided attention. Her portrayal of Valentina is stunning, and she gives the character so much spirit and energy that I found it impossible to unglue my eyeballs from her captivating and sympathetic performance. Throughout the entire film, Valentina is traumatized to the brink of insanity after being relentlessly pursued by the killer and a few other shady characters that pop up as the movie moves along. Admittedly, it does get a little tedious seeing this woman go through hell over and over again and having no one believe a word she says, but with Navarro playing the lead, she makes it more than bearable and especially tantalizing.   
 
Filling out the male roles of the film are Simon Andreu as Gio Baldi, and Pietro Martellanza as Stefano. Both actors play the same sort of role, with them being attached to Valentina in some way, shape or form. What is also interesting about the two is that they each have the potential to be in on the sick events that are happening to the young model. Gio especially has his hand in the cookie jar, so to speak, because it was under his guidance that the drug experiment was performed, which resulted in Valentina seeing the murderer and then eventually getting mixed up in this horrible situation. Stefano is equally under suspicion, because of his erratic behavior. He goes from being a sweet and caring boyfriend to a raging drunk, in between scenes, and we never really get a real handle on his character’s motivations. The presentation of these two roles is a perfect example of the genre’s use of red herrings and this film has a great deal of capable figureheads. It’s this mysterious aspect of the film that really nails the tone and atmosphere that is needed to pull off a successful Giallo and Death Walks at Midnight does it beautifully.

Not only do we get red herrings from the two characters of Gio and Stefano, but we’re given another exceptional and ambiguous one in the form of Verushka Wuttenberg, played by the lovely Claudie Lange. Her character appears and disappears as frequently and sinisterly as the killer himself, always leaving Valentina questioning the woman’s intentions. Claudie does a great job in bringing a haunting feeling to her role. I’ve seen her in a number of films, with Crossplot being my absolute favorite of her work, and she is anything but brooding and downtrodden in those efforts, but in Death Walks at Midnight she brings a melancholy performance that just screams paranoia and frightened madness. I actually didn’t recognize her at first, so I have to commend her on a masterful job well done.
 
Combined with all of these great characters is an atmospheric quality that Luciano Ercoli blankets the film in. There is an unsettling tone to the movie that is only enhanced all the more by the surreal aspects of the film’s visual approach. The very concept of Valentina seeing a murder while under the influence of an experimental drug is a great comparison to how the rest of the film unfolds, and Ercoli takes this aesthetic and runs with it. The reactions from the various people that Valentina interacts with don’t exactly seem genuine and logical, forcing us to question those people’s loyalty to our forlorn heroine. This is not a technique that is new to the genre, for almost every Giallo film in existence seems to have this specific atmospheric tone when dealing with the characters of their story, but Death Walks at Midnight just seems to do it with an added bit of style. As usual for these types of flicks, the gore is extreme and the violence is excessive, which combines perfectly with the vivid atmosphere and surreal take on the genre. This is definitely one Giallo entry that begs for a wider audience.

Death Walks at Midnight is an exceptionally fun and suspenseful addition to the large output of mystery styled Italian thrillers that came out during this time period. Having Nieves Navarro in the lead only helps to solidify its appeal, but the inclusion of a solid story and interesting characters really raises this movie to the top of the heap of Giallos.
 
With its visceral violence and pension for pain, the movie doesn’t shy away from what makes this genre of films so captivating and raw. With a bloodied spiked glove, the film smashes you in the face with haunting imagery and surrealistic infused moments that take your mind for a whirl, and the fact that the film is wrapped up rather logically in the end (which by Giallo standards is unheard of) makes for another plus. Death Walks at Midnight is a real treat and one hell of a……

Ladies and gentlemen, the lovely Nieves Navarro.

Ready... Set.... Trip Out!

When fist-bumps turn deadly.

I'm freaking out! I'm hotter then hell!

You've got some red on you.

Put down the porno magazine boys, there's a woman present.

Even the killer is reading that damn Hunger Games series.

You can actually just drop me off here...... Weirdo.

So can we actually arrest her for being too hot?

I'll let you go with a warning, but in the future, tone down your hotness.

I'm here and I'm hot! Get used to it!

You look like a jackass in that stupid wig.

Looks like being stalked by a crazed killer isn't all that bad after all.

Get ahold of yourself. I'm hot, but not that hot.

I warned you about being too hot, now I'm going to have to charge you.

This guy gets a little too much pleasure from killing.

Split ends? I think it's time for a makeover. NOOOOO!

Damn you clown gods! Damn you to hell!