A most interesting review falls on my shoulders this evening. The Psychic by Lucio Fulci as released by Severin Films is a movie that has bored me to tears... OR it has stimulated my senses causing extreme enjoyment especially with the amazing score in tow. How could it do both? It's all about when you watch it really. If you watch The Psychic aka Sette Note in Nero sleep deprived, late in the evening and lying in bed you are bound to fall asleep, become bored and eventually feel completely unenamoured with this Italian classic. Even the great Lucio Fulci does not afford the sleepless well. But let's say you get yourself all hyped up to enjoy your first Giallo Challenge film of the year. The Video Nasty Challenge ended. The 1980 Challenge is nearly complete save for a few stragglers. Time to complete the massive 200+ movie endeavor. You go to the next movie on your list and after doing some research you discover that it's Sette Note in Nero. Great. Time to locate, research and enjoy it. Only thing is that after you find it, you realize that you've recently seen it under it's more common, English title. You only truly discover this after watching 30 minutes and loving everything about it. Now this isn't even the first time I had the pleasure of enjoying The Psychic though I will admit that I found it unmemorable in my youth what with Fulci's Zombie riding the boat in my brain into New York City. This last viewing gave me a frame of reference within the Giallo subgenre with which to affix my critical eye. It's a damn good thing too because I didn't want to be mad at a Fulci picture.
I'd like to focus in on the music. That's what I truly loved about the movie though many of the traits I admire about Gialli are present and equally likeable. Composed by Fabio Frizzi, Franco Bixio and Vince Tempera, just a few of the great Italian masters of musical composition in film, the score to The Psychic has become something of a cult favorite. Frizzi created the score to Zombie The Beyond and City of the Living Dead among many others but closely worked with the other two gents mentioned in this article on Four of the Apocalypse by Fulci. It was even noticed by Quentin Tarantino who sought to use a key musical phrase in his Kill Bill picture. Sette Note in Nero means Seven Notes in Black. That clearly demonstrates how important the music is to the film. What's interesting about this is if you watch the movie under the predicate that it is entitled The Psychic, no matter what plot device is used in the picture, you won't focus nearly as firm on the music itself. I can say that having experienced the difference myself. The time of night in which I viewed the picture and context definitely assist in narrowing my focus on the picture, but the title itself changes the entire perspective.
Take a second to focus on the music. Listen to the clip below and get excited. Remember it from Kill Bill even if you haven't seen The Psychic or Sette Note in Nero? Doesn't that make you excited to see The Psychic? That's why the good folks at Severin made it available to us.
Enjoyed that? Now watch Frizzi and the orchestra play it fucking live along with many of his other classic works. This is a special performance. Something that sticks with us all as Fulci fans and by default, Frizzi fans.
This is the full Euro version. It had been previously cut up and now restored. Who knows what we were even watching in the late 80's. You can pick it up from DiabolikDVD Here or through the link below if it's out of stock at Amazon. Make sure to also stop by Severin Films' website to see what's shaking over there and CAV Distributing because they're swell folks too.
Full features aren't many but it does include an interview with Lucio Fulci. Will you enjoy the movie? That depends on how you feel about mysterious movies from Italy with glaringly amazing scores, gorgeous women and killers so masked you might as well call Don Post to figure them out? If you like Italian Horror and/or Giallo give this a try. Maybe have some esspresso first. Maybe two. Maybe don't watch it after a long hard day with the kiddies. Definitely pay attention to the score and see how Tarantino used it in Kill Bill.
-DR. TERROR
Note that the score pictured throughout this post goes for about $130. That's just not fair at all. Make sure you look at Amazon's mp3 option to make it more affordable. Here's the listing in case you're feeling rich (yeah right!). Sette Note in Nero Import.
First off let's plug the everloving shit out of a show happening in the next week or so. Grindhouse Theater as run by some of our friends out in Tacoma (looking at you Justin Giallo) is screening a beautiful print of Pieces. Restored. Awesome. It's at the Grand Cinema, hosted by Joe Bob Briggs (full details on the poster below). If you can attend this you're a luckier man than me and I hate you... or am simply jealous of you. One of my great dreams is to see Pieces on 35mm and I. Keep. Missing. IT! So get out. See the show. Support good friends of Dr. Terror.
Now on to Pieces.
How do you think I feel about Pieces after reading that little intro? Would you say that the Doctor enjoys boobies and blood and guts and fantastic tag lines. It may be exactly what I think it is according to one tag line but Hell, I don't need to travel all the way to friggin' Texas for a chainsaw massacre either. Far out.
From Grindhouse Releasing:
Grindhouse Releasing is proud to present the first official US release of the sickest and most violent of all the early '80s slasher movies. A psychopathic killer stalks a Boston campus, brutally slaughtering nubile young college co-eds, collecting body parts from each victim to create the likeness of his mother who he savagely murdered with an axe when he was ten years old! Pieces is a wild, unrated gorefest, with enough splatter and sleaze to shock the most jaded horror fan.
So if you were previously unaware of Pieces and how brutal it could be, maybe the most important thing you need to realize is that the opening sequence features a young boy putting together a puzzle of a nudie woman, his mom finds him and scolds him and then boom.. she gets hacked to fucking pieces (PIECES) with an ax. I didn't spoil anything. That all happens in the first five minutes. Maybe even the first three minutes. The rest is up to you dear reader, but the reason I mention the puzzle is more important.
There's no bad way to watch and enjoy Pieces. Drunk. Horny. Alone. Masturbating. While Shaving. Eating. Inbetween bouts of sleep. Anyway you watch this you can be sure to enjoy it. So why not have a puzzle making party or simply make your own nudie puzzle while enjoying a movie that fulfills the promise of any and all slasher films of the 1980's before the decade truly began. The whole thing watches like the best Giallo gore movie you've ever enjoyed. Not subtle enough to be Giallo really, but denying that it captures all the quintessential elements would be like denying that a girl with brown eyebrows has dark hair (down there). (Pictures or it didn't happen).
Please follow this link to learn how you can make your own puzzle. We would recommend picking up a classic Playboy or Penthouse to fit the period in which Pieces was shot however Swank, Score, Hustler, debauched deviant torture porn... it'll all work. Just follow the instructions with your favorite spank mag and get puzzling. Remember to have your parents help you with the scissors. Proper scissor safety is always to be enforced (unless you're watch the Dead Zone... then the rules are a bit different).
Now for the lowdown dirty cheat sheet for the lazies (like myself)
The Players: Are pure early 80's gold. This means the look, talk and act like its the 80's (not Valley girls). Expect unplanned moments of humor, melodrama and overacting by any suspected killer. Best actor in the whole thing? It's either the kid who hacks up his mother or the gardner who seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time all the goddamn time.
The Scare: There are moments that will make you jump, but Pieces relies on the gore, gross out and tits.
The B(lood) & G(ore): The perfect blend of practical effects and... EVEN MORE PRACTICAL EFFECTS. The blood is the perfect shade of Crayola and the kills are primo. A movie like pieces helped to define the gore movies of the 80's and after while not giving into the subtlety of true gialli or American slasher films. Creative, violent kills that feel sensual. You're gonna love it. It's exatly what you think it is.
The Ta’s: When I was a youngster the Leonard Maltin review specifically stated that this movie was rated X for gore and blood and obscenity and nudity. They weren't kidding. Naked puzzles. Showers. Topless ladies. You can crank one out and not miss a gore sequence or you can just crank one out during the gore sequence... boobs will most likely still be on the screen.
The Family Plot: You're looking at a "catch the killer" flick. Expect some twists but nothing quite Seven of Fight Club. You get me? Murder mystery horror.
The Finish: Will shock the pants off of you if they aren't off of you already. I strongly advise you to sit through the movie until the end even if you find yourself chafing from masturbating too much (see previous note on boobies).
The Art: The Grindhouse Releasing art actual adopts a slightly different version of the iconic poster than I'm used to. We're used to the chainsaw poster and not necessarily the "man with the wide brimmed hat" poster. There's plenty to read inside in the handsome booklet.
The Tech and Extras:
NTSC Region 1 2 DVD SE Original uncensored theatrical version Spectacular new hi-definition digital anamorphic widescreen transfer Optional Spanish soundtrack with original score by Librado Pastor Special 5.1 audio option - the Vine Theater Hollywood Experience! Never before seen in-depth interviews with director Juan Piquer and genre superstar Paul L. Smith Original theatrical trailer, gallery of stills and poster art Exhaustive filmographies Liner notes by legendary horror journalist Chas. Balun
The Scope: Pieces is a fan favorite. I want to see it on 35mm. Please Northeast corridor, make it happen just one more time for the good Doctor. Fans of Italian or other Euro Horror will appreciate Pieces. Fans of gore. Fans of naked women. Fans of iconic and awesome though underrated music.
You can pick it up either atDiabolikDVD HERE or Amazon.com at the link below (Diabolik first unless they're out of stock!)
Make sure to stop by Grindhouse Releasing to see what new release they'll have coming out soon. Plenty of great titles to go around. You can also stop by CAV Distributing to see what else they're helping to bring to a DVD shop nearest you. Everything from Severin to MYA to Synapse!
-Dr. TERROR For those of you who need to understand the importance of naked puzzles please refer to the following images... Sleep tonight. Pleasant wacking. And for those of you who would deem the images below aren't for those under 18... I saw pieces when I was fucking 13 years old (maybe younger) and I'll be damned if it didn't make me a better person. Nude puzzles are art! To be appreciated and hopefully one day popular and in museums.
That's Pilar Alcon! Google her for more images of her greatness.
I Drink Your Blood from 1972 is a campy little picture that probably can't ask much more of a modern horror audience than to watch it, laugh at it and try not to take it too seriously. There have been movies with more blood, gore and sex. It will not topple your sense or leave you reeling unless you're in the mood for a few laughs. Isn't that what entertainment is all about? It's why Vaudeville worked. It's not just about being scared or enjoying gore or laughing or feeling sexually aroused (watch your flies ladies and germs). I Drink Your Blood has a little bit of everything wrapped in a camp package straight out of the drive-in era (a better time for all of us if you ask me).
The best thing to do with I Drink Your Blood is to pair it with I Eat Your Skin. That's the double bill that I remember seeing advertised most often. That doesn't mean that either movie will complement each other well. The names just work, ya know? If you're gonna pair these movies in a double feature and get your 70's chic, cult classic B fest on, then you might as well serve some food to go with it (and plenty of alcohol). So I'm thinking that you should probably go the dinner and a movie route. Maybe whip up some tomato soup and make some grilled cheese. You can make the cheese uber melty and make it look like skin or dripping flesh. Think The Devil's Rain but don't picture Ernest Borgnine while eating. You'll get a cramp. Blood (tomato soup) Flesh (grilled cheese). Now you've planned a cult classic Martha Stewart evening to be proud of.
Oh and of course remember to watch the movies, but in the background... while you're making out with the young lady or gent you've chosen to bed that evening. That's what the drive-in is all about. That's what couches were made for.
Tech specs courtesy of DiabolikDVD:
New Digital/Audio restoration of the original Four never before seen deleted scenes including the original blood drenched ending deemed too disturbing for '70's audiences Commentary from director David Durston and star Bhaskar On-camera interviews with stars Lynn Laury, Tyde Kierney and Jack Damon Original theatrical trailer and radio spot Extensive gallery of stills and poster art Rare film of Bhaskar performing "The Evil Cobra Dance."
Before we do the quick run down of the flick, you can pick it up either at DiabolikDVD HERE or Amazon.com at the link below (Diabolik first unless they're out of stock!)
Sloppy Review for the MTV Kids
The Players: Cannot act in that way that B flicks of the 70's cannot act. This is typically seen as a comedic and desired trait in movies of this type from this period having titles like I Drink Your Blood.
The Scare: Is. Not. There. But thats not why you bought this movie. You bought it because the title promised a gross out.
The B(lood) & G(ore)::70's crayola blood never gets old, but the gore isn't there. I suppose they didn't call the movie I Drink Your Guts for a reason.
The Ta’s: Yes. Have some. (in Rick Moranis' voice ala Ghostbusters)
The Family Plot: Satanic Cult commits human sacrifices and turns all the locals into followers of the great horned god. It's like setting your washing machine on Normal and expecting new clothes.
The Finish: Finishes. No surprises. It's like watching the Chiefs play football in 2012... who the fuck cares.
The Art: is iconic. It may not be the best movie, but the comicy, blood and gore art lives.
The Tech and Extra: see above from DiabolikDVD. Plenty to look at for the newbie fan but I'm certain that there's not a lot to add to the list of special features out there these days for this cult classic from 72. It's the kind of transfer you'd expect of a movie called I Drink Your Blood (notice a theme here).
The Scope: It's considered one of the horror drive-in greats whih means that you can watch it, say you watched it and feel damn good about having seen it. It'll entertain you if you don't expect a scary movie. It'll make you laugh if you like cheese.
Make sure to stop by Grindhouse Releasing to see what new release they'll have coming out soon. Plenty of great titles to go around. You can also stop by CAV Distributing to see what else they're helping to bring to a DVD shop nearest you. Everything from Severin to MYA to Synapse!
What did I expect from Rob Zombie's latest effort, The Lords of Salem? I firmly believed that the film was going to be a 1980's rehash romp of something between Trick or Treat featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Simmons and perhaps a hint of Bava (because of the mask in all the damn advertising). That's what I thought I was going to get. This simply was not the case. It is something completely other, but more on that in just a minute. Let's disclaim this fucker out so there's no question as to where my loyalties lie.
I'm a fan of all of Rob Zombie's works. I love his music and his music videos. I love every movie and faux trailer he's done. Yes, I enjoyed Halloween II... and Halloween ... and I LOVE House of 1000 Corpses, and I really like Devil's Rejects. This review is biased from the outset. You might as well call me the Rob Zombie Liberal Media here because I'm simply not going to attack this movie. Not that I've heard negative things about the movie though tonight I had stumbled upon some criticism that claimed the movie was a mess. Rob Zombie's shooting style and method of storytelling work for me. It's how I tell stories when I do rough drafts (on post it notes even). I enjoy his use of music and his reoccurring cast members. I think Sheri Moon Zombie is hot. I think she's a great actress though I understand why her style isn't for everyone. I didn't have to enjoy The Lords of Salem, but I did.. there I've said it. I enjoyed this movie. I like everything Rob Zombie does and I liked this effort too. So there's that. Let's get specific about more than a few things. I've had quite a horde of Diet Mountain Dew tonight so bare with me.
I'm not going to spoil the movie so feel free to enjoy this little review.
First off, this movie is a direct homage to everything I adore about European horror movies. The aesthetic seems directly lifted at times and others borrowed, but all lovingly. Zombie is clearly a fan of the classic Italian and Spanish masters. Bava, Fulci, Argento, Franco... they're all on display as well as some lesser known folks. The film feels old though it's clearly shot in modern day. It's definitely not the homage to Trick or Treat that I thought it might be. There are themes that you've seen in the posters for this movie that you can clearly see lifted from the 60's, 70's and 80's in Europe. Most specifically you've seen the poster art of the individual wearing a torture mask used during the witch trials. Striking resemblance to Mr. Bava's Mask of Satan aka Black Sunday right? Has to be. This is purely intentional and fans of this era and this origin of horror are in for a treat. You can play a game finding all the references to early work. The lighting of Argento with the Fabio Frizzi esque score and the lovely ladies of Franco all swirl like autumn leaves in Hell. Favorite "homage/reference"? A character that had me thinking Dr. Freudstein from House by the Cemetery. You can see this in the poster art so I'm not giving too much away there.
I mentioned the score, so let's talk about that for a second. The overall soundtrack is classic Zombie. He plays the game of pulling cult and radio classics from the 60's and 70's in an effort to tell a story and set the mood. It works. Velvet Underground and Lou Reed and of course some Neko. Rush... of course. The actual score for this thing as well as the haunting repeated "song of the Lords" is just brilliant. John 5 of Zombie's band exceeded my expectations for creating powerful soundscapes and dark, hollow cemetery growls alongside Griffin Boice. You'll be feeling extra super prog at times and others, you'll think you might have stepped into the opening oveture to a Cradle of Filth album. Seeing this in the theater was clearly the way to go from the audio perspective unless you have a nice surround sound at home. Crushing the Ritual written by Zombie and 5 and performed by Leviathan the Fleeing Serpent is must listen material for the death metal fans among you. Also, the use of Mozart's Requiem in the trialer gave me goose bumps. It does in fact show up in the movie and gave me... a boner.
My ride home was foggy and the street lights cast auras or halos around each one. It was very similar to how the movie handles lighting. Individual lights that stand out and glow and almost seem to burst through the screen. Color plays an important role in accenting more than one creepy scene and had me thinking Suspiria all the way (a very nice touch). Lots of empty space to play with, dark and shadowy with angles from the bird to the rat. It's as ambitious as I've seen Zombie. The shooting locations are brilliant and these angles and color choices really make use of the surroundings. Having visited Salem more than once when my sister lived there I thought it was all the more haunting to see places that were familiar, lit all a ghost and the boarding house with the feeling of the hotel from The Beyond.
All performances were excellent from Ken Foree to Dee Wallace. Sheri Moon Zombie as the lead is stunning, unclothed often and basically emotive and haunting. There are moments quiet fear surrounded by chaotic mischievous terror that this cast pulls off well. You'll get the laughs you enjoy in other Rob Zombie pictures without said laughs being tossed in your face (say like House of 1000 Corpses just whips it on out). Maria Conchita Alonso from the Running man! Get out of town! I loved seeing her and Patricia Quinn is truly incredible.
For those of you who prefer bullet points:
The Players: Great job by everyone especially Sheri Moon Zombie and Meg Foster. Ken Foree is as funny and talented as ever and no complaints here.
The Scare: Lords of Salem is slow. Slow. Slow... But burning white hot. It's hard to tell when you just feel uneasy or if they chaos is getting to you, but there are moments of tension sure to upset you and a few jump scares that set you up for big punch line at the end.
The B(lood) & G(ore): Practical effects all around used to great effect. There's a scene that I would deem an homage to Cronenberg's The Fly that is particular effective and a bunch of crone witches with interesting body suit and make up. You'll see what I mean.There's one faile for me in this whole thing. One creature/character design that didn't work for me to the point of finding it humorous. It pulled me out of the movie for a short time, but didn't ruin the entire experience.
The Ta’s: We see a whole lotta Sheri Moon Zombie. You also see a whole lotta of some rather interesting women... maybe not necessarily what you might expect but it works. It was reminiscent of the use of nudity in The Shining (as was the use of each day of the week being announced as a chapter).
The Family Plot: You have to pay attention. You'll see were the movie is going but you'll never know how it's going to get there until it leave you with your pants around your ankles. By that point you'll either feel like you got your knob polished or your ass solidly poked. The feeling will be obivous.
The Finish: Powerful ending that I enjoyed full of energy and atmosphere with Natural Born Killer level chaos.
The Scope: Unfortunately this may go down as Zombie's folly. While I enjoyed it I think most fans of Zombie's earlier work will find this inaccessible and aside form the Euro horror fans and faithful devoted, many may find this a bit to artsy for their taste buds. It's an ambitious movie with an original story that pulls from a gaggle of the best horror we know and love. Let's hope people can see that in it and get beyond what some might deem arthouse. Part of me feels like Rob Zombie was able to capture what Ti West was so successful with in House of the Devil. I'll leave that up to you to decide. Maybe it's just the titles and credits.
I'll be buying the Blu-ray upon release and enjoying it hopefully with plenty of commentary from Rob and the gang. I want to know what went into this movie. Now that I've seen it and don't have to worry about it being spoiled I can start to check out some of the interviews and commentary from my fellow bloggers and reviewers. This is not my favorite Zombie movie, but it has the potential to grow into something. There are scenes in this movie that will stick with me for quite some time and music that command me to buy the soundtrack.
It's in limited theatrical release so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for venues.
There was a time in my life that I can safely say that I despised disco music. I preferred heavy metal and death metal and horror punk and... oh wait... all the things I still love, but I sure didn't like disco music. One day I woke up and realized that I was a big fan of My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult and that low and behold they include disco stylings. Now sure they were buried in trash lyrics with some bitchin' guitars and the vocal stylings of some truly goovy dudes and the Sex Bomb Girls, but it was in there. And so I grew an appreciation somewhat organically for disco music. Not all of it. Not popular disco music. Um... underground disco music or at least the music used in the films I adored made in the 1970's that featured catchy, danceable hooks. What does that have to do with The Disco Exorcist? Not a goddamn thing.
The Disco Exorcist isn't a disco movie. It is a movie about fucking. There. I said it. Now you know that it's safe to pick up this movie and jerk off to it. I highly recommend that as your first response. Once you've sullied your tissue box and figured out how to replace the Jergens bottle you just emptied, it's your obligation to go back and watch the film again. Watch it for the humor and the crafty retro grindy feel. Watch it because it's a solid homage to the movies that we love as fans of the neo-deuce age. The generation in search of our own 42nd street.
What's to love: I love the hotties of the 70's which is not limited to but including porn stars. I love em. Real women or at least more real women. The Disco Exorcist has real women! Naked. Hot. Fucking. Ladies, there are also men. I will not speak to their attractiveness, but I can assure you that they're real. The fantasy is over... it's like marriage. If this is the only reason you watch Disco Exorcist that's fine with me, but you'll be leaving a lot on the table.
The Disco Exorcist has some of the best dusty, scratched film effects I've seen in some time. I have no idea if it was mostly shot on film or if these effects were added digitally, but that's the beauty of it. I'm an idiot when it comes to this, but I can usually tell a fake scratch. I know that part of Disco Exorcist was filmed on Super 8 which leads me to believe that this labor of love used real film with real damage. Either way, it adds to the experience.
What's it about? Stud falls in love with bitchin' disco babe. Stud then falls in love with new, porn star disco babe. First disco babe is mondo pissed off-o and goes Voodoo on his yellow tighty whities wearing ass and the asses of several bodacious babe. Effects ensue.
Does that do it for you? It should. It's like a low budget Boogie Nights with more naked people and Beyond the Door level effects work.
Now if you like high budget productions this movie is not for you. If you do not like men and women being treated as sexual eye candy, exploited to perfection and mauled with Crayola red paint... this ain't for you. The Disco Exorcist has an audience that can appreciate it's budget, see past it's budget driven flaws and realize that you can still make a movie that feels like a movie show straight out the Deuce today (unlike Dear God No).
I have a lot to check out after enjoying this movie. Its Director, Richard Griffin, has a whole slew of pictures with names that inspire and wow.
Dr. Frankenstein in a Women's Prison. Atomic Brain Invasion. Nun of That. Beyond the Dunwich Horror.... I need more time in the day. I especially need to check out Dark Night of the Demon House, Griffin's faux trailer for Stephen Romano Presents Shock Festival.
Go pick it up at Wild Eye Releasing's website HERE. Or you can follow the link below if you prefer Amazon.
