Reviews

In watching any movie, I demand something for my time. Plot is usually too much to ask, but an ending I can be satisfied with is almost mandatory. I can even over look the ending, if getting there was a lot of fun (you know what I mean!).

This movie had nothing. It was not even a weak gore fest. One of a group of students on a hike (the reason for which was never explained) is possessed by the soul of a demon gladiator (again, poorly if ever explained) and goes around killing his friends and cutting off their limbs (again, poorly explained) until we get to the end, which is not explained. <sigh>

As for acting and effects, this movie had the usual potential. A few extra snips of the scissors, a few more moments of shooting, and _some_ thought as to WHY all this was happening would have gone a long way to making it a legitimate entry into the late-night horror movie lineup.

As it was, all I can say is I wasted my time (buying <ouch>) and watching this movie. I can't even think of a reason to rent it.

I didn't know what to expect when watching this. The summary on the box was somewhat misleading, and I don't like that. I like to have an idea of whether the movie is a drama, action flick, or horror/thriller before hand. This was a drama. About 20 minutes into it I had the distinct feeling of watching The Big Chill, but without the major soundtrack. I had the uncomfortable feeling of being more lost than any of the characters.

9 high school friends are invited up for a weekend, and we are given small cuts into their current lives. The movie gets going once Emily, the planned hostess, kills herself. There are no answers, and not even any questions. But there are lots of split-second vignettes into some "horrible" past event. Unfortunately, the movie sets you up to believe that one, or more, of the people invited were guilty of some major sin against her, or each other. The teaser leads you to believe that perhaps it's a horror film, rather than a very shallow emotional and psychological drama about stunted growth, emotional immaturity, and coming of age -- albeit a little late.

The end does tie it all up, but unfortunately, there was much more potential in this movie than was presented to the audience.

And if you love them, and Tim Thomerson, you'll love this movie. The'sequel' Dollman vs the Demonic toys, is little more than tape together of the left overs of a half dozen other films (and is quite funny in it's own right if you recognize this). But, Dollman is a heroic effort of a miniature intergalactic cop, with a very big gun. If you like these sort of movies, this is a definite "WATCH".

This movie was a foray into the darker sides of men. It was released in the final-wave post WWII 'man hunt' era, and the midsts of human rights troubles in various parts of the world where governments tried to rule by violence. The year of its release '1984' is probably not an accident either.

Unfortunately, this movie quickly fell victim to the 'PC' culture, apparently, and with a few snips of the sissors became nothing but a hollow vision of barely believable evil.

This movie, largely because of the now 'missing' scenes, etched its message deeply upon me the first time I saw it. The second time I saw it, those scenes were gone. And they are not in either of the 2 VHS releases I have.

Playings on both pay and free TV over the past decade have cut out (at least) the first scene where the 'doctor' discusses and demonstrates the differences in torturing men vs women. Without that opening scene, many of the following scenes and much of the movie become pointless depictions of torture without the insights into the deepest 'evil that men do.'

Admittedly, even with those scenes, it was not Charles Bronson's best, yet any movie that etches itself as deeply, and as hauntingly upon the memory is worth seeing at least once, uncut.