Short reviews of weird movies

[Kothar]

Venganza suicida

Mexico 1987

Director: Julio Ruiz Llaneza

Cast: Patricia Rivera, Roberto 'Flaco' Guzmán, Bruno Rey, Roberto Montiel, Ariadna Welter

On Christmas Eve, the family of Elena(Patricia Rivera) is attacked by a gang of sick psychopaths. Elena is raped and beaten. The bandits kill her mother, sister and also the handicapped brother. Some time later, Elena goes to a facial surgeon and lets change her face. She also learns martial arts, knife throwing and handling of all kinds of guns. She want to find and kill the murderer of her family. Along the way, she will always be crazed, because she kills not only the criminals, but also all who are in her way, yes she even shooting down her old housekeeper. When the police want she to arrest, it comes to a big gunfight.

And another extreme exploiter from mexico. Is this a female version of Death Wish? Or should we rather compare the film with Abel Ferrara's Ms 45. Regardless, because the film is one of the best rape / revenge movies, at least from Mexico. When Elena proceeds to act, she used except guns, chainsaws, drillers, irons and knives. In a scene is one of the thugs in an underground parking poured over with gasoline from elena and burned. The burning man running through the garage and is also run over by car from elena. And if at the end the house of Elena is under siege by the police, and Elena all alone competes with a huge armory of weapons against the entire police team, may be called even a female Rambo.

[Kothar]

Nenek Grondong

Indonesia 1982

Director: M. Sharieffudin A.

Cast: Farida Pasha, Muni Cader, Rully Frans, W.D.Mochtar, Alicia Djohar, Connie Sutedja

A small village is haunted by an evil female spirit. They call him Nenek Grondong and preferably, it takes young children and sucks blood from babies or pregnant women. A family suffers especially from the attacks. Her little son is kidnapped by the ghost, but returns as a demonic creature terrorizes the family. A young Islamic scholar finished the spook.

This Indo horror film was during the heyday of Indonesian horror end of the 70s to the early 80s. You can see it in the movie too. Here are all the ingredients gathered, which should make known this movies. Bizarre rituals, disfigured faces,magical duels, ghosts, exploding body, flying heads and others. During this time, many indonesian movies were influenced by the Hong Kong horror movies from this time. Already in the first five minutes you can already see how by magic a child body is taken out of the grave and a priest is impaled by a grave stone. And this is only the prelude to a rather confused story around a evil ghost which kidnapped children to drink their blood and then send they as demonic creatures back.
In contrast to the Hong Kong films, where taoist monks fight against evil, here are islamic clerics, but also martial arts masters.

[shootgringoshoot]

looks great!

all the gory parts seem to be cut out of the betamax version I had!

[Kothar]

Ang Panday
translated: The Blacksmith

Philippines 1980

Director: Ronwaldo Reyes

Cast: Fernando Poe Jr., Max Alvarado, Liz Alindogan, Paquito Diaz, Victor Bravo

The country is being terrorized by the evil Lizardo (Max Alvarado). Many have tried to break the power of evil, but they have all failed. But there is a prophecy that will come a Saviour, who defeat Lizardo.
The blacksmith Flavio (Fernando Poe Jr.) who is forced to identify children with a branding iron is made to fight back against tyranny. One day he sees a meteor strike near his hut. From the material of the meteor he forges a dagger with which he can fight the evil. In the battle the dagger in a magical way grows into a mighty sword.
Together with his friends, the old man Tata Temio ( Lito Anzures), the little boy Lando (Bentot Jr.) and the young Monica (Liz Alindogan), he goes on a dangerous journey. The small group must survive many dangers. Battles against human opponents are also there as battles against shape shifters, bloodthirsty monsters, vampires and zombies. And at the end of the journey awaits the fight against Lizardo himself.

Ang Panday is the first in a series of movies about the popular superhero "Ang Panday" which was created based on a comic book by Carlo Caparos. For the fact that it is popular, says the following. It was followed by three sequels in the 80s. Two movies in the 90s followed and in 2009 came out a remake, which has now got already two sequels.
More here: http://www.superheroeslives.com/internatio..._%281980%29.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ang_Panday_%281980_film%29

The film begins a little tough and has so its lengths. Until Flavio has the dagger are about 50min elapsed. But then the movie comes to a good speed. There are also some nice atmospheric shots and creepy scenes. The attack of the bloodthirsty monsters on the sea reminiscent extremely of the Blood Island movies. Another scene, as the small group wants to stay in old ruins, and zombie like creatures suddenly come out of the ground is scary and also made exciting, and could well come from an Italian zombie movie. Not bad is also the scenes as the little Lando is tracked from a flying vampire woman through a cornfield.
Only the finale, the battle against Lizardo in the desert is a bit disappointing as completely unspectacular.
Overall, I find this old version of this fantasy stuff much better than the remake from 2009.
This has nothing to do with nostalgia, but the 1980 movie still has the old school charm of handmade effects, has to offer some good atmospheric scenes and is also kept relatively bleak.
The remake is indeed full of action and brightly colored, but looks with its cheap CGI effects such as one of these SciFi Channel or Asylum productions, also is more suitable for children and trimmed funny, has an unnecessary love story (is not in the original film) and the monster look not dangerous, but rather laughable.

[Kothar]

Pagbabalik Ng Panday

Philippines 1981

Director: Ronwaldo Reyes

Cast: Fernando Poe Jr., Rosemarie Gil, Max Alvarado Tina Revilla, Lito Anzures

The evil Lizardo is back. The witch Bruhilda (Rosemarie Gil) brought him back and promptly take eerie events take their course.
A village is attacked by undead creatures and all the inhabitants are killed. Flavio and his friends must once again goes on perilous journey to destroy Lizardo and his creatures.

The second film about Ang Panday is impressive in several respects. There is more action, more enemies, more monsters than in the first movie. Again, there are some really eerie scenes like in the first film. One, for example, as the small group at Flavio come in a seemingly abandoned village. Suddenly appear from all sides figures in black robes.
Among these hide horrible zombie like creatures. With the robes and the horrible masks might think it have to do with Andrea Bianchi's "Le Notti del Terrore". Another creepy scene is when the little Lando is startled in a hut by several ghosts. In a rocking chair holding a ghostly apparition, two hands without a body playing a piano and a flying coffin followed him through the house. At the end a vampire woman rising from the coffin, but can be destroyed by Flavio with the dagger. (The vampire woman looks funnily enough, exactly like the vampire woman in the first part). Also well done are still Flavio fighting a water monster and the duel at sea against the witch Bruhilda. Also of interest are the newly added bird people who help Flavio in the fight against Lizardo. But as in the first film, I think the finale is not particularly. Although Flavio fights only against incredible masses of enemies, but Lizardo is not to fight, but rather fled. He is then killed by the bird people.
All in all very good fantasy story that comes not as childish as the remakes today.
Even here there is a remake was created 2011. But like in the first film the remake can't stand up the comparison with the original. To infantile, childish, oversaturated and soulless is here the remake in comparison to the old movie, said at least something can show such atmosphere, tension and mood. Unfortunately, the movie is on Youtube only to a very modestly quality available, so it was difficult to make decent screenshots.

[bdc]

I really love your reviews!

[Kothar]

Thanks bdc

[Kothar]

Demonwarp

USA 1987

Director: Emmett Alston

Cast: David Michael O'Neill, Pamela Gilbert, Billy Jayne, Colleen McDermott, George Kennedy, Michelle Bauer, John Durbin

End of the 19th Century a priest is walking in the wide forests. Suddenly a kind of comet crashes in front of him in the forest. Intrigued, he goes to the crash site.
Cut. Present. A cabin in the woods. Billy Crafton (George Kennedy) has visited. His daughter is staying at his house. Suddenly, the two are attacked. A kind of Bigfoot rushes into the hut, knocks Billy out and kidnapped his daughter.
Then a few young people come to the hut. One of the teenagers has an uncle, which have heard the cottage. The teenagers meet on Billy, who warns her of the monster that haunts the woods. As always in such movies no one believes him until it's too late. The monster attacks again and kidnaps one of the youths. The others make on a perilous searching, because the Big Foot monster is not the only danger that lurks in the woods.

And what are that to others dangers, and what the priest from the beginning plays yet for a role, that must the viewer to find out at their own risk.
Oh. My God. Mega Trash from the incredible Art. Here are Big Foot, Backwood slasher, zombies and aliens in a wild mix, as i have not seen it yet. The murderous Bigfoot type could be come from "Night of the Demon". Various traps from countless backwoods horror movies.
But also zombies and aliens and human sacrifices. Towards the end the movie is increasingly incoherent and the final is really awesome. You ask yourself whether that should be a serious movie or a parody. The FX and masks by John Carl Buechler are cheap, but mostly effective. Michelle Bauer usually runs naked through the woods and at the end gets her heart cut out.
I was very well entertained, but you should not fix the requirements so high.
Mainstream viewers should avoid the movie like the plague. And while we're at it, what the hell does a seasoned actor like George Kennedy in such crazy shit.
From director Emmett Alston i have also his "New Year's Evil" on VHS. I have seen it some time ago and think it was a relatively more straight thriller/slasher and was not so trashy.

[Kothar]

Aswang

Philippines 1992

Director: Peque Gallaga, Lore Reyes

Cast: Alma Moreno, Manilyn Reynes, Janice de Belen, Dick Israel, John Estrada

The little Catlyn (Aiza Seguerra), her nanny Veron (Manilyn Reynes) with their driver Dudoy (Berting Labra) come to Catlyn's house. But there, the employees were cruelly massacred by four brutal killers. The Nanny Veron is hiding in the closet and becomes witness, as also Catlyn's Mother
is brutally killed. When the killers discover the witnesses, they are also trying to kill the three, but they can escape. The killers want to eliminate those annoying witnesses, but Catlyn, Veron and Dudoy have a bigger problem. The village in which they have fled, and where the Relatives of Dudoy lives, is being terrorized by an aswang. Now they have two problems. The attacks of the aswang to survive, and preventing the discovery by the killers.

The story of those based in the Philippines known aswang (http://www.mythicalcreaturesguide.com/page/Aswang+% 28Philippine + Ghoul% 29) is only one of several film adaptations. A very early version was already in 1927. But it is questionable whether this film still exists. Other films were in the 60s and even in the USA released in 1994 a film adaptation on this subgenre. 2012 there was a movie version under the title Aswang and also 2012 another movie was directed under the title TikTik: The Aswang Chronicles. Even director Peque Gallage 1999 turned yet another movie named " Sa Piling ng mga Aswang", which has nothing to do with this film.
From the first minute you know who the aswang is, which does not harm the suspense. The female vampire (Alma Moreno) is also a shapeshifter can transform into a cat, bird, snake or wild boar. She also sucks in a scene from the roof of a hut by a long, snake-like tongue the unborn child of a pregnant woman from the body.
After the attacks of Aswangs the police usually find only a few bones of the victims. There are a number of exciting and sometimes even creepy scenes. For example, as Veron is pursued through the forest of the aswang, who once again appears as an old woman and a young girl.
But what is harms the movie now and then is the balance between humor and horror.
In many parts the movie namely suffers unfortunately on totally childish and ridiculous humor.
This pampered and annoying child makes with her silly pranks ensure, that the rythm of the movie always once comes to a halt and also for quite unreliable actions.
The best example of for this is, when the assassins have found the two girls, and they hide in a hut. Catlyn build a few cases,on would be even Kevin from the Kevin Home Alone movies
would still become jealous. You must once imagine, four armed violent gangsters, who have previously brutally murdered an entire family, will not be done with a little girl and her nanny.
Furthermore, the killers put to so goofy, that you feels it would be a parody.
In contrast to this are the attacks of the aswang that are already staged dark and creepy. All in all,not a bad movie, but slightly ambivalent, a little less childish humor would have done the movie very well.

[Kothar]

Halimaw

Philippines 1986

Director: Christopher Leon, Mario O'Hara

Cast: Ian De Leon, Gina Pareño, Michael De Mesa, Jaime Fabregas, Liza Lorena, Lotlot De Leon

Omnibus movie. In the first episode "Komiks" find a little boy in an old abandoned house a old comic book. He takes it home. Weird things happen soon. A demonic warrior appears from the book, kills a couple and attacks the boy's family. Then the great hero appears from the comic and it comes to the battle between the warriors. The evil can be destroyed. The boy brings the book back to the old house.
In the second episode "Halimaw sa banga", which roughly means "The Monster in the jar" a family receives a large jar that was found in an old cave. The woman of the house is a collector of antiques but has no idea that the jar carries a terrible secret. It is a gateway to the spirit world and a female demon that seeks its victims. It is a witch who was crucified many years ago in the cave and now seeks revenge. After she has only drawn several people into the jar, she then appears personally to terrorize the family.

An anthology film in the tradition of "Creepshow" or "Twiligt Zone" on the west side or the Philippine "Shake, Rattle and Roll" series. The second episode with the monster in the jar is better than the first. Overall, the film is quite interresting, although the FX are ultra cheap and laughable (especially in Komiks segment as the cartoon characters coming from the book).
But there is also, although the film clearly aimed at young audiences, to see a bit more brutal scene, when the demonic warrior rips out the arm of a young woman. And the ghost woman in the second episode looks pretty scary with her long white hair, her long claws and sharp teeth.