Movie Review: Absurd

When you see a movie called Absurd, you should know that you are in for something, well, absurd. This Italian production was known by a number of different titles, but Absurd seems to fit the best. However, if that title doesn’t ring a bell, how about Horrible, Zombie 6, Monster Hunter, Grim Reaper 2, Anthropophagus 2, or, as the title on this print called it, Rosso Sangue (Blood Red)? I think there may be a few more variations as well, but I always go with Absurd. Of course, you could just call it “Someone Saw Halloween and Tried to make it Their Own.” it’s a mouthful, but that is what it amounts to.

Movie Review: Death Smiles on a Murderer

In my research into cult, exploitation, and horror films of the past (well, not so much on purpose, but all that I happen to come across), I have found a few prolific directors whose work is a distinct learned taste. They are not directors you are going to love right away, but if you give them time you will find something to really grab onto. Good examples of this sort of director are Jean Rollin, Jess Franco, and the director of the movie in question here, Joe D'Amato. These guys all made a lot of movies, some are good, and some are really, really bad. The movie that stands accused is Death Smiles on a Murderer. Rather evocative title isn't it?

Movie Review: Anthropophagus

Anthropophagus is an interesting beast. Firstly, it is a film of many names, besides the title seen above, it has been called The Grim Reaper, Man Eater, Cannibal, and Antropofago (probably a few other variations, too). Guess the numerous titles could be due to the difficulty of pronouncing, much less defining, it. On top of that, it made the BBFC's Video Nasty list and has been banned in numerous countries. It has also been mostly available in an edited version with something around 10-minutes excised from it. I have had an uncut DVD sitting on my shelf for a long time, but for some reason it took until now to actually pop it in the player.