Aesthetic and unique, in good ways
Virtually all of the praise I've ever seen for this film comes with the word "but", followed by a list of flaws. This is undeserved. True, the film (in its DVD double-bill with The Devil's Nightmare form) has some minor editing issues; true, it has cheesy pop music you'd never find if you search for years (I personally consider this a GOOD thing); true, the film is not a fast paced zombie-action flick with grue and butchery (in fact, it's more cult than zombie film). BUT, what the movie does have going for it is an original edge and some sharp, moody scenes that are rare for the era. Some comments say it is slow ...my view is that the authors of such comments are simply more used to modern, faster-paced cinema. The scenes are aesthetically delightful but certainly not as artsy (negatively so) as some commentors claim (the artsy-ness doesn't really go beyond the story itself: DO NOT fear this is comparable to the so-called artsy-ness of, say, a Jess Franco film ...it is not). The actors have been attacked by other commentors, but this is one of the things I was more impressed with considering the seemingly meager budget. I thought the male lead did a much better job than, say, the female lead. The two girls who are traveling with the male lead are also surprisingly human and real for a film like this, and there is obviously some chemistry in the cast (but for the female lead: she's a bit too dreamy). The albino and the Richard Wagner music-scene felt out of place but perhaps worked with the disorientation of the film as a whole. In all, comparing this film to its genre and period, it really can't be dismissed. A little indecisive, but not nearly enough to detract from the bounty of great scenes and sensations.score 10/10
jay-bethke 27 December 2004
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0986149/35658
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