Industrious

The basic idea isn't too bad, but the movie fails in execution. The pace appears to be intentionally slow, but too many scenes drag. Most potential moments of shock are wasted by bad timing. Rather too much of the story is told prematurely and superfluously by the voice-over, and quite possibly its scope is too wide, grappling not only with the philosophical question of what happens after death, but also introducing the threat of utter apocalypse by homicidal ghosts, on top of the mad scientist theme. The main ghost looks a little bit too much like the Ringu one, and there's too much of Evil Dead style camera prowling through the paranormally plagued forest. However, the ending isn't as bad as the completely disastrous one looming just minutes before the end. Technically, this movie is lacking in many respects, and there are better Japanese technophobia horror movies out there.

A suspenseful thriller that bears some resemblance to Deliverance as for scenery and setting. There are also some very innovatively shot scenes and good music, although the daftness and sometimes seemingly careless attitude of one of the characters is unfitting to the situation, although this is not a mayor problem. It also poses interesting questions about justness of revenge and limits of friendship.

Footprints is a very interesting movie that is somewhat difficult to categorize. "Psychological thriller" is the most appropriate description I can think of. The female protagonist, Alice Cespi, discovers that she doesn't remember anything of the last three days. The only clue she has is a torn photo of a hotel. She is also haunted by a recurring, very vivid, dream about a science fiction movie that she believes she saw many years ago. In her pursuit of the truth behind her amnesia she doesn't trust anyone, but little by little it becomes obvious that she has visited the town where the hotel is located before. This is an exciting flick whose main virtue is that it is virtually impossible to predict how the events will unfold, and particularly, how it will end. The unusual loneliness of the main character and the unreliability of everyone else ensure that the good old paranoid feeling is present throughout the film, whereas beautiful colors and some spectacularly filmed sequences make this a visually attractive movie as well. The important part of the one and only Nicoletta Elmi, everyone's all time favorite redheaded obnoxious child star of Italian horror, is an extra bonus.

This is a quite enjoyable little flick, though not as ingenious as Emanuelle and the last Cannibals. Unfortunately, it does not offer the same levels of gore and violence but somewhat compensates this shortcoming by excessive amounts of soft-core and an even more terrific sound-track by the same composer. The "safari"-scenes and the fight in the bowling-alley are unforgettable. Recommended to all fans of 70's sleaze but perhaps not to the general audience.

Dead Creatures is a very different zombie movie. The "zombies" are not the mindless, monstrous ones you are used to from traditional zombie flicks, but rather ordinary people who look, speak and feel like everyone else. Their difficult life in the apathy of British Suburbia is made even more difficult by a middle-aged man trying to hunt them down, and whose motives are not explained until toward the end of the film. The uncommon approach of making the zombies human, in conjunction with good acting, good script and gorgeous photography makes this a memorable movie. The gory scenes are quite disturbing and very well made.

This is a truly chilling and well-made sci-fi horror, visually and conceptually "quoting" (not stealing from) Hellraiser, Alien and 2001. Anyone who has seen (and appreciated) those should enjoy this one. Good underlying idea, using the eternal sci-fi/horror theme of man's powerlessness in front of the infinite/unknown. Excellent combination of creepiness and shock. Gory scenes disturbing but not excessively long. Long build-up of unsettling events before you know exactly whats going on makes it even more scary.