minnix

In the deep south it's good to kiss your hot niece on the mouth and call her baby.

Wings Hauser pretty much makes this film, along with support from the sheriff played by Bo Hopkins. Wings and his little brother go on vacation but end up in a backwoods town and run into the living dead who are the spawn of toxic waste. Nothing really shocking gore or violence wise, and the fx are so-so, but it's entertaining. As an aside there's a genuinely tense unplanned scene where Wings accidentally slips on a roofing shingle after jumping out a window and damn near falls off the roof of a house which could have easily broken his neck. I had to rewind it several times and it's the real deal.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I do like the fact that despite some comedic moments, this isn't as goofy and joke driven as part 2. The original Deathstalker is still the best, a no nonsense son of a bitch who killed a bunch of would be rapists not to save the girl, but just because he didn't want sloppy seconds. He had no sense of humor and just liked to fuck and kill. The gradual pussification of Deathstalker through the sequels really takes away from what made the original so fun in the first place. Having said that, this is a perfectly serviceable high fantasy film and doesn't really deserve the hate it gets. I've seen much worse, especially from the Italian side of sword and sandal flicks. I wouldn't want to sit through it again, but could have it on in the background while doing other things.

⭐ ⭐ out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This is my introduction to Indonesian horror and I like what I see so far. This is the definition of doing the best with what you have. Although gruesome in parts, it's more of a traditional Shakespearean tragedy than a horror flick. The fx are creative and include stuff I've never seen before. There's a self-decapitation scene that's a sight to behold. Besides that it's actually shot very well. The shots of Mumi (the protagonist who is awesome by the way) training in black magic in front of a full moon are beautiful to look at and have an ethereal quality that's hard to describe. There's some really cool sets, a traditional Indo wedding with all of the accoutrements and dancing demons that that entails, a killer shaman cave full of snakes and magic fetishes, and the jungle and waterfalls make for a feast for the eyes. I'm really glad this got an HD transfer because it looks great.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2 out of ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐