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| Topic | Board 8 Watches and Ranks 80s Horror - The Rankings |
| Snake5555555555 04/14/24 11:01:10 PM #367: | Lightning - Look at her - the Lady of the Flies!
In the 1970s Dario Argento came to prominence with his giallo films which combined horror with his unique style, bright colours and overpowering sound. Most of these were fairly tight thrillers with minimal plot, but here he goes completely over the top and throws all he can at the wall. Frankly this is an absurd film with murders, a girl who can talk to insects, a helpful chimp, speed metal, a lake catching fire, an ominous boarding school. It is an absolutely bonkers film and yet it works. There are a lot of flaws here. A young Jennifer Connolly and the great Donald Pleasance give really good performances here, but the rest are not as strong. The dubbing that Argento typically employs for his films can be really grating here. The dialogue is silly and the story makes no sense. There is another bad portrayal of physical differences. It is a film that on paper should not work at all. Despite that, the film simply goes for it so much you cannot help but enjoy it. You really have to just go with it but it is a lot of fun if you can get on its wavelength. And since it is an Argento film there is some great imagery here, in particular the arms emerging from the darkness was terrifying. There is also Argentos usual use of intense sound, here through the use of metal in key moments including Iron Maiden which gives them a unique twist. That really is the word for this film, unique. There are better movies here but none quite like this. 3/5 Plasmabeam - Not for me. Too slow, and not enough edge to keep me engaged. --- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. If you're gonna scream, scream with me ... Copied to Clipboard! |
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